:):
Thank you for the awesome reviews!
...
I'll be honest, I've been feeling a little down lately. Summertime blues and what-not.
Winter can't come soon enough IMO.
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The Jaws of Retribution
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Golden Soul in hand, Sans appeared in the exact same spot where Frisk had last been standing. A cool beam of ghostly light seemed to illuminate his bones from overhead as he stared into the darkness. Without her Sunstone, he honestly had no idea where she was right now. She could be anywhere, and it wasn't like calling out to her would do any good.
With a worried scowl firmly set in his features, Sans carefully scanned the large area now scattered with random pools of pale light. Only vaguely registering the change in scenery, his focus was only on one thing. Finding Frisk. It didn't matter how he did it, he just needed to find her - and find her fast.
But how?
Giving off a pulse of nervous energy, Fearia's Soul flickered above her friend's hand almost like it understood how grave the situation was. And, maybe it did. Sparing the glittering heart a quick sympathetic glance, Sans nearly missed it when something flickered back in the darkness. Catching the weak pulse in his peripheral, the skeleton's eye sockets widened as he refocused his attention.
There! Off in the distance and moving fast, Sans could distinctly see a ruby red glow. That was Frisk. It just had to be!
Blinking out of existence, Sans quickly reappeared in another pool of pale light before repeating the act again and again in rapid succession. Catching up in record time, the Royal Judge felt his anger flare when he spotted the grotesque amalgamation's battered form half hidden in the gloom. Its cracked monitor flickered with static as its unhinged jaws opened wide revealing its second set deep within. The sharp teeth gnashed together madly in mindless anticipation as the vines reeled in their catch.
As if sharing her friend's mutual feelings of disgust and outrage by what was about to happen, Fearia's golden Soul swirled with magic as the angry skeleton lifted his other hand in preparation for a counterattack. Inadvertently drawing in the kid's power, Sans felt a rush of energy flow into him as he attempted to summon a blaster. What actually appeared, though, was not what he had intended at all.
Emerging from out of the realm of nonexistence, what was supposed to be a blaster, turned out to be so much more. Instead of just a skull, the entire skeleton had come along for the ride - and it was enormous. With its spinous processes elongated into spikes down its back, and two horn-like protrusions jutting out of the back of its skull on both sides, this blaster, or whatever it was, suspiciously looked a lot less canine than it was supposed to.
Eye lights glowing with golden energy, the skeletal beast made a deep indecipherable growl as it descended to the ground. Once its sharp phalanges touched the cold stone, the large canine dug them in forcibly before launching itself forward with such speed, a violent gust of wind was left in its wake. Acting solely on impulse, the blaster had somehow forgotten to wait for its master's orders.
Holding back a string of curses, Sans quickly summoned a dozen regular blasters as well, this time consciously cutting himself off from the flow of human magic. He had absolutely no idea what the hell he had just created, but he knew that he couldn't fully trust it. That thing was freakin' powerful, and he could only hope that, whatever it was, it didn't end up making an already terrible situation worse.
*BoooM!*
"son of a-!"
Drowning out the skeleton's profanity, another loud explosion shook the large cavern, sending a multitude of loose rocks falling from above. Narrowly dodging out of the way of a small but deadly portion of the broken ceiling, Sans teleported himself to the scene of the newest disaster. This time, one of his very own making.
Still burning with blue flames, a deep diagonal line had been seared across the mossy ground leaving behind an obvious indent in the stone. Although it initially seemed like a random misfire with no particular target, the reason as of why became clear to Sans when he spotted the thorny green vine. Flailing around erratically, the long tendril had been easily severed in two by the blast.
Consumed by worry and plagued with grim possibilities, Sans turned around and hastily scanned the immediate area for the silent human. She had to be here somewhere, so where was she? Thankfully, before his nerves could fray any further, he easily spotted a dim red glow hidden within a tangle of semi-blackened vines. Blinking out of existence, the frantic skeleton instantly reappeared beside the clump of weeds.
Dropping down to his patella's, Sans quickly began to pull the limp vines off of the injured human. Tossing them aside like scraps of refuse, he tried to ignore the fact that his hands were becoming stained with an inky black substance. He'd worry about that later, because right now, all he wanted was to know that she was still alive.
Finally, after what felt like the longest minute ever, Sans was able to free the mute girl from her thorny cocoon. Trying desperately not to think about how much blood he was seeing, he carefully lifted her fragile body up and cradled her gently in his arms. Releasing a slow, shaky breath, the relieved skeleton felt some of the tension leave his bones as he held her a bit closer.
She was still here - still alive.
With her eyes closed and her cheek resting lightly against his jacket, Frisk was completely unconscious. Considering how injured she was, though, that was probably a good thing. At least she hadn't dusted. Yet. He needed to get her to a healing star fast or else it might end up being too late.
Hearing a horrific, high-pitched shriek, the startled skeleton flinched before turning around. Eye sockets widening slightly, Sans witnessed something so disturbing and gruesome, that it could have easily been a scene from out of a horror movie. Or perhaps a nightmare.
Paying no heed to the vines frantically trying to ensnare it, the giant skeletal beast had its claw-like phalanges dug deep into blackened flesh as its jaws clamped tightly down onto the flickering monitor. Sinking its sharp teeth into fractured glass, the large canine then began to violently thrash its head back and forth until an audible ripping of flesh and metal could be heard. Screaming in pain, the grotesque amalgamation flailed wildly as it was thoroughly mauled in a most brutal and animalistic fashion.
Cringing, Sans turned away. He didn't need to hang around to see how this fight was going to end. It was obvious. As much as he hated that weed, even he had to admit that this was a pretty awful way to go. It wasn't like he felt sorry for him, though. No way. For all of the pain and suffering Flowey had caused, he deserved all this and more.
Karmic retribution at its finest.
Leaving the foul weed to his rightful punishment, the Royal Judge adjusted his hold on the injured human before carefully wrapping his cool magic around the kid's golden Soul once more. Making sure that he had a secure hold on both of them, Sans finally teleported them the hell out of this nightmare once and for all.
...
Appearing in the snowy wilderness, Sans had to squint his eye sockets partially closed as the light of the Core threatened to blind him. After being in the darkness for so long, he really had to struggle to readjust his vision to the normal artificial light of the Underground. Feeling a painful throb reignite from deep within his damaged skull, the skeleton winced as he forced an eye socket open. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. Frisk desperately needed to be healed as soon as possible.
Teleporting them directly to the nearest healing star, Sans was more than relieved when a bright burst of light quite literally exploded upon their sudden arrival. Good thing he had remembered where it was hiding this time. Right now, every second counted.
Stepping into the star's brilliance, Sans knelt down and carefully laid the wounded human out on the freshly fallen snow beneath it. In the back of his mind, he knew that allowing her to become cold like this was probably not the best thing for her health, but he wanted to make it as easy as he could for the star to work its magic. To his relief, the healing star wasted no time at all as its golden tendrils swiftly descended down to assess the girl's various injuries.
Kneeling beside Frisk, Sans felt his nonexistent stomach turn a little as he surveyed the damage. It was only now, in the light of day, could he see how truly hurt she was. Scratches and deep puncture wounds were scattered across her body, more than likely a direct result of being ensnared by those thorny vines, and her once clean clothing had become torn and stained with blood. Honestly, she was a real mess right now, but all of these injuries seemed to pale in comparison when he noticed the dark bruise around her neck.
Feeling his mood darken, Sans quietly glowered down at the ring of nasty puncture wounds. Resurfacing like a bad dream, an unbidden image of Fearia's bruised neck flashed in his mind momentarily before he quickly banished it. As much as he hated to relive the memory, he had to admit that those marks looked hauntingly familiar.
That bastard... It was all too obvious. Flowey had tried to strangle Frisk.
A wave of guilt washed over the forlorn skeleton as he subconsciously watched the silent girl's wounds begin to slowly heal. This was all his fault. If he'd only been there, he could have protected her from all this. He should have never left her alone like he had.
Rationally, though, Sans knew that he really had very little control over how things had played out. It had been completely out of his hands. Regardless... that knowledge didn't seem to make him feel any better. No.. He still felt a deep, undeniable shame for what had happened.
Lost in his own self-deprecating thoughts, the brooding skeleton's eye lights were drawn to the silent human's glittering Soul as it pulsed weakly within her chest. Notably dulled, the ruby heart had lost quite a lot of its brilliance as the last dredges of magic swirled sedately at its core. That looked eerily dangerous. What would have happened if Frisk had used up all of her magic? He didn't know, but the thought made him nervous. Would she have dusted?
Truthfully, Sans still wasn't an expert on humans, much less magical humans, but if they were anything like monsters, then her magic should return on its own in time. Hopefully after she had a good night's sleep. Once they were back home, he'd let her sleep for as long as she needed.
As the dark bruises on her neck gradually began to disappear, Sans spotted something worrying. A suspicious black smudge had been hidden underneath the damage. Now, contrasted starkly with her pale complexion, the stain was all too apparent. Was that...?
Feeling his worries intensify, the concerned monster unconsciously reached out towards the odd mark on her freshly healed skin. When he caught sight of his own hand, however, he froze as his eye sockets widened slightly in shock. His phalanges, along with his metacarpals, were also stained with the inky black substance.
Were... were they both infected with The Bane?
The very thought was enough to make his metaphorical skin crawl.
Brining his hand up to his skull, he thoroughly investigated the dark smudges staining his bones. He couldn't feel anything unusual, and they weren't moving or spreading like the first time he had seen the infection. Instead, his hand just looked a little... sticky?
huh.
Without giving it much thought, Sans buried his hand beneath the freshly fallen snow. After swishing it around for a few seconds, he then lifted it back out and shook the powdery substance off. Raising his hand back up so that he could view it, Sans was relieved to find that much of the black gunk had been washed away.
It was just sap. Flowey's Sap.
...gross
Reaching down, Sans slid a cold thumb phalanx over the dark stain on Frisk's neck. It took a few swipes, but he finally got it cleaned off. Good riddance. Call him paranoid, but he didn't want anything even remotely resembling The Bane on her. And especially not anything from that foul weed...
Leaving the star to its task, Sans turned his attention to the golden heart that was now hovering calmly above his left hand. For once, it would seem that the kid wasn't trying to rush things. Maybe, on some level at least, her Soul understood the importance of being patient during this delicate healing process. It wasn't like they could make the star go any faster. Still... The urgency to get the kid's Soul back into her body was ever-present in the back of his skull.
"hold on a bit longer, okay, kiddo?" Sans said as he spared the heart a reassuring smile. "five more minutes, tops. then i'll getcha both back home."
Flickering in apparent understanding, Fearia's Soul seemed to glow a bit brighter at his words.
Turning his attention back to the kid's older sister, Sans was pleased to find that the star had finished with all of her visible injuries and was now attempting to access the ones that she was currently laying on. Even though he had yet to see how bad her back was, he already knew that it wasn't going to be a pretty sight. That awful image of fire raging across her skin had unfortunately been forever seared into the back of his skull.
He'd need both hands for this.
After giving the kid's Soul a hesitant glance, the skeleton let out a small sigh. He didn't want to, but it looked like he'd have to risk it. "i'm gonna let'cha go for a minute." Sans said as he reluctantly released his hold on the glimmering heart. "don't wander off on me, alright, kid?"
Almost as if in a deliberate attempt to be contrary, the golden Soul did exactly that. Drifting away from the skeleton, the floating heart went to mingle with the healing star. Flickering with an overabundance of magic, it waited as patiently as it could inside the semi-transparent star-like object.
Rolling his eye lights a little at the kid's predictable behavior, Sans tried not to worry too much as he refocused his attention on Frisk. Using both hands, he gently slid one under her knees and the other beneath her shoulders before carefully lifting the deceptively light human up and away from the snowy ground. Getting back to his feet, Sans leaned the girl's soft front against his sternum as he supported her weight from below.
With Frisk's back now facing the star, he waited patiently as the glowing strands reached out towards her injuries. Resting his jawbone lightly on the mute girl's shoulder, Sans was finally able to get a good look at the damage. Her silky banded tunic had been burnt halfway up her back, leaving the nasty burns on her pale skin easily visible for him to see. Truthfully, it wasn't as bad as he had imagined. But it was still bad.
Starting low at her side, the enflamed skin seemed to wrap around her back before surging upwards. It still wasn't quite clear what had caused the fire, but thankfully, the healing star was having no problem in cleaning up the painful looking blisters and welts that had marred the girl's otherwise smooth skin. Slowly lessening to a mere rash, the burns gradually retreated down her back.
After only a couple of minutes, the burns had all but vanished. All, that is, except for one small area. Located on her lower left side. a perfect circle of raw flesh still remained. About four inches in diameter, the painful looking burn had been left completely untouched by the star.
"uh..."
Confused, Sans watched as the strings of light began to pull away one by one. After feeling around the raw area for a few more seconds, the very last of the star's healing tendrils retracted without doing any more. Then, just like that, the star faded back to a near invisible state.
What the hell? This was the first time he'd ever seen one of these stars do a half-ass job. With the kid's Soulless body, he could kind of understand a lack of motivation. But Frisk's Soul was perfectly intact. Did the dumb star just get tired or something?
Cursing under his nonexistent breath, Sans stared down at the angry burn for a moment before releasing a tired sigh. No use standing here waiting for something that wasn't gonna happen. He'd try again later. Maybe then the star might be more cooperative. Right now, though, he needed to get these two home.
"sorry, darlin'." Sans apologized as he carefully maneuvered Frisk's weight to his less dominant arm. "looks like i'll have to patch that up for you myself. maybe later we'll try a different star."
"alright, kiddo, you re-"
Lifting his gaze, Sans felt his nonexistent stomach drop for a fraction of a second when he didn't immediately see the golden heart. Before the panic could fully set in, however, the glittering little troublemaker appeared from overhead. Replacing choice words with a shaky breath, he reached up and quietly wrapped his cool magic around the wayward Soul.
Pulling it down gently, Sans gave the glowing heart a passive-aggressive grin for the unnecessary worry it had just caused him. "ya tryin' to give me a heart attack, kid?"
As if in direct response to his words, Fearia's golden Soul gave an energetic flicker.
Rolling his eye lights at that, Sans felt his smile soften in spite of his initial annoyance. "come on, squirt, let's get ya back into your body."
xxx
The next chapter is the start of the Healing Arc!
There won't be much action, but a ton of bonding.
Also, expect that time will move a bit faster too.
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In the next chapter, Fearia finally gets her Soul returned to her body!
xxx
Thanks for reading!
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Sheii Bae~
