:):
Thank you all for wishing me a Merry Christmas! You guys are the best! :)
I hope everyone had a lovely Holiday and a Happy New Year!
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The Rescue Mission
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"Sans?" Papyrus asked through the door as he gave a light knock.
Snapping awake, Sans wasted no time as he quickly teleported himself to the entrance of the Ruins. This time, it was all up to him, and Frisk was counting on him to find her. She'd actually been willing to give him her trust and he wasn't about to let her down. He made a promise.
As much as he wanted to keep things quiet, he knew he had to start things off with a bang. Summoning two blasters, Sans stepped aside after giving his instructions. Charging up their laser cannons, the large canine skulls easily reduced the stone door to rubble in a matter of seconds. With the entrance now open, the true challenge was about to begin.
Pulling up his hood, Sans took a moment to center himself as he reduced his magical output. Being a skeletal-type monster, this was particularly challenging. Magic, after all, was the only thing keeping him together. Still, if he managed suppress as much as he could while still maintaining the bare minimal, he should probably be alright.
It took around a minute and a half, but Sans finally brought his magic levels down as far as he could get them while still keeping himself together and functional. Letting out a slow improbable breath, the skeleton felt a chill run down his spinal column as a strange coolness settled into his bones. This was probably the first time in his life he'd actually felt genuinely cold. Stuffing his boney hands into his jacket pockets, Sans had one of his blasters lead the way down into the Ruins while the other followed from behind.
As he descended into the darkness, the walls, he noticed, weren't crawling with deadly vines this time. There were only a few creeping up the cracked stone siding and a few more snaking their way across the floor in front of him. They were easily avoidable if he was careful.
Cautiously, Sans stepped over a particularly obtrusive vine all the while keeping close watch for any signs of movement. There were none. The plant-like appendage hadn't so much as twitched from his presence. It would seem, much to Sans' relief, that with his tamped down magic, the vines could no longer sense him. Or perhaps, he just wasn't worth the effort. Either way, he'd take it.
Walking past the clump of living, unburnt flowers, Sans proceeded down the long hallway. The further he went, however, the more vines he could see. The cracked walls were now becoming cluttered with the blackened magic stealing tendrils of death, and it was getting harder to walk without having to sidestep them as they crept across his path.
After quite a long walk, Sans finally found a door. The large slab of stone had been conveniently forced open by an unusually thick vine half-burrowed into the rocky ceiling overhead. The gap it provided was thankfully wide enough for his blasters to just barely squeeze there way through without causing a disturbance.
The walls on the other side were actively crumbling down in places as vines dug themselves deeply into the cracks, widening them and causing fissures in the surface. This posed a very real danger for a potential cave-in. Acknowledging the threat, Sans quickened his pace while still trying to maintain caution.
Coming to a stop, Sans could do nothing but stare in awe at the massive blackened vine twisting its way down from the ceiling. The remnants of what he imagined might have, at one time, been a set of stairs, lay in a pile of rubble beneath it. Looking up through the gaping hole in the ceiling, Sans could see a tilted picture frame hanging from the wall. Was that someone's house?
After scanning the area, the skeleton came to the unfortunate conclusion that there were no other ways to proceed but up. The stairs were gone, so now he had to get creative. Turning his eye lights to one of his floating blasters, an idea came to him. A bad one.
Staring up at its master, one of the canine skulls patiently waited as the unathletic skeleton crouched down on top of its head. Hovering just above, the other provided him with something solid to hold on to. Once he was securely in place, the two blasters rose in perfect unison up through the hole in the ceiling.
Touching down on the wooden floor above, Sans could not freakin' believe his dumb plan had actually worked. Huh... Why hadn't he ever thought to try that before? Putting that on his mental checklist of things to experiment with later, he got back to the task at hand.
This was definitely someone's home, and it was trashed. Furniture was strewn around, pictures had been knocked off the walls, and vines had broken through the now shattered windows. In the back of his mind, Sans found himself wondering if this was the Ruins lady's house. If it was, then where was she? He hoped she wasn't hurt somewhere. The possibility was very real and he couldn't help but worry.
Forcing those thoughts aside for now, Sans scanned the damaged house. Aside from the large vine that had broken the stairs and the few coming through the windows, this place was surprisingly free of the magic sapping tendrils. Though, from the looks of it, that hadn't always been the case. The telltale signs of plant damage was everywhere. From the cracks in the walls to the holes in the floorboards, the vines had definitely been here. So... where did they go?
Regardless, if Frisk had found a safe place to hide, then this would be the perfect location. Calling out to her would be pointless because she couldn't call back. Plus, he didn't want her to come out of hiding. Wherever she was, she was safe right now and he didn't want to ruin their chances by being hasty. So, the only option he had left was to do a thorough search of the house. Despite how dire their situation was, Sans found himself smiling a little in dark humor.
This was like a deadly game of hide and seek.
Stepping over the books scattered around the living room, he checked the area before walking into the kitchen. There was a sweet aroma lingering in the air and an empty pie tin soaking in the sink. Opening the refrigerator, all Sans found was a bar of chocolate. Leaving the treat where it was, he closed the door and left. Frisk wasn't in this side of the house, so he'd have to search the other.
Walking down the hallway, the skeleton's slipper-clap feet slowed to a stop as he beheld the horrifying answer to his previous question. A thick tangle of dark vines had amassed themselves in one location. Pressed tightly against the wall, the plants were slowly creeping underneath a closed door.
Oh crap...
Sans didn't need to be a genius to understand the situation. The vines had found Frisk before he had and they were steadily closing in on her. Since she hadn't reset yet, then that must mean she was still okay. For now. Thinking fast, he placed a boney hand to one of the large canine skulls.
Instructing his blasters to hold back, Sans quietly crept past the mess of deadly vines. They paid him no attention as they continued to infiltrate the room. Once he was safely on the opposite side of the house, he heard the familiar sound of his blasters charging up their attacks. This plan of his better as hell work, because if it didn't things were about to get real ugly.
Sensing the build up of magic, the wall of vines shuttered and writhed as they began to untangle. Pulling out from underneath the door, a few loose tendrils turned their focus onto the large canine skulls floating just down the hall. Sans had told them to only charge up their attacks but not to fire them. Now, he felt a little guilty as he watched the first one become engulfed in blackened vines. The other continued to charge as it slowly backed away.
It was working. The dark plants were slowly but surely migrating to the other side of the house, leaving the door unblocked. Wasting no time, Sans quickly but quietly made his way over and took hold of the doorknob. Turning it, he let himself in. This was a child's room he concluded as he observed the clutter of toys that had been spilled onto the orange carpet from a nearby chest. From the looks of it, the vines hadn't made it too far into this room, since things still seemed to be mostly in order.
"frisk." Sans whispered as he searched the area. She had to be in here. So then, where was she? Where would a human hide? Checking under the bed, he was only mildly disappointed. Guess that was a myth after all, he privately mused to himself as he continued looking. The room wasn't that big and there was really only one other place she could be.
Opening the wardrobe, Sans stared down at the frightened human. Frisk had somehow made herself as small as possible as she sat underneath the hanging sweaters. Pressed hard against the back of the wooden armoire, she had her hands covering her ears as she hid her face into her raised knees. Her vibrant red Soul, he noticed, was once again swirling in panic as her magic levels spiked erratically.
Feeling an instant pang of sympathy, the skeleton crouched down next to the human and slowly reached out a hand. She flinched harshly under his light touch. Raising her hands slightly, she moved to cover her head instead, almost as if she was expecting to be hit. Grin going flat, Sans couldn't help but speculate as to whether she was actually accustomed to being struck.
"it's okay." he reassured gently. "it's just me. i've come to get you outa here."
Hearing the familiar laidback voice, Frisk slowly lifted her head. Recognizing him instantly, her hazel eyes began to tear up.
Arms suddenly full of human, Sans was momentarily dumbstruck. He hadn't been expecting this kind of reaction. Feeling her body trembling against his, however, reminded him of the dangerous situation they were still in. Sighing, he placed a boney hand to her back. "come on, let's get the hell out of this place." He said quietly before doing just that.
With a burst of magic, the two appeared in the snowy area just outside his sentry station. Almost instantly, Sans felt the girl start to sway. Not wanting her to fall, he impulsively wrapped an arm around her waist. To his surprise, the human remained on her feet instead of collapsing like he thought she would. Arms still wound securely around his cervical spine, Frisk continued to hide her face in the soft fabric of his jacket.
Peering down at the teenaged girl, Sans started to feel a little awkward as the seconds ticked by. Hesitantly, he released his hold before giving her back a light tap. "uh... you can let go now."
Tilting her head, Frisk peeked up at the skeleton before taking notice of their new surroundings. Her eyes widened as she beheld the wintery scenery. They were out?
Sans felt an unpleasant chill seep into his bones when the human drew away from him, taking her warmth with her. Unconsciously, he attempted to fend off the cold by restoring his suppressed magic to his body. It helped ...a little.
Turning her face to the falling snow, Frisk felt such an enormous relief swell up inside of her. She honestly didn't know if she could handle much more of that place. She'd already lost count of how many times she'd had to rewind the day, and each reset was starting to feel a bit more hopeless. But... now it was over, right? She didn't have to redo this day again. Maybe... Maybe now she could finally move forward.
Unfortunately, before Frisk could even think about rejoicing, a horrible paranoia struck her.
Quietly watching the human from a few feet away, Sans tilted his skull in question when she started to frantically check herself. Starting at her legs, she carefully went higher, running her hands over her body in search of something. What was she- oh... Figuring it out quickly, he found himself looking as well. Had she somehow gotten infected with that black stuff again? He sincerely hoped not, because after what had happened with the healing star, he had absolutely no idea how to cure it.
Finding nothing of concern, Frisk let out a silent sigh of relief. She was clean! There wasn't even the slightest trace of the Magic Bane anywhere on her this time.
The paranoia still lingered, though. Turning to gaze over at her skeletal savior, she studied him carefully.
Feeling instantly uncomfortable by the scrutinizing look she was giving him, Sans forced a grin as he held up his boney hands. "don't worry, i didn't get any of it on me either, i swear."
Creasing her brow, Frisk approached the anxious acting skeleton. Lifting her hands, she started to sign something out before remembering the futility of trying to communicate in this manner. It was so frustrating not being able to talk to him. She just had to be certain that he was really okay. Dropping her hands, she frowned up at the monster before mouthing out her question.
*Are you sure?*
"positive." Sans replied lazily as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Staring up at the stubborn skeleton, Frisk's frown slowly turned into a pout. He didn't even check!
Grin widening, Sans found himself strangely amused by the fact that Frisk could make the same bratty face as her little sister. To be honest, he had actually been starting to miss it. From experience, he knew that that look meant that she was displeased with him. Eye lights wandering off to the side, the skeleton gave an improbable sigh. "alright, alright," he relented "if it makes you happy, i'll check to make sure, okay?"
A smile appeared on Frisk's face and she nodded gratefully.
Holding back a groan for the effort, the tired skeleton shrugged off his light winter jacket and began his search. He was already fairly certain none of those vines had touched him. If they had, he was sure he would have noticed. The memory of how painful it was to have his magic leached had left a lasting impression on him. Still, he'd humor her and look anyway.
Frisk couldn't seem to draw her eyes away as she watched as the monster lifted an arm to examine it before moving on to his other arm. He then proceeded to lift his shirt up slightly. She was amazed. He really was a skeleton! It was difficult to tell with all of his clothing, but she had assumed he was probably just a skeletal-type monster. Spending much of her time down in the laboratory during the war, she had gotten to understand that type fairly well. Their bodies, although humanoid, were actually quite ambiguous in nature. But this wasn't the case with this particular skeletal monster. He wasn't just humanoid - he was a human type!
That shouldn't be possible...
The questions that were swirling around inside of Frisk's head quieted down when the skeleton bent over a little to finish up his search by checking his tibias for any signs of the parasitic infection. In doing so, he inadvertently gave her a clear view of the impressive crack on his skull. Her stomach dropped at the sight of it. Forgetting herself for short moment, she unconsciously reached out a hand. Had this happened in the Ruins? Did he get injured trying to save her? Just seeing it made her feel awful for some reason.
Feeling warm fingers lightly touch his damaged skull, Sans flinched slightly before pulling away. "uh, h-hey, that's a little sore tibia honest." He said as he put a skeletal hand over the crack.
Realizing how rude that must have been, Frisk frantically made a fist before placing it to her chest and moving it in a circular motion. While doing this, she mouthed out *I'm sorry!*
"hey, don't sweat it." Sans tried to reassure the nervous human as he gave a nonchalant shrug. "you just kinda startled me. that's all." He watched as she quickly began to sign something out before stopping again halfway through. Shooting him a sympathetic look, the girl pointed to her own head before mouthing out another question.
*How?*
"eh, that's... not the greatest story." Sans replied as his eye lights wandered off to the side. Seconds ticked by as he contemplated on how to word what he wanted to say. He knew he had to tell her what happened, but he just didn't quite know how... Somehow, 'hey, i accidentally let your kid sister's soul get stolen by a nasty weed.' didn't really feel like the best way to tell her. Realistically though, there really wasn't any way to gently break this to her. She was going to freak out regardless. So... he might as well just get it over with.
"listen..." Sans hesitantly began as he drew his eye lights back to the girl. "there's... something i need to tell you..."
A feeling of dread slowly began to grow inside of Frisk as she waited to hear what he had to say. From the way he was acting, she could only assume something awful had happened. But what? Or, to whom? An image of her danger prone baby sister flashed inside her mind and she immediately paled. oh no... Had something bad happened to Fearia?
Sans watched as Frisk shakily raised her hands. However, instead of using them to sign something out, she simply clasped them together in front of her chest. It was a familiar gesture he'd seen the kid do on a number of occasions. The meaning seemed to vary a bit, but in this case, he could clearly see that she was already starting to freak out. jeez, he hadn't even said anything yet. From her expression, though, he could tell that she probably had a pretty good idea what this was going to be about.
"look, there's no easy way to say this." Sans sighed as he unconsciously looked away again. "your little sister had her soul stolen from her."
Hearing a small thud, the skeleton's eye lights snapped back to the human. Frisk had fallen to her knees in the snow, her hands were pressed firmly to her face as she bowed her head. oh crap! He could have said that better. Dropping to kneel beside her, Sans hesitantly reached a hand out as he tried to rectify his mistake. "wait, i- i know that sounds bad, but she's still alive. i was able to get her to a healing star before she dusted."
Frisk barely acknowledged the hand placed awkwardly on her back as she let the skeleton's words slowly sink into her grief stricken brain. Her baby sister was still alive...? Without her Soul? How? How was that even possible? Despite how impossible it sounded, Frisk couldn't extinguish the hope that flickered inside of her heart. If Fearia really was still alive, then she needed to see her.
Lowering her hands from her face, Frisk stared up at her new friend, a pleading look in her hazel eyes. Not bothering to sign anything at all, she silently mouthed out her request.
*Please, take me to my sister.*
xxx
I'm 3 days late, I know, lol
It's really hard to get back on schedule after the Holidays!
...
The next chapter is gonna be super long. There just wasn't any place I could appropriately end it. So that's something to look forward too. :)
xxx
Thanks for reading!
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Sheii Bae~
