Pre-Chapter Notes: Hey! This came out a lot quicker than the last one! Hopefully we can keep this pace going forward. Honestly, this one has a lot more exposition than the last few, but it had to come eventually and it will serve to set up future events. Even still, it was pretty easy to write this one since we've had the concepts stewing for a while. Hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 23: The Shape of a Heart
The warmth of the skeletons' household was a comforting contrast to the frigid climate outside. Undyne had eventually let Frisk down, before the two of them proceeded to fill Sans in on what happened before their arrival. The next half an hour or so was spent with the boy and the captain taking turns going over the wild day they'd had. Occasionally Lily would interject, and as usual Frisk would relay her words to the rest of the group. Though he said precious little himself, the short skeleton listened intently his eyes shifting between them as he took it all in.
"It was a little touch and go for a minute there…" Undyne said, reclining back onto the couch. "I mean… I had no idea he had a bad case of pyrophobia."
"But you got us out anyway." Frisk said. "That part was scary but… I'm still kind of glad it happened, since it was just a few minutes later that we actually became friends."
"Yeah, but we really need to toughen you up." The captain grinned. "That hit was wimpy!"
"At least I got to crush a tomato!" Lily said. "That was fun."
Frisk passed on her message before adding. "It got everywhere!"
"AH, I SEE YOU THREE HAVE RETURNED AT LAST!" The loud voice was accompanied by a brief puff of cold air. "IT SEEMS MY PLAN WAS A ROUSING SUCCESS. ALL IN A DAY'S WORK FOR THE GREAT-"
"PAPYRUS!" Undyne shouted, jumping quickly from her seat. "C'MERE YOU!"
"WHAAA!"
Papyrus shrieked as Undyne swiftly leaped over the arm of the couch. He stumbled backwards into the table, knocking off Rocky the Pet Rock in the process. The flame haired fish's arm locked tightly around the taller brother's bony neck as she proceeded to dig her knuckles into the top of his skull.
"What was that about someone not being up to the challenge?" She boasted, pointing with her other hand to the side of the couch containing very confused Frisk and very amused Lily. "Well what do you call THAT, huh?!"
"UM… G-GOOD JOB?" Papyrus offered.
"What? That's it?!" Undyne protested. "You can do better than that, just look!"
She released Papyrus' neck, setting the skeleton stumbling forward while rubbing the top of his skull. Immediately she made her way to the back of the couch and leaned forward. Frisk grunted softly as her left arm draped over his shoulders, while her right hovered over the space at his side where Lily sat. It was a surprisingly accurate judgment, though the girl did have to shift herself a little to make the scene seem more natural. Once she'd settled, the boy gave Undyne a thumbs up.
"See, we're besties now!" She continued. "We passed through the fire, and forged bonds of steel! So come on, you can give us more than a 'good job'!"
"Yeah!" The children chorused through grins of their own.
Papyrus, having recovered from the brutal noogie, flashed a radiant smile. "NYEH HEH HEH! I ALWAYS BELIEVED YOU COULD DO IT. I AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE OUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS GROW EVEN MORE!"
"YEAH! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Undyne howled with a loud laugh.
Sans watched the scene in silence, choosing to allow his brother and Undyne to have their celebration. It's not that he had a problem with the situation - quite the contrary, anything that made Papyrus happy was perfectly fine with him, and he got along with Undyne as well as anyone else. Rather, he found himself preoccupied with something in particular: specifically, the vaguely human-shaped distortion beneath Undyne's right arm.
"hey pap." He spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "why don'tcha take undyne upstairs and show her your doll collection?"
"SAAAAANS…!" Papyrus groaned. "THEY'RE NOT 'DOLLS', THEY'RE 'ACTION FIGURES'. I SWEAR I HAVE TO REMIND YOU EVERY DAY!"
"But hey, that's a good idea!" Undyne said. "We can set up some new combat scenarios!"
"WELL… OKAY!" Papyrus after less than a second of deliberation.
"HELL YEAH!" Undyne pumped her fist before grabbing Papyrus and dragging him to the stairs in a headlock. "SEE YOU NERDS LATER!"
"JUST PLEASE DON'T DETACH ANY OF THEIR LIMBS THIS TIME…" Papyrus sighed, though he was still grinning as they tromped awkwardly up the stairs and into his room.
Just like that the bottom floor, so noisy and full of activity not seconds before, fell into silence as the only ones left were Sans, Frisk and Lily. Sans sat silently for a few moments, curiously watching that distortion until the click of his brother's heavily decorated bedroom door clicked from above.
"so…" the short skeleton spoke. Frisk turned to regard him, his expression sobering in the light of his carnelian SOUL when he noticed Sans was no longer grinning. "anyone wanna explain?"
The boy didn't understand the question. "Um… explain what?"
"why i can see her now…"
"See… her?" Frisk and Lily exchanged a look. "You don't mean…"
"that cloud thing by you." Sans clarified. "that's ghost kid, right?"
There were a few seconds of stunned silence before…
"He can see me…?" Lily muttered. "He can see me?!"
The excitement and emotion she felt boiled over all at once, and she quickly sprang from her seat, and flew up into the air. Frisk pushed himself from the couch and turned quickly toward San with an expression that practically screamed 'please tell me this isn't the set up for a joke'. Before he was able to put voice to that expression, he was momentarily distracted by a slight weight bearing down upon his head.
"What am I doing right now?! How many fingers am I holding up?" Lily's chin alighted within a nest made of her friend's hair as she fired off her question. The answer was three. "Wait… can he hear me too, or just see me?"
"well from that reaction, i guess this is news to you too." Sans said thoughtfully.
"Umm… did you catch any of that?" Frisk asked, pointing up to Lily who was still gesturing wildly from her perch.
"i can see a lot of flailing around up there, but i'm guessing you mean she said something." Sans deduced. "sorry kiddos. nope. still silent as the grave from where i'm standing."
"Ugh… that was in bad taste even for you." Lily groaned, feeling somewhat disappointed. "But wait… are we sure about this? Sans was able to see me before now, remember?"
Frisk did remember. It wasn't a very pleasant memory for him, but he couldn't deny that some good came out of it in the end.
"Yeah, but… that was different." Frisk pointed out. "His eye was glowing. We saw it again in the workshop."
"you must be talkin' about the chromatis. yeah, its how i saw you before." Sans inferred from the half of the exchange he could hear. "i'm not using it now, yet here you are clear as a tv screen, give or take a little bad reception."
"So it's true then?" Lily muttered, still finding it difficult to believe what she was hearing. "So can everyone see me now? Or is it just Sans?"
Frisk was curious about that too, and relayed the question. Though Sans played the part of the lazy, uncommitted, good-natured, but generally unassuming jokester of Snowdin, the boy and his spectral friend knew that he was anything but. So much about the elder brother was still a mystery to him but Frisk had known for a while that he was no ordinary monster. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe that he would be able to see Lily while others could not.
"dunno. undyne can, i think." the skeleton replied. "i caught her lookin' your way a couple of times since you came in, even before your little cuddle session."
"What about Papyrus?" Frisk asked.
"maybe. pap's always acknowledging you though, and he wasn't down here long so its hard to say." That was true, and Lily always felt grateful for how much the taller skeleton worked to include her, even when she wasn't hanging out in Frisk's SOUL. "if i had to guess though, i'd say your ghoulfriend's days of bein' invisible are pretty much over."
Lily was stunned, unsure whether to be nervous or excited by the idea of finally being seen outside of Frisk. So taken was she by the concept, that the implications of the term Sans had used to refer to her barely even registered amongst everything else.
"Lily…" Frisk's voice drew her attention down to him. He was smiling. "People can see you!"
"Yeah… I guess so." She muttered, a faint smile spreading between her rosy cheeks. "I guess that means no invisible pranks for me, huh?"
"Nope!" Frisk replied, and without missing a beat, turned to give her a hug. "I'm really happy for you."
Sans watched the odd display, as the solid human wrapped his arms around the translucent cloud that represented his once-invisible friend. It could have just been the lighting in the room, but the skeleton could have sworn her form became clearer still in that moment. So that's the kid I've been jokin' with all this time, huh?
"glad you're happy, kiddos." he said after allowing them a moment. "not trying to put a damper on that, but there's still the big question: why's this happening now?"
The children sobered somewhat. That was a good question, and one they didn't really have a good answer for. There were a few possibilities, but nothing that either of them could say was the definitive reason behind it.
"Maybe it has something to do with my memories…?" Lily suggested, while Frisk proxied as usual. "I remembered a lot more while we were going through Waterfall."
"Me too." Frisk admitted. "Not as much, and it probably isn't related but…"
"sounds like we all have some stuff to talk about." Sans suggested. "probably shouldn't do it here though."
"I guess we're going back to the workshop then, huh?" Frisk suggested. Sans gave an affirming nod.
"yep."
To say the workshop was just as the friends remembered it would be a gross understatement. 'Unchanged' would be closer to the mark, but even that failed to completely address the level of sameness that awaited them inside. In the most literal sense, it was as if they'd never left. The medicinal scent that had so assaulted Frisk's nose the first time continued where it left off. In his ears rang the fading echo of his own footsteps from when he'd last departed this place. It almost seemed as if, had they arrived but a moment sooner, they'd have come face to face with their own past selves.
Lily surveyed the room itself, taking note of their sterile surroundings. She now recognized the seam in the wall to her right which housed Sans' computer, as well as the oddly shaped tarp that took up a good fourth of the room. For a moment she was curious as to what was hidden beneath it, but that thought was short lived when her gaze panned over to the countertop on the other side and the drawers beneath it. The memory of what they contained flashed through her mind, and she frowned when her thoughts fell upon the helmet. Back then, she hadn't recognized it at all but now that she knew who it belonged to…
She said nothing to Frisk, but the boy turned to her anyway, an expression on his face that said he knew what she was thinking and was probably thinking it too. The girl smiled and squeezed the hand she was holding gently, silently telling him not to worry, a gesture and sentiment that he returned.
"so… how're we gonna do this?" Sans said. "you guys wanna start or should i?"
"You go." Frisk said. "I think we'll be here for a little bit."
Sans shrugged, going into what he'd discussed with Alphys during their time in Waterfall. The children listened intently as he went into what he'd learned. By the time he was finished, neither Frisk nor Lily could tell if the headaches they felt were due to the smell of the workshop or the flood of information. There were so many questions that each of them had, that it was impossible to even finish asking one before the next would draw their thoughts away.
"Magic…?" Frisk muttered out at length.
A human naturally gifted with magic. That's what Sans had said of the boy. It made sense, in a way. Frisk was able to see magic through use of his SOUL when he otherwise saw nothing at all. Then there were the SAVE points… how else could it possibly be described but that they were magical in nature? It was something he'd just accepted up until now without really thinking about it. However, now that Sans had directly spelled it out for them, it suddenly felt so surreal.
"a sorcerer. that's what we call 'em." Sans said evenly as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "if i'm right, both of you are."
"Me too?" Lily, who had taken up residence in Frisk's SOUL to more easily communicate, asked.
"Then… what you told me at that spring…" Frisk said thoughtfully. "…about what happened when I was unconscious…"
"The dummy…" Lily said, remembering what had happened there.
Sans raised a brow ridge. "sounds like you two already have some idea what i'm talking about."
"We ended up having to take a detour through the dump." The girl explained. "Frisk was out cold, but I was still able to move us around. There was a dummy there who attacked us. They probably would have killed us, but I… I did something. It blew through their attack and they ran away. I wasn't really thinking when I did it, so I can't remember much."
"desperation can make people do crazy things. it, uhh… wouldn't be the first time." Sans said, rubbing his left eye at the memory. "magic requires a SOUL though, and you kids got one powerful one between you. the issue ain't that you were able to use it, the issue is how you used it. that kinda thing just isn't possible unless you're using monster magic. which means someone had to have taught you at some point."
"But I can barely remember anything," Lily contended. "and what I do remember is just in bits and pieces. I haven't seen anything about learning how to use magic."
"doesn't matter." Sans shrugged. "long as you learned it before, it's just 'there'. it's not somethin' you just forget even if you don't know how it got there."
"Huh…" Lily sounded, staring pensively at Frisk's hand.
"Um, what about me?" Frisk asked. "Did I learn before too?"
Sans shrugged. "dunno. might have, once upon a timeline but what you can do now seems pretty different from other kinds, kiddo. i don't think i've seen magic that can affect reality the way yours can, except…"
He stopped, but Lily was quick to pick up on it. "Except what?"
"nothing." The skeleton shook his head, his pinprick eyes the only trace of the frown he was hiding. "there's more important stuff to talk about. what concerns me more than the hocus pocus is how strong your SOUL is, kiddo."
"What do you mean?" Frisk asked, now more curious than ever.
"let me back up a bit," Sans began. "do you know anything about how SOULs work?"
"Not much." The boy admitted, now wishing they'd taken the time to read more of that book in the Librarby. "I know Monster and Human SOULs look and work differently, but that's about all."
"okay, guess class is in session then." Sans sighed, reclining the back of his head in his hands. "might wanna take a seat for this."
"But there isn't anywhere to-"
Lily's protest was cut off by a light bump against Frisk's leg.
"sit…" she finished as her glowing eye fell upon a simple cushioned stool that she swore was not there a few moments ago. "How…"
She turned back to Sans, a question on her lips only to notice that he was suddenly sitting on one of his own. An impish grin was spread across the skeleton's face as he gestured toward the seat. Lily sighed and guided Frisk's body onto the cushion, deciding that now probably wasn't the best time for yet another headache.
"anyways…" Sans began, once the two children were settled. "us monsters are naturally attuned to our souls. we can use everything they give us, but we can't go beyond that limit. on the other hand our souls are able to 'grow' either through time or training and can get stronger as a result. how fast they do and how much they can depends on the monster, but its the same concept for all of us."
"Wouldn't that be the same for everyone, not just monsters?" Lily pointed out. "I mean, me and Frisk can do things we weren't able to do when we first got here, right?"
"you'd think so, and on the surface you'd be right but it isn't quite that simple. a lot of this is just theory, since there's still a lot about human souls we don't know. not much in the way of research materials, and all." Sans said, causing Lily to glare coolly at him. He put up his hands in gesture of peace and continued. "but what we do know is that they're all pretty much the same, when it comes to the density of magic inside 'em. They aren't completely identical, but they're powerful enough that what little differences there are don't really matter since they can't use all of it anyway."
"They can't?" The girl asked. "How do you explain the sorcerers and the barrier then? I may not know much but I don't think just anyone could do that…"
"that's the thing. Humans can't use all the power in their souls. They can use some of it though, and some can use more than others." the skeleton clarified. "when humans use powerful magic, like that thing over us, all they're doing is drawing on more of what's already there. it doesn't mean the soul's more powerful, it means the human who owns it is. It's a small difference from monsters, but an important one. it's probably why you're more visible now too: you're getting more used to riding shotgun in frisk's soul."
"I guess that explains why Undyne said the monsters specifically need seven SOULs to break the barrier too." Frisk chimed in. "A normal human wouldn't be on the same level as a powerful sorcerer, but if one SOUL is more or less as strong as any other, it wouldn't matter who it came from."
Sans pointed a phalanx at the boy. "now you're gettin' it."
"But what's that got to do with me?" He followed up.
"well, your soul is… different." Sans said after a brief pause.
"Yeah, earlier you said it was a little stronger than others." Lily said. "So what? You said yourself that some are different."
"a little? heh. if we'd had the kid's SOUL before, the barrier would have come down centuries ago." Sans chuckled. "that thing in frisk's chest is more powerful than two or even three of the ones we have now. combined."
"I… what?" Frisk stammered, staring down at the carnelian heart glowing innocently before him. "But I… but you said that…"
"i did…" Sans nodded. "it could be that we just got a few very similar souls which lead us to that theory, and the reality might be that there's other humans out there with ones like yours. alphys figures your red soul, combined with being a sorcerer might have something to do with it. we can't rule out lily's influence on it either, since you guys have a bit of a unique thing going. i got a simpler theory though…"
Frisk had fallen into thoughtful silence at the revelation, so Lily answered in his stead.
"What is it?"
"there's no way to ask this without sounding like an ass, so i'll just come right out and say it." Sans said, with a brief pause. "kid, how much do you know about where you came from?"
"Well, I… Um…" Frisk was stunned. Just how was he supposed to respond to that?
"Really, Sans? You're gonna ask that now?" Lily said disapprovingly.
"believe me, i don't want to be the one to drudge up bad memories either," Sans replied. He'd had more than his share of experience in that respect. "but if it'll help figure this out…"
Lily sighed, knowing the skeleton was right. As much as she wanted to protect her friend, she had enough sense to know that trying to do so now would just be obstructive. So instead she settled for offering her support in the form of a gentle embrace from within his SOUL. Sans reclined back in his stool, waiting patiently for a reply.
"I… don't know how much I can tell you." Frisk began reluctantly. "I was so young that I don't even really remember it."
"somethin' about a fire right?" Sans supplied.
Frisk blinked. "Did Papyrus tell you?"
"actually, you did. or i'm guessing you did." the elder brother replied, and jerked a thumb back toward the panel housing his terminal. "its kinda vague though, so i thought maybe you might have some more details. you said you were young… do you know how young?"
"I was a baby… I don't think I was even a year old yet." The boy answered.
"Do… you know what caused it?" Lily reluctantly asked.
"No."
"what about your folks?" Sans asked. "what do ya know about 'em?"
"How would that be helpful?" Lily asked, not entirely sure where Sans was going with this. "Are SOULs inherited or something?"
"not in the usual sense," Sans shrugged. "but ya never know where a clue might be hiding… might as well go down the list."
"I guess. It's up to you though, Frisk." Lily said. "You don't have to say anything you aren't comfortable with.
To be honest, Frisk didn't mind. Not really. He wasn't exactly old enough to have any lasting memories of them… or any memories at all of his own. This wasn't to say that he wasn't sad to have lost them - he certainly was - but there was still a degree of separation that made talking about it easier.
"Well, they…" The boy began, but stopped when he realized he had no idea what to say. He wracked his brain for any answer he might be able to give but each time he came away with a complete blank.
It was so strange. For a brief moment he figured it might have been one of the things he'd forgotten. With how funny his and Lily's memories had been since coming to the Underground - again, he kept having to remind himself - it would make sense. But… no. It was different this time. He didn't feel that strange sensation that he should know but was for some reason unable to recall. Rather, it felt like the knowledge was never there to begin with.
That's when it hit him.
Perhaps the reason he found it easier to talk about wasn't that he was too young to remember… but that he'd never had anything to associate with them to begin with.
"I… I don't know?" It sounded more like he was asking them than telling them, so confused he was by the idea.
"Nothing?" a concerned Lily asked. "Not even their names?"
The boy shook his head, searching his earliest memories but still coming up empty. "I think I might have asked about them before a long time ago but no one in the foster program could tell me anything. All I ever knew was that they died that day, and that someone else pulled me out of the fire. I guess… after a while I just stopped thinking about it since all it did was make me feel bad. I never even had a picture of them…"
Lily's unseen arms wrapped around him again, and he smiled somberly. He still didn't like to think of his unhappy beginnings but at least he knew that he wasn't alone anymore.
"huh… that's a little strange." Sans said thoughtfully.
The skeleton's comment served to stifle a bit of the melancholy that had fallen over the room, and Frisk turned his attention back to him. "What is?"
"only all of it." came the reply. "i mean, think about it. parents you know nothing about died in a fire you don't remember. at least two able bodied adults, and probably more, lost their lives."
"It was bad. It wasn't just my parents, a lot of people died that day." Frisk replied sadly.
"but not everyone." Sans pointed out.
"Yeah…" Frisk responded, catching on. "I always thought maybe my parents got me somewhere safe before they…"
"maybe. i can see how that would be a possibility, but…" Sans trailed off.
"Yeah. If they were able to do that, then you'd think they'd have just gotten you out of there." Lily reasoned. "But you said someone else got you out."
"I don't know who it was, but yeah… that's what they told me." Frisk confirmed.
"meaning you had to have been stuck there for a while." Sans nodded.
"Frisk…" Lily whispered fearfully, coming to the same conclusion. "Just… just how long were you in there?"
"it would have had to have been long enough for the flames to die down enough that someone could reach you." Sans answered. "at least."
"And long enough that… this happened." The boy agreed, gesturing to his scarred eyelids.
"no one could survive being in those conditions for long, let alone an infant. the carbon monoxide in the smoke and the lack of oxygen would have probably done you in before the fire even reached you." the skeleton finished grimly. "and yet, here you are."
"I always thought it was strange but…" Frisk murmured. "I just thought I was lucky."
"you just happened to survive something no one in your position had any right to, even if it wasn't totally unscathed. that's not luck, kiddo, that's you burning through one hell of pile of extra lives. that combined with an abnormally powerful soul, innate magic, your ability to manipulate time…" Sans counted off on his phalanges. "i don't think I need to tell you that ain't normal."
"Then… what does it mean?" Frisk stammered, visibly shaken. "Am… am I really…"
He couldn't finish the thought. He couldn't begin to wrap his head around the idea. The implications were, in a word, severe. He'd come here in the hopes that Sans might have discovered something that would put things into place. Now, he only felt more confused than before.
Lily could feel the tumult of emotions rippling across their connection, and her heart twisted sympathetically. In the midst of all of this she recalled just how lost and confused she'd been each time one of her own memories were brought to the surface. It seemed they too always provided more questions than answers.
"i know what you're thinking, and i'm gonna stop you right there." Sans said, drawing the two of them from their thoughts. "you're definitely human, kid… or at least your soul is. i dunno what's giving it so much juice, or why you can do what you can but that much is clear enough."
"Really?" Frisk asked hopefully.
The skeleton nodded. "yup, so don't go having any existential crises on me, okay?"
"Phew… at least that's one thing we don't have to worry about." Lily said, chuckling humorlessly. "It still doesn't explain much though."
Sans just shrugged. "maybe, but if we just start jumping to conclusions, we'll never figure it out."
Frisk simply nodded. Between their meeting with Undyne earlier in the day and now this, he was starting to feel exhausted. Even if Sans was right and he didn't need to worry, it still left him with quite a lot to think about. Right now, his mind was having trouble processing even the simplest parts of it.
Within his right eye, Lily's presence dimmed, and it was clear that her attempt at amelioration had been as much for her own benefit as for his.
"hey… i know its a lot to take in." Sans said, drawing their attention. He seemed to have made his way over in the midst of the silence as he was now standing in front of them. "probably best we leave it here for now, give you time to think things over."
Frisk nodded tiredly. "Okay…"
"let's head back up."
"Yeah." Lily replied simply, helping Frisk from his seat. The two of them made their way for the stares, but stopped when they realized Sans wasn't following. "…Aren't you coming?"
The skeleton gave a lazy wave of his hand. "you go on ahead. i just gotta log somethin' real quick."
The children nodded, slowly dragging Frisk's tired body toward the stairs leading to the exit of the timeless workshop. Its owner silently watched them go, the soft padding of their footfalls growing quieter as they returned to Snowdin proper. It was only when he heard the dull echo of the closing door that Sans released the sigh he'd been holding back. He'd never show it, but his discussion with the children had resonated with him far more than he was comfortable with.
The elder brother raised a bony hand to his chest, and his eye-sockets closed in concentration. A dull ache, like the creak of joints that had remained still for far too long spread throughout his ribcage before being replaced by a dry chill. Sans opened his eyes once more, the two pinpricks staring thoughtfully at the source of that bitter cold.
A cluster of jagged, cyan and yellow shards stitched together with threads of purple interspersed through the faded, flickering field of white that hovered above his palm. They were mismatched and uneven like pieces from multiple different jigsaw puzzles forced together into a cruel mimicry of an inverted heart. The fragments pulsed and glimmered in a dissonant rhythm, flooding the sterile room in its frigid light.
"trust me, kid…" Sans muttered, frowning at the barbaric, stained glass SOUL that was his own. "i know a thing or two about what it means to be different…"
A few moments later saw the two children sluggishly returning to the cozy living area within the Skeletons' home. Muffled voices sounded from the upper floor, and they could barely pick out a maniacal cackle from Undyne, followed by a dismayed wail from Papyrus. Vaguely, they figured that the 'combat scenarios' Undyne mentioned before had likely gotten a little too realistic for the superhero's liking.
Shrugging, they turned to the sofa, part of which was currently occupied by mound of fluffy white fur.
"Looks like someone's come to visit again." Lily chuckled, guiding Frisk to the empty space nearby.
The boy grinned as he settled himself down, knowing exactly to whom she was referring. He reached a hand over and gently stroked the dog's fur before finding its ears and giving them a little scratch.
"Try not to mess with Papyrus too much today, okay?" Frisk said. "He sounds like he's already having a hard time."
The dog lifted its head and turned its sleepy gaze to the boy. She was sure she'd just imagined it, but Lily could have sworn his muzzle raised slightly into a grin at the same time as one eye closed in a wink before laying back down.
"Somehow, I feel like he's saying 'no promises'…" The girl giggled softly.
The children took some time to sit and catch their second wind in the relative silence of the lower floor. Both of them barely had enough energy to think, let alone do anything besides petting the dog.
"You sure you're okay? Not talking to Sans about… you know." Frisk said vaguely.
"My name?" Lily asked bluntly. "I thought we wanted to avoid a headache, not make it worse…"
"You know what I mean…" Frisk rolled his eyes beneath their lids. "It's important to you isn't it? Maybe Sans could help."
"It's okay. There'll be another time to bring it up to him." The girl waved a spectral hand. "Let's focus on letting all of this sink in first."
Frisk got the impression that his friend and guide was a lot more bothered by her recent run-ins with her past than she let on, but was trying not to worry about them too much. What's more, he could respect her not wanting to overload herself with even more to think about.
"You're right." He said. "Sorry for worrying so much, I just…"
He trailed off, not knowing how to finish but Lily seemed to understand and smiled faintly. "No problem, Frisky. I'm glad you care, but let's just try to relax right now, okay?"
The boy nodded, finding no argument there and let his shoulders slump. The floof next to him wiggled its way closer until it pressed up against his leg. Mercifully it would be a few moments before Undyne and Papyrus would emerge from the latter's room and by that point they were feeling a little better. Still tired, but better.
Forgoing the stairs, Undyne vaulted over the railing above and landed in the center of the room.
"Man, you guys look beat!" She pointed out.
Lily raised one of Frisk's hands and curled the thumb and forefinger until they were almost touching. "A little bit…"
"Guess that means we won't see your cooking today, huh?" She replied, slightly disappointed. "Not a good idea to hang out in front of a stove when you're tired."
With all the safety regulations Undyne broke just earlier today, Frisk was surprised that that of all things was where she had sound advice. He didn't say it however, and simply nodded in agreement.
"OH? YOU GAVE OUR FRIENDS A COOKING LESSON AS WELL UNDYNE?" Papyrus asked. "I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT, HUMANS. UNDYNE'S COOKING LESSONS ARE ALWAYS EXCITING!"
"That's one word for it…" Lily deadpanned.
"Still, I was really looking forward to seeing what you got, Punk." Undyne said. "Oh well, guess there's always next time."
"Sorry…" Frisk apologized.
"NYEH HEH HEH. NO WORRIES, FRISK!" the tall skeleton declared. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL GLADLY OFFER UP HIS OWN CULINARY EXPERTISE IN EXCHANGE. I SHALL HEAD INTO THE KITCHEN AND WHIP UP A NICE POT OF SPAGHETTI!"
"Oh God, no…" Lily muttered in Frisk's head. Even after a few lessons from the boy, Papyrus' cooking was still somewhat volatile.
"don't worry about it, pap. i got us covered." Sans spoke as he stepped inside and proudly presented the bags he was carrying. The unmistakable scent of Grilby's filled the room.
"SANS…" Papyrus groaned. "YOU CAN'T KEEP EATING THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S FAR TOO UNHEALTHY!"
"it's good though. right?" Sans retorted, shuffling over to where everyone was gathered with his familiar nonchalant grin.
"Wow, that was nice of you, Sans." Frisk said.
"You are a saint." Lily added in sotto.
"jury's still out on that one, kiddo, but thanks." Sans replied, handing the two children a bag.
"Awesome! I haven't had Grilby's cooking in a while!" Undyne cheered, taking her own bag and diving into it immediately.
"got you somethin' too, bro." Sans said, passing Papyrus a smaller bag.
The taller skeleton was about to complain until he felt the telltale coldness of what was inside. He unraveled the noisy packaging and his annoyed expression softened as he saw the colorful straw peaking out from the lid covering the milkshake. He heaved a resigned sigh.
"OH, VERY WELL…"
* Four Stage Memory Seal: Status Report:
Seal: Alpha - UNLOCKED
Seal: Beta - LOCKED
Seal: Gamma - LOCKED
Seal: Delta - LOCKED
* Begin release process…
* CLEAR: No foreign consciousness detected.
* Seal: Alpha - release successful, vestigial recollection restored.
* Seal: Beta - commence release - restore basic temporal recollection.
* Seals Gamma, and Delta - suspended until process is complete
- CURRENT ANALYSIS -
The first seal has been released, and now the second is soon to follow. Already, the affects of my memories are beginning to manifest within my younger self. I knew the process would be difficult for him, and it is sure to become even more so… but he is strong enough to endure. I should know.
I am not at all surprised that rediscovering the prophecy provoked such a powerful response within him. To call it an inspiration doesn't even begin to describe the impression those stones had on me the first time. I remember coming across them, time and time again and eventually learning the words that were written there. In truth, much of what has happened up to this point was as a result of that legend. Even now, I am not certain if the current state of affairs is a product of its fulfillment, or simply another stepping stone on its path to fruition.
Lily… I call her this now out of convenience. I admit, I was mistaken about her. The lengths she goes to protect my young incarnation is admirable. It may simply be due to her stronger connection to this SOUL, but I think there's far more to it than that. They'll both need each other going forward. I'm sure of that.
The loss of her true name goes even deeper than I'd suspected and even I cannot remember what it was. Interestingly, Flowey alone retains his memories of it but is strangely unable to convey that information to others, even to its owner. It is like the world itself refuses to listen. I can only hope that this was the result of an imperfection in the True Reset due to my haste because the alternative, well… let's hope it doesn't come to that.
I'm very glad they managed to get through to Undyne. It took me a long time to figure out how to convince her, but they handled it with almost no trouble. What concerns me is the deaths they suffered at her hands. I doubt they escaped the Other's notice. It was foolish to think that they would be able to get passed her unscathed, but I'd hoped they might perform a miracle. There is a chance the ripples across time from the resulting Loads were not enough for it to find us… but if they were, I can only hope hewill be able to hold it off until they are ready.
Hmm… I feel the suspension coming to an end again. I'll continue to watch their progress from sleep.
- END ANALYSIS -
* Release Process: Complete
* Seal: Alpha - Released, vestigial recollection restored
* Seal: Beta - Released, basic temporal recollection restored
* Seals Gamma, and Delta - Ending suspension period, restore lock
* Updating status…
Seal: Alpha - UNLOCKED
Seal: Beta - UNLOCKED
Seal: Gamma - LOCKED
Seal: Delta - LOCKED
* Stage 2 of 4 complete.
* Stage 3 of 4 progress - 0.1%…
Thanks to Sans' timely intervention, dinner proceeded without incident. The five of them sat around the living area, enjoying their meals while watching a cheesy sit-com involving the daily lives of an intergalactic gardener and a snarky toaster oven. Lily had assumed the difficult task of commentating the action on-screen to an attentive Frisk amidst Undyne's complaints of the lack of explosions (at least, compared to Mettaton's other shows). Papyrus had been so glued to the screen that half of his milkshake melted before he'd even finished it. Sans meanwhile, had fallen asleep shortly after the opening credits.
After a pleasantly mundane hour, the friends decided to call it an early night. Papyrus had managed to wake up Sans long enough for the latter to reach his room and bid the other three goodnight before returning to his own. Frisk and Lily had taken the couch as usual while Undyne, it was decided, would sleep on the windowsill. Frisk hadn't been pleased with that at first but the warrior had insisted explaining that she'd seen some of the subjects in Alphys' human research anime do it and figured it must be some form of meditation. Lily wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but decided it didn't really matter so long as she was happy with it.
In the end, it hadn't taken long for everyone to fall asleep… everyone, that is, except for Lily.
The girl sat on one end of the couch, her feet dangling above the floor. The only sound in the room came from the quiet snoring of Frisk laying on the other side. The spectral girl turned to look at him, and smiled. He seemed so peaceful, huddled beneath the blanket, his brown hair falling limply over his closed eyes. If only she could have a little of that peace for herself.
Lily hadn't been sleeping well for the last few days. As a ghost tied to Frisk's SOUL, she technically didn't need to at all, her restfulness being tied to the boy's own. She still liked to on occasion though, so having a storm of thoughts raging in her head and keeping her awake was annoying, if not physically debilitating. Being the only one awake with nothing to do was boring, and that boredom only made the thoughts scream louder.
It was a vicious cycle.
She hadn't been able to shake the events of Waterfall from her mind. She was bothered by the thing with her name, certainly… and she knew Frisk was aware of that. She also knew the boy was letting her take things at her own pace which she was grateful for. That was just one drop in the river for her though. When did she come here and why? Who were those people she kept seeing in her visions that she knew had to be her family? What was her connection to Flowey? How did she die?
Why had she forgotten all of this in the first place?
"...How did I get these?" She muttered, staring thoughtfully at a long scar running up her arm where it was normally concealed beneath her sleeve.
She pulled up her other sleeve and found more. There didn't seem to be any part of her body apart from her face and hands that didn't have at least a few. It was disturbing to think about what could have possibly done this to her, and yet she couldn't get it out of her head… not after that horrible memory at the spring. It was more forceful and violent than any of the others. So much so, that it had even bled over to Frisk. Just thinking about it terrified her to no end, but it simply wouldn't leave her alone.
She checked her legs and found more scars. Her abdomen, more still. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, or why she was even looking in the first place. Surely, it would have been better to bury that memory deeper rather than to dig it up, but she couldn't stop. She had to know what story these scars told.
It was only when she pulled down her collar, and craned her head down so far that her chin rested on her neck that she saw it. There, in the center of her chest where it met her neck, was a scar markedly different from the rest. It was not random like the others, no straight gash or shapeless blotch, but precise… sculpted. A perfect circle formed its outer edge, and within it a dizzying array of shapes dominated by a large geometric pattern in the exact center. All around it were written strange characters - letters, or perhaps words of a language she couldn't read.
"What is…" She gasped, her voice barely a whisper. "What is this thing…?"
The brand stared back at her, scoring her flesh in angry red though she felt no pain from it. It looked recent, almost like it had just appeared, yet somehow she knew that it was old. Older than any of the others. But why? Why such a specific marking in such a specific place? Was it connected to the others or something else entirely, and what purpose did it possibly serve?
"can't sleep, huh?" a voice spoke from nearby.
A startled Lily only managed to stop herself from crying out as she released her hold on her collar, causing the fabric to fall back in place, concealing the strange sigil once again. She turned a furious glare at Sans, who stood nearby, his pinprick eyes watching her curiously.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?!" She hissed.
"huh?" Sans said, holding a hand up to his skull. "sorry, ghost-kid. can't hear ya."
"And why do you look like you're enjoying that?" Lily grumbled.
"what was that?" the skeleton replied slowly.
Lily glared at him. From his widening grin, he clearly had at least some idea of what she annoyed about but was intentionally being coy about it. The skeleton's ribcage was covered only by a stained white T-shirt. For a moment the girl was surprised by his lack of the trademark blue hoodie - she'd figured he never took that off - but then remembered she was supposed to be mad at him and let the frown settle back upon her face. Despite his grin, she noticed that his eye-sockets were a little sunken… apparently he was having trouble sleeping as well.
"somethin' on your mind?" He asked, the facetious grin slackening a little.
Lily sighed and was about to answer before remembering that that was a little difficult at the moment. Instead, she nodded.
"about earlier?" Sans offered. Lily shook her head. "what then?"
The specter thought for a moment on how best to respond to that. How in the world could she possibly convey what was bothering her when she couldn't even speak? Her eyes shifted to Frisk who was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the awkward conversation going on right next to him. His lips were moving faintly as if he was mumbling something, but no sound came from his mouth. Now that she thought about it, this wasn't the first time he'd done that. The first had been shortly after they'd come to Snowdin and been welcomed into the home of the skeletons. It felt like almost an eternity ago, though she still clearly remembered the unpleasant feeling of being ejected from his SOUL as he'd slept.
That was then, when they still had yet to understand how their connection worked. They still didn't, at least not fully, but they were certainly more attuned to it now. A part of her wondered if she might be more successful this time. After all, she'd been able to pilot his body back in the dump and it would certainly be easier to communicate that way. However a much larger part reminded her that she'd only just discovered that she could now be seen by others, and that until she knew what else had changed, it would be better not to push her luck with experimentation.
Deciding against she settled for a sweeping gesture around herself before shrugging.
"yourself?" Sans asked, catching on. She nodded. "that's a tough one, there kiddo. you're as much a mystery as frisk over there, and i knew him."
'You don't say?' she thought, rolling her eyes.
The short skeleton watched her carefully. Lily's blurred face was dropped in a frown and she wasn't looking at him anymore, seeming to have fallen back into her thoughts.
Apparently he wasn't the only one with a lot on his mind. Sans was normally the type of skeleton who would sleep eighteen hours a day if he could get away with it. Usually Papyrus was the one to drag him out of his slumber but ever since these kids came along he hadn't had to do that quite so much. His records kept him apprised of the situation across time but even they didn't hold all the answers. The simple truth was that he was curious about these children and what they represented. It was a new feeling… or at least new to this version of him, he guessed.
Lily's head raised and she turned back to him. The look in her eyes had changed. Instead of being annoyed she seemed more... thoughtful? Questioning. That was it.
"you wanna ask something?" He asked.
The girl nodded.
"okay, what's up?"
Lily hesitated for a moment, worried about how he might react. Then again, this was Sans and he wasn't usually affected by anything, at least not outwardly. After a moment of deliberation she rolled up her sleeve, showing him the scars covering her arm before shrugging again.
"damn…" was all the skeleton said as he looked over the marks covering her pale skin. He pointed back toward Frisk. "does the kid know?"
She nodded simply, before gesturing at herself again.
"they're all over, huh?" Sans guessed. Lily nodded again. "no idea where you got 'em?"
The girl shook her head and Sans rested his chin on his knuckles thoughtfully. He watched as Lily pointed toward Frisk, then at herself before gesturing toward her head. He raised a brow ridge, not entirely sure what she was trying to say with that one.
"we really need to figure out a better way to communicate when you're like this…" Sans sighed.
"How?" Lily blurted out in frustration, punctuating the question with an aggressive half-shrug that she hoped got the message across.
"i'll show ya later." Sans said, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "anything else more specific?"
Lily suppressed a smirk as she pulled down her collar, revealing the angry sigil branded onto her skin. She couldn't help but feel mildly satisfied as Sans' apathetic visage shattered for just a moment.
"well, guess i asked…" Sans said. He'd seen her fiddling with her clothes earlier, but he hadn't quite expected that. "nice tattoo, kiddo. i'm guessing you just found out about that one, huh?"
Lily nodded, while carefully watching Sans for any sign of recognition. When he wasn't being lazy or cryptic Lily had to admit that the boneman was easily the most informed person she knew right now. If anyone would know about this strange mark, it would be him, right?
Unfortunately, the answer he returned didn't leave much to hope for.
"sorry… can't say i recognize that. all i can tell you is that there's probably some kinda magic involved with it, and not the good kind either." He said.
'Crap…' Lily lamented, hanging her head in disappointment. 'I could have figured that much out on my own… well, I didn't know for sure, but it's kind of obvious…'
"actually…" Sans continued thoughtfully. Lily looked back to him hopefully. "hmm… well that's something."
"Huh?" The girl spoke up. "What is it?"
Lily couldn't be sure if the skeleton simply hadn't seen her lips mouthing the question or if he'd simply ignored it. Either way, she received no answer. Instead, Sans simply raised one of his bony arms into the air and snapped his fingers. She watched as a bluish energy gathered within his palm and her eyes followed as he directed it in the direction of the far wall.
Her curiosity only grew as one of the drawers beneath the TV stand began to glow in a similar color before opening of its own accord. Two items, that the girl immediately identified as a pen and a small notepad lifted themselves out of its confines and began to lazily drift toward the pair before it closing again.
The strange magic faded from Sans' phalanges as he took hold of the items. Flipping to a blank page, he turned his attention back to the sigil on the girl's chest.
"hold it there, okay?" He said.
Lily turned back to him and nodded absently. She'd been so impressed by the display that she hadn't even bothered trying to cover it up again.
"i dunno if its related or just a coincidence. you've probably already noticed this, having been with the other kiddo this long," the skeleton spoke, and in a single precise motion drew a circle roughly the same size as the outermost edges of the sigil. "but that spot right there? it's right over where your SOUL should be."
'Huh…'
Lily hadn't actually considered that in the wake of actually discovering it, but he was right. That was the same spot Frisk's SOUL always emerged from. She watched, strangely transfixed as Sans' eyes flicked between the brand and his notepad. Each mark he made flawlessly mirrored another aspect of the strange design.
"Holy crap…" she muttered, impressed by how quickly the normally lackadaisical skeleton worked. She hadn't figured Sans for an artistic sort.
"don't move too much. i wanna make sure i get this right." He said without even raising his eyes from his task. "magic like this is pretty specific. if i mess even one part up, it could completely change the whole nature of this thing."
Lily took the hint and remained as still as she could, for once grateful that she had no need to breathe. For a while, there was only the sound of the pen scratching away at the notepad to hold the girl's wandering thoughts at bay. After a few moments Sans clicked the pen shut and set it aside with a sigh. Taking this as a sign that he'd finished, Lily relaxed, letting her shirt fall back into place and looked down at his work.
There on the notepad was an exact replica of the brand. Every detail from the most elaborate pattern to the most subtle of accents was duplicated upon the page. The girl's eyes turned up to the skeleton with new found respect. Sans, for his own part, sported his usual grin.
"like i said: might just be a coincidence, but if it's not…" Sans spoke up, snapping the notepad closed and setting it with the pen. "well, i'll look into it. maybe I'll even learn something."
"Thanks…" Lily muttered gratefully, feeling a smile creeping across her lips.
"still can't hear ya, kid." Sans said, and winked. "but… no problem. just keep doing what you're doing, alright?"
It was in that moment that the ghost and the skeleton were drawn from their conversation by the sound of rustling nearby. They turned toward the sound to see Frisk beginning to stir beneath the blankets. His face scrunched into a grimace, eyelids fluttering through the curtain of his bangs. He rolled over onto his side, and for a moment it looked like he was going to settle back down again. This was strange… normally Frisk was a pretty even sleeper. It wasn't like him to start suddenly tossing and turning like that. Was he having a nightmare?
Even as these thoughts came to her, Lily's concern shifted to panic when she notice Frisk had not, in fact, settled down. His body was inching closer and closer to the edge of the couch... if he kept this up, he would fall! The girl made a move to catch him, but Sans was quicker. With a flick of his bony wrist, a deep bluish aura washed over Frisk, halting his descent on the edge of the couch cushions. It was identical similar to the kind she'd seen Sans using before, and she instinctively recoiled at the sight of that cold light enveloping her friend again. It was much gentler this time though, more protective than oppressive.
Sans frowned in concentration as he held the still squirming boy in the grip of his magic. He shifted his glowing hand back in the direction of the couch and the boy's body followed suit. With the risk averted, the skeleton held him there until at last Frisk seemed to calm down. With a sigh, he let his magic dissipate as Lily made her way to her friend's side.
The girl hovered off the side of the couch, watching as Frisk's eyelids shut tightly and then relaxed. At last, they opened the faint band of blue shifted confusedly to her.
"Li… Lily?" He muttered sleepily.
"Are you alright?" She breathed, stroking back his hair.
"What happened…?" He asked.
"You almost fell…" She explained. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"I don't think so… maybe?" He said thoughtfully. "Thanks though."
"What for?" It seemed like an odd response until she remembered his SOUL was still inside. "Oh… it wasn't me. Sans is the one who caught you."
"Sans? He's here?" Frisk spoke as Lily helped him up into a sitting position.
The boy placed a hand before his chest and called out his SOUL. Just as Sans had said, it emerged from the exact same spot in his chest where the strange sigil was on hers. The boy blinked a few times, his blind eyes focusing on the now visible image of Sans, reclining lazily against the side of the couch.
"sup?" the skeleton waved.
"Sans…"
The boy trailed off, the image of the short skeleton with his casual grin flickering lightly within the blankness around him. All of a sudden he felt dizzy, as a familiar pain began to throb behind his left eye. He staggered slightly, held upright only by Lily's hand pressing against his back. He could feel her worry… knew she was calling him but he couldn't hear her through the incessant ringing within his ears.
"Guys, I…" he muttered, his own voice drowned out by the sound. "I don't feel right…"
The boy's small hand shot to his eye as the pain suddenly amplified such that he could not even a muster a scream through the clenching of his teeth. A surge crashed against his mind… a thousand images… a thousand fractured memories flooded in all at once. Among the cascade, one memory particular was clearer than the others - that of Sans staring at him, his eye flaring between yellow and cyan… and at his side, three large canine skulls suspended in the air as if by invisible strings. Frisk did not know from where the vision had come, nor where he had seen such ferocious looking beings before. And yet, in the brief instant before they were swallowed up by the roiling torrent within him, he realized that he knew them just the same.
It was minutes before the pain began to fade. The boy swallowed harshly, his throat suddenly dry, before noticing that his hand was wrapped around Lily's, squeezing tightly.
"Frisk…?" the girl whispered at his side, and he turned unsteadily toward her. "What happened?"
Though his companion did not seem bothered, the red child slackened his grip on her hand. He turned from a concerned Lily, to a curious Sans, to a sleeping Undyne, and back again. The glow of his SOUL filled the room with faint scarlet light. Just as he prepared to echo her question however, he suddenly became aware of one simple fact: he already knew the answer.
"I… I remember."
Authors' Notes: Welp, back to Snowdin for now. The kids deserve a little R&R, wouldn't you say? Of course, with how the chapter ended, they'll probably have a little more to deal with before things truly calm down. Oh well. It'll be a while before we move on to Hotland, but don't think that means things will get stale. After all, anything's possible now that Undyne's around!
Speaking of chapter endings, it should be obvious by now that Undyne is quite a bit better than most when it comes to sensing Lily (apart from Napstablook but he's a special case). The end of the last chapter did provide a subtle hint that this was no longer something unique to her though. Did anyone notice it? If you did, well done!
Something that makes these kids truly compelling to write is how little we officially know about them. There's just enough hints in game to let someone build off the framework it lays and take them in any direction. Frisk's true nature is an interesting thing to speculate… is Determination the only reason he can do what he does, or is there more to it than that?
On the note of SOULs and all the weirdness around them… what about Sans'? That doesn't seem normal, does it…?
That's the second of four for the seal on Frisk's mind. You can probably see now why the restoration is proceeding in stages. Even this much is enough to nearly overload the poor kid's mind. Just imagine if it was all forced on him at once?
Scars that remain after death… a painless brand that will not heal. The mystery surrounding the First Human grows deeper still. Didn't mean for that to rhyme, but it works.
A lot happened in this chapter despite it being significantly shorter than the last one. Hopefully it wasn't too chaotic and you were able to follow everything. It's been interesting to see a few of the theories floating around from our readers. Some of the ideas you guys come up with a really interesting to see! Hopefully this chapter will give you all more to speculate over for the next part of the story.
If you have anything like that, or even just have a few words to say don't forget to leave a comment/review and let us know.
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