PATCHWORK SOUL - NEW MEDIUM

by TakaiWolf

DIRECT SEQUEL TO "PATCHWORK SOUL" — A few months later. A family of monsters and their little human kid try to start life anew beyond the confines of a giant mountain. Maybe they find something. Maybe they lose something. Time flows ever onwards, but sometimes it goes sideways, and it's heavier than they thought.

70. i know its a mess but dont worry

i know its a mess but dont worry chapter 70

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There was a magic glimmer in the air where sunbeams pierced through the swift-sailing clouds. Papyrus's influence, no doubt. His bones shimmered with the faintest hint of gold like light glittering off soft snow. That was new and fascinating, and Sans couldn't help but grab his brother's arm and tilt it back and forth as Papyrus explained exactly what he'd seen.

.

"Saaaans, are you even listening?" Papyrus asked.

Of course he was. Sans looked into his face and grinned. Papyrus's eyes shimmered. He let out a quiet, bashful laugh and rubbed the back of his skull.

"So… So! Anyway. It's… strange. It's like… I remember all these feelings? It… feels extremely good and extremely bad at the same time. But…" His brow furrowed. "That's also extremely familiar. Did something like this happen before?"

Sans nodded. He held up three fingers. Papyrus's jaw dropped.

"Three times before this one?!" He put both hands against his head. "Nyehhh! I'll remember that when our siblings come back, right?!"

Sans nodded again. His brother sagged with a long, loud sigh. The shimmer on his bones finally faded away.

"We live in a very strange world, don't we?" He rubbed his head, his fingers tracing over the spot where the mark had appeared. "Anyway. I… still have trouble, remembering her voice, exactly. And. I'm not sure why her shape had little horns if humans don't really have those, but I guess it's not too important."

.

Though he was curious too, Sans could only shrug. There was a small part of time a few months back where their sister had sprouted horns, but they hadn't stayed around for very long. She'd taken it in stride, of course. But, this had to be a now thing and not a back then thing. He hoped she wasn't having to deal with some weird, out-of-control body changes at the same time as being out in a strange place. That'd be a lot of stress for anyone, let alone a little kid who didn't deal too well being away from home.

.

"And then this…" Papyrus held up the red artefact.

The sun beamed through it and its magic glimmered down onto the rocks again. With a shrill arf, a little white dog popped up from behind him and rolled in the light, dyeing his fur with arcane red. Sans smirked in amusement. Papyrus scoffed quietly and reached out to pet the little pooch on the head.

"It definitely changed," he continued. "You felt it, too, right?"

Sans nodded. Papyrus rolled the orb around in his hands and smiled fondly.

"It's… sort of like what was in that cube, I think. But. I also think it feels… powerful, this time? The cube doesn't feel like much other than… whatever the heck it's made of. So maybe this would work better?" He perked up. "Oh! But I have to go show it to Minerva first!" He grinned. "It was her idea to take it out here, after all!"

Sans grabbed his notepad and wrote slowly, trying to mitigate the tremble in his fingers. "try wishin again sometime"

"You're right, I should definitely do that!" he said. "But. I mean. I do have a small worry. If you remember Crabapple Kid reacting to me touching her head just that one time, does that mean that's the only time I did it?" He squinted at the artefact. "Nyeh… It seems a little fickle about what it's going to do and what it isn't. I wish… I wish I understood it better! And I wish I understood all this time junk a little more, too!"

.

He paused, waiting for a few quiet seconds. He sighed. "Sigh. No knowledge has appeared." He looked between his brother and the dog that still lay in a heap nearby. "How about you two?"

Sans stuck his thumb down. The dog did nothing but wiggle its feet.

"Ugh. I don't know. Maybe I have to be more subtle about it." He grasped the orb tight in both hands and squeezed it, letting the heat of its magic seep into his bones. He hoped it would help. He hoped for a lot of things at once, but his siblings' safety was at the forefront of his mind. He knew his healing skills were good, but if only he could be a little stronger, maybe then Sans wouldn't…

.

Papyrus's eyes lingered on his brother and he reached out and squeezed his shoulder. He got to his feet at wandered over to the crystals he'd left in the sun. They'd acquired a faint, golden tint. He carefully stashed the artefact in his pocket before plucking up one of the crystals and giving it a light chomp. His eyes brightened.

"That was fast!" he said. "It's already at ninety-seven percent! That's a lot faster than last time."

Sans tilted his head to the side curiously. It wasn't nearly as sunny as the first time they'd had to charge crystals like this. He wondered if they'd been influenced by the way Papyrus had been shining. Sans pointed at him and Papyrus's eyes went wide.

"You think it's because of me?!" He blushed. "Nyeh heh! Maybe. That'd be something, wouldn't it?!"

.

As he put the crystal back and sat down on the rocks beside them, the dog twitched its little feet. Its fur puffed up as if static had run through its whole body and it hopped upright, staring below itself with wide eyes. Sans raised his brows and put his hand against the rock. Something far, far below vibrated, sending a warble through his bones with a sensation like a guitar string being plucked. His head ached. The stones around them began to shake, little pebbles bouncing up and down; dirt and powdered stone from high above scattering down onto the plateau. Papyrus grabbed Sans and the dog, pulling them away from the bulk of stone as it rumbled, growling and grumbling.

.

The sensation came to an abrupt halt with no more than a couple baseball-sized rocks clunking their way harmlessly down the mountainside. Some little grey and brown birds circled in mountain, peeping out shrill, alarmed calls. Papyrus gulped.

"I did not wish for that, I promise," he said.

Sans couldn't help an amused grin despite the worry building in his soul. He motioned for Papyrus to put him down. He did, and Sans bent to touch his hand against the stone. There was a very faint magic residue below. He grimaced. Could that have been the CORE?

"…That didn't sound good," Papyrus said. "Do you think it's over?"

Sans shrugged. He pulled out his phone and opened up the UnderNet. After a couple seconds, a few posts popped up about the rumbling, but a lot less than he'd anticipated. He texted Alphys.

"yo things ok? felt somethin"

"AAAAAaaaa can i call you?" she replied.

"cant talk rite now"

"lol ಠ_ಠ but YOU texted ME ?" A pause. "OH. Oh my GOD IM SORRY! ╥﹏╥ OK! BRB 1 SEC"

.

"What are you doing?" Papyrus leaned over his brother's shoulder with the dog draped over his head again. "Is it a science thing?"

Sans nodded.

"Is it the CORE?"

Probably was. Sans stuck his thumb up. After a few seconds, Alphys texted him again.

"OK so the CORE did a small fluctuation. The readings were super weird but it stopped, and Im not seeing any damage anywhere. Cams in a few places see some ppl kinda stumble but otherwise nothing. Your dads coming to take a look just in case so please dont worry! I'll txt you if its something important (^_^)b"

"thx" Sans replied.

.

The skeleton straightened up, but his vision swam with static grey at the movement. He pressed his palm to his forehead and took a deep breath. It was fine. Not much more. All he had to do was get back to the house and get in the time machine. He could do that, right?

.

"Sans, you don't look so well," Papyrus said, putting a healing hand on his brother's head. "If everything's alright, maybe we should head back in."

Reasonable. Sans pointed to the crystals. Papyrus quickly checked them again and nodded, satisfied. He packed them up again and they descended the stone steps, reentering the darkness of the mountain.

.

There was no signs of damage from the earthquake in the underground passageways. Asgore's garden was pristine, despite the shards of different times scattered above the flowers. The little white dog bounded across quickly and Papyrus followed, both of them cutting through drifting phantoms of the King. His face hadn't aged so much since his son had been born, but it was funny to see how much younger he looked with a shorter beard. Sans also caught sight of a pale kid in green and yellow, squatting down to observe the plants just at the edge of his vision. He paused to watch for a moment as she looked up and to the side to talk to someone beyond the fractured vision. Sans wasn't sure why, but seeing that kid be normal simultaneously relieved him and gave him a mild sensation of unease.

.

He trailed behind Papyrus, the pressure in his head growing the farther underground he went. He paused outside the golden hall to catch his breath. Judging by last time, he anticipated some problems. He could already hear the ancient echos of his own battles leaking through the charged air.

.

As soon as his slippers hit the tiles, he braced himself. Shards of time drifted in his vision, but they were far off. Nothing major. He let out a sigh of relief and plodded onwards. He felt so slow. His leg bones were leaden. Felt like it took him ten minutes to pass through the space between rows of columns. The golden light was cold.

.

A dense weight in Sans's head rattled him and he knew he'd be seeing something else within seconds. Fragments shifted just slightly and he shut his eyes to gather himself back up. Blue shone inside his skull and, as sudden as a bolt of lightning, every note of magic in his bones screamed at him to turn around. He did, only for the fragments of light that cut chunks of the world like broken mirror fragments to reflect a small human running towards him, blazing red eyes and a knife clutched in a pale hand.

.

Sans jerked backwards. The blade dropped heavily through empty air and its wielder glared back at him. He felt sick to his soul. Was this the past? A dream? Hallucination? They couldn't see him, could they?

.

The kid struck again and he slid out of the way with a step. The shining, fragmented blade sailed by his hoodie, tinking harmlessly off the zipper.

.

The vision snapped out of existence. The hall was vacant. Sans let out a long, deep breath, then quickly reached out for Papyrus's soul. His brother had already made his way to the end of the hall, but his boots stomping sounded like it was getting closer. Sans walked backwards, eyes alert, cranking every sense into overdrive. The air shimmered like a desert mirage. He was exhausted.

.

All of a sudden— cold pain, everywhere. Red seeped through his shirt. He staggered as the world changed again, and through chunks out of space, saw a red-eyed child as their knife cut a swath through his ribs. Dazed, he cupped his hand over the wound. Wasn't real, was it? Felt real. The child smiled as they composed themself. Their voice came through the back of his mind, quiet but enough to give him a splitting headache.

"I just wanted to see if I could beat you." The tone was calm and steady, without an ounce of investment.

He'd heard it before.

.

The world snapped back to itself and the red-eyed child had vanished. The cut had not. Sans dropped to one knee and panic knocked the wind from him. It was too soon. Who else could drive his machine? Who else's magic could be the beacon? He hadn't told them the last thing they needed to power it.

.

He didn't want this— not in front of Papyrus.

.

"SANS!" Papyrus appeared as if from thin air. He slid on his knees and caught Sans before he hit the ground. His hand was on his brother's ribs, healing bright like sunlight against his bones before either of them had even settled. "What happened?! You're oozing everywhere!"

Couldn't answer. Sans's soul flickered. Had to get him out of there. He tried to grab his brother's soul and shove him off, but he couldn't muster the strength.

"Stooop, stop stop stop, don't move." Papyrus's eyes glowed bright. He grabbed the collar of Sans's shirt and ripped the whole thing open, only for his jaw to drop. "Oooh no. Nyooo no no no shit shit shit that is not good."

.

Sans winced and cautioned a look downwards. His ribs were split in a long diagonal gash, as they'd been so many times before. Papyrus's magic was racing through the bones, trying to rebuild them from critical damage, but the missing segments kept falling away. The determination-steeped magic oozed from him, staining his brother's hands.

.

"Nyeeehhh, this is a b-big mess, even for you," Papyrus said weakly.

Sans cracked a smile. He tepidly stuck a thumb up. Then, he pointed towards the door.

"You want me to move you?! Are you crazy?!" Papyrus asked. "You're going to fall completely apart on me if I do that!"

Sans pointed again. Papyrus shook his head. His magic glowed even brighter and he clenched his teeth, forcing energy through his brother. Sans was still taking damage at almost the same rate he was being healed. He could feel it; time forcing his bones through the injury while his brother desperately tried to drag him back. He grabbed Papyrus's arm, his brows bending with sympathy. He was sorry; never wanted him to have to see this.

"Don't you dare," Papyrus said. "Don't. You. Dare! I can fix this." There was a tremor in his hands. The red was seeping in between his bones. "I c-can…" His eyes watered from the effort. "NyeeEEEH! Sans, let me just tell you this is fully not normal and you have to explain this to me once I'm done!"

If he wasn't just dust by then, he'd be happy to. He nodded.

.

Papyrus managed a smile. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to concentrate. Sans hoped that he wouldn't blame himself too much if it wouldn't work. He cautiously touched the gash. Just his luck that he'd go early because of this crap. Always back here, stuck in this loop. As if it had ever been okay to think it wouldn't happen again. As if the universe would ever decide he didn't deserve it for his failure.

.

"Sans, your hand is getting weak, don't you give up!" Papyrus said shrilly. "Or I'm not going to forgive you! Ever! Okay?"

Sans took a deep breath. His vision was blurring with pain and vertigo. He might faint before anything else. He tried to focus on his brother's glow. That usually helped. The glittering sparks were mesmerizing for a moment, but as their colour deepened, Sans wondered if he was completely losing it. No, he decided after a second. It was deep orange. He looked up at Papyrus with wide eyes. He grabbed his hand. The determination was turning his magic crimson.

.

Horror took the skeleton. He reached up for his brother's collar, only to swoon from the movement. His vision blurred and Papyrus opened his eyes as they beamed red back at him. His brother let out a deep huff, gave his ribs a push and a loud nyeh. The pain and cold went warm and tingly. The healing sped and, as the red dimmed, the gash in Sans's ribs closed up. All that was left was a shallow indent where it had been and a very slight, darker discolouration in the bone.

.

Papyrus let out a long, deep breath of relief and grinned down at Sans proudly. "S-See?! Told you!"

Sans blinked. Coughed. His voice came out, low and raspy. "Oh shit."

"Pheeewww…" Papyrus lifted him up in a tight hug. "You just scared me half to death!"

"Same." Sans gripped him as tight as he could. "You feel okay? Gooey anywhere?"

"Gooey?! Sans! Don't be silly, why would I—?!"

"You just used red magic."

"Did I?! That's new," he said. "But what the heck happened?! I thought—" Papyrus cut himself off with a loud, alarmed squawk. He yanked his brother close, eyes wide.

Sans blinked. The chunks of alternate time were floating again. He looked up at Papyrus, and quickly realized his eyes were skimming over them as well.

"You see it?" he asked.

"Y-Yes?! What's that?!" He pointed ahead.

.

In the fragments, there was that kid again, eyes boring through space and into them. Sans grabbed his brother, but the younger skeleton was up on his feet, braced before him in a sturdy stance, magic bow crackling from the air and into his hand. However, the figure passed through the unnerving, off-coloured fragments, and away from them without an ounce of recognition. Sans wilted with relief. Wasn't real. Still just the past. He just happened to run into it headlong.

.

Papyrus puffed out a long, loud sigh, let his weapon vanish, and yanked Sans into his arms. "Was…? Was that what you've been seeing?"

Sans's heart sunk. He'd poisoned him. "Yeah."

Papyrus shuddered. "Ugh, so weird. So what happened, exactly? That was pretty crazy, wasn't it?"

"Not here," Sans said— literally anywhere else would be better.

His brother nodded and heaved him to his feet. He looked him up and down and then plucked him up to hold him over his shoulder. "Asgore's!" he said brightly. "That'll be safe, I'm sure."

.

Asgore was home by the time they reached the stairs back up into his place. He seemed surprised to see the skeleton brothers storm in, but gladly welcomed them. The house wafted with a warm, sugary scent and the radio was playing something a little too shrill. Asgore quickly turned it off.

.

Sans couldn't stop shaking, and certainly hadn't thought to hide the scar across his chest. Asgore took his hoodie, scarf, and his torn shirt from him. While Papyrus searched for a blanket to bundle his brother in, the big King settled Sans into the cozy reading chair near the fireplace. He blew a flame in to light it and pulled up one of the seats from the dining table. There was heartbreak in his eyes and he cautiously laid his hand against the mark across Sans's ribcage.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Long story," Sans said.

Asgore's brows furrowed heavily. He put one of his huge hands on Sans's head and patted him gently. "Do you think you could handle some tea?"

Sans shrugged. "If you're offerin'."

.

Asgore nodded, but he waited a few moments longer for Papyrus to return before he headed for the kitchen. The skeleton had found a cozy green and white blanket. Before he handed it over, though, he leaned in close to look at his brother's massive scar.

"You are really not having any luck at all, are you, brother?" he said sympathetically.

"Eh. Only a little," he shrugged and smiled. "Think it's yours though. Just rubbed off on me."

Papyrus scoffed. "Well, you're definitely lucky I run so fast!"

"Yup." He pulled his black hoodie back on and then gladly accepted the blanket and huddled up— it was welcome and cozy.

.

Sans let out a deep breath, sunk into the cushions, and tried to take stock of everything. He looked up at his brother and and his face fell. "So, Paps? You, uh… You feel okay?"

"…Excuse me?!" Papyrus burst out laughing. "Brother, you have to be kidding!"

"Uh." He smiled sideways. "Not really."

The tall skeleton scoffed. "You don't need to waste a second worrying about me, I'm perfectly fine! Why? Is something weird about me?" He held out his arms to look at his hands. "Is something glowing that doesn't usually glow?"

"No, s'just…" Sans wilted. "The, uh… My bones, they're… Y'know. Filled with a lot DT."

"I know."

"And you kinda absorbed a bunch."

"I knoooow." He tilted his head. "Oh! You're worried about that whole thing that Alphys discovered. I see, I see." He grinned and put a hand to his chest. "Well, take those worries and throw them in the trash! I am the great Papyrus, after all! I can handle a little infusion of strange red magic! Especially if it's to help you! And, especially if it's yours. So, don't worry about it for another second." He leaned towards Sans with bright, intense eyes. "But, forget about that, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Sans said.

"Pfff, of course you're not!" Papyrus said shrilly.

The short skeleton put his hands up, his smile strained. "Look, doesn't matter, I—"

Papyrus quickly grasped his hands and leaned in even closer. "Sans. Brother. You're ridiculous. Of course it matters. Could you please just think about your own wellbeing for a single minute? Or else I'm just going to worry and keep asking you about it and—"

"Paps—"

"—asking you about it and asking you about it, over and over again, at least every thirty seconds." He grinned. "I'm very determined, too, you know!"

.

Sans didn't doubt him. He drooped anyways. His brother held his face and bumped their brows together gently. The same old lie wanted to seep out of Sans's mouth, but he held it back.

"I, uh… I didn't think I'd make it," he said quietly. "It's… Usually, no worry."

"Sans," Papyrus scolded.

"Seriously. With our sis, the way she can turn things backwards, I… I ain't worried. Ever," he said. "But that… I guess I… didn't want you to have to see it, t'be honest. And I don't wanna leave all this junk to you guys. I dunno how much longer the beacon thing'll take if I can't chuck myself into it. But, uh… I…" He frowned thoughtfully. "I… don't feel that bad, all things considerin'."

"And your voice sounds better," Papyrus said.

"Heh." Sans hadn't thought of that. "Yeah. Bit more stable." He took a cursory look around the room. "Actually. My eyes ain't… How 'bout you, seein' anything weird?"

"Um." Papyrus drew back and glanced around. "Nnnnot since the hall, I don't think."

"Maybe that's a good sign," Sans said with a sideways grin.

.

The short skeleton put his hand against his ribcage. He moved the blanket a little to look down at the large scar.

"Nyeh. I'm sorry, I thought I would be fast enough," Papyrus said. "I got there right away, even!"

"Nah, it's no big deal," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Wasn't normal."

"Still."

"Don't you start," Sans teased.

Papyrus put his hands on his hips and stuck his chin out. "I am not starting anything, thank you very much!"

.

"You two sound lively!" Asgore returned with a teapot and flowery teacups. "I'm so relieved you're in high spirits," he said as he poured out the steaming, fragrant tea for each of them. His eyes lingered on the scar again. "Gosh, I can't get over… That kind of damage, though! It almost looks intentional."

"Was," Sans said. "I just, uh… I dust a little slower than average so Paps had a chance to stop it."

"…How would you know that?!" Asgore asked, wide-eyed.

Sans sighed. He was too tired to protest their probing stares. "You really wanna know?"

"Yes!" Papyrus said.

"If you're comfortable with it," Asgore agreed.

Sans smiled sideways. He rested his cheek on his fist, slumping on the large arm of the large chair. "I've died a lot. Held it off for, uh, 'bout a minute before."

"I don't… I don't understand," the King said. "And who attacked you?!"

"Was that the time loop stuff?" Papyrus asked. "Where you were stuck for a long time?"

Sans cracked a smile. "Yeah, that."

Papyrus looked rather pleased with himself, but then tilted his head and frowned. "So, wait, how did that happen now?!"

"Like what happened with Undyne's eye," Sans said. "I spent ages gettin' ganked, so, uh, guess a past one caught me." He frowned at himself and sipped his tea. "Sorry. Probably sound nuts, huh?"

.

Asgore's face fell and his shoulders sagged. "You…?" He frowned. "Oh. Goodness. You… stalled them, didn't you?"

Sans was a little taken aback. "You remember."

"I do. A bit. It's come back more over time."

"Stalled who?" Papyrus asked.

"D'you remember what I said came before our sis?" Sans said.

Papyrus's eyes went wide. "The bad ones. But why would you—?"

"I wish you had told me," the King said gently.

"I did. In some timelines. Didn't help anyone," Sans said apologetically.

Asgore put a giant hand on Sans's head and rubbed him gently. "I'm so sorry, son."

The skeleton shook his head. "My bad." He straightened up a little. "So, uh. Kids made it back okay?"

Asgore smiled knowingly, though there was sadness in his eyes. He nodded. "They're just out front. Tori's keeping an eye on them. Little Mak's… bubble, I guess? Has expanded slightly. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. Or if that means the front of my home is now a hundred or so years back in time." His ears drooped. "Is there anything I can do for you? Where did this happen, by the way?"

"The hall with all the stained glass," Papyrus said.

"The Judgement Hall? Golly… Should I close it off for now? Is it dangerous?"

"Only for me. Don't worry 'bout it," Sans said. He rubbed his hand across his chest. "That was, uh… Really somethin'."

"Something completely garbage and horrible," Papyrus said, frowning and pouting. "He was oozing everywhere!"

"Oh dear," Asgore said quietly.

.

A gentle tapping on the wall drew their attention. June— still looking a lot like a deer— peeked out of the kitchen.

"Don't be shy, my friend," Asgore said.

"Oh! Right. Sorry." She raised her hand to greet the skeletons. "Toriel's timer is about to go off."

"Ah! Thank you," he said. "I'll go get her." He gave Sans one final pat on the shoulder before raising up out of his seat. "Hang in there."

.

As he left, June slid over to replace him, her brow furrowed with worry. "Are there earthquakes here a lot?"

"No, not really at all, actually," Papyrus said.

"So. Something happened again, didn't it?"

"It's fine," Sans said.

"And you two look really rattled," she said. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged. "Mostly fine."

"It's actually definitely not fine at all," Papyrus said. "But we have it under control. I think?! Probably?!"

Sans snickered quietly. "That'd be good."

"Well, I hope so," June said. "I don't think I've ever met anyone so… I'm not sure, prone to weird stuff happening to them?"

"Things are usually not like this at all!" Papyrus said.

"Maybe just a little bit," Sans said.

"I just mean, usually it's just normal wacky hijinks related to having time kids in the house, not world-collapsing-in-on-its-self nonsense!"

Sans raised his brow. "Huh."

Papyrus frowned. "What?"

"Nothin'." Sans smiled slightly to himself. Maybe his brother's wish hadn't been completely ignored after all. "Anyway. Hope this time crap hasn't been a huge pain."

.

June looked thoughtful, cocking her head to the side. "I don't… think so? I'm not sure if I notice everything, to be honest. Though, I have been taking notes when I do. Mostly, it's been streets in the city changing names on me. That seems to happen a lot."

"Ooh, yes, New Home is like a shifting maze puzzle, it's very weird," Papyrus said. "Every time I've been there since this started, something's changed on me somehow." His eyes went wide. "Aah! Sans!"

"Sup?" Sans asked.

"Please, tell me right now, where else have you died?!" he said. "We have to avoid those places at all costs!"

"Uh." Sans smiled sideways, unable to help a snicker as June's eyes bugged out. "Heh. Um. Mostly just the one spot."

"You're not… saying that literally, are you?" the woman asked shrilly.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he assured her.

She put her face in her hands. "Oh my god…" She straightened up quickly and grabbed onto the arm of the large, cushy chair. "Whatever's going on sounds very dangerous and you need to take care of yourself!"

"See?! Even she thinks so and she didn't see what just happened!" Papyrus said.

"It's really not that bad," Sans said.

"NOT THAT BAD?!"

"I don't know, Sans, every day since we met up, you've been in some kind of trouble," June said.

Papyrus gestured emphatically to her, brows raised. Sans laughed.

"Guess it's kinda lame, huh?" he said.

"No, no, that's not what I mean at all," she said quickly.

.

The front door opened loudly, making the human jump. Toriel raced into the room ahead of the rabble of kids that could be heard from the front yard. She made a beeline for Sans and squatted down

"Show me," she said.

"Tori, I'm fine."

"Sans." She frowned, staring him down with a stern, worried gaze. The dreaded mom face.

The skeleton huffed out a quiet chuckle and he moved the blanket aside slightly. Again, June's eyes got wide, and Toriel put a hand to her mouth at the sight of the scar. She reached out a paw and gently touched his bones.

"It's…" She let out a sigh. "Solid. Thank god."

"Paps had it covered. Seriously."

"Wait," June said shrilly, "you're telling me that your—?!"

"Not in front of the kids, yeah?" Sans said, zipping the hoodie up just in time to hide the injury as the two human kids barrelled through the room and into the kitchen.

.

Asgore quickly followed them, and Suzy trailed him. She stopped beside Toriel and looked up at the others curiously.

"Why do you guys look so serious? Did something happen?" she asked.

"NO!" Papyrus said loudly.

"Nothing, sweetie, don't worry," June said quickly.

"Everything's alright, my child." Toriel patted the crocodaur's head gently. "Do you remember I promised you something special? For being so brave?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," she said. "But you don't have t—"

"Nonsense, little one." Toriel smiled. She stood and offered the kid her hand. "Come, let me show you. I think you will be pleasantly surprised."

Suzy took it, but her eyes lingered on Sans. He stuck his thumb up. She put two fingers to her eyes and pointed them back at him. He laughed.

"Hey, fair enough."

She grinned, and then gladly accompanied Toriel towards the kitchen with the others.

.

"Kid's too smart for that," Sans said under his breath.

"She reminds me of someone, sometimes," Papyrus said, rubbing his skull. "Anyway." He winced. "Weeeee are going to have to tell dad about all this, aren't we?"

"Or I could just not," Sans said.

"Sans! This is important, we can't just—! Imagine if he sees the scar?!"

"Might get lucky and finish before then," the short skeleton said. "Kiddo's reset might clear it up, anyway."

"And what if it doesn't, smartypants?!" Papyrus glowered at him. "I don't want to have to keep a secret this big at a time like this!"

"Kay. Don't," Sans said. "Tell him as much as you want. S'fine with me."

"I…! Okay! I will!" he said. He sat heavily on the arm of the chair and grasped his hands tight together. "Okay. We're fine. Just a little more of this, right? It's going to be fine."

.

"A lot is hinging on this… reset. Right?" June wondered. "…This is why you're doing all this work. But. We'll have to go get Ellie again."

"At least it's going to be a lot easier the second time," Papyrus said.

"That's true." She sighed. "I… know I've said it before, but I do hope I can remember at least some of this. It's so strange to… build relationships with people, I guess, knowing that it'll be…"

"Won't all be gone," Sans said. "Feelings stick a lot of the time."

"We'll definitely be happy to have you back here again!" Papyrus said. "And you and the King have been really getting along, so I know he'll remember a lot of you. Annnnd I think that means, even if you forget, you'll know that we can be friends."

She nodded. "It's still really strange to think about. You'll tell me what happened here if I forget, won't you?"

"Of course!" Papyrus assured her. "And! On the upside! You won't have to be in disguise next time!"

June snickered. "I don't mind it all that much, to be honest." Her eyes went wide and she looked at her fingers. "Uh oh, I didn't smear it before, did I?!"

"Nope! Still looks fully like a deer face!" he said. "Have you had to touch it up very much?"

"Honestly, not really," she said. She grinned. "And I also haven't been caught! So, thank you for that."

"You are very welcome!"

.

"Everyone. Come." Toriel came out of the kitchen, carrying a pie about three times bigger than her head towards the dining table. "I've made some pie."

June's eyes grew huge behind her glasses. Sans and Papyrus shared a look.

"We'll run home. Right after," Papyrus said quietly.

Sans nodded. His brother jumped to his feet.

"Give Sans an extra-large piece, please!" he said.

xXxXx

Deep down underground, in the heart of the CORE, magma churned restlessly. Molten bubbles defied gravity, floating a few feet upwards before popping into faintly iridescent goo, with a harmonized ringing that sounded deep in the chamber. Gaster had seen this before, but only once. Cold sweat beaded at his brow.

.

"S-So is it bad?!" Alphys called to him from the doorway. "I-I might just b-be imagining things, but d-does it feel hotter? I think it's h-hotter standing here!"

Gaster was sure she was right, but he checked the readings on his computer to be sure. "You're bang on."

"S-So…? So are all th-these shifts upsetting it?" Alphys wondered. "Or… Or?! D-Did it get set back in time i-itself?!"

"I can't be sure," Gaster said. "It may not matter. The results will be the same."

Alphys wheezed nervously. "S-So where's it at?!"

.

Gaster winced. He grabbed the control panel lightly and tried drawing down a lever to decrease the rate of extraction just a little. The column of magic in its centre sputtered unhappily. He put it back to where it was. His soul writhed in his chest cavity and he took a deep breath of the hot, magic-steeped air. He turned back to her.

"From my experience, it is similar to how it was behaving when I first noticed it losing stability. Maybe a little more advanced than that."

Alphys's face fell. "S-So how much time—?"

"Luckily. It was a few years afterwards when the real problems began," he said. He cast a glance back over his shoulder at the stream of magic.

"But…?" the lizard pressed.

"But I don't trust it, obviously." He raised his blackened hand and swiped a length of grey into the air before him. "Now let's see if I can…" He fixated on it with his magic and, very carefully, moved it down into the pit below him.

.

Where the grey touched, flecks of molten rock and embers of burning dust froze in colourless space. Gaster gritted his teeth and pulled the timeless streak larger from afar, forming a barrier between the magma and above.

"…Are you trying to stop it?" Alphys asked.

"In case of eruption," he said. "Hopefully… A few more of these will be enough." He created another sheet of grey and repeated the process. His soul was aching and his bones were starting to feel a little strange, but he didn't stop until the chasm below was blocked off with a blanket of timelessness.

The deep sounds from below were, for the most part, quelled. Gaster took a deep breath and braced his feet solidly on the ground. His magic reach grew five obsidian, bone pillars out of the stone of the walls and focused hard to bind them there. His magic wove deep into them and knitted into the grey beneath them, attempting to anchor them in place. He felt the magic seize, then cut it off. His breath was shallow and he wiped his brow, then quickly backtracked to Alphys.

.

The lizard greeted him with a cool can of ginger ale as he left. He instantly popped the tab and poured it into his mouth.

"Thank you," he said.

"It… s-s-sounds less awful in there, I guess?" she said. "Those bones there… Are you u-using them as, like… reservoirs?"

He nodded. "Hopefully, if it falters, that barrier will be able to draw from them until I can get back here to fix it myself."

"Good idea." She sighed and laughed tiredly. "So many things. I'll b-be glad when this is done. Or…" She smiled nervously. "O-Or, I guess, maybe I won't even know. E-Either way." She nodded her head towards the exit. "I guess we should g-get back? Unless there's something else?"

Gaster looked back into the CORE with a worried frown. He closed the doors tight, shutting away the intense, orange light. "Back to it, then."

.

The old skeleton was very much in his thoughts on the elevator up, arms folded and quiet, eyes focussed on nothing. He ran through the possible scenarios over and over, crowding his head with probabilities and magic analysis and— that creature that had leaked in bearing his own name. A crack in the flow of notes and numbers through his skull opened a floodgate of dark creatures, of worry for his daughter, nephew, and sons, of the changes to his own eyes and arm; of Minerva, and Mak, and Pepper, and—

.

"Gaster?" Alphys's voice cut through the shadows.

The skeleton jolted slightly in time with the elevator grumbling to a halt. He looked down at his friend as the doors parted for them.

"Y-You… don't look good," she said. "Is everything okay?"

"Don't worry," he said as he stepped out. "Just a wee bit tired."

"Okay." She didn't look convinced for a second. "It's just… Um." She faltered and grimaced.

"Um." He tilted his head with a sympathetic smile on his face. "It's alright, Alphys, what's on your mind?"

"Y-You've just been… I don't know." She rubbed her head spines. "A little… Um… D-Distant? Since, um, your arm and… everything."

Gaster blinked. "…Have I?"

"Y-Yeah, I'd say so!" she said. "You're in that… you know." She framed her face with her hands, frowned, and pointed them forward quickly. "Very f-focused, very… all in there and not out here? Y-Y'know?" Her cheeks flushed. "I-I know you're working so h-hard, and I…! I just…" She sighed heavily. "Look, I'm saying… What am I saying?"

"You're very kind," he said. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Aah! I'm… I'm just… s-saying. If you need me. For anything. L-Like, mentally? Or if… If you have time? A-And you just want to chill or watch anime or—"

"Alphys." Gaster bent and scooped her up under her arms, eliciting a squeak of surprise. "I can't even tell you how much I would love to do that. But we're running low on time. As soon as this is over, I will gladly watch an entire show with you, how's that?" He drooped a little and smiled tiredly. "I think we'll all need a long break."

"Yeah? Y-Yeah! Okay. Remind me!"

.

The skeleton gave her a quick hug and then let her down onto the floor again. "It's going to be alright," he assured her. He took off at a swift pace, and Alphys hurried to keep up.

.

Scathkath was waiting inside the lab for them when they returned, spinning in one of the office chairs. He leapt to his feet, shadowy form bristling and ears perked up.

"G, what's going on with the CORE?" he asked. "Things shook all over the kingdom! Damn near chucked Kio down the stairs!"

"Hello to you too. Time's pulling it," Gaster said. "Was she alright?"

"Yeah, but…!" Scathkath put his hands to his face and groaned. "What are you doing? You're not forcing it to go out of its parameters again, are you?"

"Not yet." Gaster smiled sideways. "Honestly, it's—"

"It's n-not us," Alphys said. She hopped up onto her chair near her computer and scrolled through a set of seismographs. "Nnnnnope. L-Looks like it's been stable since th-the first tremor."

"Good," Gaster said. "Any news from the others?"

She shook her head.

.

"This is all going a bit crazy, isn't it?" Scathkath asked, leaning over Alphys curiously. "So how dangerous is it?"

"We're not sure yet," Gaster said. "I've put up a grey barrier over the magma within the lowest chamber, but—"

"That's good," the shadowcat said, "but if it were me, I'd put out an ATCAACA."

"AT… What?" Alphys asked.

"Avoid The CORE At All Costs Alert."

"That's probably wise," Gaster said, turning his eyes on him. "Would you be willing to?"

"Me?! Uh. G, I got no authority anymore," he said with an embarrassed smile.

"I c-could give you a Royal Lab Assistant badge?" Alphys said, opening up her desk and reaching inside. "Pretty sure I h-have one around here something. Ah!" She pulled out a shiny yellow pin with the Delta Rune marked on it in black and handed it over. "Here."

"Ah. Thanks, hun." He pinned it to his sweatshirt and grinned. "Quite the downgrade, huh?" He shrugged. "Ah well. Strangely happy to be delegated to, for some reason… Kinda nostalgic."

"Thank you. I would do it myself, but we are…" Gaster grimaced. "Sans is not doing well. We need to work as quickly as we can."

"Well, when you put it like that." The shadowcat winked. "Not gonna let my nephew down, am I?" He headed for the door, but then quickly doubled back. "So, guards first, and then—?"

"You can use the b-broadcast blaster at the top of the CORE tower t-to reach more people if you need to," Alphys said. "W-We've used it a lot for stuff like this. Call M-Mettaton if it's being a pain."

"…Just call up a big superstar celebrity, huh?" Scathkath joked.

Alphys held out her hand. "Give me your phone," she said. "Oh! And there's… Well, there's some a-apps, too, hang on."

"Hangin' on!" he said.

.

As Scathkath handed his phone over and leaned in to watch Alphys work, Gaster headed up to Alphys's work table, where she had some print-outs of Sans's blueprints. He plucked them up to give them another quick read before they left, just in case there was something he'd missed. Everything looked to be matching what he'd felt as he let his magic seep through the machine's frame, but something within the control panel gave him pause. A small, unlabelled compartment beside the one that held the locator object. One of the only things on the diagram that didn't have an indicator of its use. It was connected to several of the most important components in the machine. It made him uncomfortable, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

.

"Alphys," he called.

"Y-Yeah?" she said.

"Will you be long?"

"J-Just a few more minutes. You can, um, go on ahead if you need to."

"I think I will." Gaster rushed down the escalator, blueprint in hand. "Meet you there?"

She stuck her thumb up. Scathkath waved to him and he nodded and rushed out into the heat.

.

The skeleton was on his own in the garage once he got there, save for a small, white dog sleeping on its back in a corner of the room. Gaster headed straight for the interior of the time machine, squatting down and shoving his torso inside. He pawed around the main console and easily found the compartment that held the cube. Beside it was the unlabelled one. He flipped it open and found an unassuming slot within. The shape and size indicated a test tube would fit, but a careful touch of his pointy fingertip against the side told a story much more clearly. The faintest residue of determination tingled his bones, though unlike its normal counterparts, this one gave unique sensation he instantly recognized for its unusually cool feeling.

.

"…Bain mo cloigeann," he breathed as he pulled back. "You didn't…?"

Of course he had. Gaster remembered now: that red scar on his son's hand that he'd never accounted for aside from an unhelpful assertion of his own clumsiness. A chill ran down the skeleton's spine. He gritted his teeth and rubbed his temples. How much time had that move cost them? Had he had a choice?

.

Something fuzzy slipped under his hand and he looked down to see the white dog, smooshing itself up against his palm. He ran his fingers through its fur and, somehow, felt a tiny bit better. He sat on the floor with the pooch and indulged himself in the careful squishing of its cute little face. It seemed to enjoy it.

.

It wasn't too long until he sensed a crowd of monsters encroaching. Gaster straightened up in time to see Papyrus bounding in with a smile on his face. He was followed by Alphys, Suzy, and Toriel, who held the door open for a very lethargic-looking Sans.

.

"Dad! Hello!" Papyrus said, shooting him a grin. "We brought you some pie! How're things going?"

"Oh. Ah. Hi, Paps. Everyone. It's… Well. Could be better, I suppose, but it's not the end of the world."

"Not yet," Sans joked.

"Shhh, shush," Toriel scolded in jest. She turned to Gaster. "How are you, hun?"

He paused to consider his words. "I'll be better once we get going."

"Where's Undyne, did she leave?" Suzy asked. "And did the soup work?"

"The soup d-did mostly work," Alphys said with a smile. "For a small component, anyway. And… Wait. I-Is she still on patrol? Should I c-call her? …Do I have her number?"

"I can deal with that," Toriel said. She offered her hand to Suzy. "Would you like to come check for her in the house with me?"

Suzy looked at Sans. He stuck his thumb up, and she replied in kind.

"Kay," she said.

.

"Should we g-get started, then?" Alphys asked as they left.

"Actually," Gaster said, looking at Sans, "Sans, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"What a coincidence, we'd like to talk to you, too!" Papyrus said.

Gaster gestured to the door. "We won't be long."

"Take your t-time," Alphys assured them.

.

Outside, Gaster guided them off to the side of the garage. He grabbed Sans's hand and gently tapped beside the red scar.

"What is this?" he asked.

Sans froze. His grin crept a little wider. "Guess you know, then."

"Know what?" Papyrus asked.

Gaster raised his brows. Sans shrugged.

"Why?" his father said, frowning. "With the state you're in…! You couldn't have asked me, or—?"

"Nah," Sans said. "Yours is wonky, no offence. Nobody else had enough at the time."

"What the heck are you two talking about?" Papyrus said.

Sans shrugged. "Need DT as the final step for the time machine."

"You… Wait, you what?! SANS!" Papyrus barked. "But how will we—?!"

"It's not a big deal," he said.

"It sounds like it is, though!"

"It is a big deal," Gaster said.

"We got at least one other option now," Sans said. "Listen. Like I been sayin'. Those kids are real important."

"So are you," Gaster said sternly. "You can't be taking risks like that."

.

Sans laughed and rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead as if to alleviate some pressure. He cut his eyes at his brother. "Well?"

"Well, what?!"

"Your turn to call me out." He winked. "Or do I gotta tell on myself?"

"Nyeeehh, Saaaans, it's not like that!" he said. "We agreed he should know!"

"Why? What else happened?" Gaster asked.

The brothers shared a look. Sans pointed at Papyrus. The tall skeleton puffed himself up and put a hand on his father's shoulder.

"Okay, dad, very quickly, don't panic, but Sans almost got cut in half."

"He WHAT?!" Gaster bent and grabbed Sans, though the short skeleton began to laugh. "Sans, what happened?!"

"It's okay, I fixed him!" Papyrus said.

"True. He did." Sans unzipped part of his hoodie and opened it to show the swath of scarring across his ribcage. "All that time in the Judgement Hall caught up with me. No big deal."

"No big…?!" Gaster wheezed out a groan and yanked Sans into his arms, holding him and pushing a discordant, affectionate, aching magic through him. He muttered curses under his breath, his bright, mismatched eyes watering as he drew back. "A-Am I going to have to just not let you out of my sight?"

"To be fair, I'm not sure that would have helped," Papyrus said.

"Freak accident," Sans said. "And. On the plus side. Whatever Paps did made my voice screw up less."

"Bloody hell," Gaster muttered.

.

"Also. One more thing," Sans said. "Kinda big. Good this time though. Can you handle it?"

"I…" Gaster drew back. "I… can. What is it?"

"Paps got the artefact into the sun. It, uh, gave him a sun mark."

"It…?" Gaster's eyelights grew huge in his sockets. "Papyrus?! Did it…?! Really?! Where?"

"Oh! Yes! Nyeh heh, that was pretty cool. I almost forgot. It's on my forehead sometimes," Papyrus said. "Also I got to talk to Crabapple Kid for a second, that was much more interesting!"

Gaster's mouth hung open for a moment and he raised a finger. He wilted, letting out a deep breath, then passed his hand over his skull. "Right. Okay. This's… Okay." He nodded. "Fine. Alright."

"Think we broke 'im," Sans said.

"Aaah, dad, it's okay!" Papyrus hugged him. "I, your coolest and tallest son, promise you that we are both alright and only a tiny bit rattled! It's a lot, though, and I—"

"This… may be a big ask, but would you be alright if I observed your memories?" Gaster asked.

"Oh! Right! Sure, I forgot you could do that! Right now, or…?"

"Let's… Let's deal with the machine first. One more trial," he said. "You got the crystals?"

"We sure did!"

Gaster sighed with relief. "Alright. But. Sans. Rest, alright?"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Sans said.

.

They rejoined Alphys and Gaster got to work again, but not before setting Sans up with some cushions and a couple snacks a safe distance away from the time machine. The fluffy white dog plunked itself onto his lap. Sans didn't mind at all.

.

After a few more quick safety checks, Alphys socketed the crystals back into the time machine and ran the boot-up process as Sans had done. However, in almost an exact repeat of the first time, the machine spluttered and consumed the crystals rather than make any real motions to breach space and time.

.

"A-Ah! Oh no," Alphys muttered as she looked into the machine's innards. "Those… were my last ones, I think." She turned back to the others. "But the liquid m-magic is all still flowing, so…! So that's progress! But… What now?"

"I guess we'll have to hook it straight to the CORE itself," Gaster said.

"Yikes. S-Sounds kind of d-dangerous, especially with how it is right now," she said.

"I don't think we have a choice." He folded his arms and let out a quiet sigh. "Carry it there, I suppose?"

She nodded. "I know a c-couple guards who can help. We'll have to enlarge that d-door, though. And, S-Sans?"

.

Sans didn't budge. He and the dog were both slumped in a heap. Alphys covered her mouth for a moment and smiled sheepishly.

"Oops. I-I think we can let him sleep for a b-bit, right?" she asked at a whisper.

Gaster nodded. "He definitely needs it. What do you think, Paps?"

"Hm?" Papyrus rubbed his head. "Um. Oh! Yes. He does."

"Y-You sound pretty tired t-too, Papyrus," Alphys said gently. "Why don't you both go take a rest and… a-and we'll call you from the CORE when w-we're ready to finish this."

"Well, I…" Papyrus looked at his brother. "I think… that's probably a good idea?"

Gaster patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "We're almost there."

"Right. Right! Of course!" Papyrus bent and scooped up Sans and the dog. "Good luck!"

.

Papyrus headed out on his own. He lugged his charges into the house and stood, frozen, in the living room for a while. Why did these two small monsters feel like he was heaving around a giant boulder?

.

With slow steps, he carried them up to his room and tucked them into his bed. He wanted to lay down somewhere, too, but he didn't. He stood at the edge of the bed, staring.

.

"Papyrus?"

The skeleton jolted and turned to the door as Suzy snuck into his room. "Oh! H-Hello!" he said.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "…Are you mad at me?"

"What?! Mad at you?! Never," he said. "Why would you think that?"

"Oh. Um. I kept talking to you downstairs but you didn't say anything."

Papyrus blinked. "…Did you?"

"Yeah, for like, two minutes," she said.

"Nyooo." Papyrus rubbed his head. "I'm sorry, small friend, I…" He didn't remember that at all. "I must've been… very. Extremely. Deep in thought."

.

Suzy cocked her head to the side, clearly puzzled. "Uh. Okay." She offered him a steaming mug. "Your mom said to bring you this."

"Oh! Thank you!" He took it and sipped it, and though it looked like hot cocoa, it tasted like little more than hot water. He drank it all anyway.

"Um. Your mom said I could watch some TV, so…" She pointed her thumb back over her shoulder. "Do you wanna?"

"I think I should probably stay here for now," he said. "But I can join you soon!"

Suzy still looked confused. "Could I come in here instead?"

"Oh! Of course. Whatever you like!"

.

Suzy nodded. She left and Papyrus stood in place for what felt like ages. She came back with a blanket and the small, handheld game system. She sat on the other bed and Papyrus sat down with her, staring at the zigzags on the carpet.

.

After a little while, Suzy got tired and dozed off and still, Papyrus sat, head in a fog. He didn't stir at all until stomping boots rushed up his stairs and the bedroom door was flung open. Undyne stood in the doorway. Her hair was about its usual length despite the different bangs, and her yellow eye was shining.

"Oh. Hello, Undyne. Your hair looks nice," Papyrus said.

"Uh. Thanks?! Are you guys alright?" She grimaced. "I got sent way the hell to New Home outta nowhere, did I miss much?"

"Um…" Papyrus frowned thoughtfully. "I think so? There was quite a few things that happened."

"Okay, so…?" Undyne asked.

"So…?" Papyrus echoed.

"Crap, dude, you are outta it." Undyne pushed in close to him and grabbed his face, and then quickly leaned her ear against his chest. "What's…? Wait." She jerked back, eye wide, and whipped around quickly. "Where's…?!"

.

Her eye settled on Sans and she leapt over to him. "Sans?!"

"He needed a nap," Papyrus said quietly.

Undyne quickly scooped the dog aside and lifted Sans up by the shoulders. "Sans. Hey. Wake up."

The skeleton didn't budge, but the dog quickly squirmed its way back on top of him, pressing close, as if to keep him warm. Undyne's ears drooped and she patted around Sans to take his phone. With hurried fingers, she scrolled through all his stuff until she found the SOULSCN app. She clunked it against his chest.

"Come on, bonehead," she growled.

"What's wrong?" Papyrus asked in a soft voice.

"You!" She pointed at him. "Wake up, too!"

"I am awake," he said, puzzled.

"What's going on?" Suzy asked groggily.

.

Undyne growled. She checked Sans's phone and her shoulders went rigid. His number was yellow with an exclamation point beside it. Zero point zero zero zero— and it went on and on. Another warning blinked— it read: (lessthan)1h.

"Oh shit. Oh. SHIT."

"What?" Papyrus asked.

.

Undyne heaved Sans and the dog up into her arms and glowered at Papyrus. "SNAP OUTTA IT!"

"Nyeeehhh! What…? Snap out of what?" he asked.

"Go downstairs, right now!" she said. "Drink some soup: that's an order, soldier!"

"But… I can't leave S—"

"Do you understand what's going on?!" she demanded. "Are you…?" She growled. "You're not allowed to get sick, too, okay?!"

"I'm not sick, I'm—"

She bonked her forehead against his, sending out a shot of cyan magic along with it. He squeaked and pulled back, rubbing his brow. A light flashed in his eyes. His soul surged bright in his chest, and Sans's responded with barely a flicker of blue.

"Wait. Wait, wait wait wait, when…?!" His eyes darted all over her as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Wait, Sans?!"

"What's going on?" Suzy repeated worriedly.

"I'm taking him to the lab," Undyne said.

"Oh my god." Papyrus put his hands to his head. "Oh my god, oh no, oh—"

"PAPS." Undyne's voice boomed. "GO."

"I-I'm going!" The skeleton scrambled, whisking Suzy up and breaking into a sprint. "I'm going, I'm going!"

.

Undyne took off, too. Ignoring the shouts of her friends. Ignoring all the questions of what had happened to Papyrus and what was going on that spun through her head. Most of all, ignoring the staircase and any modicum of obstacle as she slammed the front door off its hinges and bounded out into the snow.