Two Worlds, Two Souls

Chapter 24: The Pain of Knowing

Angel's Point of View:

The smell of freshly baked goods filled the air as I continued to bake in the kitchen. With Christmas fast approaching, us in the skeletal household were attempting to get as much done as we could to show our spirit. Laughter came from the front room while Papyrus and Frisk decorated a Christmas tree and Sans supervised on the couch, taking a nap after coming home from work once more.

I had taken a break from working on my artwork once the guys got home in order to test out how my baking was with the old recipe of the skeletons' father. We had finally found the recipe for their beloved sugar cookies their father used to make and I was trying my hand at them. Apparently, their father had left many notes on the card about how he had to blend things together to give it the prefect flavor his wife had done a long time ago. I was trying to follow his instructions to the letter to make the sugary treats like the brothers remembered; I just needed one of them to test them for me.

Quietly slipping into the living room, I gently rocked the shoulder of the elder skeleton. Sans sputtered in his sleep. Eye sockets that were black while he rested quickly formed their little lights that focused in on me, most likely wondering why I'd woken him from his dream.

"Sorry to wake you, but will you test this to see if it's like your dad's?"

I'm sure if he had eye brows, he would have raised them in question. "Why not ask Pap?"

"I don't want to break his little soul if I have them wrong." I pouted at the skeleton. "Please?"

My look seemed to make Sans sit up a little straighter and his sockets widen more. His entire attention was on me before looking to the plain cookie in my hand. After a few moments in question, he sighed and leaned forward to take a bite from the cookie I was holding. A roaring blush flared into my cheeks when he did that and I couldn't help but turn away in embarrassment.

Silence met me while I kept my gaze on the younger siblings. They didn't even notice while Sans and I were sitting in the back with this strange event taking place. I was stunned by his action. Sans had never been so forward before…

But it most likely was all in favor of a pun…

True to my thought, when I looked back, Sans was grinning at me, pulling the final bite of the cookie from my fingers with his teeth and a blue tongue made of magic that appeared. The humor was in his eye lights as he held my gaze.

"Wow, ya certainly are a colorful hue-man."

My only response was to scowl at him.

"Sans!" The older brother and I flinched as Papyrus hurled back an empty box at his brother. "No puns! This is supposed to be a happy event while Little Frisk and I decorate the tree!"

I was thankful that Papyrus and my sister hadn't seen my face as they stopped to address Sans' pun. I dared to look back at the older skeleton while he snickered at me.

"So?" I tried to bring the subject back to my original question while he played with me.

"Yeah, those are good. Just as sweet as Dad's used to be."

"SANS!"

I had the sense to duck this time as more than just a box came at the older skeleton, this time it was every single book that was within arm's reach of the younger skeleton that was flung at Sans. Sans could only laugh, even as he was buried below a library's worth of books on the couch.

With a sigh, I stood to my feet at the steamed skeleton by the Christmas tree. "Thank you, Papyrus."

"Worry not, Miss Angel! The Great Papyrus shall protect you from my brother's puns!"

My sister snickered from the side. "Even if she normally likes them…"

"Oh shush." I retreated from them then to head back to the kitchen. "I actually could use some more help if you have a moment?"

"Does this have anything to do with Father's cookies?" Papyrus could hardly suppress a squeal as he dove after me, grabbing my sister along the way. Frisk lit up at the smell in the kitchen when she caught what I was making.

"COOKIES!" Frisk wrestled herself free from her friend and reached for the cooling rack I had of the few cookies that were already good to decorate, once I had made frosting, that she reached for. An audible smack could be heard and a screech from her when I hit her hand with a wooden spoon to keep her back.

"No, those are to be decorated, and then eaten."

Frisk huffed out in frustration, but didn't argue with me. "Fine…"

"That's actually why I asked you two to join me." Motioning the two of them to where I stood at the counter, I quickly grabbed a pen and paper to write down a list of things I needed and for them to get. "I can't make the decorations without more sugar and I'm in need of a few other things. Could you guys take a break and head to the store for me while I cook off the rest of the cookies? That way we can decorate almost as soon as you guys get home."

"Of course!" Papyrus quickly saluted me. "The Great Papyrus and Little Frisk are on it."

"Oh, and take Sans with you." I jutted a finger out at the older skeleton who looked out from below the books. "He needs his daily removal from the house exercise."

"Gladly!" Anything to get his brother out of the house and doing something made Papyrus work even harder than before. The paper in my fingers was snatched and Sans was yanked from the couch.

"Pap!" Sans groaned as he was carried like a ragdoll. "I can walk, ya know."

"But it's more fun when I do it! And I can make sure you won't 'shortcut' away!" Papyrus kneeled down for my sister to hop on to his shoulders. "Come, Little Frisk!"

"See ya, Sis!" My sister took only a moment to wave at me before she leapt onto the taller skeleton's shoulders. Her legs were locked around his neck while her hand grabbed at the top of his skull before Papyrus raced out the door, Sans glaring at me the entire way until they were out of sight.

With a chuckle, I braced myself for when Sans returned. It would be a pun storm when he got back with a vengeance against me.

And I knew I was looking forward to it.

Later That Day:

I tried to hide the yawn that escaped me as I cooked off the last of the cookies I had made that evening. It had only been half an hour since the others had left to grab the few things I needed to make the frosting to decorate the cookies. I was quite excited for what the four of us would make together as we practiced our skills for the fair that I was eagerly trying my skills at (and none of the friends of family of mine seemed to mind the abundance of sweets.)

The last batch had been cooked off only minutes ago and I was resting before the Christmas tree that Papyrus and Frisk had left off on working in the middle of. I could see the ornaments they had put on, most of them being hand made by the brothers or pictures from when they were little. I also saw a few that were of Sans and Papyrus' parents, the skele-parents.

I couldn't help but look at the two of them and how happy they appeared to be. Lucida, their mother, was much like Sans. She shared his wider skull and somewhat shorter height. But she still appeared beautiful. I could see in the photo that was there before me that her eye lights held a purple hue, they were glowing in the shot. Her magic was purple; it seemed to fit with her patient sounding personality. Purple was the color of perseverance after all.

In the picture I'd seen, she wore a rich blue dress that hugged her small figure well. She wore a shawl over her shoulders, a dark slate color to it while she held a baby Sans in her arms, he grabbing at her fingers in the photo. Beside her stood Wingdings in a rich black suit, the tall skeleton standing much higher than she did, she barely reaching his shoulder in comparison.

Wingdings was a much taller and narrow person compared to his wife. He resembled Papyrus quite a bit, though did still seem slenderer. His bones were much narrower than his youngest son's. I also saw that their father had some cracks to his skull. I could only question that they could be relatable to human scars. One crack seemed to stem from both eye sockets, on his left, the break went down his cheekbone. His right traveled up over the top half of his skull. They were long gashes too, almost two inches long.

It made me nervous for what could have caused those cracks.

Though he seemed happy in the photograph that was hung between twigs and glue, a picture that perhaps Sans had made in his childhood? It was adorable either way.

Knocking at the door was the only thing that tore me away from the pictures. Taking a quick glance out of the peephole, I was surprised to see Maria and her husband Robert standing on the other side. Quickly did I unlock the door for the two of them.

"Maria!" I quickly pulled back to offer them inside. "Would you like to come in where it's warm?"

"Oh yes, thank you Angel!" Maria hurried inside while her husband grumbled behind her. The male I'd only met a time or two, but he was no one who was pleasant. He always seemed to be in a sour mood, always making rude comments, especially at the children or Papyrus. I knew Sans didn't care for him much, but the older skeleton tended to keep quiet and not intervene since most comments flew over Papyrus' head.

"God damn is it cold…" the male commented. He shivered, even with all the fur on him, though it wasn't as bright as Maria's coat was. His brown fur was slowly greying as time passed on and he aged into his older years.

"Would any of you like some coffee or tea?" I tried to be courteous. Maria was still my friend, even if her husband was one of the few people I thought I'd never make friends with.

"Oh, some coffee would be wonderful." Maria was quick to turn to her husband. "Wouldn't you like some too, Rob?"

"…Fine."

With a somewhat decent answer from him, I hurried into the kitchen to make the two bears some coffee. Thankfully, I'd made a pot just before they arrived. Sans tended to always want a cup or two after being out in the cold, so long as it was before six in the evening. If he drank it any later, he struggled with napping or sleeping. However, it was a warm drink that would de-chill his bones after being forced out of the warm house.

I quickly made two cups for the bears as they sat warming by the fire. When I came back only moments later, Rob was leaning back into the couch, his feet up on the table while his wife shot him a dirty look, displeased with his bad behavior.

How in the world did she put up with him...?

"Oh, thank you Angel!" Maria reached for a cup while her husband grumbled before reaching for the remaining one. "I hope things have been going well for you. Christmas decorating I see has been well underway."

"Yes, Sans and the younger ones have headed over to the store to pick me up a few things. We finally found Wingdings' recipe for his family's sugar cookies and hope to do some decorating tonight once I make up the frosting."

"Oh, you found it?!" Maria couldn't help the squeal come from her mouth. "Oh, I haven't had a cookie like that in years! Could I try one?"

"Just a moment." Hurrying back into the kitchen, I retrieved one of the cookies that had nearly finished cooling, only having a bit of warmth still left to it. Maria carefully pulled the cookie from my fingers and took a bite. She chewed for a few moments before the light of her eyes shone at me brightly.

"Oh Rob! This is just like Miss Lucida's old cookies! Try it!"

Without giving her husband a chance to choose for himself, she shoved the remainder of the cookie into his mouth. Robert glared at his wife, but her happy mood couldn't be deterred. Robert rolled his eyes and ate the cookie, thought grumbling about it.

Though quickly, the male stopped. His eyes widened before they looked between me and his wife intensely, more so than I'd seen from him in my entire time of knowing him.

"Heh."

"Oh I'm so glad you agree!"

That was a grunt of approval?

I didn't question it as the married pair turned back to me. "So, Angel, you've had quite the experience baking and cooking it seems. Do you think you could assist us with the winter fair this year?"

"Really?" The thought thrilled me as much as it caused me to worry. "Shouldn't I be worried about someone finding out who I am, or rather what I am?"

"Oh hush, Sans and you have been working with the younger ones for ages on your cover story as to why you hide your appearance. We've been passing along the story to all monsters we run into and Sans has gone out of his way to get cloaks for both you and Frisk that have charms embedded in them to keep anyone from removing them other than yourselves so that no accidents could happen. Papyrus has even been telling this to Captain Undyne and she's even excited to meet you at the festival when she has a day off to meet. And with those cloaks, it will be easier for you to move around the underground with little suspicion. Many people actually use cloaks to hide scars or appearances. One of them is the gondola driver, also known as River. Very few know that she's a skeleton who has many scars she hides behind her cloak."

"Hmm…"

While the idea did appeal to me, I still couldn't help but feel the worry gnaw at my heart. I had taken many risks, but I needed to know where to stop too. How many do I take? Do I place my sister at risk?

However, it would be a good idea too and a way of exposing us more to people that weren't just in Snowdin. Getting people used to the idea that we were here… I could try to expose my artwork for people to buy and make back money for Sans and Papyrus… I still owed them more than I could ever dream of paying them back…

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt… I do love baking and certainly don't mind helping out with the sale. I could even sell some of my art work…"

"Then it's settled!" Maria leapt at the chance to hug me. Crushing me under her arms, I laughed at her enthusiasm. "We'll get a stall set up for you and everyone! Your baked goods will really leave a good impression among the town and the other cities folks I bet!"

"Yes! Papyrus will be very excited to be cooking for the town! He's been looking forward to doing that!"

My comment had Robert to his feet in seconds. Maria and I both almost flinched at the raw look on his face in anger. "You're gonna let that skeleton poison the town? What's wrong with you, girl?"

"All have you know that Papyrus is much better then when I first met him months ago, we've been practicing every night." I narrowed my eyes at the bear, irritated for his comments at Papyrus. "I realize that his cooking in the past was nothing much good, but he was trying his hardest and no one was truly teaching him what was right or wrong. He didn't know any better. How can you blame him for not knowing?"

"Because that little shit made me sick for weeks! That's why! And damn Maria over there didn't let me do anything about it once I was well! Or that damn brother of his, lazy asshat."

"Stop shouting Robert, that's very rude!" Maria tried to intervene, but was more or less pushed to the side while Robert and I lashed out verbally. "Robert! Angel! Please!"

"Don't talk about Sans that way. He's an amazing brother to Papyrus. Always going above and beyond for him, even if Papyrus doesn't realize it!"

"Bah! Of course, you'd care about the skeleton who doesn't give a shit about anything."

"You're being incredibly rude." My words hissed out at the only male in the home at present. "I will not tolerate that."

"Oh yeah?" Robert pressed back, his muzzle touching my nose in his fury, blinded by anything other than intimidating me. "And what do you plan to do about it?"

Using my magic, the door to the house flew open and gusting wind came inside, nearly taking out of the fire with it. Both bears flinched at the look I gave them, magic so powerful, I could see the red haze in my vision from my own eyes glowing. Walking to the door, I refused to touch him as I stood there, cold air quickly freezing our bodies while I crossed my arms. "Get out."

The inhuman growl came from him as he turned defensive. "Make me, you little shit."

"Fine." Feeling my magic take form, chains appeared around the home, glowing a rich red as they spread around the home and wrapped around the living room, providing no room for escape other than the door I stood by. The chains then slowly started to close in on the two bears, forcing them forward toward me and away from where I had called home with my friends and family.

"YOU BITCH!" A roar came from the male and he pulled back his arms, claws extended out of his hands as he launched forward to slash at me. Just as he was a step away from me, claws mid swing at my face, I let out a breath to try and calm myself before letting gravity take effect and allowing my body to fall.

The world appeared in slow motion, and Robert watched as I fell back, falling away from him before he'd even touched me. His dangerous mitts followed after me, in an eager means to grab me before my magic truly came to life. Chains grasped my ankles and pulled me beneath the legs of Robert before the momentum of the chains pulled me upright and standing behind the male. Without even touching him, he flew out of my door, tripping over a chain that had been left in his wake that caused him to summersault down the front stairs and into the snowy road.

Maria gasped, horrified, before she hurried out after her husband. I guess she wasn't expecting that to happen…

I didn't think so either…

Letting out a sigh, I glared down at the male that sat pathetically before my door. I couldn't do it, helping them while Robert being so rude about Papyrus…

"I'm sorry Maria, but I've changed my mind." Maria looked back at me with wide eyes while her husband just looked infuriated. "Until Robert apologizes to Papyrus for his comments, I won't be helping in the fair. I do hope you understand."

"Wha- but Angel?!" Maria flew up from where she sat beside Robert. She kneeled before me, dramatic like as if she was praying. She probably was after how everything changed within a couple minutes. "Please don't do this! We need your help! Most of those who were going to help out with the fair aren't able to this year! We need a baker!"

God, I felt terrible doing this, but I couldn't give way. If I let that jerk run all over me, he'd never learn that people won't bend over for him.

Shaking my head at her, I stepped back into the house, only turning as I closed the door. "I gave you my conditions. If he apologizes to Papyrus for what's he's said, then yes, I'll help. But until then, this is adieu."

I only just closed the door as I heard Robert's screaming from outside the door. Using my magic to barricade, I kept the door shut tightly while I retreated to the kitchen, unsure how to proceed any further with my swimming emotions of anger.

The one thing I did know is that I needed to talk to Sans when he got home…

Early Evening:

"Miss Angel!" The door slammed open and I nearly jumped in surprise. Papyrus stood there with groceries in hand; Frisk on his shoulders and Sans still swinging limply from under his other arm. "We have returned with all of the items you have requested!"

"Oh, thank you Papy!" I hurried out to him to look through the bag briefly before pulling backward. "Now are you ready to make some frosting and decorate the cookies?"

"Yes!" The eager skeleton jumped up and down. My sister held onto him for dear life, yet laughed the entire time. Sans on the other hand sat for only a second before he teleported away from his brother, landing on the couch where he had been prior to before his removal nearly an hour ago.

"Perfect! Well then, I have a recipe here that I need you go ahead and get everything out for me along with a few bowls and a blender while I kidnap Sans and have him help me for a second. Can you do that for me? You and Frisk can have a cookie to test once we get the first few decorated, okay?"

"Sweets!" My sister cheered before she climbed down from her tall friend with easy, just like a monkey, and eagerly ran to the counter.

"Wait me for, Little Frisk!" Papyrus hurried after her in a rush.

I couldn't help but giggle at them while I made my way over to Sans, who sat deeply in the cushions of their old couch. When I stood next to him, the older skeleton gave me quite the deadpan look while I giggled.

"Oh, I'm expecting to get hassled for the longest time from you." A dark chuckle escaped me as I kneeled down next to him and Sans gave me confused look at my action. "Could you teleport us somewhere where we can't be heard? Something… happened while you were gone."

His hand landed on me and in seconds, we were in his room. "Are ya okay?"

"Yeah, but I had to… be a bit more aggressive than normal."

I quickly stood up and sat next to my friend who had his entire attention on me. Sans didn't say much, but I knew he was listening, waiting for me to be ready to tell him the events of what transpired while he was gone.

I wished he'd been there instead of sending him off…

"Maria and Robert came over while you were gone. Maria had asked me to be a part of the festival… at first… I agreed."

"Okay…?"

"But… then I had mentioned that I was going to have Papyrus help me, that he'd be a great help and so excited to do something for the town… That was where Robert got… ugly."

Sans let out a deep aggravated sigh, fingers reaching up to hold the side of his head. "What'd he say this time?"

"Too many things. He was upset at you for some time when apparently Papy apparently 'poisoned him' and you and Maria wouldn't let him say or do anything. Called you a few terrible words, but what really hurt the most was his accusations that Papyrus would poison the entire town. He wasn't even willing to give him a chance to try…"

"That sounds like that asshole." A huff came out of my skeleton friend and he looked back at me with his eyes beginning to shift in color. The whiteness of them fading and the single blue one beginning to form. He seemed to be trying to restrain it. "What'd ya do?"

"I had to force him to leave…" At the time I hadn't realized it, but I had grabbed Sans' hand to keep myself grounded to some extent. I felt him flinch as I had, but I couldn't resist the moving about of his fingers to keep myself from shaking. It was one of the few things that kept me calm, kept me busy. "I had to use my magic… I didn't touch him, and I didn't want to hurt him, but he ran at me-"

His dark empty sockets wandered over my form, or at least, that was what I supposed he was doing. "And yer sure he didn't hurt ya?"

"No, he couldn't lay a finger on me." I allowed my magic to manifest to show him the thickly wrapped chains that coated my skin, much like chainmail. "It's quite the benefit sometimes to have this kind of magic, but even without, he tripped and summersaulted out of the front door."

"Heh," Sans chuckled darkly, though his little eye lights returned and his face softened a bit with the knowledge that I wasn't hurt. "Damn bastard deserved it."

"Yeah…" Sans had been incredibly kind to me, letting me use his hand while I tried to calm myself. "I told them I wouldn't help out with the fair after that. Not until he apologized to Papyrus."

Sans seemed to simmer with that for only a few moments. I dared to look away to his hand as the awkward silence passed over us while we were both dealing with our own internal turmoil.

"Thanks for being there for Pap, even if he wasn't there to hear it or see it." I watched as Sans sucked in such a large breath while I felt the anger in his soul. He wasn't pleased with what happened, but I knew he was thankful that I defended Papyrus.

"That bear had no right to judge." I squeezed at the hand of the skeleton's in my palm. "He doesn't work with him daily; he doesn't even try. Papyrus has been working so hard and has been getting good at cooking! He's excited to be learning new things and how to make sure it's safe for people to eat. He never knew it was bad before. If no one told him, how was he supposed to get better?"

"That was partly my fault, couldn't break his soul as we grew up and neither could Dad. Undyne would teach him here and there… but… she's not a great cook herself."

"So I've heard."

"Still, do ya plan ta go through with it?" Sans' gaze was startling as he asked me that. From what I learned about the brothers, Sans was not a fan of promises. They were so easily broken, that Sans never made them. It was like a sacred word to the elder brother. If you said it, you had better mean it, or he wouldn't trust you again.

And I made sure that if I promised anything to him, I went through it with.

"It's a promise."

It was one of the first times I'd said those words to him. I could see the visible flinch in his demeanor from me saying that. Most likely, from him assuming that I could be no different from any others he'd known in the past.

But Sans showed me his lazy grin, hiding the upset from me from saying those words as he prepared himself to be disappointed.

"Okay."

Witch's Note:

Well, wasn't that quite the chapter! Within only seven or eight pages we both meet Maria's husband Robert, instantly hate him when we find out he's an asshole, and now Angel won't help out with the fair at all?! Is that a wise decision? Or is it better that she sticks to her guns?

And we included how Sans hates promises in this chapter? Oooo! Will Angel keep to her promise? Or is she going to break it like everyone else? Who knows! Can't wait to see what you think of this next arch of the story!

And now to respond to our dear readers!

RoseCentury: Glad to hear your doing great. So, I'll be perfectly honestly. I've never played "Breath of the Wild" but I've heard lots about it. While I do love video games, I often don't have all that much time for them in between work, chores around my home, friends and family. But I have played other Zelda games. I think I played "Twilight Princess" that was fun!

Alright, we've had our fun this week and I gotta get back to work! That next chapter isn't going to edit itself! I'll see you all next week and please remember to send reviews! Mystic Girl and I love to hear from you member!

Halloween Witch