:):
I know it's been awhile, but hopefully this super long chapter will make up for the wait. :)
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Light in the Dark
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Teleporting out of the way of another targeted attack, Sans narrowly avoided being impaled by multiple spear-like vines as they shot towards them in a wide arc. Tightening his grip on the mute girl, he quickly retaliated with yet another volley of bones. They were easily knocked away by the creature's massive paw, but that was all apart of his plan. From beneath the cavern floor, two large bones shot up like pillars, stabbing into the plant-like appendage from below.
Howling in pain, the monstrosity swiped its paw away, breaking the bones in half as it targeted the skeleton once more. Even though Flowey was partially blinded now, spotting the teleporting menace wasn't hard. All he had to do was look for the glowing ball of light.
Ironically, Frisk's Sunstone had become both a much needed lifesaver and a massive giveaway. On the other hand, her light also acted as a perfect distraction. Using this to his advantage, Sans made a habit of teleporting them to the opposite side of which his blaster's were attacking. So far, it had worked every time. He had to give the weed a bit of credit, though, Flowey was pretty damn clever, but he didn't seem to have complete control of his body for some reason. His vines were still drawn to the magic regardless if it was an obvious fake out.
Lurching to the side from another attack to his blind spot, Flowey shrieked in outrage as he reeled back around to smack the offending blaster out of the air. Opening his good eye wide, it flashed like a strobe light as magical star-like projectiles shot out from its angry gaze. Hitting two more blasters that were caught in his crosshairs, Flowey easily destroyed them too.
Feeling the skeleton flinch against her, Frisk opened her eyes to check on him. Fatigue and pain were evident on his face, but he looked as determined as ever. With his left eye light blazing with cool magic, she watched as he lifted his hand and resummoned his fallen guardians.
Turning her attention to the towering behemoth, Frisk was struck by just how damaged it looked. Out of its four eyeballs, only one remained, and for some reason the right side of its horizontal jaw was hanging unhinged. Draping down from its back, metal cables were now strewn across the cavern floor in a tangle of snapped and frayed wires. It was a complete mess. Quite honestly, Frisk was genuinely amazed. This creature had seemed so formidable and scary not too long ago, but now it just looked strangely pathetic.
Still... It was by no means defeated yet.
Out of nowhere, a ring of dark looking seeds quickly began to circle around them, one by one. They swirled furiously for a brief moment before suddenly shooting towards them in a streak. Gasping, Frisk felt herself tense up right as the scene snapped out of sight.
Reappearing a little ways away, the ground beneath them exploded into a plume of dust particles before they blipped out of existence a second later. The scene repeated itself for a third then a fourth time. When they finally appeared beside one of Sans' stationary blasters, Frisk felt a horrible wave of dizziness hit her. Wrapping her other arm around his cervical spine, she attempted to hide her face in his baggy jacket just to try and stop the world from spinning.
"sorry bout that." Sans apologized as he readjusted his hold on the silent human. "i know its a little disorienting, but just try and hold on for a bit longer, alright?" Feeling her give a subtle nod, Sans smiled slightly as he placed a hand to the blaster's smooth maxilla.
Not bothering to look at its master, the large canine skull's brightly glowing eyes locked onto its new target as it accepted the orders. Opening its mouth wide, it quickly charged up its cannon before firing with marksmen-like precision towards the monstrosity's last remaining eyeball. Hitting its target perfectly, a high pitched screech rang out through the cavernous room.
Flinching, Frisk looked up just in time to witness the ginormous inky amalgamation crash to the ground in a heap of flailing vines and cables. The whole room shook from the impact as a few rocks tumbled down from the cracked ceiling overhead. Flickering erratically, the large slab of glass that housed the menacing face once again went dark.
When the last vine stilled, both Sans and Frisk unconsciously held their collective breaths as the seconds ticked by in tense silence. Was it over? Finally?
As if to answer that unspoken question, the screen suddenly flickered to life once more before turning a bright red. Loud sirens filled the air as a yellow warning sign flashed over the red background. Beneath it, a familiar golden heart appeared on the monitor.
Recognizing the sparkling heart right away, Sans felt a mixture of worry and relief flood his system as he numbly took a step forward. They'd found it. They'd finally found Fearia's stolen Soul. It looked a little worse for wear, but at least it was still in one piece.
Thank goodness...
Truthfully, he had begun to fear the worst - that her Soul had already been fully absorbed by this grotesque monstrosity. Fortunately, that hadn't occurred. Yet. They needed to hurry, though. With a renewed sense of hope, Sans quickly teleported himself and the silent human closer to the fallen monster.
Appearing a safe distance away, Sans felt the teenager remove her arms from around his cervical spine before tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Taking this as his cue, Sans reluctantly complied to her wordless request. Releasing his hold, he gently placed her back down on her feet. "careful. it still might be dangerous, so don't get too close to it just yet." Sans warned as he unconsciously rolled his stiff shoulder. "gimme a moment, i need to find some way to get her soul outa that thing without harming it."
Nodding, Frisk remained beside her friend as she stared up at the red glowing slab atop the creature's head. Clasping her hands in front of her chest, she waited as patiently as she could as she observed the chaotic swirling of magic within her little sister's golden Soul. The sight made her stomach drop as a wave of parental concern washed over her. Fearia was so scared right now - she was absolutely terrified.
Even though Frisk wanted nothing more than to comfort her baby sister at this moment, she understood how delicate of a process it was going to be to retrieve her Soul. They were so close now, they couldn't afford to be hasty.
Catching the look of worried desperation on the mute girl's face, Sans felt his own nerves rise a little in empathy. He could understand how she felt. The kid's Soul was literally crying out for help right now. He could almost hear it on a subconscious level. The sooner they got her Soul out of there and back into her body, the better they would all feel.
Turning back to the task at hand, Sans considered his options. If he was careful, he might be able to just reach out and remotely grab ahold of the golden heart. However, if it was still attached to this amalgamation in any way, then there was a possibility he could end up harming it by accident. That obviously wasn't something he wanted to risk. Still... Nothing was going to happen unless he gave it a shot.
Releasing a slow improbable breath, Sans finally raised his hand. Wrapping his cool magic around the floating heart, he gave it an experimental tug. Nothing. The Soul didn't even budge. Something was definitely holding on to it. Cursing under his breath, Sans tugged a little harder.
Giving off a small pulse of glittering magic, the heart shuttered slightly as if becoming aware that something was pulling at it. The torrent of chaotic energy swirled madly for a moment or two before gradually calming down as it sensed the familiar magic. From within the golden Soul, a warm glow began to shine and the resistance that had seemed so firm, slowly lessened.
Finally, despite feeling like he was pulling something out of quicksand, the stolen heart started to emerge from the magical monitor. Inch by inch, the process was slow and arduous. The ever-present pain in the skeleton's cracked skull only seemed to intensify from the effort, but he held strong in this bizarre game of tug of war.
Now floating out in the open air, Fearia's Soul was halfway to Sans when the vines finally decided to take notice of the theft. Snapping out with lightning speed, one of the blackened tendrils quickly latched onto the fragile heart before yanking it back with brutal force. Distressed and panicked, the swirl of golden energy began to churn once again as sharp crystalline thorns dug in without remorse. Giving off a violent shutter, the glowing Soul flickered in pain before lighting up in a burst of magic.
Eye sockets widening, Sans barely had time to brace himself before the wave of energy hit him. Shielding his eye lights with the sleeve of his jacket, he felt the ground beneath his slipper-clad feet give way to nothingness. Completely caught by surprise, the bewildered skeleton was slow to react as he fell backwards into the darkness.
Crashing into icy cold water, Sans was momentarily stunned as he began to sink into the depts. Fortunately, the depts weren't actually that deep. Back bumping into the rocky bottom, the skeleton's eye lights finally returned. What the hell just happened?!
Righting himself from underneath the water, Sans broke the icy surface and stood up. He was met with the darkest darkness he'd ever experienced. Had he gone blind? Lifting his hands up to his face, he was more than relieved to see the ghostly glow of his bones illuminated by his eye lights. He wasn't blind after all. It was just really freakin' dark. Where the hell was he?
Finally noticing her absence, a stab of dread shot straight through the skeleton as he spun around, the water splashing as he did. "Frisk?!"
Voice echoing loudly in the pitch blackness, Sans felt his nerves rise even more when he received nothing but an all consuming silence. Where was she? Had something happened to her? "Frisk, where are you!"
In the back of his mind, he knew that she couldn't answer him, but that didn't seem to matter to Sans right now as he continued to call out. Had she fallen too? If she had, was she under the water somewhere? Quickly turning around again, he tried in vain to pierce through the darkness as he searched for the missing human.
Feeling the panic sink deep into his bones, Sans was startled when a familiar sound broke the silence. Someone was crying. And it wasn't just anyone either. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.
It was Fearia's.
"kid?" Turning towards the noise, Sans finally caught sight of something hidden within the darkness. From not too far off, the faintest of lights could be seen. It was so dim, he had probably missed it by accident.
Understanding finally dawned on Sans as he scanned the area once again. He couldn't quite explain it, but somehow he, or rather, his consciousness, had ended up inside Fearia's Soul. If he were to take a guess, it more than likely had happened during that burst of magic. This was bad. He shouldn't be here, but how the hell was he supposed to get out? How could he get out? He had absolutely no clue.
"Fri- hic -sk..."
The broken sobs were enough to push Sans' immediate concerns aside as his gaze was drawn back to the light. He'd figure a way out later, because right now, all of his instincts were telling him to go to the kid. She sounded beyond miserable and everything in him wanted to fix that somehow.
Wading through the waist deep water, the skeleton slowly began to make his way towards the dim light. As he got closer, however, that's when he started to hear them. Quiet, disembodied whispers. They sounded like they were coming from everywhere. Some were far off, but others seemed so close, almost as if the speaker had been standing right next to him.
"Pathetic..." A women's voice said from somewhere high above.
Looking up, Sans gave a slight frown before hearing another voice from far behind him.
"It's just a filthy abomination... get rid of it!"
"Why does the Chief keep it around?" A man's voice asked from up ahead. "Isn't it too dangerous? He should just lock it up."
"You should have never been born." Said the voice of an elderly woman from below the water.
"Abomination! Abomination!" A little girl sang with cruel laughter as her disembodied voice quickly raced past Sans as if she were running from something.
From his other side, another voice hastily followed. "Hey wait up!" Said a young boy as he called out to the girl in a loud whisper. "You're going to get into trouble!"
Completely startled by this, Sans came to an abrupt stop, the water rippling around him. He knew none of this was real, but it was becoming harder to convince himself of this fact as the hateful voices began to grow in number.
"You're nothing but a monster..." Whispered a female's voice mere inches from his skull.
Feeling his metaphorical skin crawl from the unexpected close proximity of those words, Sans spun around in alarm. It wasn't real. He knew this! But, damn if he wasn't unsettled by it.
Coming from directly behind him once more, the contemptuous voice continued. "You know I'm right... Frisk is better off without you. So, why don't you do us all a favor and just die already?"
Looking over his shoulder, Sans glowered into the darkness. Even though he knew none of those words were meant for him, he still couldn't help but take them personally. Had someone really said all these awful things to Fearia? Were these her memories from her life up on the Surface? Truthfully, he didn't know what they meant by 'abomination', but that didn't even matter. Nobody should have ever treated her this way.
More than a little pissed now, Sans ignored the voices as he continued towards the weak beam of light. Once he was close enough to actually see the kid, the water began to get more shallow until it was only up to his ankle bones. Dripping wet, the skeleton stepped foot onto the tiny island scattered with dead and blackened flowers.
Curled up in a fetal position, Fearia's small hands were raised as she covered her ears. Laying on one wing, her other wing was draped lifelessly over the lower portion of her naked body, the feathers now mostly stained black. No longer crying, only small despondent whimpers could be heard from the defeated child.
The sight was utterly heart-wrenching. To think, this was where Fearia's consciousness had been for the past week - trapped inside her own personal hell.
"kid?" Sans said quietly as he knelt down beside her. Reaching down, he placed a gentle hand to her bare shoulder. Not getting even the slightest reaction from the little girl, he felt his worries grow. "fearia." he tried again, giving her a small shake. Nothing. It was like she wasn't even acknowledging his presence.
With a nearly inaudible sigh, Sans lowered himself down to his patella's before reaching out with both hands. Carefully moving the blackened wing aside, he gently scooped the small child up from the damp ground and brought her to his sternum. Supporting her weight with one arm, he raised his other hand up and placed it lightly to her back between her drooping wings. She sagged there limply for a few seconds, before finally lowering her hands. Blindly feeling around, her tiny fingers eventually curled into the worn fabric of his baggy shirt before she proceeded to hide her face as best she could.
Tilting his skull, Sans peered down at the small child as his mood darkened even further. She was completely traumatized and he couldn't help but feel that this was largely by his own doing. If he had only gotten her away from that damn flower when he had had the chance, then none of this would have ever happened. She would still be okay - still be her normal bratty self. Now though, he wasn't sure if she could ever go back to that. How could she just bounce back from something like this?
The truth was, she couldn't, and he knew that. Even if he got this damaged Soul back to her body, she would still be haunted by this event. This was a wound that would likely take years to heal - if it even could. And if somehow she did manage to overcome this, she would still carry the mental scars.
Deep down, Sans knew that the kid's Soul wouldn't be the same when he found it. Not after what had happened. But, to be faced with the sheer extent of the damage - he honestly hadn't been prepared for it. He wanted to be angry, and he was, but more than anything, he just felt despair.
This was all his fault...
Lowering himself to the damp ground, the forlorn skeleton sat down amongst the dead flowers. Cradling the broken child to his chest, he held her close while gently rubbing her back. In truth, he didn't know what else to do. All around them, the voices were still whispering their hateful messages. If only there was a way to shup them up. What the kid really needed right now was some peace and quiet, but it didn't sound like that was gonna be happening any time soon. Still, there must be something he could do...
Chilled to the bone and mind fogged by mental anguish, it took Fearia a few minutes to finally register the new sound. Hidden like an undertone amongst the scornful voices, she could distinctly hear a gentle humming coming from somewhere close by. The tune was so very familiar, yet slightly different. At times, it almost sounded like the same melody that she had known all of her life. If there were ever words to that song, though, they had always eluded her for some reason. Even so, like a lullaby, the quiet humming gradually began to soothe her tormented Soul.
Eye lights still resting solemnly on the small child, Sans was slightly surprised when she shifted her weight a little to snuggle closer to him. Her blackened wings, that had hung there like cold dead appendages, lifted slightly with her movement. Turning her head, the little girl rested her cheek against his sternum as if to hear him better.
The reaction, although very slight, was enough to bring a small smile back to Sans' face as he continued humming. heh, guess she likes this song. That was good, because he didn't know very many. This was the same melody he always used when Papyrus was sad or scared back when they were growing up. Truthfully, though, he couldn't quite remember where the tune had come from - just that it had always been there, in the back of his mind.
It was subtle at first, but as the minutes ticked by, Sans began to notice that the voices that had seemed so loud and angry before had started to become quieter. After only a couple more short minutes, they had tapered off almost completely, till the whispers were finally low enough that they could be easily ignored. Rushing in to fill the absence, an eerie silence surrounded them in the gloomy darkness.
When the humming finally came to an end, Fearia gave a small frown of disappointment. Even if it wasn't quite right, she still wasn't ready for him to stop yet... Curling her fingers back into her friend's shirt, she gave a weak tug of annoyance as she mumbled out her complaints. "Why'd you stop...?"
Hearing the little girl's voice, Sans felt a flicker of hope stir inside of him as he reached up and gently brushed some of the messy hair out of her face. "i can keep going if ya want. just say the word."
Making a small noise of consideration, Fearia finally tilted her head to peer up at her friend. "Okay, but... You're doing it wrong..." she said with a small pout. "That's not how it goes..."
"uh, no..." Sans replied, his grin turning slightly passive-aggressive. "i know that song by heart, kid. that's exactly how it goes."
"Nuh huh." Fearia argued back, her brow creasing with mild frustration. "You're messing up the middle. It goes like this."
Sans listened patiently as the small child hummed out the obviously incorrect version of the song. When she was done, a lazy smile appeared on his skull as he gave a slight shrug of indifference. "eh, you can be wrong if ya want to, squirt. it's no skin off my teeth."
"I'm not wrong!" Fearia shot back testily.
"heh."
A moment of companionable silence passed between them before the small child took on a more somber tone. "Sans..." she asked as she studied his skull. "Are you really here...? Or... are you just in my head..."
Smile dimming slightly, Sans stared back quietly before his eye lights drifted away. "uh... that's... a tricky question. let's just say that i am here."
"You are...? Really?" Hope filled Fearia's voice as she sat up a little straighter, her wings lifting a tiny bit as she did. Placing her small hands flat against his sternum, the desperation was clear in her simple request. "Then, can we go home now? Please? I really, really wanna go back home now."
"i know you do, kid, and i'm working on it." Sans acknowledged as he lifted his eye lights for a moment to peer out into the nothingness that surrounded them. Now that Fearia was feeling a bit better, the predicament he was in came back to greet him. How the hell was he going to get out of here? As far as he could see, there were no obvious exits. Well, except...
Looking up, Sans observed the large hole in the ceiling far above them. A soft beam of light was streaming out of it, illuminating them with what he could only assume was daylight. Actual daylight. At least from how the kid remembered it.
This whole place, he theorized, was more than likely a subconscious conjuring of her own Soul. The darkness, the water, even the voices. Everything. Poor kid, she must have been so scared that all of her worst fears started to compile on top of each other until all that she was left with was... this.
A void where only her fears resided.
But... This could also work to their advantage. If she could control the environment they were currently in, then she could also change it for the better. He couldn't come right out and ask her to change it though. Explaining to the small child that she was just a Soul right now probably wouldn't be the best idea. She was already overwhelmed, and he wasn't going to add to that stress. There must be some other way he could coax her into changing things without actually being direct about it.
Hmm...
Looking back up to the hole in the ceiling, a thought came to Sans and with it a slight smile. "hey, is that the surface up there?"
Following her friend's gaze, Fearia peered up as well. "Uh huh.." she confirmed with slight uncertainty. "I mean, I think it is anyway."
"if it is, then that must be sunlight..." Sans commented casually. "huh, i always thought it'd be brighter. guess it wasn't all it was hyped up to be."
"It is bright!" Fearia shot back, defending the astral body's brightness and honor. "Sometimes it's so bright, it's blinding!"
And, just like that, the dim light that was shining down on them gradually started to become brighter.
So, he was right. Everything in this place was controlled by Fearia's subconscious will. This was good. Now, if only he could somehow get her to change the scenery - maybe think of an exit.
Averting his eye lights away from the intensity of the reimagined sun, Sans gave a lazy smile as he looked back to the little girl. What he saw, though, was enough to make that smile falter a fraction. Fearia's blackened wings were smoldering as plumes of flickering sparks swirled into the air above her. He'd seen this before countless times. It was the same reaction that the vines had to Frisk's Sunstone.
Did... Did Fearia have The Bane?
Unaware of the skeleton's worries, Fearia's amber eyes slid closed as she unconsciously soaked in the warmth of the sunlight. She had been so cold for so long... So alone and scared and miserable, too. But now... it felt like all of those discomforts were simply melting away. She felt lighter, as if a heavy burden had at last been lifted from off of her small shoulders. Finally able to move her wings freely, Fearia unfurled them in the warm glow of the sun.
Quietly, Sans watched in mild disbelief as the little girl's tainted wings smoldered for a few seconds before gradually shedding their darkness in order to make room for brand new pristine white feathers. It was really a sight to behold. If the kid really did have The Bane, then she was somehow beating it all on her own. Honestly, though, Sans had no idea how she was doing it. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was just a Soul and that this wasn't her physical body. Whatever the reason, he was truly relieved to see the darkness fading away.
Not long after the process had begun, Fearia's wings had miraculously been restored to their original state. Soft, fluffy looking white wings, with an overabundance of downy feathers reflecting her young age. Above her head, the halo that had been missing, was now glimmering brightly as it hovered in place once more. And lastly, her complexion which had been so pale and sickly before, was now flushed with a healthy amount of color.
As if she had come straight from out of a storybook, Sans was once again struck with awe as he stared down at the bona fide angel he now held in his arms. It was hard to believe, really, that just a little while ago she had been in such a horrible state. Truly, the transformation from the cold, bedraggled child that he had found curled up on the damp ground to this ethereal being was in no small way, incredible. To think, all she had needed was just a little more light. How tragic it was that even her memories of the sun had been swallowed up by her own loneliness and despair.
Slowly opening her golden eyes, Fearia took a moment to stare up at the reimagined sunlight before turning her gaze to her friend. For some reason, the skeleton looked slightly sad as he peered down at her. Was he upset about something? Feeling a tug of worry, the little girl frowned. "Are you okay?"
Banishing those dark thoughts to the back of his skull, Sans plastered his usual grin back in place before giving a lackluster shrug. "eh, i've been better, kid." he answered honestly as his eye lights drifted off to the side. "patella the truth, it's been-"
Sentence trailing off prematurely, the skeleton's eye sockets widened a fraction as he stared out at their new surroundings. Somehow, without him even noticing, every last drop of that dark frigid water had mysteriously disappeared. In its place, soft patches of green moss now dotted the sunlit room. That wasn't even the strangest part, though. The dark area that had seemed like a vast expanse of nothingness had been drastically reduced to only a small room with cracked and mossy walls.
Cocking her head to the side, Fearia furrowed her brow at the strange acting skeleton before following his gaze. Instantly recognizing their new surroundings, the little girl's eyes lit up as she let out a gasp. "I know where we are!" She exclaimed excitedly as she looked around. "We're in the Ruins! This... This is where I met Mom. I've been here before, Sans." she revealed as she turned to look back up at her friend, her eyes now filled with renewed hope. "I know how to get back home now."
Slipping out of her friend's loose hold, Fearia hopped down into the bed of golden flowers. It really was the same room! Barely able to contain her excitement, the little girl beamed up at the dumbfounded skeleton before reaching out to take hold of one of his boney hands. "Come on, Sans, I'll show you!" She urged as she gave him a small tug.
Mind still trying to process the sudden change in scenery, Sans unconsciously tilted his skull to look back up at the hole directly overhead. For some reason, it seemed a lot closer now and he could distinctly hear the chirping of birds as the sunlight streamed down on them in slowly flowing beams. This place felt so much more real than the nightmare they had just been in a moment ago - so real that he had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't.
Bringing him out of his thoughts, Sans felt another tug on his hand, stronger and more insistent this time. Amused, he turned his attention back to the impatient little cherub as she attempted in futility to move him. "you know the way home, huh?" he asked, for the most part simply to humor her. He didn't know how much deeper this rabbit hole of hers went, but he'd be willing to bet that she instinctively knew the way out. So, for now, all he could really do was play along. "alright, kiddo, lead the way."
When her lazy friend had finally gotten back to his feet, Fearia took hold of his boney hand once again. "It's this way. Come on!" She said as she pulled him down a lightly shaded hallway. They were finally going to go home! The little girl was so excited, so overjoyed, she felt as if she could run the whole way there without stopping even once. The levity she was feeling, however, was short lived when they came upon a large stone door blocking their exit.
"This... wasn't here before..." Fearia said as she stared up at the tall ornately carved obstruction. "What do we do now, Sans?"
"Sans...?" Not getting an immediate reply, the small child frowned slightly as she turned to peer up at her skeletal friend. What she saw was enough to make her own already frazzled nerves flare a little more. Expression devoid of his normal smile, he looked beyond worried as he stared at the door. No... It was more like he was staring through the door somehow, and what he was seeing on the other side was enough to cause him great concern.
Feeling his metaphorical skin crawl, Sans stared at the scene through the shimmering doorway and into the shadowy room crawling with blackened vines. Thousands of multicolored lights flickered around the area, illuminating everything in a ghostly ambiance. And at the very center of it all, a weak pulse of bright light could be seen as it struggled to fend off the darkness.
Oh god... Frisk. He'd left her to fend for herself in that horrible place, and from the looks of it, she didn't have much time left. He had to go to her - right now. Placing his hand to the barrier of golden light, Sans felt a bit of resistance before he was easily able to push though.
"Wait!" Fearia cried out in panic as she tightened her hold on her friend's hand. Despite the fact that they were standing in front of a solid door, Sans looked like he was about to walk straight through it, and the very thought of being left behind terrified her more than anything right now. "Where are you going?! Don't leave me here!"
Halting his actions, Sans felt torn as he brought his attention back to the scared little girl. Fearia's fragile psyche was already stretched way too thin and leaving her alone again would probably cause even more damage. That was something he would definitely like to avoid if at all possible. Even so, he knew in his heart that he had to go. Staying here any longer, even just a little bit, would just prolong her suffering and undoubtedly put her older sister's life in jeopardy. He knew he couldn't stay.
Expression softening into a sad smile, Sans turned and crouched down in front of the trembling child. "fearia," he started gently as he addressed the little girl by name for once. "i know you don't wanna be alone again, but i'm gonna need you to be strong, okay?"
"noo..." Fearia objected as she shook her head, tears slowly beginning to leak from her eyes. "I don't wanna be strong... I don't wanna be all alone anymore... Don't leave me here... Sans, promise you won't leave me here?"
Sans could hear the defeated desperation in her voice as she clung to his hand. She already knew the answer but she just didn't want to accept it. Releasing a nearly inaudible sigh, Sans placed his free hand to the little girl's mess of auburn hair, avoiding the mysterious halo as he did. "listen, kid," he started, getting the tiny angel's attention. "i wanted to save this till later, but i got one heck of a surprise for ya."
"A surprise...? What is it?" Fearia asked as she wiped at her damp cheek with the back of her hand.
"this morning, when i was out looking for you, i met another human wandering around in the snow." Sans revealed, his smile brightening a bit at the memory. "she's kinda cute but not much of a talker. maybe you know her? she told me she was looking for her little sister."
Gasping, Fearia placed her hands to her mouth as she gaped up at her friend. "You met Frisk?! She's... She's here? In the Underground?" Eyes watering even more, the little girl flushed with emotion. "She came looking for me...?"
"yep." Sans nodded. "you got one hell of a big sis, kid. she loves you a lot."
"I... I wanna see her..." Fearia said, sniffling a little. "Can you take me to her, Sans?"
"that's just the thing." Sans replied, as he chose his words carefully. "she's in a bit of trouble right now and i need to go help her out. it's too dangerous for you to come along, so i want you to stay right here where it's safe. think you can handle being alone for just a little while longer?"
Lowering her hands, Fearia clasped them together in front of her bare chest before giving a hesitant nod. "Okay..."
Smiling, Sans brushed some of the messy hair away from the little girl's face then leaned down and gently pressed his teeth to her forehead. He still didn't quite understand this gesture very well, but it seemed like the appropriate time to use it.
Wrapping her arms around the skeleton's cervical spine, Fearia embraced him lovingly for a moment before letting him go. "Don't let anything bad happen to my sister. Keep Frisk safe, okay, Sans?"
"you have my word, kiddo." Sans vowed. "i'll protect her with my life."
Getting back to his feet, Sans gave the little girl one last smile before turning back to the shimmering wall of magic. Steeling himself, he pressed through the Soul's barrier and into the darkness. Instantly, he felt a wave of dizziness hit him as the ground beneath his feet fell away. Closing his eye sockets, Sans allowed the gravity to take hold of him as he endured the disorienting transition back into reality.
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This took me a whole month to write, lol
...
In the next chapter, Frisk shows off her fiery determination.
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Thanks for reading!
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Sheii Bae~
