Being yanked into a strange void was odd. What was odder, was being dragged through the ink-like floor. Being taken somewhere...nowhere. Hearing words in his head. An offer.
"One may survive. Whichever one lives. I shall give you whatever you wish. Good luck."
Papyrus fell for what felt like hours, before falling into someplace new. Freefalling towards buildings, and locations. The feeling of snow against him. He vanished from mid-air, and landed on the ground. Looking around quickly, to assess his present location.
It was...Golden Grove City, or...mostly. The air was filled with...snow. And snow blanketed everything. The trees, the flowers, wilted, or struggling against it.
"What the hell?" He asked, straightening himself out.
He was panting, eyes darting around. It was...quiet. So damn quiet. He noticed the buildings were...empty. The walls devoid of their usual guards. The speakers no longer belting out propaganda. Just...silence.
His focus turned to the apartment building he resided in. Vanishing, and appearing at the front door. Pushing it open, the door creaked. Revealing the interior to be...empty.
He teleported to the restaurant Junk Food. It too, was empty. He vanished and moved to the shelter, once overflowing with people. Empty.
"Well...this can't be positive." He muttered, taking his cigarettes out. Lighting one, before starting to walk.
What did he last remember? It was...the middle of the night. He was going for a walk. He found a strange door. He was pulled into said door. And, he was made an offer.
That offer. 'One may survive.' So, he wasn't alone.
Strolling out along the street, he heard the sound of snow crunching. Footsteps coming from his left, down the main road. There, a figure stood. Having stopped only a short distance away.
There...ten or so feet away, was a figure he knew. Or, one who resembled someone he knew. His brother, Sans. Albeit...different looking.
"heya." Sans greeted.
"Hey." Papyrus greeted back.
The two stood in the middle of the street. Wind sweeping across it. Kicking up snow, like dust in the air. The taller of the two motioned to a nearby restaurant. The smaller one, appearing to consider it, before shrugging. The duo headed off, and towards it.
The door was pushed open, the bell that usually rang when customers entered, ringing loudly in the otherwise empty space. The lights were still on, but nobody was home. Further, the interior seemed different. It was like the fast food joint had melded with some sort of tavern.
Papyrus wandered over, and sat down at the bar. After a few moments, Sans did the same. Taking a seat, a few seats from him.
Sans examined him. "drink?"
"Sure." Papyrus replied.
A bottle turned blue, and was snatched over to them. Alongside two shot glasses. Drinks poured, for them both. Papyrus motioned, his drink turning blue, sliding down to him. They both shared a look, nodded, and then took deep drinks.
"grey door?" Sans asked.
"Yup." Papyrus sighed. "Midnight walk to clear your thoughts?"
"somethin like that." Sans replied.
This version of Sans wore a particular kind of outfit. It was a blue hoodie, with a grey hood. It was made of cotton-like fabric. And lacked the fluff found in Papyrus's hood. And, a scarf. Exactly like the one he used to wear.
This Sans though, his eyes were distinct. Wild things, with various colors, and hues. Mad things, less than stable. Like a rabid dog. And what first seemed to be snow on it, was visible now, as dust.
"Got the same message?" Papyrus inquired, his counterpart chuckling. "Guess that's a yeah."
"one lives, one dies. that kinda thing?" Sans glanced him over. "real dramatic stuff."
"It is a little dramatic isn't it?" The taller one snickered. "Admittedly, when I was a little younger, I would have thought it was cool. Probably imagined a sinister villain, with a billowing cape. Maybe wearing my scarf like one. Let it flow in the wind."
"heh. I dunno about villain but uh...my brother does that..." Sans trailed, and laughed nervously. "did that...kinda thing." He glanced to the side. "right, right, still does. my bad bro."
Papyrus glanced at the empty space beside this version of his brother. Before noticing something in the mirror across from them, behind the bar. There was a faint illumination of the space beside Sans. As if there was, in fact, someone there. It was...an unnerving thought.
"It's a classy scarf. Don't see too many with that quality anymore." Papyrus reasoned, letting out a drag of his cigarette, thinking. "Need a smoke?"
"na. quit that years ago." Sans told him. "it's...well it's bad for your health."
"Isn't everything?" Papyrus snickered.
"these days it feels like it." Sans sighed.
The two entities, had names in the good doctors files. Dust!Sans. CFell!Papyrus. Both with an 'undetermined' level of danger to them. Both new, in his unique sphere of influence. Which wasn't a good place for either to be, but they knew that. They also knew, this little interaction was going to end. But when, and who would throw that first punch?
"Different timelines huh?" Papyrus took another drink. "Damn. I owe my brother 50G."
"your brothers still around?" Sans asked. "he okay?"
"We don't talk much these days." Papyrus admitted. "But no. I don't think so." He considered something. "We starting talking again though. Thinking of helping him get cleaned up. Maybe clean the trash from the lab. It's too cluttered in there."
"he's a scientist then?" Sans snickered. "figured he might be a goofball, or something?"
"He was. There was a time he was the serious one you know." Papyrus motioned to him. "Told puns, and cracked jokes. When he quit, I did my best to learn." He swirled the drink in his grasp. "I'm a bit of a numb-skull. But I really put my back-bone into it."
The strange Sans smiled. And the began laughing. Like it was the funniest thing he'd heard in a long time.
"hey, other bro-" Sans took a drink. "what's a skeletons favorite instrument?"
"A trombone." Papyrus snickered. "Why did the skeleton fail as a comedian?"
"he wasn't very humerus." Sans chuckled. "why are skeletons so calm?"
"Nothing gets under their skin." Papyrus laughed some. "Nyeh heh heh. Okay, okay, I've gone one." He cleared his throat, somehow. "Why did the skeleton quit his job?"
"he was easily rattled." Sans began to howl in laughter.
The two continued laughing alongside one another, for what felt like a long time. The intensity gradually slowing down. As they sighed contentedly in the aftermath. Falling into a general silence after.
"So...hate to ask, but-" Papyrus began.
"a human." Sans told him. "showed up one day, and killed everyone." The taller skeleton got quiet. "didn't expect me to be so open about it?"
"Just sorry to hear it." Papyrus commented, offering another drink.
Sans shook his head. "no more for me. but hey, ya know, it wasn't so bad...the first hundred or so times, I didn't even remember." Papyrus knew what me meant. "it's the damndest thing though. three hundred or so, and suddenly...hey-" He laughed nervously. "it all comes back to me. and not just one, no, like...everything." He maintained a grim smile. "you uh...ever had those dreams, everyone you know and love is brutally killed...and you can't do anything to stop it?"
In fact, Papyrus had. It had only happened a few times. When humans came through. And never seemed to last past the point they left, or died. Moments of deja vu, mixed with...some horrible nightmares.
"That sounds like hell." Papyrus dug out a different pack of cigarettes, and offered one. "C'mon, I can tell ya need one."
Sans reluctantly took it, as his counterpart lit it. He took a drag, and coughed hard at the inhale. Despite not having lungs. The beauties of magic, it seemed.
"hits hard don't it?" Sans asked, before inquiring. "so, what about you...your world?"
"There are things in mine...'creatures' we call em. Like zombies. They kill people, use the dust from their bodies to make more creatures." He shrugged. "One of my best friends tried to lead a rebellion against the king when he turned into a tyrant. Got banished." He sighed. "Running out of...lots of things, but we're all pretending we ain't. And uh...Chara Dreemurr is walking around again."
"the dead kid?" Sans snickered. "thought he offed himself with buttercups?"
"In mine, she, not he, was...killed, by someone." Papyrus considered, and spoke. "Wanna know the worst fuckin part about all that?"
"what?" Sans asked.
"I was supposed to be lookin out for her." The taller skeleton noted. "She was running around, smiling, drawing people. Happiest little brat I'd ever seen. Wanted to be friends with everyone." He poured himself another drink. "And hey, it was peaceful. Everyone liked her. So...maybe, I take a five minute break. Let her play with the other kids. No harm, no foul."
"guessing something happened?" Sans asked, noticing his hesitation. "c'mon, paps, who am I gonna tell?"
"Then...then she goes missin." Papyrus found the memories coming back to him. "And I still didn't take it seriously. Assured her folks she'd be fine. And lazily went about my search, while stroking my ego about being some big hero type." He took the drink. "2 fuckin minutes. if I'd gotten there two minutes sooner...would have been fine. if I'd gotten there a minute sooner, she woulda survived. Instead, I didn't take it seriously..." He stared at something unseen. "so much blood...so much damn blood. and that little freak, smiling the whole time, laughing."
A few things clicked in his mind. The things Chara had said, the way she described it. It was...what happened when he arrived.
What he'd seen, and...she'd lived something like it again, apparently. Against...whatever the hell the kids had fought. It seemed so severe, was it triggering the memory?
If so...then that meant...
"you said the kid's wandering around now though?" Sans half-asked, half-reminded.
"no idea how." Papyrus said, in a tone almost equal to the other skeleton. "I didn't think it was the same one at first. still don't know what the hell is going on. seems the same. only a lot more fucked up, and traumatized."
"dying will do that to a person." Sans chuckled. "trust me, I know." Before saying. "also, don't beat yourself up over the past. all you can do, is try and make sure it all ends nice, and gentle like this time."
"Ends?" Papyrus asked.
"well, you're gonna kill the little zombie, ain't ya?" Sans asked, noticing him tense. "I guess that's a no." He tsk'd. "always so stubborn about this stuff. It's not...negative. it's just...what needs to be done sometimes. whatever, it doesn't really matter. none of it does. only one of us gets out of this alive, right?"
The shorter skeleton put his cigarette out, in his shot glass. And got up from the counter. The taller one raised a finger, and finished his drink. Shaking himself some, before getting up. Still smoking his own cigarette. It lasted longer than his counterparts.
"Before we uh...step out and do this..." Papyrus considered, and glanced to him. "Sans...thanks."
"thanks?" Sans asked.
"Talkin to you, helped me clear a bunch of stuff in my head." Papyrus explained. "So...thanks, bro."
Sans scanned him, and sighed. "it was nice talkin to you too." He motioned. "you seem like a decent guy. I hate that I've gotta kill ya."
"You seem like a decent guy too. I hate to have to die." Papyrus snickered, as they stepped outside. "But...I guess you've got experience killing brothers."
There was a deafening silence that followed. Dust!Sans twitching, grinning wider. Motioning, as a large skull appeared behind him, glowing, charging with power. The two skeletons vanishing, as it erupted. Exploding out of the building, tearing through another in the process. Forcing it to to crumble, to dust.
The fight, was on.
Papyrus appeared atop a roof, taking a steady drag of his cigarette. He was...pleased he was able to predict the attack. Watching the damage it did. Seemed like something he'd rather not get hit by.
As he thought that, bones erupted, boxing him into a sort of lane on the roof. He raised an eye-socket. Turning to find two of the skull blasters appearing at the end of the lane, on either side. Gaster Blasters, if he recalled the things his brother used. Though, he never did discern why they were named that.
"Dig the look. Very intimidating." He commented.
One fired, quickly, consuming a side of the isle. Papyrus stepping to the side to avoid it, jacket waving in the breeze it created. The second one firing. Leaving a split second, where the beams didn't overlap. Moving back, and sliding into that that spot as the first passed. They began to fire repeatedly.
The pattern much the same, quick side-steps. A drag on his cigarette. It was a good opener, in his opinion. Someone who wasn't used to fast attacks, would get clobbered by them. They vanished, and a giant one formed at one end. The bones at either side fading.
Seemed he could dodge the hit. The blaster fired a massive beam of light. However, he flicked the ash from his cigarette as it approached. Motioning, the energy met a wall of bones. Cracking them, breaking them, and then shattering through. Erupting through part of the tall multistoried building. Leaving a wave torn through the top.
"really...I didn't even complete the full attack." Dust!Sans watched, and noted. "heh. no xp?"
"Not yet. See you gotta kill to make that happen." Cfell!Papyrus replied, standing near him. "Not really something you want to pursue, either. But hey, either case, why do you call em gaster blasters anyways?"
Papyrus decided to 'Judge'
Papyrus prepared his bonus action - Defend
|Sans - LV 13| |Covered in dust| |A murderer|
Sans glanced at the taller skeleton, presently resting a shoulder on his head. Nonchalant, and smoking. Wearing that stupid smile on his face. The attacks hadn't phased him. So, he was quick, annoying, but manageable.
"heh." Sans chuckled, vanishing, as a blaster formed. "die."
It ignited, and fired at Papyrus. Only to reveal the beam being blocked by bones, much as the tall one had. He watched the disruptive attack eating through his guard. Timing it, calculating the damage in his head, as he took a drag of his cigarette.
A sensation drew his attention, noticing bones begin to erupt at him. Side-stepping one, and moving to avoid another. Stopping, as he noticed a row of the blasters forming, aimed at him.
"Little overkill, don't cha think?" Papyrus inquired, as they fired.
The beams exploded through another building. Incinerating most of it, leaving the remains to crumble. Sans watching from a point across the street. Papyrus appeared before him, manifesting a large bone in his hand like a bat. The shorter skeleton glancing, as it was brought swinging against him.
The force cracking across his body. Sending him crashing backwards. Skidding across the ground in a long slide, digging his fingers into the ground, to slow the speed of it. Before finally getting to stop.
The force of the hit was, overly painful for what he'd been expecting. Scanning the tall skeleton, who motioned, and vanished his would be melee weapon. Sans huffing, glancing to his side.
"y-yeah. I know paps, I'm doin it." He growled, at the phantom in his mind.
Sans used 'Judge'
Sans readied an attack.
|Papyrus - LV 20?| |Death in his eyes.| |Seeks your demise.|
"and here I thought you were a nice guy?" Sans snickered.
He drew a shining knife, as a flash of light came from his eye. Bones erupted out, tearing through the ground. The first wave prompting Papyrus to dodge. Before feeling the tension, vanishing. Avoiding them as they burst, filling the section of the street he had been on.
In response to this, Sans soul turned blue. And he was suddenly, violently sent flying. Smashing through a the restaurant. Breaking through the wall, of it. Being sent towards the edge over the cliff. Vanishing, and appearing elsewhere, looking around. He didn't see him.
Sans growled. "what the hell?"
On the edge of the city, Papyrus focused. Motioning, as the soul turned blue again. Sending Sans flying to the side. Dozens of bones, like a spiral erupted towards him. Moving like a staircase, of sorts.
The dusty man growled, and weaved through the hit. Avoiding them, as his feet hit the wall of the city. Glancing out before noticing his opponent. At quite the distance away. Summoning a blaster to fire out at him.
Papyrus vanishing as the beam approached. Appearing on the main street once more. A slash of glistening metal nearing his face, as he managed to lean back. And avoid the hit. Grinning a little, to the surprise of the other skeleton.
The ground flashed, a mixture of white, orange, and blue. The dust-covered man reeling back, taking a spot where the blue was. Only for the color to flicker and change at the last second. Becoming white. Tearing up, and starting to pierce into his chest, as he vanished away from the hit.
Sans growled, having lost his enemy again. "gettin real tired of this hide and seek shit." He glanced to his side. "eh...you're so smart bro."
Manifesting blasters in a circle around himself. He didn't have the patience for whatever little trick this was trying to be. Each one igniting, and spinning. Consuming entire swaths of the town in its destructive light. Causing buildings to crumble to the ground. Kicking up snow, like a blizzard.
"You meant my lv, right?" Papyrus asked, as Sans glanced up. "I didn't gain my levels of violence, killing those who trusted me." The shorter skeleton glared. "I lost my soul protecting theirs, from things actin just like you."
Papyrus sat on one of the bones from Sans's attacks. Sighing, as he flicked a finished cigarette. He put his hood up, and rolled up his sleeves. Giving a friendly wave of his fingers, before his eye flashed gold, then orange.
The ends of the street erupted in bones. Liked walls, of orange, and blue, and white. Firing out, consuming the road towards the shorter skeleton.
Said entity growling. "sanctimonious."
Sans motioned, causing bones to burst in counter to the ones coming at him. Exploding out, to block the path. As he turned, vanished, and appeared, slashing out at Papyrus with with the knife again. The taller skeletons soul briefly flashing blue, as he was yanked towards the murderer.
The blade neared, the sound of it nearing, a sudden shift near the judges hand seeing the manifestation of a blade of bone. The two weapons clashing. The bone cracking, as Papyrus pushed back. Sans yanked on his soul again, and slashed. Another bone bat appearing to block the strike, cracking as the blade impacted.
A motion seeing a cigarette float up to Papyrus. Who held onto the crumbling weapon, raising a finger, to light his cigarette. Doing so, as he took a long, hearty drag.
Sans raised an eye-socket. "seriously?"
"I chain-smoke." Papyrus shrugged. "It's a bad habit."
The bone bat shattered, the taller skeleton responding by pushing out a massive cloud of black smoke. Blocking the smaller ones view. The sudden disruption, leading to a weave to avoid the hit. And a vanish from Papyrus.
Appearing a decent distance away, wincing. The blade having given him a small cut across the arm-bones. Well that stung.
Papyrus focused, the blue over his soul shattering. Releasing him, as he noticed the ground glowing. Vanishing, as spikes erupted where he had been.
A motion seeing a large bone materialize, that he landed against. His soul flashing blue again, only this time, his own eye hissed with magic. Keeping him rooted against it. Staring up, at the murderer, who had landed and turned. Noticing the mana on his blade, as his smile grew a little more disturbed.
Sans motioned, and manifested a blaster. Appearing on top of it, snapping his fingers, as it began to fire. The main beam was easily blocked, with a bone shield. Pushing Papyrus and his present platform back. A second blaster appearing above him, igniting, and smashing into him before he could dodge. Prompting the two waves of burning light to consume, and shatter the platform. Surging out, and up, crashing against the barrier, shaking the empty underground.
Immediately after, a shadow came to Sans attention. Prompting him to glance up, as bones bearing purple, sharpened ends tore out. He vanished to avoid them, the attacks shredding through the blaster, flowing down, chasing after him as he appeared. Prompting rapid dodges to avoid, as they got near. They filled the street, and began to moving, in clusters to attack him. He easily dodged them, and found himself in a spot they didn't hit.
Papyrus appearing at the end of the street, dusting off his jacket. "That was a good hit."
"it wasn't, wasn't it?" Sans asked. "couldn't notice...you don't seem to have em."
"Just means I had to develop other tricks." Papyrus reasoned, smirking.
"like what?" Sans scoffed.
As he asked, his soul flashed orange. He raised an eye socket, before finding his body propelled up. Leading to him colliding with the swarm of bones. Tearing, and shredding at parts of his body. He tried to vanish away, only for his soul to flash blue. Having appeared just in front of Papyrus, trying to swing out with his knife.
The sudden propulsion backwards leading to him being torn into more by the strange bones, that burned. Eating away at his health like...karma. They attack ending as his HP plummeted. Each one dealt so much damage, and somehow...they were still laced with karma.
He started to get up, only to have his soul turn orange. Sending him jumping up against his will. As he came back down. Papyrus appeared, creating a spear-like bone weapon. Slamming it into towards him.
Sans slashed out to stop it, only for it to fade from white, to orange. The blade passing through, before it flickered, and turned back to white. Punching into him. Before his soul turned back to blue, and he was sent flying, slamming onto the ground hard.
Papyrus shrugged. "Like that kinda thing."
"how do you still?" Sans hesitated. "I lost it when..."
"When you murdered everyone?" Papyrus shrugged. "It's a difference in intent, bro. Turns out, killing innocent people, gives you some nasty karma." He lit a cigarette. "Go figure, right?"
"I'm...trying to save everyone." Sans twitched. "I...I gotta do this."
"You sure believe you do." Papyrus sighed, taking a drag. "But you just don't get it. You lost yourself. And ended up just as bad as them." He commented. "But it ain't too late. See...it might sound dumb, but...I believe...even the worst person can change."
The words rang in the dust covered Sans's mind. Making him twitch. Making him writhe. He wasn't...he wasn't like the human. He couldn't be, right? His mind distorted, twisting further. He had done what he'd done to help them.
If he could be as determined as the human. If he could be more powerful. Then...then he'd fix everything. They just didn't understand. And that...filled him with hate. He wasn't about to be judged by this killer. He refused.
"Heh heh...that uh...even the worst person can change. If they can just try?" Sans grinned madly, finishing the statement of the taller one, while getting up. "I can't change...I can't lose. I'm gonna...save everyone. No matter what."
Papyrus stared at his counterpart. Sighing tiredly. Well, he expected that, if he was honest with himself. Not that it wasn't overly disappointing. He could feel the surge in power coming from the shorter skeleton. It seemed as though, phase two was about to begin for his foe.
There was a suddenly blur of motion. His counterpart appearing before him. Blade slashing out. The taller skeleton seeing the knife inches from his face as he vanished. Appearing, and then dodging another slice intended for him.
As he landed, a set of blasters formed. The shorter skeleton appearing, wearing an insane expression. Slashing, as bones formed to block the hit. The blade tearing through, as the blasters fired. Papyrus vanishing to the only thing in sight.
Appearing, he was now moving alongside one of the crumbling apartment buildings, panting some. Sliding across the side, towards the ground. Bones forming rushing up towards him. Sans appearing in the air a short distance away, snapping his fingers.
Blasters formed around the taller skeleton. Beginning to fire, as he was forced to weave, and move to avoid them. The bones and their obstacles rushing up at him. One of the blasters nearly scorching the side of his face, before he dove. Hands catching on one of the lone platforms.
Moving above the bones coming towards him. Before pushing off of it, at the last second. To avoid a set of dagger like bones that clipped his hood. As this happened, several blasters formed, igniting blue energy to fire at him. Still in momentum, Papyrus's eye flashed, gripping his own soul. Suddenly rooting him against the side of the building, the blasts engulfing his position.
The force leading to the last of the tall buildings shattering. Falling, breaking in half, as the top of it plummeted over the cliff. The raised section of land it was upon shivering from the damage. Suffering quite a bit of instability.
When the attack ended, Papyrus coughed some, and warped from his spot. Appearing on the remains of the street, he let out a breath. A flash of movement appearing before him. Slashing out once more, before he could respond.
The knife cleaving across his chest. The damage high, the shield of bones having not formed fast enough to avoid the hit. Papyrus staggered back, mana bleeding from the injury. The murderous smaller skeleton standing, grinning as the bones fell.
"Wowie." Papyrus snickered. "That really hurt." He held up a finger, and coughed mana, which became dust. "you really like swinging that thing around don't cha?"
"it gets the job done." Sans remarked. "you don't seem too versatile in your attacks pal."
"Funny you bring that up." Papyrus replied.
The shorter skeletons soul turned blue, sending him flying back. In the process, Papyrus placed a hand against the ground. A massive collection of bones formed in various points. Exploding like spikes in a wide range around him. Some rising, twisting, snapping, and then spinning rapidly, with sharp edges to them. Like blender blades in a sense.
Further, the air beside Sans began to glow. The skeleton being forced to weave, and dodge in air. As bones erupted directly beside him, as he flew.
One set orange, requiring him to move. Another set being blue, that he simply had to dodge, due to freefalling. The next was white. And then they began to flicker. One set that was orange, suddenly becoming blue. Tearing into him in the process. Much to his raw irritation. He growled at the pain.
A blaster forming beneath him, igniting and firing out a beam of orange light. Consuming the attacks, and himself as he fell. The taller skeleton, just grinning. Platforms formed across the pit of bones. Becoming orange in coloring, burning with power. And a breath, releasing another series of the purple bones, tearing through the area. As he pulled his hand down hard, yanking Sans from the air, and towards his deathtrap of attacks.
The skeleton landed, sliding on the orange platform. Stopping for a moment, as the pain hit him. Before maintaining his momentum. Motioning as rows, and rows of blasters began to form all around them. Sans managing to avoid the attacks from there on out, with surprising, alarming ease. Even dropping down briefly. To push off the ground, avoiding one of the spinning blades.
The taller skeleton lost steam, as the attacks began to falter. Panting tiredly, as his counterpart rushed him, growing a bit tired himself. Teleporting, as the duo began their clash. Moving from space to space, as the dust covered Sans kept slashing, slicing, and sending rows of bones towards Papyrus.
At one point, giving his 'brother' a turn. As a phantom creature resembling the taller skeleton began using attacks similar to his own to attack him. Only lasting for a moment, but enough to be terribly exhausting.
The latter blocking, dodging, and counter-attacking, as much as he could. Before, finally. Another slash echoed out. The sound filling the air.
Papyrus let out a groan of pain, falling to his knees, as the remains of his cigarette fell to the snowy ground. Panting, tiredly, struggling to keep himself from collapsing, as mana bled from the wound.
The facsimile of his brother stood before him, knife out. His hatred being the only thing that kept him from dying. From falling apart from the many different hits, that should have been fatal. But it was a fleeting thing, and couldn't last forever. No matter how 'determined' he thought he was.
"wow. heh. that took awhile." Sans noted.
The city was...nothing at this point. The sheer damage done by their mutual attacks having reduced it. Entire sections of the landscape having broken apart. Fallen down onto the icy forest below. Leaving a much thinner route, like a platform above it all.
"Nice job bro." Papyrus snickered, coughing hard. "Didn't know you...could get that strong."
"how strong do you think I'll get...killing you?" Sans asked, smiling some. "heh...I may not even need that strangers promise."
Papyrus sighed, asking. "Never did say...what you were gonna get?" He took a seat, panting tiredly. "So?"
Sans examined his foe. "I'm gonna save the world Paps." He smiled some. "everybody gets a happy endin. sept that little freak."
"Sounds nice." Papyrus reasoned, as Sans lowered his knife. "Think you'll...reach the surface?"
Sans calmed a little, enough to feel the pain wracking his body. "Yeah...I think...Heh, we just might." He laughed some. "Get rid of those humans too. Make it paradise. Sounds...nice, right?"
Papyrus felt the last of his hp fading. "Really does." He sighed. "Guess this is...the end huh?"
Sans noticed it too. His mad thirst for death calming, for a moment. He felt...something else. That familiar guilt, and smiled some.
"Sorry...Paps. I really am." Sans apologized.
"That's okay." Papyrus then asked. "I should be the one apologizing."
His HP hit zero. Sans closed his eyes in the moment. He wasn't keen on watching his brother die a second time. Especially a second time by his own hands. However...a sudden sharp, and horrifying pain tore through him. His eyes opening, to see countless bones impaling him from every angle.
"p-papyrus?" Sans choked out.
Papyrus relit another cigarette, and gave a look of indifference. Examining the shorter skeleton stuck in the web of bones. Not quite dead yet. His eye flashed, and Sans's soul turned blue. All around him, piercing him. Blue, orange, and white bones. Any movement, even just standing still, hurt.
He motioned, and they became blue. Tugging with his fingers, as Sans was moved, just an inch. The immediate rush of damage destroying him in that millisecond. Causing him to collapse into dust.
"You have been judged, brother." Papyrus commented. "Sleep well, and rest in peace."
Papyrus had hidden something, and stood undamaged. His outfit had altered some, from the effects of the magic in his veins. His normally black coat, was now white. With black fur, and trim. The shirt he was wearing, originally purple, had become red. His eyes, golden, and shining.
The deltarune on the back of his jacket having warped. Becoming a tangled heart. His expression vacant, watching the dust blow away in the wind. He hoped, that Sans was at peace now. But, he was never going to lose that fight. He wasn't going to let himself.
He pulled out his cigarettes. Labelled 'Perseverance' with a custom label he made himself. Lighting one, he took a drag. His eyes briefly purple, as he did so. Before becoming red again. His very being, restoring to what it was, outfit and all.
After a moment, he felt the space around him flow, and shift. Something, like a glitch appearing before him. And, out stepped, a man.
"Well done." The man said. "I didn't think you'd survive."
"What was the point of this?" Papyrus asked, examining him.
"This was a convergence of two timelines. That could have destroyed them both." The man noted. "You were going to have to fight regardless. But I elected to incentivize a quick remedy. To avoid fallout, and needless death."
"Noble goals huh...you who can...apparently give us anything we want?" Papyrus took a drag. "But couldn't handle this without one of us dying."
The Man snickered at the commentary. "I may have lied some. My powers aren't as infinite as I claimed." He partially lied. "But. I do want to give you something. Whatever I can do. So long as I can do it."
"And what about him?" Papyrus asked, gesturing to the scarf, hanging from one the bones. "What about his world?"
"Admittedly. I was going to help you both regardless. Or try to." The man lied. "With things untangled. I can...help set that world right."
"Begs the question, of, who you are, exactly?" Papyrus pried.
"Is that what you want?" The man asked. "I can tell you. But it will be the only thing, you receive from me. An answer you won't remember." The skeleton raised an eye-socket. "When a convergence ends, the pocket collapses. And your experiences, will go with it, I'm afraid. There's nothing I can do about that."
Well, that bit of information certainly changed things, and not in a pleasant way. Everything he'd seen and done, gone? He sighed at the concept.
Left with this, he paced some. Considering his options. Anything he could ask for? Or...'mostly' anything he could ask for.
Papyrus contemplated asking for something like...world peace. Or, the erasure of the creatures of the dark. But he didn't know if this being was even capable of that. Or what unexpected things might happen if he did.
Then he thought of something. His moment of clarity from earlier. He was going to lose it. His revelation, him connecting the dots.
Inadvertently, he would let the girl down again. She would continue to struggle, and suffer, because of his failings. And he wouldn't even remember why. Maybe he could figure it out again? Maybe not...
He stopped, and faced the stranger. "If I asked you to help the girl, would you know who I meant?"
"I would. Though...I don't know if that's the best use of this opportunity." The man admitted.
"Yeah, well...it's good karma." Papyrus said. "So...I dunno..help her out. Maybe...with the shit goin on in her head."
"You want me to play therapist to Chara Dreemurr." The man snickered, laughing at the irony of such a request. Of returning to such a role again. "Very well. I think it's a foolish request. And I believe you are a foolish man for asking it. But I'll see it done."
"Thanks." Papyrus asked. "So...what now?"
"I snap my fingers, and it all goes..." The man snapped. "Away."