I fell to my knees as I cried clinching my soul. Why...Why must love someone this much hurt so bad? My eyes widened as I felt a pair of arms wrap around me hugging me tightly.
"Sans, my child, whatever is the matter, dear?" I hear the Queen ask me, worry evident in her tone as she comforted me.
I said nothing, just letting my tears pour onto my knees, sobbing for a while until I could finally calm down. When I felt good enough I looked at her and just gave her the best fake smile I could muster.
"My apologies your majesty, I didn't mean to wake you up. I-I'm alright now but I probably look like a mess don't I?" I lied, trying to throw in a chuckle, and failing.
Her worry clouds her eyes as she looks at me. Ever since my mom died, the King and Queen raised me like I was their son. It's likely why she always calls me "her child."
"I know that you're lying Sans. You haven't cried like that since you were a small boy. What's the matter, dear?" She asked as she sat down next to me. The corners of my mouth perk up slightly in the bittersweet realization I can't hide anything from her. Which leaves me with no choice but to tell her. It's her daughter I'm in love with after all.
Of course, leaving out the parts about that weed and Frisk's wish, I did my best to tell her why I was crying. But I did tell her everything about how I don't sleep very well at night because I would sense that Frisk would and is still waking up to nightmares now and then.
The last thing I told her about was how she feels like she's a burden to me.
"But she isn't and she never will be a burden to me. She's my best friend and like the little sister, I never had... It's taken me a long time to finally understand these feelings I've had towards her over the years and I don't care if she hates me now… But I've been falling in love with Princess Frisk. Not only that but I've been falling for her so hard for so long and not even know it until now That it hurts because I know that she would never want to be with someone like me... Especially as I am now," I feel like I'm laying my soul bare before her.
She looks at me and smiled. "I've always known that you two were meant for each other since the very beginning... You were always the one she followed around ever since she could walk." She paused as if choosing her words, "But I know for a fact that she doesn't hate you, quite the opposite. She's always loved you because you are her eldest brother to her. You took care of her the most out of the three of us and it was because of that that your name was her first word. And for every party or ball that Asgore and I have ever thrown whether it was their birthday or a simple get-together, she always asked only you to dance with her. She would even get jealous when she saw you dancing with other girls," a small chuckle escapes her mouth as her eyes cloud slightly with nostalgia.
"Wha-" I stutter, "R-Really? She got Jealous of me," I know my face must have the most obvious expression of disbelief, but I can't help it as I look at her.
"Of course she was, I could see it in her every action," She said as she gave a chuckle that was almost a giggle. I tried to return the laughter but found myself unable to give anything more than a halfhearted chuckle.
"But that was a long time ago, things change... feelings change," despite her comforting words, I can't bring myself to believe that Frisk could feel that way about me. She gently takes off my hood and kisses the side of my skull before she slowly stood up.
"For now try to get some rest, Sans. It's getting late and I'm sure you have to prepare for your graduation into the Knights soon, and you must be well-rested for that. We don't want you falling asleep then now do we," She smiles jokingly at me.
"Your right Your majesty. And thank you… for everything" I reply, finding myself smiling back.
"Not at all, Sans. After all, that's what 'Auntie Tori' is here for," She jokes. I feel a tinge of nostalgia, I haven't called her Auntie Tori since I was a kid. I used to call the king "Uncle Gorey" when I was little... I wonder if she misses it when I called her that.
"Good night your majesty," I said as I smiled and bowed at her.
"Good night, Sans," She leaves the room, shutting my door behind her. I hear her footsteps disappear down the hall, sighing before standing up. I move to look out my window, to the gardens. I can feel my left eye glowing brightly as I stared down at where the weed was in the garden. I know monsters like him and whether he tries to take the Princess's soul or not I will fight for her...
I. Will. Protect. Her.
The next morning I was walking in the garden, not wearing my armor nor wielding my sword like I normally would. But knowing something like the weed might attack, I can protect her with my magic alone.
He can't be that powerful. Can he? Doesn't matter. What does matter is protecting the princess with my life.
It was about thirty minutes before the princess was to meet him was when I walked up to the weed, but not getting too close to him as I stare at him coldly.
"So You're that Skeleton Squire from last night, aren't you? Every monster's talking about you and you're…" he struggles for the word, "Cursemates? How do you all turn into your parent monster forms at night? Don't even know who the hell cursed you?" He gave me a confused look.
"I know your kind, weed, and I won't allow you to take her soul for your gain," I said simply, refusing to acknowledge his questions.
"But whether she wants her to wish granted or not you can't choose for her," He smiled knowingly at me. My eye twitched involuntarily, he was right about that.
"Whether she wants it granted or not I will not allow you to take her soul as payment," I said.
"Shall I take yours instead, Smiley Trash bag?" He asks menacingly. I can feel my left eye start to glow.
"I don't think that would be a wise Idea, Bud. Now, it's not my job but I guess I'm gonna have to do some gardening around here, clear out some weeds," I smile. "Though that's gonna have to wait... what I want to know is how you know the Princess."
"Why do you wanna know, Smiley? It's none of your business," He scowled at me.
"As a Knight, it may not be, but as her older brother it is my business," I said.
"You are her brother? Seriously? You two look nothing alike," He laughed. I sat down in front of him.
"Nonetheless, it's still my business as her eldest, metaphorically speaking, brother to know how you know Princess Frisk," I said. He growls and crosses his leaves, looking off to the side.
He explains to me that he met her a couple of months ago. They got to know each other and became "Friends" So he says. He told me that he knows about the King and Queen's split, seeing that it's how they met the same night they separated. All she ever talked about to him was about her brother and me. It wasn't until a few weeks ago where he got the idea of granting wishes. He told her that whatever she wished for he would find a way to grant it in return for her giving him her soul. Judging by the sound of his voice he seems genuine not to mention a child no older than maybe eight or ten. He then proceeds to tell me that he knows a lot about me from what the Princess has told him. When he talked about me I got the feeling that he was hiding something from me but I wasn't gonna press him on the subject.
I asked him why when people get too close to them they get sick. He told me that he didn't want to get anyone sick but it was because of what type of plant monster he was. He may have looked like a Buttercup, but he was a poisonous type of flower commonly used to create poisons for humans and other monsters. His petals release the poisonous spore-like pollen into the winds for humans and monsters alike would catch it, an illness far worse than the common allergies, and if it wasn't caught in time then the human or monster would die within a few weeks. He told me that I had caught it in time and that the princess will only be sick for a couple of weeks like a normal bug. He apologized for his poisonous pollen getting her sick in the first place and that he warned her when they met. Was this weed trying to be completely genuine about what he was saying?
"One last thing though... there is a bigger, much stronger Poison Flower monster like me that comes to this garden... Rosus... He's the one you should watch out for… he's the one that wants the princess's Soul... So there you have it, Smiley. That's the whole story," He said facing the ground, his petals drooping.
"Although I appreciate you telling me all this, for the most part, you do seem genuine, and your warning for the other monster will be noted, but I can also sense that you are hiding more than you're telling. As I said before, whether she wants her to wish granted or not, I can not allow you to take her soul," I said.
"I know and to be honest I don't want to take her soul, but it was how I was raised… I had to learn to steal to survive, but I figured out another way to survive through trading, but no one will listen to me…" He trailed off.
I looked down in thought. I know I won't like it but maybe I can find some way to negotiate a deal with him. He is just a child after all. "I know both you and I won't like it, but Why don't we make a deal?" I asked.
"What are you getting at?" He asks me, suspicious.
"You said that you had to steal to survive right? That tells me you don't have a home or a family. Do you not?" I asked as I looked at him
"N-No I'm all alone... I know that there are more monsters like me out there but I don't inter-… I'm afraid of traveling to where they are. And if I did...I'm afraid they would not accept me because I like to trade instead of steal," He explained.
"If you would allow the royal scientists from the three Kingdoms to take some samples of your poisonous pollen, they can make a cure for the illness it causes. Then I will personally help try to find you a home to call your own, but It will take some time," I said. I could just see in his eyes that they were gleaming as he smiled widely.
"R-Really y-you mean it?" His voice stuttered with the hope I could see forming on his face.
I nodded my head yes. "But in the meantime, I'll need you to hide from all humans and monsters so that you won't get anyone else sick," I said.
A few seconds later I began to sense the princess was coming to the garden. "We'll have to talk about this later here comes the princess" I teleported behind the hedge again as I saw the princess walking towards Flowey. She looked as pale as a ghost and she looked like she hasn't slept much either, I think I was a little too hard on her last night. I see her sit down next to Flowey. It wasn't long after she sat down before she started coughing.
"Princess, I told you that my pollen is poisonous and you shouldn't get near me like this," He said worriedly.
"You're my friend, Flowey. I want to sit next to you," She said.
"If you're sure... Anyway, I've been thinking... I think you should wish for something else. Wishing for something like a bond as special as that to just disappear requires a lot of mind and memory manipulation magic and... a human-like you... I don't think you can handle such magic. Have you ever even asked him what he thinks about all this?" He explained to her.
"I've thought long and hard about what you said and what he said and-" I heard her begin to say before she started coughing again.
"P-Princess...You really shouldn't sit so close to me the longer you sit by me the longer this Illness will last" He said. She holds up her hand to him.
"I'm fine, Flowey, It's just a cough," She said. I know she's lying She was always bad at it.
"W-Well yeah for now it's a cough, but sooner or later you'll get a fever then you'll be bedridden with paralysis from the waist down, not only that but you'll be vomiting for a few days at least!" his worried tone bordering on frantic.
"HEY, WEEDLING, HAVE YOU GOTTEN THAT PRINCESS'S SOUL FOR ME YET!?" I hear a loud low voice coming from... the ground?
"O-oh no It's him... P-Princess you gotta hide quickly before he-" Flowey cuts himself off, using a pair of vines to push Frisk away before a large black flower monster appears behind him.
"Before he what, Weedling?" The Giant monster mockingly asks looking down at Flowey with sharp teeth bared and red eyes staring. Flowey was only about as big as the Echo flowers you'd find in the Waterfall Kingdom, but this flower monster was ginormous compared to him. This must be the Rosus Flowey warned me about. This giant black rose Monster is the one that wants the princess's Soul.
"Uhh H-Howdy R-Rosus I didn't know you'd be here so fast," He stuttered heavily under the gaze of the monster.
"I told you Pipsqueak that if I don't get the Princess's Soul by noon today I would turn your tiny weak petals to dust," He hisses as a large vine with red thorns appeared and attacked him. I used my magic to summon blue bones around Flowey like a cage before he got hit. "Bones?" he questioned. He smiled widely with his toothy grin. "Sooo, a Skeleton Monster has managed to find their way here." He pauses to address the entire garden, "you should leave this place, skeleton, this soul belongs to me!"
"Blue bones... that's Sans's Magic" The Princess mumbles, though loud enough for Rosus to hear.
"soo, 'Sans' is your name, skeleton a fitting name seeing is how your kind of monster can see the fonts of people's words," Rosus spoke as he looked around. The hell was he talking about? Seeing fonts? I saw that he was about to attack Frisk. My eyes widened as my eye started to glow and a cage of blue bones appeared around her as a dragon skull covered the top protecting her from his thorny vine. He laughs. "A Gaster Blaster, huh? Well, you must be a powerful monster aren't you, Sans? Why don't you come out and show me what you're made of."
The hell is a Gaster Blaster? Was he talking about the Dragon skull that I summoned? The bones and the dragon skull disappear from around Frisk and Flowey. Flowey buried himself underground just before Rosus tried to attack Frisk again. I teleport to her, picked her up, then teleport again behind the hedge, setting Frisk down gently. Flowey reappears a few feet away from us but is still hidden from the giant monster.
I attacked Rosus with a barrage of bones, but he dodged every single one of them. I can only wonder how.
"Are you crazy, Sans, you can't fight him! He's too strong!" Flowey scolded me.
I turn to them and smiled. "Watch me," I said. I was about to get up to show myself but I felt a soft hand tightly grab mine. I turn to see the princess starring at me with tired worried eyes. I smiled and knelt to her. "Don't worry, princess, I'll be just fine, I promise." I kiss her forehead. "Stay here where it's safe, alright. We don't want our crowned princess to have her soul stolen now, do we?"
I turn to put my focus on Rosus when she catches me by surprise, hugging me. I looked at her then smiled once more and hugged her back.
"Be careful Sans" She whispers in my ear.
"I will... I gotta go now, It's a big brother's job to protect his little sister. while everyone else is away, remember?" I smile bittersweetly. I look over to Flowey. "Hey, Flowey, I ain't done talking to you yet, so stay here and keep an eye on the princess for me, will ya? I'll be back soon," I look at them both before teleporting and attacking from behind again, with another barrage of bones.
I kept my distance from him when I attacked. He's a powerful monster. Maybe powerful enough to be a Boss Monster like Undyne would be. I remember Sir Gerson telling me that my father was a Boss Skeleton monster, while my mother was of course human. I fought Rosus for what seemed like forever but in reality, only an hour had gone by. My magic was slowly draining and I know that he was as well. I was starting to sweat and pant. But, so far I haven't gotten a scratch on me, though the black rose was looking pretty beat up. "I haven't seen you use your Gaster Blaster, Sans? Could it be because you can't control it? Or could it be because you are much too weak to use it now?" He asks with a sneer in his voice. I look at him before teleporting behind him again summoning another bone barrage but he grabs me with one of his thorny vines. "Gotcha, boy" He smiled with his toothy grin, squeezing my body forcing some of the air out of me. "Any last words before I kill you?"
I didn't have enough magic to teleport again but I did have just enough magic left to use my one trump card. "J-Just one" I struggled out.
"Oh, and what's that?" He asks with sarcastic curiosity.
I stare him down as I smiled, my eye started to glow even brighter and a giant dragon skull appeared over me. "D-Die," I said before the it fired a bright laser at him. When the smoke cleared I saw that he was beginning to turn to dust.
"W-Why you…" He tries to sound scary but only sounds weak, "Heh... Defeated by a... P-pathetic half breed," He stutters out, before he threw me to the castle wall with the last of his strength.
I don't know how long I was out, but when I awoke I was in my bed. I struggled to sit up when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down as I saw a bandage covering my chest and stomach from the right shoulder down. I looked over to see the princess sleeping in a chair next to me as I heard her coughing. "You're finally awake!" I heard Flowey exclaim. I saw that he was sitting in a big flower pot across the room.
"H-How long was I out?" I asked.
"A week, you also caught the illness because of me... but thankfully you only got the cough and the fever it should be gone in another week. But for the princess... it's gonna take a couple of months for her to get completely better. Right now she has the same as you do plus paralysis," He continued. He looked off to the side in sadness. "She never left your side since you got out of surgery... She's been worried sick about you, literally," he adds on.
I look over at her and smile as I gently take her hand. "Stupid princess, I told you not to worry about me. I told you that I would be alright didn't I," I told her. I look back at Flowey, not letting go of Frisk's hand. "So I take it that Frisk put you in that pot"
"Y-yeah, you did say that you still had questions for me, didn't you?" He asked.
"I do, but we don't have to discuss them right away," I said.
"It's alright it's what I'm here for," He said.
"In that case, how much do you know about skeleton monsters," I ask.
"Well," he started and then paused, "Most skeleton monsters can use bone magic, but it's only the boss skeletons that could use the Gaster Blasters. But even they didn't use them unless except as a last resort. But I've only seen one skeleton monster that was able to use teleportation and Soul magic so it could be possible that you're related to him in some way?" He finished with the question.
"Who?" I asked.
"The King of the Waterfall Kingdom," He said. I looked at him and blinked… Then I just laughed.
"Of course I'm related to that old fart, I'm his eldest nephew. But he isn't a monster, he's a human" I laughed.
"No, Sans, not King Gaster... The King before him," He said.
"What do you mean, Flowey?" I asked.
"What I mean is... Is that there is no doubt in my mind that you are-" He began to say before I heard Sans coughing. I look down at her as I placed my hand on her head.
"S-Sans," She asked weakly as she looks up at me. I gave her a loving smile. But it quickly faded when I saw that she was trying to get up. I used my magic on her soul to keep her from falling then I lifted her and set her on the side of the bed. "You're awake"
"Of course I'm an awake, princess. I know I'm lazy sometimes but never this lazy," I attempt a joking tone. But she just looks at me with worry in her eyes, as tears formed in them. My soul ached seeing her like this. "We both look like shit, don't we?"
"You're one to talk, you stupid bonehead. Why would you fight a monster unarmed and without your armor, and a Boss monster at that. You could have gotten yourself killed," She starts out sounding angry but if fades as she starts to cry.
"Hey, I'm alright now, really. Besides you're the one that's in worse shape right now. Flowey told me about the it. Why did you stay with me even though you're so sick? You don't even have feeling in your legs right now" I asked as I gently took her hands.
"Because I was worried about you," She said.
"And I'm worried about you too. I guess I will admit that it was stupid of me not to wear my armor, even though it was my day off. But I'm okay now, really" I said as I smiled at her.
"Except you still have a week left of your illness to get through" I heard Flowey say.
"I-Illness.. you mean you inhaled some of Flowey's pollen?" She asked as she looked at me with wide and serious eyes.
"A little, but not nearly as much as you did, princess. I only have the cough and fever," I reassured her. There was silence for a few seconds before I sighed. "What only matters to me now is that you're safe and unharmed," I looked off to the side. My eyes widened when she hugged me that I fell on my back. I could hear her muffled crying on my bare skin.
"Stupid big brother, stupid, stupid big brother," the words come out as a torrent as she cried. I sat up and held her in my arms hugging her tightly.
"I'm guessing that even though I'm awake now, you still won't let me out of your sights. Am I right, princess?" I asked as I continued to hold her tightly. I take the long silence and the hugging me even tighter as confirmation.
I smiled as I start to hum a soft tune only familiar to her. As I was humming she started to calm down. "Feel better now?" I feel her nodding her head on my chest.
I used a little of my magic to lift her up and gently set her back in the chair next to my bed. I look at her as I smiled before I looked back at Flowey. He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, Sans. Your father… was the King of the Waterfall Kingdom before King Gaster... so technically… you are the rightful heir to the Waterfall Throne" He said.
I stared at him for a good minute before a busted a gut laughing again. I laughed so much that I about started coughing pretty badly into my arm. "That's hilarious, there's no way in hell I'm someone THAT important Because of my uncle being the King now I'm nothing but a duke at best and even then Dukes don't have that much authority, to begin with," I said as I laughed.
"Believe me or not it's true Sans," He said as he crossed his leaves. He glances over at the princess who surprisingly she wasn't laughing either. Was what Flowey saying true? Usually, when she laughs with me It was always about our jokes and puns towards each other.
"Are you alright, princess?" I asked as I looked at her Looking down in sadness.
She jumped before smiling cutely at me. "Y-Yeah I'm fin.e Th-That is hilarious isn't it," She said. Somehow that didn't sound too reassuring. I decided not to press the matter with her. Apparently, during the week I was sick, she never wanted to leave my side no matter how much her mother and Lady Muffet tried to get her out of my room.
Flowey assured them that he would keep an eye on me to make sure I didn't make any moves on her. I don't think the princess quite understood what Flowey meant by that but after he said that the queen left the princess and Flowey with me. I had a King size bed so it's not like we were sleeping so close to each other that we would even be able to touch each other at night. Right?
Once I was finally over my flu bug and I was officially graduated into the Royal Guard a week in a half later. My first assignment from the Queen was to stand guard outside the Princess's room for a few days. She had received a letter from an assassin that morning and showed it to me immediately. She requested that I was to stand guard to make sure no one would enter. And had asked me to check in on her once every hour to make sure she's safe. She also explained to me that Flowey would be in her room watching over her. I explained to her that that wasn't a good idea and that Flowey was still just a child. I also explained to her that I would be able to sense if something was wrong given the bond we share.
In the middle of the third night guarding her doors, I heard something from inside her room. I teleported in but stayed in the darkness, my black cloak hiding the white armor underneath. I see the princess sleeping soundly in her bed. My eyes widened as my soul skipped a beat when I saw that she was holding the wooden carving of her and her brother that I had given to her a couple of days before I was given this assignment.
She held it close to her as she slept. I was too scared to tell her that I was the one that made it for her. Instead, I told her that some other servant had made it for her as a get-well present. I mean that is true, I am a mere servant and I did make it for her as a get-well present. I shook my head then pull up my hood to hide my face.
I see a black figure enter the room from the window. Before they had a chance to head towards the princess I teleported in front of them. "Dontchya knows it's rude to enter a woman's chambers without her permission buddy," I said quietly but so menacingly that they jumped.
Now that I get a closer look at the figure in the moonlight they were a small skeleton monster wearing a sash with a rainbow of colors across their chest and on their back was a...giant paintbrush?... Now that I think about it. They appeared to look just like how I am now. "Awe darn I was hoping I wouldn't get caught in this AU Let alone by this AU's Sans," He said sadly. He sounded just like me as well. Who is this guy?
"Wh-Who...Who are you And how do you know my name" I asked. He turns around and smiles up at me.
"Wow, you're the second tallest Sans I've ever met You just might be slightly shorter than G!Sans The name's Ink!Sans but my friends call me Ink nice ta meet ya Sans" They said happily as they held out their hand. I look at them suspiciously before shaking their hand.
"What are you doing here...You don't seem like the guy to Assassinate anyone Let alone Princess Frisk" I said.
"Ah-So this is Your Frisk's room and she's the Princess in this Universe...But what are you doing in your Frisk's Room" He asked. I was taken aback by him calling the Princess 'My Frisk' MY FRISK!
"I-I'm the one who should be asking the questions here," I said. I looked around the room before shutting the window. The Princess is Safe...For now. I Grabbed his shoulder and teleported us just outside The Princess's Room. "Alright, kid Tell me Who are you And you'd better answer me before I call the Royal guards," I said as I stared at him with pitch-black eyesockets.
"I'm one of the Guardians of the Multiverse and the Leader of the Star Sanses I travel to Different AU's Protecting them from Evil foes who want to destroy them But enough about me What about you You look like you're a member of this AU's Royal Guard," He said as he walked around me as if Examining me.
"That's because I am I'm on the lookout for an Assassin that is trying to kill The Princess," I said.
"So Cool," He says excitedly as his eyes turned to Stars. That must be why he calls himself a...Star Sans as he said it.
"So How did you get here anyway...Ink, was it" I asked as I crossed my arms. He looks at me looking more Excited.
"That's my name, don't wear it out! I'm glad you asked nicely though," He replied, smile growing larger. "My real name is Sans, but with the whole infinite Sans thing, I go by Ink. By the way, you should have a nickname too! All Sanses have one it's how we can tell which Sans someone is talking about." He opens his mouth to say something else, before seeming to zone in on a spot on the wall opposite him. After half a minute, he snaps out of it and looks back at me, the smile returning. "What were we talking about again," He says to me, I've only been talking to him for a few minutes now, and already there seems to be quite a bit off with him.
"You were gonna tell me how you got here," I start, hoping to get him back on track sooner rather than later. "Oh yeah, so, there I was wandering through the Doodlesphere with Broomie by my side, that's my paintbrush right here," He takes it off his back to show me, and a drop of ink falls off the end, splattering on the floor, though he doesn't seem to notice. "I'm bored and looking around at all the au's to see if I can find anything interesting." He pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect, "When all of a sudden I see an Au with a compass on it with rain falling all around it, but the N the Compass looked weird, I don't remember how though..." He trails off before launching back into speech, "It looked interesting so I decided to check it out. When I first got here I landed in Waterfall, which is weird, cause I normally land in Snowdin. I start wandering around when I overhear someone saying something about Gaster being the King of Waterfall. Which made me want to stay, even more, there aren't that many AU's out there where Gaster is still around, much less a ruler. So I went through the code to investigate it and see something about Frisk having chronic nightmares of other universes, what does chronic even mean anyway? And that got me thinking how usually it's always the AU's Sans that has the nightmares. So I used Broomie to get here and talk to her about them and here we are. Tada!" He makes jazz hands at finally finishing his block of speech. I barely understand half of what he said, infinite Sans, doodlesphere? The only part that slightly interests me is the compass part, and I barely know why myself, what would it even mean anyway? I look back to Ink and see him fiddling with the bristles on his Broomie(?).
Running his words through my head again, I remember he mentioned Frisk's nightmares, "I know that the Princess would have nightmares pretty much every night and, she once told me that some of her nightmares were about me killing her... But I would never do that and I always told her that I could never do such a thing, mainly because she is the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of the Ruins" I state, looking at him, hopefully, this will give me a chance to get some information. As he thinks about my words, I add on quietly, "That's why I always used to sing her a lullaby to calm her down when we were kids."
Ink puts his hands to his face in excitement over the statement a large, mischievous grin filling his face, "So, this is one of those au's, is it?"
"What do you mean 'one of those au's?'" I look at him in confusion, "What even is an au, to begin with?"
Ink looks at me, as if in deep thought, before opening his mouth to speak, "Well, if you don't know yet, I probably shouldn't spoil it, the 4's wouldn't be too happy with me, as for your other question, and au is an alternate universe, and you know what, I think I'll call you Compass."
"What?" Is the only word that comes to mind, both for his answer and his nickname for me, where did that even come from?
Yup!" Ink replies cheerfully, too cheerfully for the current mood of the room, "Your au had a compass on it and I think it was called something like... Journeytale, I think it was?"
Journeytale, the words give me a sense of Deja-vu, a phrase I knew I had never heard, but resonated within me with a sense of belonging. I shook my head to clear the feeling away, I still had so much I didn't know yet and I would get those answers again. I faced him, and in a flat tone, demanded that he explained to me what au's were. He chuckled slightly at my frustration, a smile on his face, and launched into a long discussion, that honestly covered more than it needed to. After he finished, the room was silent for a bit as I thought through his words. I was beginning to understand what he meant by Alternate Universes. "Alright, so... Let's see if I got this right... My world is an Alternative Universe/AU. You are some sort of protector of the au's. There is a Sans for every AU... When one Sans meets another Sans from a different AU they use nicknames to distinguish each other. Am I getting this right?" I asked, not wanting to risk any miscommunications.
"Yup, that's about right. And Since your AU has a compass on it, I'm gonna call you Compass. So if you ever meet another Sans like Error, Abyss, or Dream you should introduce yourself as Compass... Though I hope you don't ever meet Error, I've just barely found this au and I want to explore it a bit before he tries to wreck it. There are also many good Sanses and many bad Sanses out there as well, I, myself, am part of the Star Sanses" He was playing with the bristles of his Broomie again as he spoke like it was a bore to tell me possibly life-saving information.
"Seeing as how you're a protector, or guardian, or whatever is there someone that destroys the au's as well?" I ask, turning to face him. "Yup, Error is the self-proclaimed Destroyer of the au's. It's my job to stop him from doing that. Like it's Dream's job to stop his brother Nightmare from creating more negativity." He was done fiddling with the bristles of his broomie and wiped the inky residue off his fingers on his pants. It's annoying to see him so casual about something that seems so important, but I'm guessing that those guys are Other Sanses I'll have to keep my eyes out for them assuming any of the notice the au to begin with. Going through the information in my head, I realize he didn't answer one of my questions. I need an answer to that question as my mind spins with what he could mean, only a few possibilities good. "What do you mean by 'that kind of au?'" I ask. "Alright, I'll answer that, but in order for me to not make the 4's mad at me. Let me ask you something, 'How do you truly feel about your Frisk?'" The question echoes through my skull, it was something I'd pondered a multitude of times, but never come to any definite conclusion on, the fact of how personal it is fills me with indignation, but I need to answer it to get my own, I didn't know much about this Ink, but I had no doubt he wouldn't tell me if I didn't answer him. I collect my thoughts before deciding to combat his question with one of my own, "You mean as a friend or as the Crowned Princess of this Kingdom?" He gives a dramatically exasperated sigh, "I mean do you like her as more than a friend..." His eyelights twinkle as the words enter his mind, "Do you like her as much as Asgore and Toriel like each other?" He gives me a mischievous look. Is he serious? First MT and his bunny friend bug me about this, now this idiot! I close my eye sockets and I take a deep breath, sighing as I put my face in my hand. "Since you've told me about the AU's it's only fair that I tell you what you want," I said sitting down on the ground beside the princess's door. I explained to him how I arrived at this Kingdom when I was very young, how Queen Toriel and King Asgore raised me after my mother passed. That the prince and princess were born when I turned four and the bond that I felt between myself and Frisk that day. I spoke about how I was the first person to hold her on the day she was born, how I acted with her towards the others. I also found myself even talking to him about my curse. "At first I thought that I was only being a protective big brother to the Prince and Princess... but I realize now that my feelings for her are something much more than a familiar bond. You understand what I'm getting?" I ask, looking at him. As I had spoken, he had moved around the room and was now sitting by me for the moment, staring at the Princess's Door. Ignoring his strange behaviors, I was getting used to them by now, I continued to tell him about how MT pointed out the fact that I was in love with the Princess, only to find out that she wanted to get rid of our bond. All because she thought that she was nothing but a burden to me when she wasn't and she never will be. Especially not to me, and to believe I thought she hated me...How did I even get to this point, he just asked me how I felt toward my Frisk, not for my life story, yet here I was, laying it all at his feet. I look back at Ink to see him look straight at me, his eye lights stars with a mischievous grin on his face. "So this really is one of those au's," He chuckles. His face switches to confusion after a second, "But what's this stuff about a curse on you, your Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and Prince Asriel?" He asks me. Now I looked at him in confusion. Prince Asriel? "Asriel isn't a prince, she's one of Gaster's Kitchen maids. As for the curse, my cousin Papyrus and I turn into these skeleton monsters at night, Lady Undyne becomes this walking land fish type creature, and Alphys into a reptilian monster." "You mean you aren't really a skeleton monster? But you're a Sans though?" He asks me, "I've been to some human au's, but not really anything like this before. Huh, the creativity of those 4's." "Well... I'm half skeleton monster, or so what people tell me... Apparently, my father was a Skeleton monster while my mother was human, which makes me half n' half. Though normally half breeds are born only with the monster's power. Not appearance... But there are some people out there who are unlucky enough to look like a monster but have a human soul." I looked at my hands as I spoke, "But as for me and my friends, once when the sun rises we are our normal human selves. The curse only works at night... which to be honest is a good thing." He looks at me with a curious face, his full attention on me, which is honestly a little unnerving after him paying so little attention before. "Cool! So your Papyrus is your cousin and not your brother, that is a huge change! And you say that Prince Asriel in this AU isn't a prince nor a guy! The code in this au is so weird! I can't wait to tell Dream and the others about this au, assuming I don't forget first... What's your au's history? Was there ever a Monster-Human war in this universe?" I look at him and chuckle. This Ink is by far the weirdest person I've ever met, but I will admit he's starting to grow on me a bit. "Yeah, we had a monster-human war... But that was over a thousand years ago. Monsters were sealed underground after losing the war but about three hundred years ago or so was when one of the prince and princess's Ancestors fell to the underground and freed everyone with his Determination. It was their Great Great Great Grandfather King Caleb, Who was only sixteen at the time... Since then, after a bit of settling in, of course, Monsters and humans have been coexisting together. Sometimes even going so far as to falling in love and creating half breeds like me." Again he looks at me with excitement and curiosity, his eye lights have yet to turn back from their star shape. Jeez, this kid is so easily amused.
"You must have a really creative Creator to change all this on their own. I know some Sans who can talk to the 4's but I've never found myself able to, with the exception of asks. If only could meet the Creators someday, maybe even mine" I hear him say before he looks down, but not in sadness, in frustration, his eyelights disappearing completely. He shakes his head then looks back at me, eyelights returned but no longer stars, and only a small smile, that seems forced, on his face. "Tell me, what is your Frisk like in this AU? Tell me about her," He looks at me, curiosity slightly returning, but voice softer than I had heard it in a while.
"When they were babies, I usually only sang to the prince, to get him to go back to sleep. But for the princess...every night she would wake up, terrified and crying... I always sang to her to calm her down," I chuckled bittersweetly. "I never could let her go... I know that she needed to sleep in her crib... but... whenever she had those nightmares... I always let her sleep in my arms. It ain't no fibia, but I think she spent more time sleeping in my arms than she did in her crib. I know it was wrong for me to treat her like I did when I'm not even her real big brother... But it was just something about the way I comforted her that felt so... right. You know?" I look at him. "I guess, I once heard from someone in the last AU I visited say that...'Love can make you do crazy things...when caught in its grasps.' Let's say someone asks for your Frisk's hand in marriage. What would you do? If you love Frisk as much as you say you do... would you just let her go... or would you fight for her?" He asks, and I'm surprised at how he can switch from being such a child to being able to ask such a serious question. I look down at my hands again. "I don't want to let her go... but I'll have to face the facts sooner or later... that the princess would never love... a half-breed like me... especially with this damned curse, she's already trying to break our bond..." I sigh sadly.
"Why would she want to break such a powerful bond between you two? How would that even be possible?" Ink tilted his head like a confused dog, the confusion on his face highly prevalent. I look out the hallway window, I can feel my brow furrow with anger. "A giant rose boss monster that 'Grants' your wish in return for your soul... Flowey warned me about Rosus wanting her soul in return for him granting her wish... But I was able to destroy Rosus and save the princess from him. Though I was in a coma for a week afterward" I feel phantom aches through my body at how hard that battle was.
"Flowey? But Flowey is Asriel in most all au's... but clearly Flowey and Asriel are different people in this au..." Ink looked thoughtful. I glanced out the window again to see that the night is almost over, Frisk should be waking up soon. I stand up to go back to my post at her door when I hear a thump and a yell of terror from inside the room.