~A Glimpse Into The Future~

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The site is being glitchy, though. Hopefully this chapter will post...*

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Chapter 11: These Walls Are Not Home

...

"Where are we going, Katy?! I kind of need to know."

She had gotten tired of running, and was just walking now. A solemn look took over her face, and she looked at the ground most of the way.

"Fine. I... want to go home. I mean I want to show you where I live."

"You don't live with me?"

"Of course... But we don't live in the house with Papyrus."

"I move out of Pap's house? How did he take that?"

"I don't know, it was before I was born..."

Katy seemed to be getting aggravated, so Sans stopped asking questions... for a minute. He really did want to know where she was taking him. They were on the path he takes to Waterfall, the back way through the forest, instead of the main Riverboat way.

"Is it in Waterfall?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"It's more in Waterfall than Hotland, but it's kind of on the border."

Sans knew what was on the border of Waterfall and Hotland. He knew where they were going. He froze for a step, "Uh, kid, I hope we're not going where I think we're going."

Katy stopped and rolled her eyes. "I'm going... I want to see what it looks like now."

Sans grabbed a hold of her arm. "Seriously, Kate, it's not a good idea for you to go there."

"WHY NOT?!"

"Because. It's just a big science lab to him. It won't be the home you know... Experiments and tests and chemicals and machines everywhere... it's no place for a kid. There's stuff you shouldn't see... Plus, I don't think you should meet him."

"I want... to go... home." She jerked her arm away from Sans.

"Don't make me do this..." His left eye and hand turned blue. She looked down as she felt a weight on her chest... and her soul was glowing blue as well. Sans lifted his hand just slightly, and Katy was lifted off the ground, just enough to get his point across. "We're. Not. Going."

Fear swept across Katy's face, suspended in the air; she started to squirm.

Sans let her back down, and released his magic's hold on her. "It's for the best, kid. Please just trust me."

Katy sped past Sans back toward the direction they came. Fear still lingered in her eyes.

Sans followed her and tried to keep up.

"Kate? You know I'm just doing it to protect you, right? I really don't think any good can come out of you seeing the place like that."

Katy stopped. She turned around to Sans, and looked like she was about to cry. "I just want to go home."

"I know, kiddo. But that's not your home. That's the place of a scientist that drowns himself in his work, brings his work home with him, and by the way, isn't too fond of humans. He'll probably -ask questions later- if you know what I mean."

Katy hung her head back down toward the ground. She knew what Sans was saying made sense. Maybe the closest thing she had to "home" was standing right in front of her. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and he kissed her head. "It's gonna be alright. I love you, kid."

"Really?!" She said back, muffled into his shoulder. It was the first time this Sans had told her that.

He smiled. "Really."

"I love you too!" Her hug tightened.

"I know. I know."

...

The walk home was a silent one, but neither of them could add to the moment they had back in the forest. They each had an arm wrapped around the other, and didn't think about letting go, even on the narrow path.

The house came into view when they reached the clearing. It looked like Papyrus hadn't made it there yet, as far as they could tell.

Then he came out of the house, looking around curiously.

"Oh crap, we're late," Katy said, speeding up, pulling Sans with her. "Here we are, Papyrus!"

Papyrus saw them jogging toward him. "WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN? YOU SAID YOU WOULD STAY HERE TODAY. YOU JUST LIKE TO MAKE ME WORRY, DON'T YOU?!"

"Of course not, Uncle Pap." She let go of Sans and took Papyrus's hand. "I'm sorry, we got bored. I'll make it up to you- I'll make you the best spaghetti you've ever had! And show you how to make it! Deal?"

"I KNOW HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI... ..."

Sans tried to hide his laugh. "Well, that's, um, debatable..."

Katy nudged him with her elbow. "Of course you do. But I make it differently, I'll show you my way, okay? Sans loved it!"

"YOU ACTUALLY GOT SANS TO EAT IT?! ALRIGHT FINE, HUMAN, I WILL TRY IT YOUR WAY."

"Human?" Sans asked.

"WELL, YOU KNOW... I'M JUST USED TO CALLING HER THAT BY NOW."

"It's fine, I really don't mind." Katy turned to the house, and pulled Papyrus in with her by his hand, and Sans followed.

...

"Keep it stirred! Or else it will turn into a hard, clumpy ball."

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"

"I don't think you do... Turn it down or it will get burnt. Ugh, what is that smell? Oh, it's already burning! We're starting over."

"NO, IT'S FINE."

Sans watched in amusement as the two argued.

"Okay, your sauce looks good at least... but let me show you something." Katy looked at Sans, and he handed her the ketchup bottle. "Sans likes it like this."

"OH, I SEE."

"You see? Now try again with the noodles."

Papyrus prepared more noodles into the pot. He did better with them this round.

"See? Doesn't that smell and look better?"

"WELL... YES..."

"There you go. Keep stirring them."

"DON'T DRINK FROM THE BOTTLE, SANS! WE ALL HAVE TO USE THAT!"

Katy took the ketchup bottle from Sans and set it beside Papyrus. "There."

...

*after dinner, at the training grounds*

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"Okay, Papyrus, you can go first," Sans offered to his brother.

"GREAT! OKAY, KATY, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT."

Papyrus initiated a fight. The ground shifted as the air surrounding them turned dark and cold.

Papyrus made the first move. Katy felt nailed to the ground, unable to move, until she tried to jump. Jumping up was the only movement her body would cooperate with. He slid some bones across the ground at her, and she jumped over them easily.

"WELL DONE!" Then Papyrus stared at her expectantly. It's her turn.

Am I supposed to fight him? Do I actually try to hurt him? Is this a mercy test?

Katy closed her eyes, lifted her hands, and made her gaster blaster appear. Her hands and her blaster began to glow blue.

"AH!"

"Whoa, what are you doing there?! You're not actually going to hurt him, are you?" Sans stepped between them.

"Uh, no I wasn't planning to hurt him... What exactly do you want me to do here?"

"Just... use your bone attacks or your arrows or something... Put that thing away!"

"REALLY CHILD, DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME? WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET THAT THING?"

The gaster blaster vanished. "I want to use my magic... Will you show me?" She asked Sans.

"HEY! THIS IS MY LESSON HERE! I WILL DO THE TEACHING!"

Sans stepped back to his previous spot, to watch again.

"LET ME SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO, THEN I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU DID WRONG."

"...Your utter confidence in me just fills me with determination," Katy replied sarcastically. Her hands still had the hazy blue smoke, as she had decided to use a magic attack. Four bones appeared into place around Papyrus, two on each side of his head, and two on each side of his legs. Katy brought her hands in front of her, then brought her hands together. This made the four bones all rush to meet each other, forming a big X in the middle, right in front of Papyrus's chest.

He jumped as if he had actually gotten hit, but it was just from shock. "... EH... WOWIE... THAT'S, QUITE AN ATTACK YOU GOT THERE..."

"So, what did I do wrong?" Katy challenged him.

"UM, PERHAPS, STAND UP A LITTLE STRAIGHTER... YOU WERE SLOUCHING FORWARD..."

"No! That was perfect and you know it! That could have been your soul I just destroyed."

"Whoa, hey, calm down kid, we're not here to destroy anybody's soul. That was good. Now let's see you do something else."

"NO, WAIT! IT'S MY TURN!"

Sans rolled his eyes. Did he just stomp his foot at me? "Okay, Pap. Your turn."

"NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus sent bones across the ground again, seemingly the same attack, until they started getting bigger, taller. Katy jumped higher each time, until she didn't think she could jump any higher. I'm about to take some damage...

Then her soul glowed blue on her chest. She felt herself being lifted higher, without using any energy. She looked over to Sans, who winked at her, as his hand rose in unison with her body. Then lowered his hand as she was lowered to the ground.

"I want to see you try that, kid."

Katy took a deep breath. She brought her hand out toward Papyrus, but didn't know what to do. She waved it around, clenched her fist, unclenched it... but nothing was happening. "Uh, Sans?"

He shrugged at her. "Well who knows, maybe you don't even have that power. But let's see." He walked up to her. "Try me."

She tried again on Sans. Still nothing.

"Let me see if I can explain it. It's like when you hurt your hand on something, and you pull it away, but you can still feel it on your hand. It feels the same way, you can feel it in your hand, yet it's not really there."

Katy stared blankly at him. "Okay, well how do I grab it or whatever."

"I don't know if I can teach you that, kiddo," Sans lifted her off the ground again, "it just happens naturally." He set her back down. "Maybe you need to have better control of your magic first. Just try something else for now." He stepped back to his spot on the sidelines.

Katy closed her eyes to concentrate. She lifted her hands, and a row of bones rose up from the ground. She pushed her hands forward, and they lunged forward toward Papyrus. He ducked under them, stood up, and was hit by another row behind it.

"Uh oh! I'm sorry Papyrus!"

He held his head, seeming dizzy. Sans and Katy ran to him. "You alright, bro? You need to sit down?"

"I'm sorry I didn't want to hurt you!" Katy hugged him.

He hugged her back, seeming to recover. "I'M FINE."

"Let's practice on the dummy from now on, okay?" Sans suggested.

"THAT WAS PRETTY STRONG, ESPECIALLY FOR A BEGINNER. WELL DONE. I BET YOU'RE GOING TO BE AS POWERFUL AS SANS WHEN YOU GET USED TO YOUR MAGIC."

"Wow, thanks Uncle Papyrus! You really think so?!"

"YES, I DO."

"Well, you need a lot more practice if you're going to be like me." Sans smiled at the two, then pointed behind him at the training dummy. He felt happy when he realized how much she wanted to be like him, and it made him more determined to teach her.

They spent the rest of the afternoon at the training grounds: Katy coming up with different ways to attack with bones, Sans showing her his attacks and helping her concentrate on becoming better and faster, and Papyrus breaking her concentration while trying to be helpful. Soon, nightfall began to darken the sky, and Sans suggested it was time to head back home. Katy was exhausted by this time. Today's training lasted a lot longer than yesterday's. Her muscles ached after walking a short distance, and Papyrus offered to carry her home.

She fell asleep in his arms, and when they got back to their house, Papyrus took Katy to his room, placed her in his bed, and tucked her in. "I'LL JUST TAKE THE COUCH TONIGHT."

"Aw, That's real sweet of you, bro!"

"YEAH..."