-.-.-.-.-

17:

Yume no Tsubasa

Sans and Frisk

(Third POV)

-.-.-.-.-

"You were so stupid, Frisk! You need to be more careful than that. You don't know what's out there. You might have gotten even more hurt! Sans was worried sick, as were we." Asriel scolded his pouting sister deeply.

Papyrus stood on the other side of the bed with his hands on his narrow hips, and Asriel rubbed his head in frustration as she stubbornly stared back at him. Finally, after a beat, she breathed deeply, and she began to move her hands.

'I'm sorry, brother. I thought it was the only way to find answers. I've tried to broach you and Sans about it, but I didn't get anything back when I tried to open my heart.' That knocked all the anger right out of their bodies, and a little shame replaced the heated feeling.

The group knew they couldn't say a word about it—they knew that, but that knowledge didn't soothe the shame they felt. So instead, they watched as she changed as the months went by, becoming more like her old self. With the change, their desire to confess everything to Frisk grew. But they all feared to utter just one word, even if they knew she slowly remembered the hidden past.

Despite that being plain obvious, the fear of losing her trapped the answers in their throats, locking away the things they so desperately wanted to reveal. In that fear, the boys forced her to look for the answers she needed. And in progress, Frisk put herself in danger.

For her big brother, it was pure torture. All Asriel wanted was to protect her, but that was impossible if they couldn't say why she shouldn't have run off. If it was entirely maddening for the monster prince, he couldn't imagine how his best friend felt. This fear must be a thousand times worse for Sans.

The prince took a big breath, coming out of his thoughts before he moved onto her temporary bed and took her tiny hand into his much more giant paw with a small smile:

"I'm sorry we can't tell you, sis. It's just not the right time. As cheesy as that sounds, we can't. But next time you see a weird light or have the urge to run off, tell us. Please?" He reasoned, trying to get the fear across to her, and squeezed her hand harder.

The flower sighed, looking to the window as the conversation with Sans returned to her mind, reminding the flower of the gut-twisting guilt she felt.

Frisk wished she were braver to ask earlier, even if she wouldn't get a proper answer from them. But she just couldn't. Instead, Frisk felt strongly that she had to find the keys to the many doors leading to the missing pieces of her memories and heart on her own.

She had to uncover all the mysteries from her past to become the self she always needed to be, the Frisk everyone saw within her, but Frisk couldn't even fathom.

It was her mission. It still is, as she draws closer to coming face to face with her faceless father, to free the monsters and herself.

But now, Frisk had the knowledge that the others worried when she ran off without words. It was a problem. On the one hand, if she vows to tell them, they might follow her, and the answers might invade her. But, on the other—if Frisk doesn't, they might keep her away. If that happened, she wouldn't get any other truths.

So, what should the princess say to compromise?

The only thing she deemed suitable:

'I can't promise that I will, but I'll try. That's all I can promise.'

"Sister, I—"

"Human—"

She held up a hand, shaking her head and quickly cutting the boys off. Frisk knew they would fight against her on this, but she had to try to make them understand her view.

'I'm sorry, guys. But I need to do this on my own. I can't rely on you for answers as much as we all wish I could. So this is my mission alone.'

"I can't deny you that, but it's dangerous. Much more than you realize, Dove. If you need to do this, promise me you'll be smart about this."

That growl filled the teen with warmth as Frisk moved her gaze to the door, seeing Sans with worried-filled sockets. She gave a tiny smile, sealing her vow with a simple nod as he laid a leather-bound book on her lap. A sigh escaped his teeth before he spoke again.

"I trust you, Frisk. Just don't leave me." With those words, he nodded to the other males to get them to follow him, leaving her to uncover more.

As those words cracked her heart a bit with his pleading tone. Frisk breathed slowly, dropping her eyes to the cover of the small book in her arms. But, despite the intensity, the feeling slowly disappeared as she took in the title.

She feared what she would find, but she couldn't hold back her excitement at the same time.

What would Frisk realize after reading this? The flower smiled again, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself before nodding slowly:

"This is my chance. It's now or never, Frisk. Let's do this." She whispered to herself, taking in a deep breath.

However, she didn't realize opening that book would reveal a bit more of her buried past:

-.-.-.-.-

Love stories are told in both worlds, filling each heart with hopes of finding their own. But, could you believe that there is a stronger bond than a soulmate through all those tales? Could you imagine there was a love story more paramount than Romeo and Juliet?

There is. There is a beautiful story only a few humans know about. This book has been a gateway to that magical past, a key to a mystery.

First, let's discuss Soul Bonds. In practice, they are verily simple. Once a soul bonds with another. They are one always; not even death can break them apart. It can only pause the Bond. But they are much more potent than that simple description.

The Bond starts even before the Bond and bondee realize what 'love' really is.

A baby is born, and a child feels something change within them from across the world when the first cry is heard. That is the Bond, a connection untamed by age or distance. Mates can go years without meeting or even knowing one another—only to intuitively know who they are after meeting once.

And there are cases where Bond and bondee were raised side by side. When that happens, the Bond starts off entirely innocent. If the Bond is a bit older than their bondee, they take the big brother or sister role until they are mature age, meaning they are very protective in a friendly or familial way. But, of course, that protectiveness changes when they reach that age of maturity. It turns into something fierce, almost possessive-like than the childish version.

However, and sadly, there are cases of the bonds that never found each other, or worse, they were forced into living with a curse that ripped them apart:

That is what happened to the first documented case of Soul Bonding and the first love legend from the Monster kind.

It is the legend of Dove of Life and Raven of Death.

Many monsters told a fairy tale with a tragic ending to teach them both the magic of love and the sad side of love.

If you are a human, it might seem odd to you to learn that monsters want to teach that sometimes cruel reality to their youths so young, but they honestly believe it gives them both knowledge and hope for their own futures.

You see, even with the sad end, this legend is the truest of all. How do we know? We don't, but there is an undeniable ring of truth whenever it is told or heard. A feeling of familiarity. And it is said that Dove and Raven are still roaming the Underground, searching for their missing pieces, but with no memories intact to help them along the way.

For that is their cruel curse from the Death Tribe's king, Raven's human-hating father:

Would you like to learn this beautiful story? Then, all you must do is read the next chapter. But remember, this is a truly tragically beautiful love story.

Here is a challenge for you; can you make it through the story without crying?

.-.-.-.-.-

Frisk bit her lip at the last paragraph, nervous about the next chapter. She never had the chance to read this book through her many attempts to hide from her bullies, but she once overheard some of the female teachers talking about a forbidden book detailing a monster love legend.

She even heard them say that they wished the students could read it, even though they were fearful of the monsters. This story was just so hauntingly beautiful that it might teach them something about love that humans' love stories rarely could in the right way:

How to keep fighting when all hope is lost.

When Frisk heard that, something snapped within her. She didn't know what exactly, but she felt her heart stop for a moment that time. She felt as if it knew of the story—that it was screaming at her to find it, that the mysterious book might hold the key.

At that moment, she didn't understand what key she was looking for—Frisk knew was that the forbidden book held a mystery she wanted to solve:

Now, she was, holding the book that she constantly desired to find. Finally, the book would lead the girl to the last answers she needed. It was both a terrifying and thrilling thought for her, not knowing what was at the end of this. What might happen when she was finished reading.

She breathed in a deep breath to calm herself and to steady her racing heart with the thought of all the new feelings she knew were about to take over after she was done before she shifted her gaze back to the book:

-.-.-.-.-.-

As every story goes, let's start this story the ordinary way:

Once upon a time….

Two Tribes co-ruled over the land, keeping all the species at peace. However, the two Tribes were quite different, compared to day and night.

While Life was the gentler Tribe, Death had been known to be cruel with their rule. And that was true for the king of Death, who ruled over the kingdom with an iron fist. Everyone knew not to anger him or get on his wrong side. Whereas the Life rule was the one every being loved most, the Death rule was the one they feared the most.

However, his two sons weren't as cruel as their father. In fact, they were said to be the two gentlest souls in Death's lands, even though the young gods were reapers of fading souls. This only fueled their father's anger, desiring cold-hearted warriors.

Even the queen of Life thought the princes were too kind at times, but she loved them as a part of her family:

The young gods' names were Raven and Crow. That's right, the very Raven, the tragic prince of our story. He was the next heir to inherit the throne, seeing that he was the eldest of the brothers. Trying to end his son's interest in the Life Tribe, the Death king betrothed Raven to a noble Death tribal member's daughter.

However, Fate had other plans for the gentle soul.

And they came in the form of a young Goddess. Not of Death, but of Life.

There was only one heir in the Life kingdom, Sun, but everyone wanted another. So the king and queen of the Life Tribe prayed for a second child, having a little prince. It wasn't such a wish to be cruel to their son—as if he weren't good enough for them, that wasn't the case.

The royal pair just had a burning feeling that they were destined to have a beautiful baby girl. That the little girl would change the world for the better, they just had a strong sense whenever they saw a little girl or thought about it. However, the couple waited without an answer, filling them with despair as the days went on:

Thankfully, one day, the queen learned that she finally was pregnant with their second child and the kingdom, especially her boys, was overjoyed. They ultimately would have a princess to love and adore. And as the months passed, so did the excitement as well. All waited for the young princess to enter the world and accept the mysterious destiny laid down for her.

And four months later, the kind queen went into labor. Then, with a buzz of activity and a healthy cry, the beautiful princess made her entrance:

Despite her odd appearance, looking as if she was a human, every being knew she held such a beauty that she was dubbed Dove of Love:

However, the story had a slow start. The legend didn't begin until Dove was ten years of age and handsome Raven was twelve, seeing it was rare to see a member of the two Tribes together, despite there being no laws against it. But Creator forbade his subjects, especially his sons, to interact with the Life members.

But, of course, just like any pre-teen, the young male rebelled against him, refusing to hate. Instead, Raven got more than he ever imagined.

Because under the burning sun in that meadow, the legendary lovers met for the first time…

"Raven, I like to introduce my daughter, Dove."

With those words, their love began gradually, like a blooming flower. Of course, it wasn't a burning fire at first, as they were still at such a tender age. But, there was a glowing amber between them—one that no one could deny:

Even the Death members felt that Raven should be allowed to court the young princess when the time came. In fact, even the noble member who promised their daughter's hand began to feel bad for the young prince.

And it had grown the tensions between the sons and their father. As they grew, they began to question his ruling increasingly. And as they did, the more would Creator forbade them to confer with the Life's princess. But no matter what punishment he dealt them, they continued to defy him

The older brother wasn't about to stop seeing his best friend just because of a blind and foolish hatred. The younger brother just wanted to keep that smile on his brother's teeth.

Crow never had seen his elder brother so happy before the strange girl entered their lives. Even at the tender age of seven, the young boy could feel the strong connection between the two. And he soon came to view Dove as an older sister.

As the years passed, their Bond just grew more assertive. Finally, the lowly amber turned into a raging flame, calling the wrath of Creator….

-.-.-.-.-.

Frisk moved her eyes from the book to the window, tears chilling her cheeks. She didn't understand why she was crying, but she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. The flower just began, but a heart-breaking realization was heading for her. And as much as the brunette wanted to know, Frisk feared the answers a bit.

Frisk sighed deeply, placing the book on the table for a moment. Maybe after a break, she would be a little calmer, she hoped with a heavy heart as she put a hand to the cool glass of the window.

She let her thoughts run wild, sorting through all the latest information for a long moment, unsure how to make sense of it. Was that it? Was Frisk the reincarnation of Dove?

Frisk didn't really know how she would answer those questions, but the tears on her cheeks were hard to ignore. They were the first real clue she had had. After all, if she weren't connected to it, why would Frisk shed tears at the start of a long-faded love story? She touched her cheek as a sad smile danced across her lips, leaning her forehead against the glass.

Frisk might've not known anything yet, but she did know one thing. And it broke her heart:

Sans knew for a while, she could tell from the sad look she caught on his face, cracking his well-crafted mask of false ignorance. He knew who she was, but he couldn't breathe a word. She couldn't imagine how alone Sans felt. To be close to the only one he ever loved, but to know that she was out of reach with no memories. Furthermore, Sans had to pretend she was a stranger.

It was a cruel destiny they were forced into, an endless loop of pain. Why were they cursed for just loving each other? If Soul Bonds can't be denied, why was Raven's, Sans,' father so desperate to ruin his son's happiness? Frisk knew there were cruel parents out in the world. She experienced it. But, after experiencing a parent's warmth, the young flower couldn't fathom how a father wanted to cause his child so much pain.

Sans hid well; she squeezed her hand shut as she thought back. As the group moved through the Underground, he always hid behind a grin. He didn't want her to know about his pain, his struggles. But Frisk only now realized that those things plainly showed on his face so many times, the girl just didn't see—too blind with her own hopes to his pain. She bit her lip hard as more danced down her cheeks:

How blind could I be? Her mind whispered pleadingly, wanting a lecture from her sister. But all she got was silence, heavy and sad.

Because she wasn't to blame, but the older brunette knew Frisk wouldn't believe a word. Not at that moment.

Unfortunately, Frisk also was too lost in her mind to sense an alien presence, a cruel smile gleaming in the shadows. However, a strange humming flowed on the wind to contrast the incoming doom. She furrowed her eyebrows, wiping the tears away. Frisk walked out on the balcony as if in a daze, leaning on the railing to hear better.

Her eyes widened as the voice grew, she knew that voice all too well, but at the same time, it was too deep:

A promise made under a full moon,

As giggling children,

A promise long buried and forgotten,

Now he is waiting for her.

Memories,

Frail and fragile,

Easy to rip away,

Will she remember?

(You promised me,

You will never forget me,

Don't worry, my dear,

I'll make you remember,

Remember only me.)

A faraway voice whispers,

As she dances on her own,

Shivering against the night's wind.

"Sans…?" She whispered quietly, scanning the ground as the moving shadow slowly but quickly steered toward her.

That song, haunting and familiar, caused a raging fire to run through her veins. She didn't know when, but she faintly remembered its hidden vow. Every night, the song acted as a lullaby as she faded to sleep many a time. But before she could recall it, it disappeared into the darkness of her mind. It was as if the song was the last promise between the lost lovers, floating across the thousand years and back to her to stay.

She shivered both in slight fear and pleasure. She was glad to hear the soothing melody again, but the beautiful flower feared it was an omen. A dark call before the battle begins. She hoped she was wrong, but her heart wouldn't stop stuttering.

Frisk breathed before she shook her head, freeing her mind from the dark thoughts and the weird song for a moment, and reached for the door. But before she could, someone grabbed her from behind and pinned her against their chest. Frisk struggled, surprised as she felt a rag come over her mouth. She managed to wiggle away from the attacker's hold to scream as loud as the brunette could:

"Sans! Help me!"

But it was no use. The attacker pinned her back as soon as the scream rang out. Then, no matter how much Frisk fought against their hold, they only would tighten up their grip on her wiggling form, digging their nails—or claws rather—into her arms, drawing blood.

"I'm sorry, my dear. But I need you to come with me. Behave for me."

Upon hearing that voice, Frisk's mind flashed back to the nightmares, realizing that this was one of them, a prologue to what would happen to her.

A growl soundlessly fell from her mouth as she fought with every ounce of strength she had left, not willing to let the monster win. Frisk clawed and kicked the best she could as her body grew numb, her vision blacking as the drug slowly took her strength. She tried to keep fighting, but the darkness wrapped Frisk in its embrace after countless minutes of battling.

The wind danced on her skin as the brunette unwillingly entered the unending darkness. She knew they were moving, but all she could do was listen to her sister's pleads; trying in vain to snap the younger brunette out of the growing darkness:

Frisk! You must fight this. Think about Sans and Asriel! Come on, you're stronger than this!

I'm sorry, sis. Was all she could muster up, a lone tear streaming down her cheek before the darkness finally claimed her.

Her destiny slowly crept right up at her, whether Frisk was ready or not.

-.-.-.-.-.-

After the three males talked for a few moments when they left Frisk to her reading, Sans sat against the wall with a cigarette nestled between his knuckles. Thoughts ruled his skull while his sockets were glued to the wall in front of him, thoughts running wild as he let his cigarette calm his nerves.

Sans knew he had to give her that book, but it terrified the skeletal monster.

Sans wasn't scared that it might end badly, but the door would open. All their lives. The twists and turns led up to this, but were they ready to accept this? Was he prepared to accept the fact his father focused this Fate on their heads? He didn't exactly know, but he did know one thing for sure:

The skeleton was ready for her to know him, not only as Sans but also as Raven. He smiled faintly, turning his sockets down to Frisk's room. Yes, that part of him was faded, now buried under all the other parts.

But, amazingly, Sans could still feel Raven deep within his soul. His strength and fierce adoration for Dove weren't traits easily forgotten. Of course, the male would always be connected to the tragic prince, but that didn't bother Sans much.

If anything, he was thankful that it brought him back to her once again. Sans sighed deeply at the thoughts as he turned to meet up with the two other males, the used cigarette forgotten out the window.

But a scream shattered the peace, sending the skeleton's soul into discord.

"Sans! Help me!"

"Frisk? FRISK!"

His growl lost its cool, smooth qualities as his boots crashed against the floor. Sans' soul trembled as he slammed into the room. He could feel his body slowly begin to shake.

He sent a silent prayer that the dread sitting on his chest was just his fears playing tricks, but as Sans took in the empty room, he realized that his worst nightmare had come true…

…...Gaster had her in his grasp, where he could twist or torture her into loving another or, worse, turn her into a monster he could control. He finally got her.

"No…." He breathed lowly, dropping to his knees with shaking hands. Gaster had been just waiting for Sans to drop his guard and teach Sans he could take her anytime and couldn't do anything to stop the crazy skeleton. She was his to do with as he pleased. But Gaster forgot one thing:

Sans wasn't so easy to break as he thought. He has been through worse. This just pissed him off. And when you pissed a Sans off, you were just playing with fire. And when you hurt his soul, you'd die painfully.

Sans growled deep in his hyoid, raising back onto his feet with his phalanges curled into fists at his sides as his sockets glowed eerily in the moonlit room. His fury was plainly written on his sharp features as if he was a caged wolf just waiting for someone to open the cage.

"If you think I'm going to bend down to your sick wishes, you don't know me at all, father."

With that statement, the male stomped his way to the others. His body language was that of a warrior.

He might've been afraid of what the scientist was possibly doing to his beloved flower, but right now, there was no time to let the fears rule his mind. Right now, the monster needed to be a soldier for her.

He needed to get her before Sans fell to the insanity that her absence brings. He needed to kill the male who caused all this.