Hey Everyone!

Interference in bold, puns and in italics, magic is underlined.

-text- indicates either texts, or mental "talking".

Swearing happens.

So, the structure of the kid's thoughts is roughly based on something called a 'memory palace', in which you create objects, rooms, and houses to organize your mind. Sometimes, especially with trauma, areas can be created which are locked away from the rest - this helps short-term, but can be incredibly damaging if the walls are kept up for long.

All Undertale stuff owned by Toby Fox, else me.

Something in the shadows winks at you.

Papyrus

THE GREAT PAPYRUS WATCHED THE QUEEN'S VAN DRIVE OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. HE KNEW SHE WOULD MAKE SURE EVERYONE GOT SOME SLEEP. CLEARLY, WHATEVER HAD HAPPENED LAST NIGHT HAD BEEN...TIRING.

HE TURNED BACK TO THE TINY HUMAN. SHE SEEMED TO HAVE SLEPT SOME, AND WAS DOING SO NOW. THE GREAT PAPYRUS' OPINION ON NAPS HAD CHANGED SINCE THE UNDERGROUND - HE NOW KNEW THEY WERE A GOOD THING FOR INJURED HUMANS. HE HOPED THE TINY HUMAN WAS GETTING ENOUGH REST.

WHEN THE PRINCE HAD TOLD HIM SHE WAS FRISK'S SISTER HE WAS...CONFLICTED. FRISK WAS HIS FRIEND, AND THEY CALLED HIM 'UNCLE', SO THAT WOULD MAKE HIM THE TINY HUMAN'S UNCLE. HOWEVER, HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO COMFORT THEM WHEN THEY HAD BEEN HURT, AND HIS BROTHER HAD KNOWN WHAT TO DO. HE WAS UNUSED TO HIS BROTHER BEING GOOD AT COMFORTING.

HE NOTICED THEIR BREATH HITCH, AND A SMALL HAND CLENCH. THE MONITOR DID NOT SHOW A PROBLEM, BUT THE TINY HUMAN SEEMED WORRIED. HE REACHED OUT A HAND-

The Girl

All of us had been arguing about names after Undyne had helped me go through the name list, and we'd ended up agreeing to try and find a happy memory with one I could use. The teenage monster Consolas called a 'Knight Knight' had been looking in the dustier areas, and he had accidentally bumped into one of the walls, and now we were all trying to hide from the things that had been locked behind that wall.

I was running in through my mind, scared of the something large behind me. I ducked into a closet, curling up as the memory chasing me came closer. I could feel real-time tugging at me, but I didn't want to let...the thing know I was there.

I could see its shadow coming through the crack, looming large. My real vision doubled over, and there was something large reaching towards me. In my mind, the shadow moved, and I could see a knife-

Papyrus

THE GREAT PAPYRUS SLOWLY BACKED AWAY. HE KNEW THAT WAKING SOMEONE FROM A NIGHTMARE WAS LIKE A PUZZLE, BUT HE CLEARLY DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE PIECES RIGHT. THE TINY HUMAN HAD SCRAMBLED AWAY FROM HIM, EYES GLOWING WHITE AND BLACK AND SILVER, MAGIC STAINING THE TEARS RUNNING DOWN THEIR FACE.

"nonononoPLEASEnonononoNOTTHEKNIFEpleasenonono" HE LOOKED DOWN AT HIS EMPTY HANDS, THEN BACK AT THE TINY HUMAN. THIS TIME, HE NOTICED HER FACE WAS SLACK, AND HE REMEMBERED THE TIMES HE HAD VISITED WITH HUMAN SOLDIERS. THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD DONE, OLD TRAUMAS WRAPPING AROUND THEIR SOULS, TRAPPED IN THE MEMORIES WHILE THEIR FACES WENT DEAD.

VERY SLOWLY, ONE INCH AT A TIME, HE SAT ON THE FLOOR, "I WILL NOT HURT YOU, TINY HUMAN. I AM HERE FOR YOU." HE KNEW THEY COULD NOT HEAR HIM, BUT THE PULSE OF COMFORT HE SENT WOULD REACH THEIR SOUL.

IT WAS A TECHNIQUE HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO TEACH TO HUMAN DOCTORS, BUT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING HUMANS COULD DO EASILY. HE HAD SHOWN IT TO MANY MONSTERS - WHIMSUMS HAD BECOME VERY HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER, AS THEY WERE ALMOST AS GOOD AT IT AS HIM. MAGIC COULD REACH THE SOUL WHEN WORDS COULD NOT, AND COMFORT WAS THE BEST AT BREAKING THROUGH TRAUMA.

IT WAS SOMETHING HE HAD LEARNED TO DO FOR HIS BROTHER, WHEN HE'D LEARNED OF THE NIGHTMARES. HUMAN AND MONSTER SOULS DID NOT DEAL WITH TRAUMA ALL THAT DIFFERENTLY.

HE SAW THE TINY HUMAN RELAX A LITTLE AS HIS COMFORT ATTACK TOOK HOLD, NYEH HEH HEH. THE MAGIC IN THEIR EYES DID NOT FADE, AND HE REMEMBERED HEARING FROM ASGORE THAT THE HUMAN MAGES HAD MAGIC THAT WAS ALWAYS SHADES OF GREY, UNLIKE THE COLORFUL MAGIC OF MONSTERS. HOWEVER, THE WAY UNDYNE HAD DESCRIBED HER TRIP THROUGH THE WALL REMINDED HIM OF HIS OWN BLUE ATTACK. IT WAS A SKELETON FAMILY TRADITION.

Consolas

Consolas was rummaging through some old daydreams when he felt the wall go down. Shit. He tried to find the kiddo, but she was broadcasting terror from all over the place. Double shit, must have been one of smiley's prisons. He reminded himself to reinforce those when he got a chance.

He might not know where she was, but he could try to keep her terror from causing any damage. He'd never been good at controlling the limbs and such, since muscles were a completely foreign concept, but since the kiddo's magic had expanded every time someone new got stuck inside...he ran for the magic center, bones creaking with the effort. He really was too old for this shit, although he knew it was only habit that made him think so.

He skidded around a corner to find one of the smiley bastards waiting for him. Damn. It was trying to open the door, and he couldn't let it get in there, but terrors were STRONG. It wasn't possible to hurt something in here, not without outside help, anyway. He dodged a swipe, cursing under his breath in case one of the kiddos was around. This terror was slow, at any rate - probably one of the older ones, back when the freak's LV wasn't as high. Not that it'd help-

The walls glowed with orange magic, strangely familiar, but he'd think about that later. He dragged some of it into a weapon - whoever was out there was fond of bones, it seemed - and swung. As the terror collapsed - damn, it was one of the stronger ones - he raced past.

Eyes were running, and he could see a tall skeleton hunched in a corner. At least they were smart enough to keep away, he had no control over limbs right now. His eyes lit on the scarf around the skeleton's throat - his sister's. Damn, he HAD to be a nephew. Maybe he could work with that, if he could remember how to work the damn control board...

Papyrus

THE GREAT PAPYRUS SAW THE TINY HUMAN'S EYES GLOW BRIGHTER. A FEW SPOTS GLITTERED IN THE AIR IN FRONT OF HER, QUICKLY FLOWING INTO WORDS.

Hey, you, you're one of Kaiti's kids, right? The name's Consolas. Can you understand this?

HE BLINKED, "WHAT CAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DO FOR YOU...CONSOLAS?" THE LETTERS FLOWED INTO NEW WORDS.

Well...Papyrus, is it? That spell of yours just now helped. Can you do the same thing, only fill the kiddo with it?

"I...THINK SO," HE REACHED INTO HIS SOUL, SHOWING IT WHAT HE NEEDED IT TO DO. HE POURED COMFORT INTO THE TINY HUMAN, IMAGINING THEM AS AN EMPTY POT. IT SEEMED TO BE WORKING...SHE WASN'T CRYING ANYMORE, AND HER HAND WAS LOOSENING. THE MAGIC LETTERS SHIFTED AGAIN.

That's...thank you, Papyrus. I think that worked. You're a good kid.

"...THANK YOU, FELLOW SKELETON...HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT MY MOTHER?"

...Family resemblance, bud. You look a lot like she did when she was young. Me too, if it comes to it. I was her brother.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS WONDERED ABOUT THIS. HE HAD VERY FEW MEMORIES OF HIS MOTHER. THE STRONGEST MEMORY HE HAD WAS OF A WARM SWEATER IN THE SNOW, PICKING HIM UP AND WRAPPING HIM IN HIS SCARF, "THEN YOU WOULD BE MY UNCLE!...WOULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT HER SOMETIME?"

Heh, why not? Gotta go though, the kiddo's coming back. Later.

HE WATCHED THE SILVERY LETTERS FADE AWAY. THE TINY HUMAN'S EYES FLICKED AROUND THE ROOM, THEN SETTLED BACK ON HIM. "...TINY HUMAN?"

*sniff* "...yeah?"

"ARE YOU...BETTER, NOW?" HE PAUSED, FOR HE DIDN'T WANT TO SCARE HER, "WOULD YOU LIKE A HUG?"

"...yeah…"

Consolas

Consolas sighed. Around here, if it wasn't one damn thing, it was another. While the...Papyrus' magic had managed to contain the terrors, the things were still loose, and he had no idea what would give them power. He heaved himself up to go wrangle up the terros. It was so much simpler when he just had to deal with his own triggers, but...well, he liked the kiddo, anyway.

He'd felt, back then, that the kiddo was something else, even through his pain. He'd been a damned idiot, going into that complex without backup. He knew better. His arm snaked out to grab the unconscious terror by the door, dragging it along by its robe. He deserved to die.

His steps faltering, he dropped his grip on the terror and stared down into his bony hands. Why had he been such an idiot? He'd always been cocky, biting off way more than he could chew. He'd really screwed up - gods, he should have been the one taking down that complex, not getting killed in their and leaving it for his gods-damned NEPHEW! He-

-If you are determined to beat yourself up, I would be more than happy to oblige.-

Consolas turned around. An incredibly tall woman leaned against the corridor wall, skinny arms folded over an old-fashioned red silk dress. She looked human, skin almost the same shade as his bones. Her hair reached past her waist, black as the void, and her eyes- he gulped. Her eyes were fields of stars. NOT human.

-Didn't know the kiddo had...saved someone like you.-

-Oh, she didn't. I'm just visiting, but if you are going to wallow in guilt and let her past overrun her, I may have to stick around.-

He bristled. He didn't like this, not her presence, not her mocking smile, and definitely not her implication. Her grin only grew wider, and he snapped.

-You think you can do my job, lady?-

She laughed. He felt like he'd passed some kind of test, which was bullshit, but she seemed to be...almost pleased with him, like a fond teacher smiling at a star pupil. The feeling grated on his SOUL.

-Just so long as you remember that it IS yours.-

-You wanna quit with the patronizing bullshit and get the fuck out?-

She turned and ran up the corridor, the heels of her bare feet peeking out from the hem of her dress. She waved over her shoulder, body fading into a field of stars. Just before she vanished completely, she spoke.

-Play nice with the poor skeletons, or I'll have to put you in time out.-

He gritted his teeth, muttering a string of curses as he once again snagged the collar of the terror. One word bounced back as he vanished down the corridor.

-...Showoff…-

The Girl

"YOU KNOW, TINY HUMAN, I WOULD NOT THINK LESS OF YOU FOR ANY REASON. YOU ARE WELCOME TO TELL THE GREAT PAPYRUS OF YOUR FEELINGS, IF YOU WISH," I buried my face deeper in Papyrus' shirt, shaking my head, "IT IS NOT GOOD TO KEEP THINGS BOTTLED UP INSIDE."

"...I know, but…" He waits for me to continue, eventually ending the nice silence.

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS THE WORLD'S GREATEST LISTENER. YOU CAN TELL ME."

"...no." I pull away, turning to face the pillow. He was too...nice, too...clear, and bright. I didn't want to darken him with my shadows. He huffed, then reached over me, blocking out the light with his bloodstained robe. He was going to cut into me again, I KNEW it. I shoved at his chest, whimpering at the pain. I saw him backing away, probably going to get someone to hold me down. My legs weren't working and my arm kept THROBBING, so he must have already started. I blinked against the fog in my eyes, trying to find a way out. Even if it meant THEY would beat me for it later, I just couldn't sit there! I could feel the rough cloth against my skin, see the little table with his knives and...a cup of juice?

I blinked, and the fog cleared. There weren't any windows in the complex, and it never got this dark. There was a strange beeping behind me to the right, and odd tube things connected me to the wall. There was a chair, softer than ANYTHING I'd seen in the complex, and behind my head was a...pillow. An actual pillow. I tried to reach behind me, but my shoulder SCREAMED when I tried.

"TINY HUMAN...ARE YOU...WOULD YOU...WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO HELP YOU WITH THE PILLOW?" I flinched at the loud voice, but something in it told me they weren't angry. I turned to look, and there was a tall skeleton backed into the corner beyond the chair. He was about the same height as HIM, but he looked...confused? There was a red scarf around his neck, and something about him seemed familiar…

-He's Papyrus, isn't he? He's been helping the shorter skeleton and the fish lady...Sans and Crazy Undyne...my sister hugged him earlier. Why does he look so confused?-

-You shoved him away, kiddo. He leaned over you, and one of the terrors got you good. Sorry about that.-

I saw Consolas scratching his skull, leg pressing down on...something. He shrugged, then started to lean down to grab it when I realised what he said.

-I...I shoved him?-

I started to curl up - why did I always hurt people? I was a horrible creature - and he leaned over and poked my knee. His eyesockets watched me, soft and kind of sad.

-'S not your fault, kiddo. Trust me...Not his either, I guess...go talk to him.-

I merged back into real-time. Papyrus was still in the corner, and somehow he looked more...faded, dimmer than before. My shoulder hurt, but I deserved the punishment, so I pushed away the pain, "...did I hurt you?"

He blinked, sockets widening for a moment, then he spoke, "OF COURSE NOT, TINY HUMAN!"

I winced - I certainly could - but he continued, "I SHOULD NOT HAVE REACHED OVER YOU LIKE THAT. I CAN BE VERY INTIMIDATING, AFTER ALL!...ARE YOU HURTING? THE NURSE HAS SAID TO LET HER KNOW IF YOU ARE IN ANY PAIN-"

"No! I mean...it's not bad." He immediately started towards the door.

"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL GO AND FETCH HER FOR YOU THEN."

"NO!" He stopped mid step, turning back, "...I'm...I deserve it…" He turned and faced me fully, worry in his eyes, then slowly knelt down and scooted closer. He looked ridiculous like that, although his head was still above mine.

"TINY HUMAN...WHY WOULD YOU THINK YOU DESERVE TO BE IN PAIN?"

The question didn't make any sense. I tried to explain, "...because I tried to hurt you…?"

"...TINY HUMAN…" His voice was small, but still loud, "YOU DID NOT...YOU WERE AFRAID, TINY HUMAN. YOU HAVE SEEN THINGS WHICH HAVE HURT YOUR SOUL DEEPLY, AND WOUNDS LIKE THAT DO NOT HEAL QUICKLY. LITTLE THINGS CAN BRING YOU BACK INTO THE MEMORY OF WHEN THEY WERE FORMED - THE SMELL OF LILACS, A HUMMED SONG, SHADOWS ACROSS YOUR FACE."

"WHEN YOU ARE TRAPPED IN THOSE MEMORIES, YOU ARE THERE, NOT HERE. YOU WERE AFRAID OF WHAT SOMEONE ONCE DID, AND SO YOU TRIED TO PUSH THEM AWAY. YOU DID NOT MEAN TO HURT ME, YOU WERE NOT TRYING TO PUSH ME AWAY, YOU WERE PUSHING AGAINST A MEMORY WHICH STILL HURTS YOU. YOU DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG...NYEH HEH HEH!"

"EVEN IF YOU HAD MEANT TO HURT ME, YOU WOULD NOT DESERVE TO BE IN PAIN FOR IT! PAIN IS NOT...SHOULD NOT BE A PUNISHMENT. I WOULD BE TRYING TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO HURT ANYONE. WE WOULD NOT KEEP YOU IN PAIN!"

His eyesockets had softened, and he looked...sad? He was wearing the same expression as Consolas had...what did it mean?

-Kiddo...that's concern. No one's...no one's ever looked at you like that?-

"TINY HUMAN...ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

The two voices blended together. I...why? "...no one's really looked at me like that before. I-" I started to cry.

The skeleton blinked, then slowly reached out and held my hand, "...THERE THERE, TINY HUMAN. IT IS ALRIGHT."

"Why would anyone...why do you all care about me?" He slowly leaned his skull against my forehead. The bone felt smooth and warm, good against the ache I could feel growing in my head. The two skeletons spoke at the same time.

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND, TINY HUMAN. WHY WOULD WE NOT?"

-Kiddo, the question should be 'why wouldn't we?'-