CHAPTER THREE
What…?
'H-hello?'
The human called out into the dark cavern.
She stood there, curly chocolate brown hair pulled back into a unsteady bun, her battered apron gently bumping against her knees as she stood, shaking.
What is this place? Where is she?
Slowly, she steps out from the circle of light, towards the ornate door as her yellow rain boots tap against the stone.
this place… it scares her.
Hey, hey there…kid? Can you hear me- woah, never seen a green soul before… you better be able to hear me, this seems interesting and I'm getting pretty bored…
the child stops nervously, blinking, and peers around cautiously. Pillars rise above her, stalagmites and stalactites growing like tiny mountains around the darkened cavern, vines climbing the walls as they reach for the shaft of light, but she sees no one.
Sure, the shaft of light pours down, But it illuminates nothing about her situation, only more things she doesn't understand.
More questions.
She cautiously calls out, her voice shaky;
"W-who's there…?"
And the whispering voice from beyond answers, surprise well hidden in the soothing tone.
…a friend. I can help you, guide you, I know the way around this place, just follow me…
But the child takes no notice, peering around, not hearing. She takes a few steps forward, cautiously stepping through the towering ornamental door that looms in front of her, another shaft of light beyond.
"H-hello? Anyone? Please, I'm- I-I'm scared…"
Then her honey-colored eyes widen, catching the little light there is, in surprise.
'Howdy!'
A flower, bright and golden, bobs in another light shaft, surrounded by vibrant grass as its pleasant, smiling face beams up at her from in between its sunshine petals.
'You must be new around here, aren'tcha?'
*it seems like your journey has finally begun.
*...You are filled with…
…Kindness.
…
'? ﾸﾎ ︎✌︎❄︎ ✋︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎✡︎ ✋︎? ﾸﾎ ✋︎❄︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎✋︎ ︎ ︎❄︎ ✌︎ ︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ'
Gaster screams, attempting to cover his eyes with his hands, and failing, since they have holes in them, the scars of an unfortunate accident.
His voice does not echo, the cry of static and clicking that is his voice dissipating into the swirling confusion of light and shadow that the void has become.
After so long without light, it seems to burn him, the bright beams hitting his skull like physical blows, and his soul reacts.
Painfully reacts.
It blinks into being with a flicker of gray light, responding to the foreign pain, and Gaster blinks hard in the blinding glare, staring down at it in shock.
W-What…?
His mind produces only that thought, over and over, as he stares down at his fragmented soul, watching the tiniest of bright glowing sparks flit through the gray, muted glow, like reflections of warped glass, as he feels the will to live course through him.
determination..?
This is impossible, I…I am a monster! I can't have…
but…could I have really…?
Is this real? Is there finally light in this darkness?
…do I finally have a reason to hope…?
He steels himself, remembering his sons.
Sans. Papyrus.
That is why he is still here.
So he can return to them, someday, somehow.
he will get back to them.
No matter the cost.
He will face anything, even impossible blinding light, to get back to them. To find them again.
To see them smile.
Then, feeling he is ready to face whatever is beyond the light,
he looks up.
…a…a room?
A room, yes…a room with a-
He stops and his one unharmed eye widens, in disbelief, in wonder, in shock, as he dares to hope for the first time in years. Years of dreaming of his family, of colour, of escape…
And, now, here is a room. A room, with a door.
A door that leads somewhere.
He doesn't care how this happened.
He doesn't care why this happened.
he doesn't care what this might do to him.
He just wants to be free.
Sans, papyrus…
His jaw sets, the now-old scars barely protesting as he hurls himself towards the crack, DETERMINATION flowing through him as he tumbles through light and pain, barely caring as the light seems to burn-
…I'm coming.
….
…
…..
WHAM!
HP: ERROR/ERROR
Pain- not again, i don't want to remember that again- I don't want to go back there- not the core-
But this isn't a memory.
Doctor gaster lays there, in absolute shock as he feels a solid object press against his throbbing skull.
He feels something, he feels something solid.
Something real.
Slowly, he pushes himself up, his hands trembling, his mind reeling, a cool, flat surface under his shaking hands, the holes revealing a gray surface beneath.
He's…he's not…he's not there anymore…
It worked. It worked! It worked it worked it worked-
He's free!
With some effort, he manages to right himself, disoriented and confused, but hopeful, almost happy for the first time in so long, so, so long-
He's Determined.
he wavers, unused to gravity, closing his eyes and breathing deeply to try and calm himself.
He doesn't need to breathe, but it still helps.
Where is he? The lab? The floor, gray, and the light-
He can barely process even these smallest details after so long of flat, unchanging nothingness.
Gathering his courage, he looks down at himself, shaking slightly as he tries to balance.
He just hopes he's not injur-
'✌︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ ︎ ︎ ❄︎ ︎✋︎? ﾸﾎ ? ﾸﾎ✌︎ ︎❄︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎ ? ﾸﾎ ︎✌︎❄︎? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ✋︎ ? ﾸﾎ✌︎ ︎❄︎? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ!?'
He stares down in shock and horror at the writhing, convulsing mass of black that connects to the floor, twisting and turning like a mass of tortured liquid tar, feeling his own face begin to soften and slide, the joint of his jaw sticky with his own melted bone as he whispers to himself in a small voice, feeling himself melt and slide away into a lump of darkness and light;
'✋︎? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ ✋︎ ⧫︎ ︎□︎◆︎ ︎ ︎⧫︎ ✋︎ ⬥︎ ︎⬧︎ ︎❒︎ ︎ ︎? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ? ﾸﾎ'
I thought I was finally free…
I thought…my sons, I…
Why…why…why has this…?
And with that, he begins to break down.
literally, and emotionally.
he shakes, his mangled, melting form quivering with his sobs, his tears falling into gray and lifeless ground.
Hopes, even such cautious and disbelieving hopes, are painful when smashed.
It's never comforting to find out that you can dig below rock bottom.
Determination, failing, fading...
It has been a long time since he has done this.
Cried, like this.
The last time was what he thinks was a month, or maybe a year ago, time dissolved in the void…
he had just woken up from a dream about his sons.
Back before he stopped sleeping.
Back before he stopped letting himself sleep.
He remembers when they were small.
So small he could hold papyrus and sans together, one on each arm. Only four years apart, he remembers them being eachothers best friend.
Sans, always looking out for papyrus, even when there was no need, even when he was still in a crib…
And then, when sans was sixteen and papyrus was just twelve, he had…
He slumps down, retracting inwards as the sobs rack him harder still, memories of his family flashing through his mind as tears roll down his melting skull.
…
PPPPpppPPppptthhhhhbbbbbhb
"heh, whoopee cushion in the hand trick, it's always funny."
The skeleton stands there in the thick snow, a goofy grin spread across his skull, which quickly falters as much as a skeleton's grin can at the human's expression.
Oh, uh, I guess they don't like jokes…?
"uhhhh, you ok…?"
The human before him sniffles a little, then breaks into sobs, their face scrunching up before they hide it in their apron as sans just stands there, his expression looking a mixture of concern and confusion.
Wow, i guess im more intimidating than i-
Then his expression changes further, shifting to shock as his eyelights blink out, but he quickly recovers.
Did they just…hug him?
uuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh-
The human is still sobbing into his hoodie, clinging to him in a desperate hug as a slight smell of burnt cinnamon drifts from them, their bushy chocolate-coloured hair flecking white with snow.
Sans was planning on telling the human to go through the gate, eventually herding them towards his brother but…
*you notice the humans' sobs seem genuine.
…that might not be the best of ideas…
"uhh, h-hey kid! wanna hear a joke?"
The sobs are a little quieter, and the human makes a questioning sound which is only slightly muffled by the hoodie. They seem scared, but less so…?
Sounds like a yes to me…
"well, tibia honest- and i'm not tellin' any fibula's here- i think you broke my funny bone just there, and believe me when i say there ain't any skullduggery involved, I'm really not feelin all that humerus-"
Sans's puns are broken off by shaky giggling coming from the human, who looks up at him with a hesitant, wobbly smile.
*you notice one of the human's teeth is missing…it looks new.
The human notices where sans is looking, and they wince with pain before more tears spring up.
Sans starts a little, and, not wanting the humans crying to attract his…excitable brother, quickly starts talking again, improvising as he does so.
"err, so, what'cher name, kid? don't tell me you aint got one. I'm sans, sans the skeleton."
The response is quiet and shaky, muffled slightly as the human wipes tears and snot off their face with their wrist.
"Misericordia…but…but you can call me Bell…"
Sans is relieved that the conversation isn't one sided any more, and tries to prompt more information, if only for the sake of curiosity, and stopping the poor kid from crying again. When he spotted a human, this was not what he was expecting to happen.
"Bell, huh? Now that's an odd nickname. there's GOTTA be a story there…"
He pauses, studying the still shaky human's face.
"...if ya dont mind sharin, that is."
The huma- no, bell, looks up at him with eyes that seem to shine gold in the light, and the mercy and softness and….fear, in them takes sans aback. He thought humans were all… well, human,
but this one…
Well, they ain't like that weird flower, that's for sure.
Why would he think of…? Eh, no matter.
With a small breath, bell speaks, their voice less shaky.
"N-no, i d-don't mind! It's because my b-brothers always told me I- I …u-uh…"
The human goes silent for a long moment, then begins to tremble a little, mumbling something under her breath.
"eh, what was that? didn't catch it, kiddo."
The human is silent a moment, long enough to make sans wonder if he pushed too hard, but they finally speak up.
They're mumbling, but just about audible.
"My b-brothers…t-they always t-thought my eyes were u-um, the c-c-color o-of…"
The human trails off, teeth chattering, their cheeks bright red from either cold or embarrassment. With a start, sans realizes it's probably the first one.
"Lemme guess, they thought yer eyes looked the color of bells?"
The human looks up at him, then slowly nods, snow dusting their dark chocolate colored hair as they shiver with cold, rubbing their bare arms. …how old are they? Sans is about to ask, but stops himself. He can guess.
Not old enough to face anyone in a FIGHT…
He's wearing a good few layers, but this kid's got only a thin shirt an' a ratty apron…
*you notice the human's fingers going blue…
With that, it's decided. That lady with the incredible sense of humor did ask sans to look after a human, so… that's what he's gonna do. Sans sighs, prompting a worried look from Bell.
this wasn't exactly what he'd planned for today…
Eh, what the heck.
Sans takes off his warm blue jacket, and hangs it around the human's shoulders as they stare up at him in shock, but Sans quickly starts talking before they can thank him.
"Well, ya know, my job is capturin humans…"
Bell's eyes widen, and she looks up at him, her expression worried.
"...but that sounds like too much work. So, howzabout we go to my place and get cha' warmed up, huh?"
With that, Bell looks both shocked and grateful, and tears spring from her eyes as she grins up at Sans with a gratitude he's not used to.
She nods, and wipes her eyes with one of the sleeves, her hair brushing back to reveal a bandage covering some sort of burn.
Jeeze, kid, what happened to ya?
I thought humans were…I dunno, indestructible or something.
Sans looks down at her, then tugs the hood up to cover her hair, the human letting out a small yelp of surprise.
*you feel…motivated…?
Heck, that narrator sounds more uncertain every day,
ppft, bet even it's surprised I'm doin somethin for once…
"Here, follow me. I know a shortcut."
Sans says, with a wink at the human, who flashes a slightly confused smile, taking the gloved hand he offers her with a noticeable hint of hesitation. Good, they know about stranger danger.
-VWWWWOOOOOOSHHHH-
"W-woah!"
Sans and Bell fall through blackness, flashing past pieces of sensation, the feeling of bark, the smell of cinnamon, the heat of fire, the softness of fur, the slick of ice, the sound of electricity, the flash of coloured tiles-
And then it all gathers together.
Suddenly, the skeleton and the human are standing just inside a cozy cabin, sans somehow already leaning against a beaten up couch and grinning like always.
"Fast shortcut, huh?"
Bell smiles, nervous and amazed at the magic, the missing tooth seeming to only amplify how young they look. Sans raises a nonexistent eyebrow, looking the human up and down. He watches as they nervously climb onto the couch, seeming to slowly stop shivering as they fold themselves deeper into the folds of sans's jacket.
"So, kid, s'that tooth bothering you? looks sore."
He asks, sitting beside them and turning on the MTTV.
They look…surprised, and sniffle a little, but respond all the same, less shaky than before.
"O-oh, yeah, it hurts a bit, but, uh, it's nothing…"
Sans chuckles a little, then puts his hand on the human child's head, his hand nearly swallowed by the chocolate curls as he heals their wounds with what little ability he has, a soft green glow emerging from his gloved hand in the form of tiny motes of light.
"Oooohhh, that- that felt kinda cool! What did you do?"
The human asks, now looking more interested and thankful than scared or confused.
Sans looks at them, surprised, then says with a grin;
"Healin' magic. Cool, right?"
the human nods furiously.
"Y-yeah! It feels…a lot better now, actually!"
Bell says, feeling the gap with her tongue, causing sans to muffle a chuckle at the expression she pulls.
"I've never used it on a human before… hope it didn't scramble you too badly, heh."
The human looks up at him and gives a smile.
"No, it felt…kinda…funny."
she says, searching for the words, and apparently finally relaxing around the skeleton as whatever fears she had fade in the face of his friendly, lazy manner.
sans blinks a little, raising one nonexistent eyebrow.
"Er… bad funny or ha-ha funny?"
Bell thinks for a moment.
"It felt kinda like…remembering things."
Sans is surprised. Most monsters have a relatively easy time describing healing magic, usually as just a warmth, or a softness, but this is new.
Deciding to keep to the topic of conversation, he asks;
"Like rememberin? How's that?"
the human thinks, her face scrunching up as the human and monster sit side by side, on the old green couch.
a human and a monster, just…being, together, Is a sight sans never thought he'd see, let alone be a part of.
Wow. Look at him, makin history…heh.
"Like..remembering something you forgot, and it's a good thing, so you smile! and everything's a little brighter. Like that feeling, but it's…the hurt bit of you remembering what it was like to be whole."
Sans blinks a little. He chuckles to himself, wondering how any magic he cast could make someone feel that.
Usually, it just makes people sleepy.
But hey, humans are weird, right?
Suddenly, Bell speaks up.
"Hey…why are you…you know, helping me?"
Sans looks at her sharply, but seeing only childish worry, relaxes again, telling the truth with a noncommittal shrug.
"Eh, you look too young to be wanderin around on your own, and you certainly ain't a threat. You're just a kid after all, Nothin to be scared of."
Bell smiles, reassured. She seems to unwind slightly, drawing her knees up into the oversized jacket as she watches mettatons latest cooking show with wide-eyed interest.
Sans chuckles internally.
Then, after a moment, the human says;
"…you aren't scary either."
Sans chuckles out loud this time, and pats the child on the head, only half watching the cooking show.
"Thanks, kid."
the child turns her head, and smiles at him, a genuine smile, warm and grateful.
The skeleton pretends not to notice, slightly embarrassed by her gratitude.
She tugs the jacket tighter around her, watching as mettaton twirls and spins on the MTTV, fascinated.
She thinks to herself, as sans the skeleton, the most unintimidating monster she's seen so far sits beside her, his coat around her small shoulders;
Toriel was wrong. So was the mean flower.
Monsters are nice, they were being the mean ones…
Well, not toriel. She just wanted to keep me safe, but…
Bell touches her burned cheek lightly, remembering the fire flying around her in tornadoes of light, the usually kindly face of toriel hard and aloof.
…she went really far.
And that flower….
He seemed sad, somehow…mean people are always sad, somewhere deep inside….
Bell glances over at the skeleton, and stares for a moment, fascinated. He looks so much like the doctor's model…but a lot different, too. Softer, cartoonier almost, and all soft when she'd hugged him
And also because he's alive, obviously, but there's something about the shape of his skull or…
"W-wait, you don't have a jaw!"
She says abruptly, and the skeleton turns to her, surprised. He raises one nonexistent eyebrow at her, and she gasps a little, afraid that she offended him but also surprised at how his skull is moving.
Monsters are so, so cool and so, so scary sometimes.
"Course I do, kid! It just doesn't work s'all. 'fused' I think it's called, or somethin like that."
The skeleton says, apparently unbothered, pointing to the smooth curve where his jaw meets his skull, the place a joint would be on a human skull.
Bell let's out a little sigh of relief, and cautiously asks:
"B-but, how do you eat…?"
sans chuckles, and taps his frozen smile, winking at the curious child who stares at him, wide eyed.
"S'magic, kiddo."
She simply stares at him, then narrows her eyes slightly.
"But…where does the food go though…?"
Sans shrugs.
"beats me. magic?"
The human makes a little huffing noise, but sans deflects any further questions by asking one of his own.
"where does your food go, then?"
The child blinks at him, then pokes one finger into their midsection, which is apparently their answer.
"Uh, you…eat with your…?"
he asks, only half joking. He knows that human food somehow goes through their whole body, but it beats him how they do it. He always wondered though.
"No! I eat with my mouth, and then it goes here, down my throat, and then…I dunno."
The human says, a little incredulous. She points to her mouth, then her neck, then back at her midsection, then shrugs at him, the explanation apparently over. Sans raises one nonexistent eyebrow, and pokes the human in the midsection, making them giggle in surprise.
"Heh, you humans are weird."
Bell smiles at him.
"Monsters are weirder!"
Sans snorts, and feigns mock-offence, putting a gloved hand to his chest and leaning back, earning a giggle.
"Aww, c'mon, hows that?"
bell tilts her head at him, then points to the MTTV, where mettaton is now holding a quiz show, but the contestant appears to be juggling…bombs?
sans looks at the screen and huffs.
"Eh, he's a wild card kid, believe me."
Bell laughs a little, then gasps as the contestant drops a bomb, her attention re-caught.
Sans looks down at her, and wonders again how he ended up catching a human. He literally did nothing but prank them and they latched onto him like some kind of baby monkey.
They draw the jacket tighter around them, and a chill seems to send shivers up their small body. How long were they in the snow like that? And how old is this kid anyway? Probably not much older than that kid by the gyftmas tree, if size means anything.
Heh, lookit me, takin care of a human.
Man, my bro's gonna kill-
Suddenly, The door shakes on its hinges as it is kicked open by a neon-red boot, the house shaking with the sheer volume of an earth-shattering:
'NYEH-HEH-HEH!"