KikiRukata: Sorry so much for the delay on this chapter everyone. My mother went and had surgery done recently and that's been taking up a lot of our time the past month getting her and the house ready for when she came out. Now that I don't have an impending surgery hanging over my head hopefully that means things will calm down at home and the work front. So once again. Sorry for the delay! I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!
Chapter 13: The First Release
* Four Stage Memory Seal: Status Report:
Seal: Alpha – LOCKED
Seal: Beta – LOCKED
Seal: Gamma – LOCKED
Seal: Delta – LOCKED
* Begin release process…
* ERROR: Interference from foreign consciousness detected – Purge and resume process.
* Seal: Alpha – commence release, restore vestigial recollection.
* Seals Beta, Gamma, and Delta – suspended until process is complete.
– CURRENT ANALYSIS –
I've made it back… it seems it really worked after all. Hopefully this will buy us all some time. The first seal has begun its release process, so I have a little time to ruminate before the others put me back into sleep.
It's bound to be quite a shock when the memories begin to return… and truthfully, I regret forcing all of these onto my former self, but it must be done. If I can arm him with the knowledge I've gained, then maybe he will be able to fix my mistakes… and stop what is to come. It will be difficult, but the following days will go a long way in determining how smoothly the process will go. I only hope it will not be too much…
As for the other consciousness, the one he has named Lily, my feelings are… torn.
She has been an asset thus far and it seems at least some of what she told me was truthful. She offered herself as a guide unprompted and has been a constant source of support since they returned here. Even in this short time, they've forged a powerful bond. It almost seems an entirely different presence from the one I'm familiar with. Could the Other have truly affected her that much? Or… was it because of me?
On the other hand, I still see facets of the one I once feared even now. She still has something of a violent streak if the earlier encounter with Sans is any indication. Then again, she only assumed control in defense of my young incarnation and seemed reluctant to do so again when asked. What should I think? Are my suspicions warranted or have my experiences clouded my judgement to the point that I can't help but consider the worst case scenario? Regardless, I cannot deny that she's been a boon. My first journey through the Underground was far more difficult due to my limitations, so having another to help must be invaluable.
Interestingly, most of her own memories seem to have been lost as a result of the transfer. It's a case very different from the Seal placed upon myself. They're more scattered, returning in bits and chunks rather than a steady flow of restored information. Even her own name seems to have been lost during the process. I am curious, and a bit apprehensive at what the restoration of those particular memories will mean going forward. I suppose it is only then that I'll know for sure where her motivations lie.
The Other is not yet aware of this timeline, as far as I can tell. It seems we still remain in the shadow of the former, and it has yet to find us. Without a doubt, it noticed my disappearance as well as hers, but I've noticed none of the signs to suggest that it knows where we are. Hopefully it remains that way, until we can find out what to do.
As for the others… I can't express how happy I am to see them all again. How I wish our happy ending could have remained so. I expected that reaction from Sans… I knew he would eventually find the records and manage to piece things together. I hope I can count on his help when the time comes… if he can even bring himself to trust me again, that is.
Ah… seems my time's coming to an end. The process is almost finished. Maybe next time, I'll have something a little more substantial.
– END ANALYSIS –
* Release Process: Complete
* Seal: Alpha – Released, vestigial recollection restored.
* Seals Beta, Gamma, and Delta – Ending suspension period, restore lock.
* Updating status…
Seal: Alpha – UNLOCKED
Seal: Beta – LOCKED
Seal: Gamma – LOCKED
Seal: Delta – LOCKED
* Stage 1 of 4 complete.
*Stage 2 of 4 progress - 0.1%…
"Oof…!" Lily grunted as she was suddenly forced from Frisk's body and down onto the floor near the skeletons' couch. "H-hey…!"
She cast a bleary glare toward Frisk, only to drop it the moment her eyes fell upon his still sleeping form. She lifted a spectral brow and drifted over to him. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was steady… whatever had expelled her from his SOUL had done nothing to disturb his own slumber. Shrugging her shoulders, she placed her hand over his chest – the place closest to his essence and concentrated on re-merging. After a couple of moments she opened her eyes.
Nothing happened.
Frisk lay where he was, and she continued to float above him. There was no burst of light, no dissipation of her spirit, not even a pulse from his SOUL. There was nothing.
"What the hell…?" She muttered, and nudged the boy's shoulder. "Frisk? Hey, wake up."
He didn't respond. Not even a sleepy groan or a blind wave of the arm to get rid of the disturbance. She nudged him harder… still nothing. No matter her attempts he remained in deep sleep. She considered for a moment on what else to try. Frisk was normally a deep sleeper but this was simply ridiculous. She poked, prodded, and shook but nothing seemed capable of rousing the boy from whatever abyss he'd fallen into.
"Well crap…" she sighed, giving up and settling herself down on the couch next to him.
She watched him for a while, taking note of the ever-so-slight movement of his lips barely perceptible amidst the steady breaths. He seemed to be talking in his sleep, but it was silent and she wasn't exactly versed in the reading of lips. The spectral girl chuckled a little at his side.
'Wonder what he's dreaming about?' She thought. 'He seems calm enough, so it probably isn't anything bad. Maybe we're just not quite used to this whole 'combining our consciousnesses' thing. Oh well… it isn't like I was going to get to sleep again right away after being woken up like that."
She settled back and reclined in the air with her hands behind her head. Merging with Frisk had a lot of benefits – she could talk to people, and directly interact with the world around her and all that. But there was something about the freedom of being a weightless ghost uninhibited by gravity that she found quite a bit of enjoyment in. Grinning, she imagined all the pranks she could play if she was just a little more solid. She had a feeling she played quite a few of those back when she was alive.
'When I was alive…' She mused, and her face turned thoughtful. 'That's right… I still don't remember much about my life. Little pieces have been coming back to me but most of it is still a big blur. I know I had a mom, a dad who liked gardening, and… a brother. Yeah… I called him Rei, but I'm sure that was just a nickname. I can now remember when my dad gave me those shears… he taught me so much about how to take care of plants. I think that's why I love flowers so much. I just wish I could remember their faces or even just their names… I still can't even remember my own.'
'And… what about my death? I don't even remember how it happened or when… or what brought me back. I was dead, shouldn't I have stayed that way? So then… why am I here now, attached to Frisk's SOUL?'
The girl crossed her arms and exhaled. Thinking about it wasn't bringing her any closer to the answer. In a way, that was the most frightening thing of all. What would happen if she eventually did find out? Maybe the answer was so horrible that it was the very reason she'd lost her memory in the first place. She shuddered at the possibility, wrapping her arms around herself to stave off a sudden chill.
Thankfully, she didn't need to entertain that unpleasant thought for long. A soft sound, piercing the silence of the living area drew her attention. It was a voice, too distant to be understood but identifiable as such nonetheless. It was coming from the upper levels of the home… or more specifically, from Sans' room.
Curious, Lily drifted up to the second level to investigate, making her way to the simple door. As she drew closer it became clear that there were actually two voices, both familiar. She reached the door, noticing it was slightly ajar and peered inside. It was clear it hadn't been cleaned in a while. Old socks littered the floor and furnishings, one hanging limply from the console of a treadmill in the center of the room. In the corner was what could only be described as a self-sustaining tornado filled with trash. The girl would have liked a bit of time to marvel the sheer absurdity of it all, if a voice hadn't drawn her attention to more important things.
"SANS, PLEASE CALM DOWN." Papyrus said gently. "IT WAS JUST A NIGHTMARE. NO NEED TO WORRY."
Sans was sitting up in his bed, strange bluish liquid akin to tears streaming down the sides of his skull from his darkened eye-sockets. Papyrus sat on the side of the lumpy mattress, his long, bony arms wrapped tightly around his brother. Sans looked a lot smaller without his hoodie, which only added to his sorry state. His entire form trembled within his brothers' embrace and the constant grin he usually wore was replaced with an expression of absolute terror.
"you wouldn't get it, pap…" he said almost breathlessly. "if you knew… if you'd seen it…"
"SANS, LISTEN TO ME…" Papyrus soothed. "THE HUMAN WON'T HURT ANYONE… WE ARE FRIENDS NOW! EVEN THE DOG CLAN LOVES HIM. IT WAS JUST A DREAM, BROTHER…"
"you don't know what he's capable of, bro…" Sans muttered. "i don't want to lose you again… I can't lose you again."
"LOOK AT ME, SANS…" Papyrus said, grabbing his brother's skull and craning his neck up to look him in the eye. "I AM RIGHT HERE, SAFE AND SOUND. NO HARM AT ALL! I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO PROTECT YOU."
"i know… and i wanna believe that. but ever since this started…" Sans trailed off. "i can't help it, bro… i'm terrified, knowing what could happen but having no idea what will."
"YOU AREN'T MAKING SENSE, SANS…" Papyrus said. "YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE DREAM RIGHT? YOU JUST NEED TO TELL YOURSELF THAT IT WASN'T REAL. I'M HERE, YOU'RE HERE, AND SO ARE FRISK AND LILY. WE'LL ALL BE FRIENDS, WE'LL MAKE PASTA AND PUZZLES TOGETHER. AND YOU CAN EVEN ANNOY US WITH YOUR PUNS! I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THOSE…"
"heh. can't deny that. i am a real punny guy, huh?" Sans forced a grin at the small pun. Papyrus tried to maintain a straight face, but Sans caught the slight twitch of his eye-socket.
"A-ANYWAY!" He cleared his throat. "DREAMS CANNOT HURT YOU… AND IF YOU ARE EVER FRIGHTENED YOU CAN ALWAYS COME TO ME. THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS HAS TIME TO LEND AN EAR TO HIS AMAZING BROTHER."
"yeah… thanks bro." Sans said, feeling a little better. "guess i just need to pull myself together, huh?"
"THERE YOU GO! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT." Papyrus flashed a brilliant grin, and Sans chuckled. "YOU SHOULD TALK TO THEM, SANS. I'M SURE IF YOU TOOK SOME TIME, YOU WOULD ALL BECOME GOOD FRIENDS."
"whaddya mean? we talked plenty earlier…" Sans lifted a brow ridge.
"NO, YOU HAD AN INTERROGATION." Papyrus countered. "I'VE SEEN IT PLENTY WITH UNDYNE. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABOUT SOMEONE BUT NOT VERY GOOD FOR MAKING FRIENDS."
"heh. i guess i can't hide anything from you, huh?" Sans said. "you're right though… guess i should at least give it a try. can't expect those kids to be honest with me, if i'm not honest with them."
Lily retreated from the door, leaving the two skeletons to the rest of their conversation. It was clear there was a lot more to Sans than met the eye. Maybe she was being a little hard on him after what happened before. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was angry for what he'd done. Just thinking about how terrified and confused Frisk was made her chest burn…
But maybe if she understood his reasons…
Sighing she drifted back down to the lower floor and returned to Frisk's side, snuggling herself next to the boy as much as she was able. This time he stirred, shuffling unconsciously to the side and wrapping his arm over her spectral form. She smiled a little, enjoying the comfort despite everything. At last, sleep caught up with her once more, and she felt her consciousness drifting off once again.
Neither of the humans were disturbed again for the rest of the night.
Morning greeted Lily like a slap to the face as the smell of warm cinnamon wafted through the room. She opened her eyes to its intoxicating call, her eyes focusing in on Sans, closing the door behind himself. Two small books were tucked under one arm and the source of the wonderful smell drifted out from the small bag in his other hand.
The shorter bone brother watched as Frisk's hovering arm moved up and then was gently lowered onto the couch next to his chest. The kid's face scrunched up slightly before falling back into place, completely uncaring to the disturbance. Sans chuckled and moved over to them, setting the books and bag down upon the end table next to boy's head.
"hey ghost-kid. i know your there. these are for you and frisk." He said casually.
Sans glanced out the corner of his eye as Frisk started moving like he was being shaken. The boy groaned as he blindly swatted at Lily, who only chuckled at his attempts to push her away.
"Nooo, I wanna sleep..." He said groggily, curling in on himself again.
"Frisk… use your nose, not your brain." Came the retort to his sleepy complaint.
Frisk huffed slightly before his nose twitched in response to something. The smell of heavy cinnamon and sugar caused a small noise to leave his lips as he licked them in anticipation. Lily laughed a little. It looked like the promise of food was an effective method in rousing the little sleeping lion. Who'd have thought?
"Mmm, smells like the bunnies from Ms. Lapin..."
"that's 'cus they are kid. a peace offering if you will."
Sans' voice caused Frisk to jump into a sitting position before tumbling to the floor. "Ah!"
"Frisk! Are you alright?" Lily asked as she moved quickly to Frisk's side, helping him sit back on the couch.
"Ow… Yeah I'm alright." Frisk replied, patting Lily's hand before turning his attention back to Sans.
He couldn't help but feel a little nervous, even though he knew Sans probably wouldn't do anything in his own house, with his brother so close by. Lily quickly took the initiative, merging with Frisk's SOUL so as to lend her support. The moment the eye began to glow it grew dark as it focused on Sans' every move.
The short skeleton rubbed the back of his head. At least it wasn't hard to tell what she thought of him… not that he'd given the best first impression. "welp breakfast is there along with some puzzle books. gotta keep you kids outta trouble right? might wanna eat soon before they hop away." He turned up his hand, as if looking at some kind of invisible watch and gave a resigned sigh. "guess i should get going. gotta get to my bonely job in the snow."
With that, he quickly spun about on his slippered heel and walked out the door quick as he came, leaving the two of them in silence once again.
"Well... That was weird. He sure left in a hurry." Frisk replied, scratching the tip of his nose with a finger while his other hand fumbled around for the baked goods.
"Maybe Papyrus talked to him? It would make sense. I think Papyrus sees more than he lets on." Replied Lily, her glowing eye turned towards the bag as the boy finally found it. She decided against telling Frisk what she saw last night for now.
"Alright. These smell so good. I'm happy he brought them." Frisk grinned.
His hand quickly dove into the bag to pull out the sweet treat and pop it into his mouth. The delicious taste of cinnamon and icing sang against his tongue. She wasn't quite on par with Toriel when it came to baking but Mrs. Lapin was definitely superb in her own right.
"Don't eat them too fast!" Lily protested mentally as the boy shoved more of the cinnamon bunny into his mouth, therefore cutting off her ability to speak through him. "By the way, there's something I wanted to ask."
"Hmmph?" Frisk grunted through the mouthful, which causes the glowing eye to roll in exasperation at his messiness.
"Some time in the middle of the night I was forced out of your SOUL." She explained. "It was like something just kicked me out… and it wouldn't let me back in. It was weird."
"Huh… wonder why?" Frisk vaguely thought back, licking his fingers and the sugary substance began to drip down the digits.
"Come on, Frisk… this is serious." The girl complained, now wondering if it was such a good idea to bring it up when he had food on the brain. "It really worried me for a bit. Something like it happened before at Mom's house and you know what happened that time."
"Hmm…" Frisk began, slowing his eating to focus a little more on the subject at hand. "I don't think I had a nightmare or anything…"
"Me neither." Lily said. "But it happened anyway. And now that I think about it, you didn't respond when I tried to wake you either. Normally you'll groan or move away but this time… you didn't do anything. It almost looked like you were talking in your sleep too."
"I was?" Frisk said aloud as he finished the treat, and wiped his fingers clean. "What did I say?"
"I don't know…" Lily responded. "If you were, it was too quiet to hear… and I don't really know how to read lips. You're sure you don't know anything?"
"No…" Frisk said thoughtfully. "When you explain it like that it does seem weird but… I feel okay."
"Are you sure?" She asked in concern, taking control of one of his arms to touch the other.
"Yeah… whatever it was, I don't think it was anything bad." He assured her. "Thanks for worrying about me. I'm sorry you had to wake up like that."
"It's alright." The girl said softly. "Just as long as you're okay."
The two children set about getting ready for the day ahead. Using his stick and Lily's guidance, Frisk padded over to the wash room and splashed his face with water before returning to the couch where they'd left Sans' 'peace offering'. Lily pored over the titles, and found them to be an assortment of pen-and-paper puzzles. There were some word searches, similar to the one he'd given them before, a number of crosswords of varying difficulties and a few Jumbles of both the Junior and Senior variety.
"OH HO! I SEE THE TWO OF YOU ARE ALREADY AWAKE! GOOD MORNING, HUMANS!" Called the unmistakably resounding voice of Papyrus from above. "AND DO MY EYE-SOCKETS DECEIVE ME? YOU HAVE BROUGHT PUZZLES! I KNEW YOU WERE FRIENDS WITH CLASS BUT I NEVER EXPECTED THIS MUCH."
"'Morning Papyrus." Frisk waved in the direction of the voice. "Actually, Sans brought these. We only just woke up."
"HE DID? WOWIE!" Papyrus cheered. "MY ADVICE MUST HAVE REALLY HELPED."
"Huh?" Frisk questioned.
"OH, JUST A SMALL NIGHT TERROR." Papyrus explained as he descended the stairs and came to a stop before the two of them. "NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I AM GLAD HE IS FEELING BETTER. HE EVEN WOKE UP ON TIME!"
"Hey Papyrus?" Lily said hoping to change the subject before Frisk thought to ask about the contents of said nightmare. "Would you want to do some of these with us? Sans brought a lot, so…"
"AN INVITATION TO PUZZLING? NYEH HEH HEH! I'D LOVE TO!" Papyrus grinned widely, but turned thoughtful in the next moment. "IS… WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY ANYWAY, BUT I MUST ATTEND TO MY DUTIES TODAY. THE PATH OF A ROYAL GUARD IS NOT AN EASY ONE, AND SOMETIMES SACRIFICES MUST BE MADE! I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND, FRIENDS."
"It's okay." Frisk nodded. "We can always do them later on. Me and Lily can find something to do while you're out."
"WELL THAT IS SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO!" Papyrus said happily. "WELL THEN, I MUST BE GOING AS WELL. I KNOW IT WILL BE HARD WITHOUT ME, BUT TRY TO HAVE FUN WHILE I'M GONE."
"We'll try. See you later, Pap." Lily responded.
Papyrus grinned before ruffling the child's hair under his gloved hand. Frisk shook his head and straightened the displaced strands as best he could before giving the skeleton a grin and a thumbs up. Frisk slipped on his boots, gloves and jacket before they joined the taller bone brother at the front door of the house. They bid Papyrus farewell as he dashed off through the town, presumably to check on his own puzzles in the forest. Eventually they set off in the same direction, albeit at a far more leisurely pace than the energetic Guard hopeful.
Snowdin was as welcoming as ever, the twinkling lights invoking festive air that wouldn't be out of place on a holiday card. Frisk pulled his jacket tighter around himself as a chill wind kicked up a little snow from the ground in front of him, making him shiver.
Lily had let herself out of Frisk's SOUL shortly after they'd started walking, deigning instead to guide him normally. Seeing a strange new creature walking about their town might not have bothered the residents of Snowdin too much… but she reasoned that seeing a strange new creature with a glowing eye talking to itself while wandering around their town might raise a few eyebrows. Instead, she had her arms wrapped around the blind boy's forehead and her chin resting upon his scalp, content to let him drag her weightless form along behind him, and offering guidance as needed. To the monsters, it would seem like little more than a perfectly normal (if slightly less fuzzy) boy taking a stroll through the village. To Frisk and Lily… they had to struggle to keep a straight face at their rather amusing position.
"So what now?" The girl said casually, kicking her legs behind her.
"I dunno." Frisk shrugged. "We just ate, and Grillby's probably isn't very busy right now anyway."
"Yeah… the Dog Clan's probably out doing their jobs too." Lily sighed. "And we already explored some of the forest yesterday. Ugh… this is hard."
It was at that moment the two were drawn from their conversation by a voice from nearby.
"Yo!" Hailed the speaker, their voice unfamiliar.
Frisk and Lily turned as one toward its source. Standing near the large decorated tree in the center of town was a small yellowish monster about the same height as Frisk. It was largely reptilian in appearance, two off-white spikes protruding from the back of its head. A sleeveless yellow and brown striped shirt hung from its armless torso.
The monster's scaled face curled into a wobbly smile and its tail swished back and forth excitedly when it noticed it had the boy's attention. No shoes covered its three toed feet, but it didn't seem bothered by the snow as it scampered quickly up to the boy and stared with wide, curious eyes.
"Yo!" It greeted again, in a voice that sounded masculine to Frisk. "You're a kid too, right? I can tell because you're wearing a striped shirt."
"Yeah… I am?" Frisk answered sheepishly.
"That's awesome! I've never seen you around here before. Did you just move here?" The monster child asked.
"Well, I…" Frisk wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. He couldn't exactly say he lived on the surface, but he wasn't quite comfortable in saying that he lived with Sans and Papyrus either… especially not with his apprehension surrounding the former.
The small monster didn't seem to mind as he spoke again. "Yo, do you wanna play? I was just going to meet some friends. We're gonna play Monsters and Humans!"
"You want me to play with you…?" Frisk asked. He wasn't quite used to another child outright asking him to play.
"Say yes, Frisk!" Lily urged, dancing excitedly alongside him. "It sounds like fun!"
"Oh! Okay… uh, sure." Frisk replied awkwardly. The monster child beamed.
"Alright! This is gonna be so cool!" The reptilian monster hopped up and down, kicking up a bit of snow. "Follow me!"
With that he turned around and set off into a run, to the north of the town square. He got a few feet before tripping and falling flat on his face into the snow. Lily gasped and was about to say something when he quickly picked himself back up as if nothing had happened and set off again. Blinking a couple of times she began to guide her blind companion after the child at a much slower pace, moving carefully around the other residents going about their daily business. By the time they'd crossed into Snowdin's residential district, the reptilian monster was little more than a yellow dot amidst the sea of white snow.
"Wow, for having no arms, he sure is fast!" Lily commented. "You doing okay Frisk?"
"Yeah… I'm just a little nervous." He said, feeling about with his stick as they moved. "This is the first time someone around my age has wanted to play with me. Well, except you, anyway."
Lily placed her hand on Frisk's shoulder and gave an encouraging squeeze. "You'll be alright… remember what you told me when I was nervous about talking to Papyrus?"
Frisk gave a small smile. He did remember, and it had proven to be the right thing to do. Maybe if he just took his own advice it would be okay.
"Yo!" The monster child's voice called out. He'd doubled back when he noticed the new kid wasn't behind him. "What's the holdup, dude? Don't you wanna play?"
"Oh. Sorry…" Frisk said.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…" He hesitated for a moment before finishing. "I… can't see."
"Oh… haha… oops. Don't I feel like an idiot now." The small monster's grin faded. "Sorry for leaving you behind like that."
"It's okay. You didn't know." Frisk said. "I hope you still want me to play though."
The grin returned. "Huh? Yeah! Of course I do. I'll try to go a little slower until we get to the others okay?" He scratched the scales on his cheek with his foot - a gesture which looked somewhat amusing to Lily - before continuing. "Oh yeah. I'm Kidd by the way. So uh, nice to meet you and stuff."
"I'm Frisk." The boy introduced himself. "Oh, and my friend's here too. You can't see her, but her name's Lily."
"You got an invisible friend? Sweet!" Kidd said in awe. "Does she wanna play too?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah!" Lily said as she hugged Frisk's arm, smile spreading to each of her rosy cheeks.
Frisk laughed a little. He was starting to get a little excited too between both Lily and Kidd. "She said 'yes'."
"Awesome! Let's get going then!" Kidd said, walking in front of them at a much slower pace this time.
Eventually they found their way to the northern part of Snowdin and the reptilian monster quickly led them to a large playground set apart from the numerous cozy homes dotting the area. There was a number of contraptions designed for leisure; swing-sets, a jungle gym, and even a play fort crafted from wood.
A number of young looking monsters were gathered in the clearing in the middle of the park, talking animatedly amongst themselves; a rabbit-like child, two slimes: one blue and one green with a red bow, a mouse wrapped in a far-too-big scarf, and a horned child with red skin, garbed in a robe. They all turned their attention to Kidd and his newfound companion as he darted up to meet them.
"Yo! I found someone else to play Monsters and Humans with us! This is Frisk and his invisible friend Lily!" Kidd introduced happily as he skidded to a stop in front of the group of kids.
"Oh! I think we saw him yesterday didn't we bro?" The green slime with the bow said.
"Yeah, you're right! Are you alright? You seemed so sad yesterday..." The blue one replied, looking at Frisk with concern… or at least he thought he was looking at him. It was hard to tell.
Frisk drew his stick absently through the snow. All the attention was making him feel a bit nervous. "Yeah… I'm okay now. Thank you for asking." He turned his attention to Kidd who swished his tail excitedly.
Sensing this, Kidd looked at the boy, and the wagging stopped. His expression turned thoughtful. "Will you be able to play? Not being able to see and all?" The questioned carried a bluntness that only a child could deliver.
"Huh? You can't see?" The mouse arced a brow, their voice slightly muffled by the scarf. "But you followed Kidd no problem!"
"Well um… that's mostly thanks to Lily. She's kind of like my guardian angel." Frisk grinned sheepishly, and Lily squeaked at his side.
"F-Frisk!" She stammered, her pale complexion taking on a decidedly tomato-like shade.
"Well, it's true…" Frisk retorted, giving her somewhat flirtatious grin which only made her blush deeper.
"Hold on… if she's invisible, how do we know where she is?" The rabbit wondered aloud, squinting his eyes as if she'd suddenly pop into view if he tried hard enough.
Frisk turned to Lily with a questioning look, and offered his hand to her. She was still reeling slightly from the 'angel' comment but managed a nod in response. Taking his hand, she tried to hide the visible signs of her embarrassment as much as possible even as her form vanished into Frisk's body. The familiar red glow poured forth from the thin slit of the boy's right eye, and his expression shifted to that of another.
"G…Greetings!" Lily spoke through Frisk's mouth, smiling as a few jaws dropped from the monster children.
"That is wicked cool! Haha! The red magic looks awesome!" The horned kid jumped excitedly, watching the glow coat the right side of the boy's face.
"That's Lily! She's my best friend! I hope we can both play?" Frisk said.
"You don't mind, right?" Lily added, feeling Frisk's excitement welling up within his body alongside her own.
"YEAH!" A resounding cry from all of them gave the two humans all the answer they needed.
Kidd, seemingly the designated leader of the playgroup quickly set about dividing them all into teams. The mouse and the green slime were chosen as the Monsters while everyone else was a 'human'. Once done, they gave a quick run through of the rules to Frisk and Lily.
"So the Humans run and hide, and the Monsters have to catch them." Frisk said. "And if they're caught, they have to go to the 'dungeon' which is the jungle gym."
"Yup!" Kidd said.
"And the monsters win if they catch all the humans." Lily added. "But if they don't catch them in time, the humans who haven't been caught win."
"You got it. Man, you guys catch on quick!" Kidd said eagerly. "Alright, everyone ready? Let's go!"
The children scattered, the 'Humans' distancing themselves from their pursuers while the two 'Monsters' fanned out to better capture them. The sound of shouts and laughter filled the chilly Snowdin park as the game began. Frisk couldn't remember a time he'd had more fun. Something like this: playing a game with other children, running around without fear of hurting himself… it was something he could never experience on the Surface. Stick in hand, and his spectral friend's voice guiding his steps, he dashed and dodged through the playground smiling all the while. Lily felt his joy as a mirror of her own. The monster children's eagerness to include her as well as Frisk into their playgroup filled her with a happiness she couldn't describe.
They were a fine team. Lily's perceptiveness and Frisk's reflexes complimented each other and they managed to do surprisingly well for their first time playing. In the end, they were still captured but when they got to the 'dungeon' they found Vis, and Jester (the male slime, and horned child respectively) already there waiting for them. Kidd was captured soon after, a victim of his own lack of balance. The rabbit boy, who was much more surefooted managed to avoid his opponents for a singular win.
"Wow, Coney… I don't think I'll ever be able to catch you." The slime girl said, whole body wriggling as she took air into it.
"You almost did a couple of times." Coney said to her. "You're getting a lot faster, Aqua."
"Seriously!" Kidd agreed before turning to Frisk and Lily. "And you two did really good for your first time playing."
"Thanks." Frisk said modestly.
"It was really fun!" Lily said with much more energy than her companion.
"Heh heh. So… you wanna try the other team now?" He said with another wobbly grin.
So it was that the teams were divided once again. Frisk and Lily were placed on the side of the Monsters alongside the ever-smiling Jester. The other children took their places around the park, keeping distance or hiding as suited their abilities. Jester wished the two real humans good luck before setting off in pursuit of Murid, who they 'totally weren't singling out because the mouse had captured them last game'.
Frisk and Lily, knowing they likely couldn't match the speed of some of the monsters opted instead for a more stealthy approach. They made their way to a cluster of trees and hunkered down behind them to watch from afar. Jester was doing a good job scattering the 'Humans' and Lily was able to use that to pick out where each of them went.
Her gaze centered on Kidd, who was currently hunched down near the base of the play-fort on the opposite side of where Jester terrorized the masses. He clearly hadn't noticed them. Frisk's lips spread into an evil grin as the girl who shared his body formulated a plan.
"Hey Frisk…Kidd's right over there, near the fort." She said in his mind. "Want to give him a little scare?"
"What do you-" He stopped for a moment before matching her grin. "Oh, I get it… Okay, let's do it."
Reaching an accord the glowing-eyed human moved out from his hiding place and made his way carefully toward the fort. Lily directed him from his mind on the right path to take while his stick managed to catch any hidden traps that she might have missed. The boy's feet moved carefully through the snow, making as little noise as possible within the cold white powder.
In a few short moments, they'd reached Kidd. His back was turned to them, watching as Jester struggled to decide which of the two slime siblings to target next. His yellow body was like a beacon amidst the sea of white, and the tall burnt umber walls of the fort. They stepped closer, gradually closing the distance between themselves and the reptilian boy.
One step…
Two steps…
"RAAAAHHH!" Lily and Frisk shouted from a single mouth. Kidd yelped in shock and turned instinctively toward them.
It was then that something happened that no one could expect.
The monster's surprised cry was answered by a sudden pulse deep within Frisk's being. His heart rate quickened, and a pain, sudden and sharp flared behind his left eye. A hand shot instinctively to cover it, as if trying to draw the pain into its palm and cast it away. The sounds of laughter and mirth became muddled and distant before fading completely. The smell and touch of fresh snow faded to nothing. A red glow, vaguely heart-like in shape emerged from his chest.
Light, fluffy snow was replaced with cool, moist earth. The smell of water and limestone, and dust replaced the crisp air of before. In place of laughter and fun, there was naught but silence, save for the whimpering form before him.
His vision focused, and the senses returned. Standing before him was the reptilian child, milk-white upon a blank canvas. His legs shook beneath his armless body, and on his face was an expression of abject terror. Frisk's fingers clenched around something held in his left hand. It was not the familiar rough wood of his stick, but it was something he knew all the same; the plastic hilt of a kitchen knife.
"Yo… Y-you'd b-better st-stop r-right where you are…" He stammered. "'Cause if you w-wanna hurt anyone else... you're... You're gonna have to get through me, first. A… an… and…"
Idle threats from a mouth barely coherent enough to form the words. There was nothing this monster could do to someone like Frisk. He said nothing, because words held no meaning. All that mattered was what he needed to do.
But this child… he was an irritant. A distraction and nothing more. He'd been impeding the human's progress too much already with his mindless prattle. A voice deep within shared this sentiment, filling Frisk with disgust, pity, and indignation for the child standing before him. The human-thing's fingers clinched tighter around the hilt of the blade, his dark skinned knuckles growing white from the pressure.
* In my way…
Disgusting... pathetic... This child was nothing more than a stepping stone. A hatred deep inside rumbled, urging them to attack. The feeling washed around them like a stream around a stone and they gently focused it upon the body they inhabited. The answer of the crimson pulse told them all they needed to know.
It would be taken care of.
After all… Children were little more than tools. They knew that first hand…
~ Worthless...
"No!"
"Ah!"
Two cries, uttered in the same instant as Frisk fell back, landing on his haunches into the snow. Lily was flung from his SOUL in the same instant, landing in the cool powder next to her friend.
Just like that, the pain and the vision faded as one. The familiar sounds and smells of Snowdin rushed back to the boy all at once as if they'd never gone. Frisk's fingers loosened around the stick that he was only peripherally aware that he was once again holding. He did not notice at all the beads of sweat that had begun to form on his brow despite the chill, as labored, fragmented breaths spilled haphazardly from his lungs. The boy's head darted back and forth, before settling on Kidd, who still sat as a white figure of magic to his limited vision.
Lily felt more confused than anything. One moment they were playing a prank on Kidd, and the next they were on the ground. The memory of her own experience had blinked out like the flick of a light switch the moment she'd been expelled from Frisk's SOUL. Still, the fear remained, parallel to his, stemming from a source that she couldn't quite identify. It faded before she could make any attempt at pursuing it, replaced instead by an instinctive attentiveness for the trembling boy at her side.
"Frisk! Are you okay? What happened? What was that?!" The small child sat unmoving in front of her, his body rigid and breaths coming out in hard puffs of air.
'He can't hear me… I have to think of some way to get through to him. Think think think... Ah ha!' An idea popped into her mind and she quickly set it in motion.
She carefully drifted in front of Frisk and let herself down into the snow before him. His left hand was still gripped tightly on his stick, so she reached for the right, prying open the fingers before placing it against her cheek.
"Frisk… Come back, okay? Come back to us. Just follow my voice, and leave the fear behind. It's over now… you're okay."
She continued to speak soothingly, watching as Frisk's breathing gradually slowed to a normal rate. His fingers tentatively glanced over her skin in response. It was working. She kept it up, holding his hand against her cheek and slowly coaxing him back into his own mind.
"L..lily?" His eyelids fluttered briefly from their nearly closed position and his vision slowly came into focus upon the spectral girl, and the monochrome, reptilian monster behind her.
His terrified face had been replaced with one of much more tempered astonishment, with shades of concern and confusion as he watched the odd display before him.
He was okay… He was okay…
"Oh thank goodness. You scared me half to death!" Lily tried to joke as she squeezed Frisk's hand in reassurance.
"Yo… Y- you two okay? You screamed…" Kidd questioned from behind Lily, moving to Frisk's side in concern. "I thought I was the one supposed to be scared. Haha…"
"I'm…" Frisk stopped short of telling Kidd he was alright. Truthfully, he wasn't really sure.
"HEY! EVERYTHING OKAY?!" Jester yelled out as he and the rest of the children, having heard the commotion, rushed over to investigate.
Lily bit her lip thoughtfully, wondering if it would be better to stay separate like this or to try to reestablish a connection with his SOUL. Almost like he was sensing her thoughts Frisk tightened his hold on her hands, fingers twitching, desperate to keep his hold on that one fragment of consistency she represented. Outside it was then.
"I…" He coughed slightly. When had his throat gotten so sore? "I don't know… I don't know what happened. I think I'm okay now…?" He tried to reassure the other kids and Lily. That vision had felt so real...
Too real...
Lily wasn't convinced, and she made no attempt to hide it. "Don't space out on me like that again, okay?"
So she hadn't seen it? No… there was something in her eyes, something in the scent her emotions gave… Something happened to her, but he couldn't be sure if it was the same thing he saw. Somehow, he doubted it.
"Maybe… Maybe we should play again some other time? Sounds like you two… three? Might need time to cool down…" Coney suggested, looking between Kidd and Frisk and where he assumed Lily to be.
"That might be a good idea. He looks almost as scared as he did when Vis and I saw him yesterday…" Aqua murmured.
"I'm sorry…" Frisk said meekly. "I didn't mean to ruin the game."
"Ah, don't worry about it." Coney waved a furry paw. "I need to be heading home soon anyway. Hopefully I won't run into that creepy girl on the way." He shuddered a bit at the thought. "It was nice playing with you guys. See ya later!"
With that, the white rabbit child rushed off at full speed back toward Snowdin's residential area. The others watched him go as Jester helped Frisk to his feet. The human boy shivered slightly as he set about dusting the soft white powder from his clothes and pulled the jacket tighter around himself. What just happened? That was one of the most terrifying experiences he'd ever had, and he'd had no shortage those in recent memory alone. It couldn't have been a dream, because he was fully awake, and the way his SOUL had suddenly reacted was-
His stopped mid-thought. His SOUL… it was still out. He quickly concentrated on returning the precious essence to his body where it belonged. The surrounding monsters faded from his sight as he did so.
"Yo… you guys wanna do something else?" Kidd suggested. "Maybe Mrs. Lapin will give us some snacks!"
Frisk perked up at that. "Oh, we met her! She's really nice."
"Well that settles it, I guess." Murid replied. "Let's go."
The monster children chattered amiably with their new 'friend'; joking, smiling and having fun as they left the park behind. Not a single one of them had any idea that the new kid was a human… that he was meant to be their enemy. Within the shadows of the evergreens, some ways away from the park, a small golden flower watched the irony unfold with indifference. They weren't important, the monsters or the human… boring little details cluttering up the one thing that really mattered. That was the reason he watched.
He wasn't sure, before. He had noticed something in the Ruins… but he didn't dare hope, even if he could. It was simply too good to be true…
And yet, it was.
Now, he was certain of it. The mannerisms, those elegant speech patterns, the fluid movements. Everything was as he remembered. And then there was the glow from the right eye. That perfect shade of crimson, unlike the watered-down knock-off of the boy's SOUL. He knew that color well… only one thing had ever held that hue.
There could be no doubt… it was her. She was back… just like him.
A smile spread across Flowey's pale stigma. He knew she would never leave him… even after all this time, they were still inseparable. He'd been so afraid when he woke up all alone in this body, unable to feel anything. It had been as if the final moments of his previous life had been permanently etched into this new existence, trapping him in a limbo between life and death. But now, he understood. He wasn't the only one returned to this horrible world. He wasn't alone anymore.
As the children disappeared from sight, he descended, letting the cold earth take him beneath it. He isolated the vibration of their footsteps from the other, useless sounds, focusing on it like a worm and following behind. He waited patiently for them to stop before finding a nice quiet place to surface and resume his spying.
There they were again, outside the shop of the furry shopkeeper with the stupid hat. Must have charmed her into giving them something because they now held a number of colorful treats. She was always good at that, buttering up their parents for another piece of pie or bar of chocolate.
Flowey sighed thoughtfully. 'Have you been there this whole time? Why didn't you say anything back in the Ruins?' He questioned. 'And what's with that kid, anyway… why are you wasting time with that human rather than looking for me? Are you mad at me?'
He stopped for a second, and gave a quiet laugh.
'Oh…! This is about the plan, isn't it? You're ignoring me because of what happened back then aren't you? Haha… I get it. After all, it was my fault that we failed. I'm the reason we both died for nothing. I should have just listened to you… If I had, rather than being a soft little coward then none of this would have happened.'
His smile turned dark and wicked, eyeing the small human child amidst the monsters and where his dear friend must be as well.
'Hee hee… is that all? We can get through that. After all, we're both here right? And with that SOUL we can finish what we started so long ago. I'll apologize, and then we can be together again… just the two of us. Everything else is worthless… a distraction. Why stop at seven pathetic humans? We might as well just end them all, right? Everything that would get in our way…'
'After all, kill or be killed, right? You taught me that.'
Flowey watched as one by one, the monster children left until at last all that remained were Frisk, the reptilian Kidd, and her. The boy's eye had started glowing again during their conversation so now he could tell exactly where she was. The glow was almost hypnotizing… he wanted so much to approach her right then and there, to apologize for his idiotic mistake and beg her forgiveness. More than anything, he wanted his friend back… as long as he had that, he didn't care what happened to anything else.
But he couldn't… not here. Not with so many watching, and especially not when that smiley trashbag could pop up at any moment. He'd learned long ago to stay far away from that one… more so now that the power to SAVE no longer belonged to him. He'd have to wait… there would be a time when they could speak without interruption and Flowey was patient. He'd done this so many times, waited for so long… what was a little extra time compared to all that? He wouldn't waste this chance… not when it was finally so close.
He dove beneath the earth once more, and left the saccharine town behind with little more than a whisper of sound. His moment would come in time… of that, he was certain.
'See you soon…'
"Well… I guess I should be getting home too." Kidd said, finishing the last bite of his bicicle. "My parents don't like it when I stay out too long."
"It's okay." Frisk replied. "Thanks for inviting me to play."
"It was a lot of fun!" Lily added, happily munching a little of her and Frisk's own treat. "We probably should get home too though. Papyrus will be back from his patrol soon."
"Oh, you're staying with him? I didn't even think about that." Kidd said. "He's pretty cool, I guess. Not quite a cool as Undyne though!"
"He really is." Frisk said, remembering how kind Papyrus had been to them.
"So uh… I guess this means we're friends now, huh?" Kidd said, lifting a foot to scratch his cheek.
"Well… I guess so? If you want…" Frisk gave a reluctant reply.
"Huh? Y-yeah, I do! You two are awesome!" Kidd exclaimed happily. "I've never met anyone like you guys… I didn't think anyone could pick up Monsters and Humans so quick!" Frisk gave a timid but happy smile.
"Even though we didn't win?" Lily laughed.
"Yup!" Kidd agreed without missing a beat. "But, yo… I really do need to get home. Will you guys be alright? I mean, after before and all…"
"We should be fine, I think." Frisk assured him. "Sans and Papyrus' house is just down the road. We should be able to get there."
"Alright, if you're sure." Kidd said, standing up and steadying himself. "See ya Frisk, Lily!"
"Bye Kidd!" Both children replied, watching the reptilian monster dash off.
"Come on Frisk, let's go. You must be getting cold." Lily chuckled, nudging the blind boy in the direction of the decorated house.
"I won't say no to that! We had some fun so I can't complain…" Frisk's voice trailed, the memory of their last game's end returning to the forefront of his mind.
"Are you alright Frisk?" Lily spoke internally. Sensing her friend's unease, she expanded herself within his SOUL in an attempt to comfort him.
Frisk hesitated for a moment, not wishing to worry her with what happened. Still, what good would it do to hide it, when his reaction told otherwise?
He sighed. "Do… do you remember how that last game ended...?"
The smile slowly fell from Lily's aura as her own memories of what happened breached her thoughts. "Yeah, I do. What happened? That..." Her worlds stumbled slightly before continuing. "You sort of freaked out back there..."
Another bout of silence stretched between them as Frisk attempted to gather his thoughts. Lily seemed troubled as well… the hesitation in her voice hadn't been lost on him. By the time he'd formulated enough to speak, they found themselves having already reached the skeletons' home.
"It was… a vision? Maybe? I'm not sure how to describe it, really. Something happened when we went to startle Kidd. My SOUL reacted and suddenly I felt like I was somewhere else. Kidd was there… he looked terrified. Not like we'd just jumped out and scared him either, but actual honest fear. And there was this feeling. It was like… something inside pushing me towards… something bad." His arms wrapped around his chest and he shuddered against the thought. "But the scariest part was that… I was fine with it..."
Lily turned her thoughts inward, hiding them Frisk. 'So, what I felt back there... could that have some connection to what he saw? It happened so fast. I think I felt something. Like I… wasn't myself. I feel like there was more though… why can't I remember?'
Concentrating heavily the only thing that returned to her mind was a single word.
She bit a metaphorical lip. 'Worthless'. That one word had made her feel so… powerless…
"-ly..? Lily?" Frisk called out, closing the door behind him, the sound of which had drawn her from her thoughts.
"Huh? Wha..?" She questioned, looking around to find that they were once again inside the bone brothers' house. The two children felt the shift in temperature almost immediately, warmth seeping into Frisk's body from a source neither of them could guess at nor cared to.
"I asked if you saw anything. And then you got really quiet... you okay?" Frisk questioned, sliding onto the couch and kicking off his boots before draping his jacket across the back.
Lily hesitated, trying to string her words carefully. "Uh… no. No I didn't… see anything..." She cringed internally. That didn't sound convincing at all even to her.
Frisk raised a brow. It was faint, but he could still detect the scent of pure vanilla she gave off. He knew that scent well. If one didn't know better it might be pleasing, maybe even appetizing. But to taste such a thing on its own would reveal the deceptive contrast between smell and flavor. Because of this, he knew she wasn't being completely truthful.
The boy frowned but decided not to press the matter. He gave a nod. "Okay. Just know I'm here if you remember anything okay?" He smiled softly, reaching over for one of the jumbles of the side table. She would talk when she was ready. "Would you like to do some puzzles to pass the time?"
Lily gave a silent sigh of relief as Frisk changed the topic. "Sounds like a good idea. Oh wait. Grab the other one, the one you have is an adult Jumble. Might want to start with something a little easier." Frisk found he had to agree. His blindness made word scrambles all the more difficult. He followed her advice, switching the books before opening the new one to the first page. "Okay so the letters are... N…"
"Oh easy. Snowdin!" Frisk answered after but a moment's thought.
The boy wrote the answer carefully into the box Lily directed him to. It was a chicken-scratch mess given his own limited experience with the language of the sighted, but at least legible. They then moved onto the next and he shifted control to Lily for her to have a turn. They end up finishing about a page before a snap of magic appeared right next to Frisk, causing both him and Lily to jump before turning their attention in its direction. Suddenly, Sans was beside them on the couch, arms around the back of his head as if he'd been sitting there the whole time.
"heya… like the book huh? don't let them jumble your mind now." Sans joked, trying to relieve the obvious tension from his appearance. Lily used Frisk's hand to cover her mouth, a small snort escaping at the very lame pun before she could catch herself. The short skeleton's already prominent grin grew wider.
"heh. ghost to know i still have it in me. i'm just so empty inside ya know?" He continued, giving a light chuckle. "i'm thinking of headin' to grillby's. wanna come? paps'll be a while anyways."
Frisk and Lily were just about to deny his request when Frisk's stomach chose that moment to growl. Loudly too… there was no way Sans didn't catch it. Bicicles weren't exactly filling…
Frisk's face turned to one of shock while Lily used his mouth to give a slight laugh.
"guess that's a yes, then." Sans guessed.
Lily recovered from her laugh and turned to respond. "Not through another one of those 'shortcuts of yours, right?"
"well it has been a long day, ya know…" Sans trailed.
"And you spent all of it doing absolutely nothing, didn't you?" she countered.
"got me there…" the blue skeleton shrugged. "what about you, kid?"
The red child shook his head, still feeling a little awkward around Sans and even more around his unique way of getting around. "Walking, please…"
"eh, suit yourselves." Sans responded. "let's mosey."
Frisk donned his jacket and boots once again and retrieved his stick, before following Sans out the door as they made their way into town. At a reminder from Lily, the boy took the time make use of the Save Point outside for good measure. A few short minutes of walking found them standing before the bar and grill that both children swore must have been a local landmark for how much business its fiery owner gained. They stepped out of the cold and into the welcoming atmosphere. Lily had let herself out of Frisk's SOUL again, preferring to avoid rousing the patrons from their relaxation.
"hey, everyone." Sans said, giving a lazy wave.
A chorus of voices answered the skeleton's greeting enthusiastically from the large number of patrons gathered. Everyone here seemed to know Sans, and from the warm reception it seemed like he was very well liked. It was rather surprising to Frisk, who figured the lazy skeleton more the type to keep to himself.
"I guess you can't judge a book by its cover." Lily said from where she floated next to Frisk. "Or covers in Sans' case…"
"We're just waiting for everyone else." Dogamy, who was sitting at card table with Dogaressa, greeted.
"(We managed to finish our rounds a little early today.)" Dogaressa said. "(Doggo, Greater, and Lesser aren't here yet.)"
Dogamy sniffed the air a little. "Oh, is that Frisk? I didn't know you'd be here. Good to smell you again!"
Frisk giggled a little. "Thanks. You too."
He gave the two Royal Guards a quick scratch behind the ears before following Sans to the counter. Grillby was there as always, silent as living embodiment of fire could ever be, spectacles glinting in the light of his own flames. Frisk shrunk a little at the sound of him but managed to compose himself enough to take a seat in the stool next to Sans.
"how ya doin', grillbz?" Sans said to the man.
"…Quite well, actually… business has been good…" Grillby said in his strange, wispy voice. "I see you brought company…"
"yep. figured the kid could use a bite to eat." Sans said.
Grillby looked toward Frisk, and his infernal visage shifted and narrowed slightly. It was hard to tell due to the ever-undulating tongues of flame, but it almost looked like he was smiling. Frisk stayed silent, afraid to speak in case his voice might give away his lingering fear of the fiery bartender. He didn't want to be rude, and so far Grillby had been nothing but kind to him, but he couldn't help feeling a little unnerved. Sensing this, Lily drifted from his side and settled herself down on the countertop between Frisk and Sans. Frisk's gaze shifted to her, with her legs dangling idly off the counter between himself and the man of fire.
"Just focus on me, okay?" She said gently. "If you need to talk to Mister Grillby, just look at me. You'll be okay."
Frisk nodded thankfully. Somehow, seeing her sitting there solid against his blind sight helped to melt away a great deal of the tension he was feeling.
"so, SOULmates?" Sans said, drawing a shocked cough from Lily and a lifted brow from Frisk. "what are you having?"
After a bit of deliberation, Frisk settled on a simple order of a burger and fries. Sans got the same, as well as a tall bottle of ketchup which he downed in a single go. The meal was pleasant if rather uneventful. The food was good, and the atmosphere comforting especially after what had happened earlier. Both Frisk and Lily felt relieved to have the opportunity to wind down after their eventful day with the other children. So much so that the latter wondered if the skeleton knew this, and had planned this little hangout session because of it. With Sans, she was willing to believe anything.
But belief and knowledge were two different things. And what she knew was that Sans had another reason for doing this.
"well that was nice, wasn't it?" Sans said when they returned home about an hour later. "making friends all over it looks like. the dog clan's really taken a shine to ya, haven't they?"
"I guess." Frisk said. "I just don't want to trouble anyone. I told Papyrus I'd be good… and I'm really trying."
Sans rubbed the back of his head. The kid may not mean to but he sure knew how to hit where it hurts. "yeah… you've been doin' a good job. lot of people happy to have you around."
"But you're not." Frisk said knowingly
Sans sighed. And insightful too… he guessed he should have expected that. He may not remember much, but his records painted a pretty good picture of the boy he was dealing with. He found himself glad that his counterpart had chosen not to be lazy in that regard. Saved him the work. Still…
"it's… not as simple as all that, kiddo." Sans offered.
Lily frowned. She'd had about enough. "Frisk, do you mind? I want to say something."
"S-sure, but… what do you want to say?" Frisk asked, a little surprised by the sudden request.
"Just trust me." She insisted.
Frisk wasn't sure what to expect, but from the earnestness in his friend's voice, he knew it would be difficult to refuse even if he wanted to. He called forth his SOUL, Sans' short, grinning form springing up in white monochrome against his sight. Lily placed her hand over the carnelian heart, letting her form be drawn into it, her presence manifesting once more in the form of a glowing red eye.
"Greetings, Sans." She said formally through Frisk's mouth. Her tone was polite but carried a note of disapproval that was only thinly hidden.
"heya, ghost kid." Sans greeted. "keepin' your spirits up?"
Lily smirked. Any other time she might have allowed herself a laugh at the poorly timed joke but she wasn't in the mood right now. "You know what this is about, right?"
"yep." Sans said simply, extending his bony arms in an exaggerated gesture of surrender. "lay it on me."
"You know, for as lazy as you are, you seem to be really good at making things as difficult as possible." She said bluntly. "Picking up puzzles and snacks for us, taking us out for dinner… they're all nice gestures, and I'm not saying I don't appreciate it. But wouldn't it be easier to just say it?"
"Lily?" Frisk spoke to her.
"He needs to hear this." She insisted before continuing, "I know you feel bad about what happened. So does Frisk, believe me. But if you want to apologize you should lead with that, rather this whole passive-aggressive thing you've been doing."
"damn…" Sans said, honestly rather impressed by the girl's terseness. "you don't mince words, do you?"
"Nope." She replied, taking a page from Sans' own vocabulary.
The blue skeleton stuck his body hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "guess the tension around here has been pretty thick. what's that expression? 'like you could cut it with a knife'?"
"Try a bone saw…" Lily countered dryly.
"heh heh." Sans chuckled at the bit of dark humor, and even Frisk gave a slight giggle from within. "but you're right. i've been thinkin' so much about everything going on around here that i guess i dropped a few things on the way. i've never been good at this stuff."
"That's fine. But you know, we're just as confused by everything as you are." Lily reminded him.
"yeah… i get that now." Sans conceded. "look, i am sorry, kiddo. i was so caught up in what's happened before that i didn't really think about what's going on now. or the best way to confront you about it."
"You were worried about Papyrus…" Frisk answered.
"yeah…" Sans admitted. "yeah, i was."
He wasn't wrong. Sans had indeed been terrified over the possible fates of his brother. Be it in life or death, very few paths ended happily for his dear younger brother. But stronger than the fear of what he knew was the fear of that which he did not. Even the most knowledgeable and analytical of minds was far from infallible and Sans was neither. Yet, through some twist of fate, the burden of observing the different timelines fell upon his bony shoulders. It was a heavy burden, and it wasn't one he wanted to place on anyone else.
However…
"listen… i've kept all this close to the rib-cage for a long time. there's things about this world that most people just shouldn't know. not gonna lie: a lot of it has to do with you… maybe both of you, i don't know." Sans sighed, pulling one hand from his hoodie pocket. Lily caught sight of a faint, whitish glimmer radiating through the metacarpals. "guess what i'm tryin' to say is… here."
He flicked his wrist, and the shimmer vanished. At once Frisk felt something cold and smooth in his right hand. Curious he lifted it up, noticing a vague haze of magic sitting in the empty space where his palm should be. Lily, of course saw it clearly. It was a key: silver in color and radiating a faint glow.
"A key?" She asked.
"when you're ready to know the truth… take that around back and use it on the door to the cellar." Sans explained. "don't worry about telling me. I'll know."
Frisk nodded, closing his fingers around the key as if it was the most precious and fragile thing in existence (and from the way Sans was talking, it might well have been). It was a good thing that he did so, for in the next moment a loud bang coming from the entrance of the bone brother's home might have otherwise sent it flying from his hand. Papyrus stood at the entrance, hand against the door and grinning proudly as the wind from outside caused his scarf to dance.
"ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PATROL! ALL IN A DAYS WORK FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!" He proclaimed before his eye-sockets finally fell upon his brother, and his two human friends. "GASP! HAVE YOU ALL DONE THE MAKING UP? THAT MUST MEAN MY ADVICE WORKED BETTER THAN EVEN I EXPECTED! HOW JOYOUS THIS IS! WE MUST CELEBRATE."
Lily gave a smirk. "We still have a bunch of puzzle books."
"WHAT AN AMAZING IDEA!" Papyrus cheered. "PUZZLES WITH FRIENDS! WHAT MORE COULD SOMEONE ASK FOR?"
"not much, paps…" Sans said, giving his brother a warm smile. "not much."
Authors' Notes: Well, this one was tasty wasn't it? Or maybe that was the last one? Anyway, starting to get back into some of the deeper plot elements now. Hope you all look forward to it!
It took some time, but Frisk's memory is finally beginning to return as well. His enigmatic future self is still around too, keeping a close eye on things. Maybe his monologue gave a few hints on what happened before? ;)
Most of the monsters don't really have in-game names so we gave them some. Coney comes from the middle-English word for "rabbit", Vis comes from the word 'viscous' (a good word to describe the texture of a slime), Murid from 'Muridae' (the family of rodents that mice and rats belong to), and Aqua and Jester should be obvious.