AN: Sorry this is a bit late. It was pretty hectic for a while, what with Christmas and everything. I should be back to normal for uploading though :) Thanks so much for reading and please let me know what you think! See ya.
Disclaimer: These characters and the world of Undertale belong entirely to Toby Fox.
Once he'd awoken, the slipper-wearing skeleton sat on his bed, staring at the picture that now hung on his wall. It was a constant reminder of where he was and those who were here with him. No longer was he alone with only Grillby for company. Yes, he misses the other dearly, after all, the elemental had been there for him the entire time he'd been leading monsterkind with nothing more than a faint idea of what he was doing. His advice had been invaluable and his companionship even more so. Leaving him behind at the entrance to the Underground had been one of the toughest things he'd ever had to do... but he can't bring himself to regret it. Grillby still has so much life left before him. Sans would never have been able to forgive himself if he'd allowed his friend to accompany him on his final journey. No, he wanted to save him from the pain that would have followed had he witnessed Sans' demise for himself. Grillby was smart, he knew that Sans had no intention of returning from his trip to the Underground and still he insisted on accompanying him to the entrance, supportive until the very end. For that, Sans would be eternally grateful.
A knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts and he rose to his feet, silently thanking Grillby once more and promising to wait for him when his time came. Then, he made his way to the other side of the room and opened the door to see the smiling face of his elder bro staring down at him.
"Greetings brother! The rest of our friends have arrived and breakfast is ready to be served." Papyrus declared, watching his younger brother with a critical eye. He was glad to note that the fear from earlier seemed all but gone.
"Sounds great, Pap." The shorter skeleton, said, his smile genuine as he let his bro lead the way to the kitchen where the others had gathered.
The conversation halted as soon as they noticed him enter the room and Sans froze. His eyes quickly glued themselves to Chara's familiar form and, for a moment, painful memories filled his brain. Then he remembered the results from his earlier CHECK and took a deep, fortifying breath, moving to take his seat beside Papyrus. It was an awkward affair as Sans outright avoided even glancing in Chara's direction after that, but they got through it. Soon enough, everyone had finished eating and the adults settled in the living room while Tori sent the children outside to play. The moment Chara passed through their doorway, Sans felt his rapid pulse gradually return to normal. He knew he wasn't fooling anyone, they could all see that he was still uneasy with the girl's presence even as he tried to act like nothing was wrong. He was extremely thankful that they hadn't brought it up, instead, allowing him to pretend as if he wasn't being as obvious as he was.
"Okay, so what's the deal with the kid?" Sans demanded after several minutes had passed in silence, trusting they'd know who he was talking about.
"Sans, you must understand, Chara hasn't had it easy," Toriel explained, a weary sigh leaving her as the goat mom remembered what they'd done. "When we first arrived here and noticed her amongst our ranks, we were all wary and suspicious of her intentions. Well, all except Asriel that is."
"Our son didn't even hesitate." The king added, voice full of fond exasperation. "He raced right up to his sister and embraced her in the tightest hug I've ever seen, wanting nothing but to comfort her."
"We didn't know what to think of her and the child kept to herself for the most part so we simply decided to keep a watchful eye on her, much like you have been doing." His wife picked back up where she'd left off, placing a warm paw on her skeletal friend's shoulder. "We avoided her, kept our distance, and watched. After a while, Frisk joined Asriel in his daily visits with his sister and the three quickly became inseparable. I don't know how it happened but, seeing her laugh with the other two, somehow that was enough for us to lower our guards."
"Brother, we're not the only ones who were hurt." Papyrus joined in, an unusually serious expression on his face. "The princess has suffered just as much as we have, maybe even more so because she has to live with the consequences of her actions."
"That's true and over the last ten years, my daughter has done nothing but try and atone for her past wrongs," Toriel spoke once more, her eyes melancholy with regret. "She is only now beginning to act like the child she truly is, rather than pretending to be someone she's not in order to prove that she will never return to how she was when her hate held reign over her soul."
Sans had waited patiently up to this point but he couldn't hold it in any longer, he had doubts that needed to be addressed.
"But Tori, what if she..." He trailed off as the older monster held up her paw for silence.
"I know you have your concerns, and rightly so." The former queen said in a soft voice so as to not undermine her friend's feelings. "I only ask that you give her a chance. You saw for yourself, she no longer possesses any LOVE. I promise you, Sans, she is not a threat."
The gathered monsters waited patiently while Sans sorted through his thoughts, each worried about what the outcome would be.
"I..." The younger being began, only to cut himself off as he truly thought back on the events of this morning.
For a moment, he was able to put his trauma and anger aside, remembering the pitiful look on the child's face as she stood in judgment before him. He couldn't deny the facts and yet he so desperately wanted to. The conflicting emotions brought on from simply seeing her set his soul on edge. Still, even if he hated to acknowledge it, Chara had been here with his friends for ten years. They would know if she were planning something, wouldn't they? There's no way the brat had managed to trick everyone for that long while biding her time for him to arrive. He was being paranoid and he knew it... he just didn't want to admit it.
Meanwhile, Chara watched stealthily from a nearby window as her parents and friends talked to Sans. She couldn't blame her mother for sending her outside, she's just glad that her siblings had accompanied her. Still, she can't help but be curious as to what they were saying, thus the eavesdropping. Frisk and Asriel stood a short ways off, not wanting to be caught if someone were to notice them. When the girl had heard them talking about her she had been worried. What if they cast her out now that Sans had arrived? Her worries had been assuaged as she continued to listen, her heartwarming as the kindness of her friends washed over her. Still, she was worried about what Sans would say.
That morning, when she'd stood before the skeleton's judgment, Chara had been terrified. Never before had she feared him as much as she did in that moment. Then, to learn that her stats had been reset to their original numbers... it had felt like a miracle! She didn't know whether to laugh or cry but it doesn't matter. Even now, looking through the window as her friends vouch for her, she can't forget the look on Sans' face when he'd first seen her. It had looked as if he'd come face to face with his worst nightmare. In a way, she supposed he had. Even though she'd been happy to know that her attempts at making amends were paying off, it still felt wrong when faced with his frightened gaze.
Everyone snapped to attention, including the human child when Sans took a deep, fortifying breath, looking up with resolve filled eyes as he finally spoke once more.
"I'll give her a chance..." He declared, solemnly, his face set with a hard edge. "But that's all. Don't expect me to act like we're friends... it ain't happening."
"But brother!" Papyrus exclaimed, saddened by the other skeleton's words.
"No! This isn't up for discussion." The comedian replied, raising his voice slightly as his words took on a panicked tone. "You know what happened, you know what I was forced to experience over and over. Don't ask me to forget that! I can't! I never will! I watched you all die time and time again and was powerless to stop it!"
The group watched silently as tears gathered in their friend's eye sockets, unable to think of the right words to comfort him.
"Please," Sans continued, his voice dropping to a low whisper as he tried to choke back the urge to sob. "Don't make me go through that again. I won't do anything to her, not unless I have proof that she's planning something, but I'm not going to be her friend... I just can't."
"That's fine." A new voice broke through the silence, causing the short skeleton to flinch violently before twisting to face the newcomer.
Chara stood in the doorway, unable to remain silent in the face of what she'd heard, her body set in a determined stance as Frisk and Asriel flanked her on either side.
"But you've worked so hard, kid, and..." Undyne began, only to be cut off.
"And Sans shouldn't be forced to relive the trauma I put him through every time I'm in the same room as him." She pointed out, silencing any further protests. "Look at him! Just hearing my voice brought him to the edge of a panic attack and, quite frankly, I'm not ready to face him either. We both need time! We'll talk things out eventually but for now, can you all just back off and leave us alone!"
With that said, the girl turned and raced back outside, heading in the direction of the nearby forest as frustrated tears formed in her eyes. Her siblings following close behind after sending apologetic looks to the gathered monsters. With her gone, the others turned to Sans, realizing with concern that Chara had been correct. The poor guy was curled up in his seat, knees drawn to his chest, clearly in a bad way and they doubted that he'd heard anything that was said in the last couple of minutes. He was struggling to take in air, breaths coming short and sharp while his eye lights had shrunken to tiny dots due to the fear he'd felt when Chara had managed to sneak up on them. The rattling of his bones made them all wince in sympathy as he shivered harshly on the couch.
"S...Sans, you need to c...calm down." Alphys spoke soothingly, moving forward until she stood before her friend. "Come on, y...you can do it. Just f...follow my instructions ok...okay. Breath i...in for four, hold for s...seven, out for eight. Keep going, you're doing great!"
The monsters all watched, worried for their newest arrival until Alphys managed to help him get his breathing under control. When it was clear that Sans would be fine, they all let out relieved breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Even so, it was evident how exhausted the attack had left the youngest skelebro.
"Hey, punk, you okay?" Undyne questioned, more subdued than she normally would be after witnessing everything that had happened in the last hour or so.
"Y...yea." He answered, uncertainty evident in his voice. "Maybe we could talk about something else for a while, please."
The 'please' at the end of his sentence had been barely audible and it nearly broke their hearts. They shouldn't have pushed the smaller monster to the point where he was pleading with them to change the topic! What kind of friends were they that they would do such a thing? Yes, they wanted their two friends to get along and understand one another... but not like this. With guilt in their souls, the gathered monsters nodded while Sans let out a relieved sigh, snuggling into his brother's side as soon as the elder skeleton joined him on the couch.
Undyne moved forward as well, wrapping her arms around Alphys' midsection and unknowingly drawing the intelligent skeleton's eyes.
"When did that happen?" He asked with a voice that was still slightly subdued, causing everyone but Mettaton to glance at him in confusion.
The robot had noticed what had garnered the hoodie-clad being's attention and chuckled as he sat on the arm of the couch nearest to Papyrus.
"Oh, there's been several new developments since you've last seen us." The performer commented, casting a sly wink towards the elder skelebro. "You see, after we died we remembered the loops, something I'm sure your brother has already told you."
He paused, waiting for Sans to nod in agreement before continuing.
"Well, we also remembered various events that happened between us. Namely between Alphys and Undyne, my darling Papyrus and myself, and the king and queen over there." Metta purred, unashamed when he caused the aforementioned monsters to blush when he called their names. "In short, we've simply rekindled (or I guess kindled since it never actually happened in this timeline) our relationships with each other."
"Heh, well, congrats I guess," Sans replied, trying not to sound too surprised.
There had been so many loops where his friends had gotten together only to have it all torn away by a reset that he'd started distancing himself from it. In truth, he'd started distancing himself from everything, not able to stand the fact that they'd been happy... free and alive... on the surface so many times only to end up right back where they'd started. It was a shock realizing that that was never going to happen again. They were dead, it's true, but it seems here in the afterlife they were finally able to find lasting happiness.
The others all smiled, nodding in understanding. It had taken them a while to comprehend that they would never be torn away from one another again and now... now their friend was having the same experience. It lightened their souls after the events they'd witnessed earlier in the conversation. Hopefully, with time, Sans and Chara would make up. For now, they'd leave them be. They'd only managed to hurt the two by trying to interfere and they didn't want to risk pushing Sans over the edge when he was still in such a fragile state. They'd had ten years to heal, to be free of the hardships from life. That wasn't true for Sans.
For him, those ten years had been filled with the pain of losing those he cared for and having a responsibility that should never have been his in the first place thrust upon him. They'd seen how stressful his life had been after they'd died. They'd born witness as his personality slowly shifted away from the comedic lazybones they all knew and loved into the stoic king and savior of the Underground. Since reuniting with them, his original personality had shone through, overshadowing the one that's clung to him for the past ten years, though they'd caught a glimpse of it when he'd made his decision about Chara. At that moment, he'd sounded exactly like a king delivering a proclamation to his subjects. His voice had been so cold, empty of any emotion. To be honest, it had chilled them all to their cores and they hoped they wouldn't have to hear it again for a long time to come.
"I've been wondering," Sans' voice rang out, returning everyone's wandering attention to the short monster. "You don't have to answer, I'm just curious, but how did you even die, Mettaton? I mean, weren't you technically already dead, being a ghost and all?"
Startled chuckles rang out from where the robot rested on the other side of his brother. He was glad that he managed to put an end to the awkward silence.
"Well, from what Dr. Alphys here figured," He explained, motioning towards the blushing lizard. "I was able to be killed because I'd fully bonded with the gorgeous body she'd built me. I was no longer a ghost but an entirely new type of monster made of metal and mechanical bits, along with a dash of magic. In other words, I simply loved myself too much. In fact, you could call my death a side effect I suppose. So is the price of beauty."
Everyone laughed uproariously at that. How could they not, it was just such a Mettaton thing to say.
"Jeez, talk about being dramatic." The smaller male joked once everyone had calmed slightly, taking a few moments to simply breathe before asking his next question. "Any idea why we all have wings or is that just, you know, the whole being dead thing?" He pondered, curious to figure out what they knew.
This question was one he'd been thinking about since he'd first seen his friends gathered around him after he'd died. Surely Alphys, at the very least, has come up with some theory or other to explain the feathered appendages.
"I have, in fact, d...done some research surrounding our w...wings." The scientist admitted, pushing her glasses higher on her nose before continuing. "At first I figured it wa...was simply something that happens when we die but, as I g...grew more accustomed to this place, I re,..realized they held a more significant role than e...expected."
Sans was listening with palpable interest. He knew there had to be more to it. Nothing ever happens without a reason, not to someone like him. Others may pass it off as a fluke, saying 'that's just how things are', and then be done with it. But he knew better. He'd have made a pretty crappy scientist with that mindset. Man, he really had to get his lab set up so he can run his own experiments, not that he doesn't trust Alphys. No, he respects her more than most. It's simply that he'd rather see for himself than have to rely on others. Guess that's what he gets by being the only one who remembered the loops... the inability to depend on others. Either way, he'd better tune back into the conversation, especially since his friend is still speaking and he doesn't want to miss anything important.
"I have recently dis...discovered that not only are our wings linked to our magic reserves they a...also have a connection to our emotions," Alph said, her voice rising in excitement. "Much li...like magic, if our emotions are running wild then our w...wings may react in various ways. For example, say you are agitated, uneasy, maybe p...pacing around... you may suddenly find that your wings have be...become restless as well and have lifted you several feet into the a...air. It seems to be an in...instinctual response to what our souls are feeling, as if w...we've had them all our lives. It truly is a fascinating subject. I can t...tell you more about it later. We should use this ti...time to get caught up."
"Yea, you're probably right." The ketchup-lover agreed, glancing around at the somewhat bored expressions the other's were wearing, before winking at Alphys. "We'll talk science later."
The small group continued to talk for a while longer until Sans' eyes just wouldn't stay open. He found himself leaning heavily on his brother, yawning constantly as he attempted to stay awake for the friends he hadn't seen in years. It was a losing battle. After another blink that lasted far longer than it should, he felt his body being shifted and forced his sockets open. The gathered monsters were looking at him in amusement while Papyrus carefully lifted the smaller skeleton into his arms.
"No... wanna stay." He murmured, eyes already slipping shut once more.
"There will be plenty of time to catch up later, Sans." The other said, rubbing circles on his back. "You've had a trying morning. A nap will do you a world of good."
"But..." He tried to protest, only to be cut off by his older bro's voice once more.
"How about this... after you rest Mettaton and I will take you out for a flying lesson." Pap declared, sending a questioning look towards his boyfriend and smiling brightly upon receiving a nod in return. "I know that you are probably already planning on testing them out after what Alphys said and I'd rather be there when you do, you know, just in case. I can never be too careful with you, after all, you tend to end up in trouble, dear brother."
Sans couldn't help but chuckle at that, even as another yawn escaped his mouth.
"Sure thing, Papy." He relinquished, snuggling further into his sibling's embrace. "There's no one I'd rather have teach me than you."
With that, the smaller being was fast asleep, one slipper nearly falling off his foot as Papyrus gently carried him upstairs and tucked him into bed. As he was turning to leave he caught sight of a single black feather within the mess of white and a sad smile graced his face. Taking a moment to rub his thumb over it, he sighed, taking a step backward.
"It's not your fault, brother," The tall monster whispered, regret filling his soul at the thought of how alone Sans must have felt before coming here.
He left the room then, pausing at the top of the stairs to steady himself. He knew Sans regretted their deaths and he also knew that his younger brother blamed himself. That misplaced guilt worried him to no end though he knew there was nothing he could do about it now other than be there for him.
'Sans, you only did what you had to do.' He thought to himself, glancing back at the closed door that concealed the smaller monster. 'If saving us meant another reset then you did what was right. Our lives were not worth more than those of the rest of the Underground. You have no reason to feel responsible for our fates. Besides, we are together now and that's all that matters.'
With that happier thought cheering him up, the lanky skeleton returned downstairs to where the others were still talking in hushed voices.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
The cliff his brother and friend had brought him to was steep. The wind whipped around them and, upon glancing over the edge, Sans could see a pile of jagged rocks waiting at the bottom for any who were unfortunate enough to fall. Taking a gulp of air, the former sentry turned his head to glance at the two who had accompanied him to this desolate place. Mettaton's mouth was curled up in a snide sneer, wicked delight shining in his eyes as he waited silently. Papyrus, on the other hand, moved forward until he was standing right behind him. His face gave nothing away as he leaned over to whisper in Sans' ear hole.
"Well, brother, what are you waiting for?" He questioned, spreading his great wings and taking to the sky, Mettaton mere seconds behind him. "Don't you wish to join us?"
The hoodie-wearing monster stood frozen for a few seconds, not understanding what was going on. Didn't Pap say that they'd teach him? Because that surely isn't what they were doing as the pair flew high above his head as if they were vultures circling a rotting corpse.
"I... I don't know how." He confessed, awkwardly grabbing one elbow to try and ground himself as mocking laughter rang out all around him.
Why were they being so hostile? Neither of them had ever acted like this before. Yes, Metta could be a jerk at times but he was never needlessly cruel, and this kind of behavior was completely foreign for his older bro. Papyrus would rather face down a hundred starving dogs than purposefully hurt someone.
"It's easy, darling." The former ghost mocked. "You just open your wings... and jump."
As he said that final part, Sans felt a push from behind, knocking him off the cliff. He managed to turn in the air only to be met with the sight of Papyrus standing above him, in the exact place he'd been moments before, then he was plummeting towards the rocks below... feathers painfully tearing free as his wings desperately tried to slow his descent.
Sans sprang up in bed, gasping for air as his hand clutched the fabric over his sternum. He was shaking badly, tears falling from his empty sockets as a blue light illuminated the room. After taking a few more breaths, the frightened monster had calmed enough to realize that the light was radiating from his soul. It had manifested in response to his distress and was now floating before his eyes, crack-like scars covering its surface... a leftover reminder of the turmoil he'd gone through in life. Huh, that was another thing he'd have to run tests on once he got his lab set up. For now, though, he simply laid back on the bed and breathed. That nightmare had taken a lot out of him and had left him feeling anxious for what his brother had in mind for his first flying lesson. Yea, he knew it would be nothing like his dream but that didn't stop his brain from focusing on every possible scenario that could take place, paying extra special attention to the worst ones. That's why, when his brother knocked on the door, Sans felt his soul clench in anticipation.
"Sans, are you awake?" The other called, opening the door once he'd gotten confirmation. "I figured we could have a quick lunch before heading out for your lesson. Besides Mettaton, the others have all returned to their homes for the day. They thought it would be best to let you get settled in without being overwhelmed."
Shaking the memory of his nightmare from his head, Sans smiled at his elder brother. Quickly rising to his feet, the ketchup loving monster stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and followed the taller being from the room. He was extremely thankful that he'd taken the time to grab his hoodie before he died, it was a comfort to him in death much as it was in life. Leaving it in Snowden when the monsters had moved to the surface had been one of the hardest decisions he'd had to make back then but in the end, he figured it should stay. He was the king, he couldn't be seen in something like that as he had to keep a professional air about him at all times. Knowing that, he figured it was best to leave it behind, much as he'd left behind the life he had had before the loops. Thank goodness it hadn't been destroyed by the years that had gone by.
'I wonder what I'd have done if it had been nothing but dust?' He thought to himself. 'Knowing my state of mind at that moment, it probably wouldn't have been anything good.'
Shaking himself from his thoughts as the two sat at the table where Metta was already awaiting them, he managed a smile. The group ate in silence before gathering their things and heading out the door.
"Sooo..." Sans dragged the word out. "Where are we headin'?"
Papy shook his head fondly, his left hand entwined with Mettaton's right. "It is a surprise, brother. You wouldn't want to spoil it, would you?"
Feeling like his stomach was doing flip flops as dread once more flooded his soul, Sans shook his head.
"Just play along, darling, he's been planning this for ages." The robotic monster revealed, a fond spark in his eyes as he glanced at the elder skelebro. "In fact, ever since we first figured out that you were fading, my dear Papyrus here has been making plans for everything he wants to show it. It was getting rather ridiculous."
"As if you and the others weren't helping me every step of the way." Pap retorted, his voice holding just a faint hint of embarrassment.
"Huh, guess you guys missed me then," Sans muttered in a voice that was only meant for him, a bit of his self-deprecation showing through as he trailed behind the lovebirds.
Papyrus, however, had managed to catch Sans' faint words and stopped in his tracks, whipping around to face his brother so fast that his head nearly spun.
"Of course we missed you!" He exclaimed, distressed by what he'd just heard. "How could you think otherwise, Sans? You are very important to all of us!"
The robotic entertainer nodded in agreement, his features curving into a frown. He knew the younger skeleton could be hard on himself, they all did, but this seemed like something more.
"May I be so bold as to ask why you think we wouldn't miss having you with us?" He asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this as he saw his boyfriend's sockets fill with tears.
Sans looked at the ground, unable to face the two. He hadn't meant for them to overhear him and he honestly didn't know what to say. Should he tell them the truth? Maybe he should brush it off, that usually worked in the past. No! No more running. Things were different now. He wasn't the only one who remembered so why bother keeping everything to himself? Mind made up, the slipper-clad monster let loose everything he was feeling. All the fears and doubts he'd been dealing with since he was first reunited with his friends and family came gushing from his mouth in a tidal wave of emotion.
"Well, it's just..." He trailed off, unsure how to state the thoughts swirling around in his head. "You all seem so happy. It's beautiful here and you don't need to worry about resets or being killed. You two are in a relationship, so are Alphys and Undyne. The king and queen are back together and have been reunited with their kids. You've all managed fine without me for the past ten years, why would now be any different besides the fact that I'm here. It just feels like you don't need me anymore."
The final part was said in a near whisper as the younger monster turned his face away, hoping to hide the tears steadily dripping from his eyes. Thus, he was startled when he felt two pairs of arms wrap around his small form, pulling him into a tight embrace. He felt safe, warm, and he held on tightly as the pair offered the comfort he so desperately needed. What was happening? Shouldn't these feelings have disappeared when he died?
'I thought there was supposed to be no pain in the afterlife so why am I feeling like this?' He asked himself. 'Is there something wrong with me?'
"Brother, please never say such a thing again!" Papyrus cried, his face moist from the many tears he was crying. "I need you so much, it hurts. Being apart from you for that long was the most difficult thing I've ever had to deal with. Knowing that I could watch over you and yet you didn't know I was there broke my heart. There were so many times where I wished I could speak to you, to offer a kind word when it seemed that the entire world rested on your shoulders, but all I could do was watch you suffer."
"Pap?" Sans breathed, voice giving out as a sob left his throat.
"I'm sorry, brother! I know it has been hard on you, I know that you were forced to go through so much. Even after the resets stopped you still suffered." The elder said, reaching out to wipe the tears from his little brother's face. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone."
"It's fine..." The stocky being choked out, pressing his face into the other's gloved hand. "It wasn't your fault, I should've..."
He was cut off as Mettaton flicked his forehead with a perfectly manicured fingertip.
"Nope, don't you even start." The robot chided, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "It is not your fault that Chara went on a rampage, it is not your fault that time kept resetting, and it is certainly not your fault that we died. Sans, can't you see, you did everything right. There was nothing else you could have done, so please, stop blaming yourself because you are one of the best monsters I know."
The smaller skeleton hunches his shoulders, drawing his face into the top of his hoodie to hide the bashful flush that had taken over. He hesitantly nods, not trusting his voice at the moment as his tears fade to faint sniffling. Reaching out, he gently takes hold of his friends' hands, giving them a tender squeeze in the hopes of imparting how much their words mean to him. The pair return his gesture, blinding smiles lighting up the world around them as they stay like that for a few moments more before finally breaking the embrace.
"We're almost there, are you certain you're feeling up to this?" Papyrus states, sockets full of undisguised concern.
"Yea, bro, maybe it'll take my mind off things." He responds, experimentally flapping his wings as the other two once again take the lead.
After walking for several more minutes, Papyrus stopped. Turning to face Sans, he demanded that the younger monster close his eyes and he did so. He trusted Pap implicitly. His bro had never steered him wrong before and, even if his nightmare was replaying in his head, he refused to let it get the better of him. It was just a dream... nothing more. He heard his brother's excited laughter before a pair of hands landed on his shoulders, softly guiding him forward into the unknown.
AN: Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter. Leave a review to let me know what ya think ;)