Semi walked far ahead of us, avoiding all of us on purpose. He was making it clear he didn't want to talk, and just led us on towards the Rift. I knew the feeling all to well, but, after what happen with me and Papyrus just now, I know avoiding others isn't the best thing to do to yourself, and you would think he would know that too after seeing it. Everyone here was alright, I told him he was forgiven, we had the Star Blade… What was still bothering him?
"Do you think it's the whole time thing bothering him?" I asked as we followed him.
"I know it is bothering me..." Calibri glanced at everyone concerned.
"I'm surprised he didn't have anything to say about the two of you." Dad looked between me and Papyrus. "M-Maybe seeing you both grown up was, like, too much for him." he suggested.
Mom kept her eyes on him ahead of us, her expression determined. She probably wanted to talk to him as much as I did.
"Maybe the Star Blade will help!" Papyrus cheerfully suggested.
"We already used it on him. As it turned out, his soul was already pure." Calibri explained.
Frisk nodded to confirm that.
"So... whatishis problem then?" Dad asked.
"The same problem he has always had." Mom sighed.
"Trust issues?" Calibri said with irritation.
Heh, trust issues were only half of his problems.
I glanced up at Papyrus walking beside me. I should have trusted him to help me...
"No." Mom replied. "He is afraid of making another mistake, of losing someone else like he lost..." her voice somberly trailed off.
"You may be right, dear..." Calibri sighed as she looked ahead at Semi. "With all the time I have had to think about it, I have come to think his actions, his lies, even his anger, all stems from his losses over the course of his life." she explained.
Mom took an uneasy breath, and struggled to keep her straight face.
"I wish he would talk about it. Calmly." Mom said with worried eyes.
"Semi has never been one for emotional talk." Calibri stated. "After he lost his parents, he hardly talked at all. The experience of losing his parents the way he did... It left him scarred I am afraid. He was hardly the same person after that..." she admitted.
The way he lost them? What happened I wonder. Is it the reason Mom never talked about her grandparents? Did she even know what happen? I glanced up at her and got the impression she didn't.
She never knew them...
Whoa, hey, you know what happened?
N-No...! Please, Sans! Do not force it to your mind...
The faded memory from Lillian sent shivers down my spine, so I fought back my curiosity, for now, and calmed us both. I heard Papyrus hum in surprise at me.
"Sans?" his concerned voice came next.
"Heh, I'm never been much for emotional talk either." I quickly said. "Guess I got it from Gramps, huh?" I laughed.
"Oh? Is that so?" Mom smiled at me. "I seem to recall having many conversations with you about how you were feeling." she stated, with a hint of pride in her tone.
I felt embarrassed about it as I thought back to those times. She was always the best at cheering me up after a terrible day of school, or from anything bad in general. Instead of using jokes to make me smile, she used kind words, sort of like Papyrus does. Heh, maybe that's where he gets it from? And thinking back on it, she was very patient, always willing to listen to anyone and their troubles. Heh, maybe that's where I get my patience from.
"That's because you forced me to." I told her, remembering all the times I unwilling talked with her.
"And did you not feel better afterwards each time?" her pride was now clear in her expression.
"Yeah, I guess..." I looked away from her more embarrassed.
I'm not sure exactly why, I was glad for those memories and lessons. Maybe it's just weird thinking I actually needed those talks, I mean, I don't need them now.
Oh really? Then what was all that with Papyrus—
That's different!
"You should try that with Semi then!" Papyrus told her. "I bet if he just gets it all talked out, he will feel much better! Sans does!" he picked me up and showed me to her.
"Totally." I lazily confirmed.
Mom tried not to laugh as we all stopped for a moment.
"I am afraid Semi is not as easy going concerning that as Sans is, Papyrus. If you try to get him to talk, you risk getting blasted to the surface world." she informed him. "Believe me... I have tried..." she sighed.
"So have I. And you would think he would trust me enough to talk." Calibri huffed.
"Hey, whadya mean I'm easy goin'? You callin' me soft?" I complained, heh.
"Very." she pet my head.
"I must contend that statement!" Papyrus spoke up, holding me under his arm now. "Sans is as hard as rock! Immovable and stuck in his lazy ways!" he stated. Loudly.
"Ha, maybe when it comes to cleaning his room." Dad laughed.
"I keep it clean these days." I winked. "Mostly because me and Paps share a room and he forces me to, but still." I said in a low voice.
"Note the word force." Papyrus sighed.
"I'm just a rocky boulder of talc I suppose, heh." I shrugged.
"Talc's a mineral, not a rock." Semi shouted back at us.
I knew that would get his attention, heh. Still can't stand to hear inaccurate mineralogy can you Gramps? He stood waiting for us to keep following him, and the moment our eyes met, I made my reply.
"Makes no difference." I shouted back.
He turned around with an annoyed grunt, and though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was rolling his eyes at me, heh.
"Speaking of immovable objects..." Calibri sighed.
Semi sure was one… I wonder what it would take to get through to him? The same as for me, digging out old memories and admitting to my mistakes? I'd hate to do that to him, but is he keeps holding it in... Well, we see how that worked out for me.
Papyrus put me down, and we all continued following him in silence.
As a kid I always wanted to help him, but he never let me, and I was never sure how. I just knew he was always upset, even on his best of days. Now I had an idea as to why, and how I might help him. I had a chance to finally help him be better.
And I wasn't going to waste it.
If Papyrus can help me get everything out, and be forgiven... I can do that for Semi.
I picked up my pace and caught up with him. He heard me coming and began to walk faster to avoid me, but quickly gave up and let me walk with him. I waited for the perfect time to speak, and for what to say to come to my mind, as I walked side by side with him, our steps nearly in sync. I remembered walking with him on his calmer patrols around New home as a kid, and for a moment, it felt like we were there, me struggling to keep up with his more energetic steps. Heh, that was back when I was level with his wrists. I glanced at him, expecting him to start talking first, but he didn't. We just walked for some time without a word between us. I'm no Papyrus, and talking seriously on things is, uh, not my strong point. Thinking of what to say was proving difficult.
Be forgiving...
I already told him I forgave him for what he did.
For what he might tell you Sans...
True… Whatever he did in the past, like me, he can't forgive himself for it...
We are almost to the Rift now Sans.
Well... Here goes... everything?
"So... What have you been up to?" I decided to ask him to break the silence.
"Don't even try." he replied angry.
Oh I'm going to try old man.
"What, you're not even going to tell me what happened to'ya?" I shrugged my hands up.
"I'd have to tell you a bunch more in order to explain it." he replied, not even glancing at me.
"About the Rift? The Dark Soul Monster? The Goners?" I went through, catching his attention. "Not sure if you have noticed, but, I have a very knowledgeable friend with me." I bumped my chest with a fist. "Plus Mom kinda explained some things to me and Paps." I added.
"Did she?" he looked back away from me.
Should I hit him where it hurts Lil'?
Be gentle...
"She also told us about W.D." I said.
He cringed and lost his breath.
"I understand why you never mentioned him before. I wouldn't want to talk about it either if something happened to Papyrus..." I partly glanced back at Papyrus.
Semi took an uneasy breath and kept his pace forward. His expression was tense, telling me he was holding everything in.
"You... want to talk about it? Get it off your chest?" I offered him.
"No." he said plainly.
"Want to just talk about him?" I tried.
"No." he repeated.
"Alright, then... Guess I'll just talk about myself." I shrugged. Stubborn old fossil… I smiled and nudged my elbow at him as I thought of a subject. "Did I turn out as tall as you thought I would?" I winked.
We looked about an inch apart in height now, him on the higher end. He glanced at me as I walked close to him to compare our height, and he finally smiled a bit.
"Ya'did." he answered.
"Papyrus too?" I asked.
"Nah, I dunno where he got that height from." he muffled a laugh.
"Mom said it came from Dad's side of the family." I stated.
"Maybe part of it, but, there were some tall folks on my side too."
"Yet here we are, as short as foot stools."
He snickered.
"Come on. I know you got some jokes in that skull of yours." I nudged at him.
"I ain't got nothin' in my skull sonny." he replied, holding his hand up at me.
"Don't sell yourself short Gramps." I punned.
"Nah, heh, I ain't stooping to your level." he replied with a small smile.
"I'm only, what, half an inch shorter?" I glanced him over.
"You're more of a down to earth guy than I am." he said.
"I am often overlooked." I shrugged.
"That's an understatement." he laughed and rolled his eyes.
"I keep positive, I'm always looking up." I held my head up.
"Nothing gets under your skin huh?"
"Or on my nerves."
"You got guts boy."
Now we're getting somewhere...!
"Tibia honest, I wouldn't if you hadn't taught me." I winked.
"Ah yes, your first words..." he said fondly.
"Dandy Daddy." I recalled.
"Arial threw a fit!" he laughed.
"Did she?" I asked laughing.
"Aw boy, you should have seen her. She KNEW I was the one behind it."
"Who else?"
"Then you finally said Mom for the first time..."
"Momster."
"She threw me in the basement for that one. Thing was, that time, it was all you."
"I grow up so fast."
"I considered that one your granduation."
"Oh that's pushing it Gramps."
"Not as hard as Arial pushed me down the stairs!"
We both laughed out loud.
It was good to hear him laughing, and more importantly, to be laughing with him. I had my proof he was still him, that there was hope, and that I could help him. That I could... save him. I glanced back at everyone, who smiled back at me. Papyrus winked and gave me a thumbs up, and Mom held her face trying not to laugh. My focus turned to Frisk as they smiled at me with a tilt of their head. Their expression felt like an invitation to not give up. Semi caught his breath and wiped a tear away as I turned my attention back to him. I didn't have much time left before we reached the Rift, so I went with the first thing that came to my mind so say next.
"Was W.D into jokes?" I asked.
"Ah, well... not really." he replied, losing his smile. "He told'm as well as the next guy, and sometimes he would pull out a real ringer, but he generally didn't tell them." he told me with a saddened expression.
"Papyrus is kinda the same way. He cringes when I tell them, but, he tells them himself once in a blue moon." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Glad to see Arial didn't discourage him." he chuckled.
"Speaking of..." I remembered. "Mom was pretty down earlier, so I pulled out some momtastic puns for her." I told him.
"Oh yeah? How'd that go over?" he asked.
"It ended with her calling me her sonshine." I said. Semi struggled not to laugh. "I'm not kidding, that's what she said." I laughed.
"Oh Dot." he turned to walk backwards. "Real proud of'ya Dot!" he winked and snapped his fingers at her. "I knew you had a punny bone in'ya somewhere!" he laughed.
"Sans I warned you!" she shouted at me.
"You better clean your room to appease her boy." he nudged at me as he turned back around.
It is the next few corners Sans...
"I uh, hate to ruin the mood, but, I'd really like to know what happened to you, before we reach the Rift." I hesitated to ruin his mood.
"Just gotta butter me up first huh?" he replied with disappointment at me.
"You got me. Guilty as charged." I held my hands up.
I was starting to wonder if he had caught on to me yet...
"I'll let you off with a warning this time." he smiled at me. "Gist of my sorry tale is that I came here to shut the Rift down completely, but, an old frenemy of mine was just waitin' for me, and I ended up in some Void dimension for almost a week until I found a way out." he explained, sounding thoroughly irritated.
"Same thing happen to Mom and Dad before they showed back up here." I told him.
He stopped and looked at me shocked.
"It is true." Mom said as they all caught up with us. "We were trapped someplace else for... almost a day maybe?" she added.
"Felt longer then that to me." Dad commented.
"Gray scenery? Gray trees?" Semi quickly asked her.
"Black sky?" she replied.
"Sliver ocean?" Dad added.
"So you both were in the Void? I never saw you." Semi said confused.
"Neither did I, and I was there much longer." Calibri stated surprised.
"Well, we were... at the edge of the world." Mom said unsure of herself.
"You never saw a small town, near a mountain?" Semi asked.
"No." Mom answered. "Most we saw was an ocean and a forest of trees, where we somehow were brought back here in some anomaly." she explained.
"Lucky you. I ended up stuck there for days, and finished my visit fighting the human half of the Dark Soul Monster's soul." he said annoyed.
"You what?" she panicked.
Lillian's surprise nearly made me panic too.
"Your mother saved my hide." he winked.
"For a second time." Calibri looked at him disappointed.
"You would not believe how much stuff I traded that story for Cally." he laughed. "Ah splints! That reminds me!" he winced, then turned to me. "You mentioned a Chara earlier." he said.
"Yeah..." I replied confused.
How does he know that name? Chara came to the underground years after he disappeared.
"I met them, in the Void, and they told me to tell you that they were sorry, for, not listening, or something to that effect." he explained. "I'm guessing now that has something to do with... what you said happened." he hesitated to say.
The Void? How...?
"It... might..." I tried to remember, focusing on what they meant and not on how they were alive.
Sorry for not listening...? Did they mean not listening to my pleas to stop killing everyone? That might be hard to forgive kid. I told you what you were doing wrong too many times to count. I had hoped you would listen, so I wouldn't have to... do what I did to stop you...
Maybe... they finally did listen...
"I have proof it was them, if you recognize this anyway." Semi reached to a gold chain around his neck. He fidgeted with it for a moment to turn it around, revealing a gold heart shaped locket hanging from it. "This locket was theirs. Says uh... best friends forever on it." he stated as he held it up for me to see.
I was paralyzed for a moment at the sight of the locket. There were too many memories attached to it...
"That's not me it's talking about if that's what you're thinking." I shivered.
"Who is it referring to then?" he glanced at it.
"Asriel." Flowey popping up by us and answered. "Asriel and Chara were... once best friends." he said in a saddened tone.
"Asriel? Asgore's kid?" Semi laughed.
Everyone became visibly upset. He had no idea about what had happened. And none of us looked ready to tell him. Calibri on the other hand looked confused, probably coming from before Asriel's time, so she never knew him.
"Did... something happen to him...?" Semi noticed everyone's reaction.
"It's a long story. But basically... he and Chara died at the same time." I told him.
"Wha—!? What happened? WHEN did that happen? WHO did it?!" he flinched back in shock.
"Chara." I answered.
Semi looked back at the locket he wore with disbelief.
"Technicality it was the humans in the village..." Frisk uneasily said.
"No. It was Chara." Flowey corrected them.
How do either of them know anything about what happened? Not even Asgore knows exactly what happened once they left the underground that day.
"I've missed more than I thought." Semi whispered. "J-Just how long have I been gone?" he asked.
"About... 20 years? Maybe more." I quickly figured in my head.
I'll have to check my watch—
"GOSH DARN IT!" he stomped his foot in a rage, making all of us flinch. "I can't believe— This is the last straw!" he stomped off past us. "I am dismantling every piece of the Rift and blowing this entire mountain if I have to!" he shouted out in anger.
"Whoa whoa cool it!" I quickly stopped him. "We don't have to blow anything up." I attempted to clam him.
"Just try and stop me boy...!" he pointed his finger in my face.
"You got more than just me to stop you Gramps." I leaned towards him.
"There's more than just me on my side too, but I'm not letting them—"
The CORE suddenly shook as it made a horrible creaking noise. I had only heard it make that kind of noise once before.
So have I.
"We don't have time to argue!" Semi shoved me aside.
"Gramps wait—!" I ran after him.
I stopped dead in my tracks... I just sensed...
A reset?
Semi stopped and looked back with horror in his expression. I looked back as well, and all of us ended up looking at Frisk. They stepped forward with determination in their expression.
"Stay together." they told us.
"What happened?" I asked them.
"You don't wanna know." Flowey answered.
How come we don't remember what happened Lillian?
We died.
That explains my sudden feelings of fear, dread, and hopelessness than.
"There's another party involved in all this." Semi glanced to the side. "I have no idea who though..." he stated, trying his best to hide his concern.
"S-Seriously?" Dad said in fear.
"You remember what happened?" Papyrus asked Semi surprised.
"Enough to know we're in deep sonny. Too deep." he looked back down the path. "All of you stay behind me this time; No charging ahead." he ordered with a stern point at Mom.
"I could tell you the same thing." Mom replied annoyed.
He returned her annoyed expression. Frisk ran up to the front of the group and held the Star Blade at the ready.
"And keep your grip this time kid!" Semi shoved them with his hand. "If we lose that sword we're as good as dusted." he told them.
I felt Flowey get in my hood.
"No one's dying this time—!" I heard him hiss.
"Any hints?" I asked him.
He didn't reply right away.
"Don't give up." he answered with a sense of hope.
All of us were tense moving forward. After Frisk's reset, we were all on alert for trouble, but instead of finding that, we found puzzle locks. Frisk and Semi quickly solved them, no doubt remembering the solutions from the last timeline Frisk had reset, and got the way forward open for us. When the door ahead opened, Semi gestured for us to wait, while he and Frisk cautiously went in together. By the time they passed through the doorway, I was already feeling impatient, for the first time in my life I didn't want to wait around.
Don't act on it Sans, wait!
I managed one step before Papyrus stopped me.
I could sense something ahead... It felt like... the monster?
Impossible. The magnetic field it too strong here for it to hold its form.
What about that Mystrium guy?
He would be fine, but that monster is controlling him directly, so they both would be unable to enter.
What if, I dunno, the monster let him go and just, like, gave him some orders?
Mystrium would—... Would probably obey.
Dread.
I sensed another reset.
Dread again.
Again, a reset.
Fear.
Reset.
Anger—!
I raced forward, shoving Semi and Frisk both with magic as Mystrium landed in attack where they had been. He saw he had missed and looked back at me with wide eyes covered in a dark haze. He stood tall over me, his body ever so slightly melting as he now held his original form. His 'hair' was uneven and his clothes were tattered. In some places it looked like someone had slashed him with a sharp attack, leaving behind sparkling black dust. What little I could see of his expression was blank.
"Mystrium—!" me and Lillian both exclaimed at his appearance.
He tossed me behind him at Semi and Frisk. Semi grabbed me with magic and sat me down feet first between them. Mystrium faced us, summoning up his black magic to block off the doorway to keep everyone else away. Frisk bravely stepped in front of me with the Star Blade ready, so me and Semi got our magic ready to back them up.
"Do not underestimate him Sans." Semi told me. "Don't get cocky either." he warned.
"And don't let Lillian take over." Frisk also warned me.
What did you do girl?
We died every time Frisk reset, Sans. My power isn't enough to help us retain memories over our deaths, so that's all I know.
"I'll keep them in check, you just focus on that creep!" Flowey told them as I felt one of his vines creeping over my shoulder.
Frisk nodded and held the blade out. Semi took a stance with a summoned bone sword. Mystrium stared at Frisk for a moment, his eyes darting as he looked them over a bit surprised. I heard everyone else try to get past his wall of magic, but nothing was breaking it. The only way it's coming down is if we break Mystrium's concentration on it.
"Forgive me Brianzar..." Mystrium said softly.
"If you are sorry, why fight?" Frisk asked him, unafraid.
Mystrium didn't reply.
"Just focus on hitting him with the Star Blade kid. Save your words for later." Semi told them.
"This cannot be stopped." Mystrium summoned diamond weapons in his hands. "Everything has already happened. Everything... has been planned from the start." he stated somberly with his head low. "There is no denying fate!" he yelled out, in a tone of voice much like the monster's, and made his first attack.
Frisk sidestepped his attack by just a hair, while Semi jumped aside the other direction. I took one step out of the way and summoned a wall of blue bones for Mystrium to go through as he charged past me. He took no damage from it as expected. His soul I could sense was powerful, and very unstable.
Frisk quickly ran back to counterattack, but Mystrium easily dodged them. Semi sent a pattern of attacks at him, forcing me to move to dodge it myself, and Mystrium cut a path through them with his diamond weapons. Flowey's bullets rushed past me at Mystrium, but again, no effect. I opted not to attack this turn and just got some distance between us.
Mystrium's eyes flashed past the dark haze around his face, and sharp diamonds appeared around him, shattering into smaller bits that came flying my way. I held my focus, ignoring my fear, and dodged them all out of instinct. Heh, we remembered his attack pattern over the reset it seems. Mystrium paused for a moment, looking my way surprised, giving Frisk the chance to land a hit on him. They swung the Star Blade through him and he hollered out, but his demeanor didn't clear up, and he quickly countered at Frisk, who dodged him effortlessly. Semi pulled them out with magic and shot attacks to distract him.
"Add to it Sans!" Flowey urged me.
I summoned up a wall of attacks and fired them off at Mystrium. He weaved through them and countered as he cleared the wave, catching me off guard. He wasn't suppose to do that. I moved to dodge him a little too late, but Flowey pulled me through the floor underground just in time to avoid it. I was dragged through rough volcanic rock by his vines, until he sat me up back above ground a good distance from where I had been. And where I had been was now covered in sharp diamonds, that must have been coming at me from behind judging by the angle they were stuck in the floor.
"Nice save." I commented, a bit stunned at Flowey's quick thinking to save me.
Mystrium was quick to notice Frisk coming at him and dodged their attack. He circled around Semi's attack and countered within the second, knocking Semi across the room.
"Distract him Sans, use your blasters!" Flowey shouted out.
"No way. What if he summons some highly reflective diamond and redirects at me?" I argued.
"He won't! Now shoot!" he shouted at me.
Mystrium looked my way, and out of fear I fired a single blaster at him, having it already on my mind it was summoned easily. He summoned a sheet of magic and reflected the shot back at me. The magic tore through my blaster, and into me, slamming me to the wall. It felt like getting punched by the sun.
"What did I... just say...?" I groaned in pain.
"Shut up...!" Flowey coughed from between my back and the wall.
I heard Mystrium shout again and also heard his magic fire back with intensity as I fell to the floor off the wall, staggering to get up as I recovered from being blasted. I took it better than I thought I would. Frisk got my attention when I heard them get hit. I found them struggling to get up from the attack, looking worse than me right now.
"Go go!" Flowey shouted in a panic.
I grabbed my soul with gravity magic and threw myself at Frisk to get them out of the way of Mystrium's next attack. It came down right behind me as we fell past it. I tossed Frisk up to their feet with magic, with Semi quick to heal them, then pull me up with his magic.
"How'd you survive that one?" Semi panted as he summoned a new bone sword.
"Determination." Frisk shook their head trying to smile.
Mystrium waited on us to make our turn.
"Let's try my plan again Sans." Flowey said at my back. "But this time, MOVE out of the way of the rebound!" he shouted at me. "And Frisk! Be ready to strike!" he told them.
Frisk nodded with determination.
"Ey, whadda'bout me?" Semi asked.
"Just... do whatever." Flowey waved a leaf at him.
"Follow my lead Gramps." I told him.
He kept his eyes on me with a doubtful expression. I summoned multiple bone attacks and sent them towards Mystrium along the ground. I fired off blasters right after, and Semi added blue and orange bones right behind my other attacks. Mystrium repeated his strategy and reflected the blasts with a sheet of magic, while dodging the bones with relative ease. I side stepped the reflection of my attacks and stopped the blasters from firing. Somehow during all this Semi had slid under one of my blasters and began firing off attacks at Mystrium from every angle. Mystrium struggled to keep up with them after dodging the last wave, and when I saw Floweys' vines wrapping around his legs, I saw an opening. I recalled all my magic and fired it all at him with one blaster, which I moved towards him with Frisk right behind it. Mystrium cut it down as soon as it was in range of his weapons, making me flinch from the feedback, but Frisk was right behind it's beam ready to strike. With Flowey holding Mystrium in place, he couldn't escape the attack. The Star Blade went right through him, leaving his physical body intact as it tore through only the corruption on his soul.
Flowey held onto him, wrapping his vines around his arms now, and Frisk stepped back from him. Mystrium tried to escape the vines now covering him all over, but his physical strength wasn't enough. He shook his head and shouted in anger as he shot sharp diamonds to cut the vines away. Frisk was quick to hit him again, but the Star Blade didn't seem to be working, even after getting hit twice. He still had that dark haze around him, and his... Wait, no, his expression has changed. He was snarling in anger still, but his posture was different. It was less rigid and more... unsure. He even staggered a bit, and it wasn't because of weakness. He was...
Confused.
Must take more than one whack of the Blade to help this guy. Heh, glad it only took me one.
"Snap out of this!" Frisk charged at him with the Blade.
Mystrium struggled to summon his magic at them, and nearly tripped as he stepped backwards. The Star Blade sliced through him and his corrupted soul for a third time, and he fell to the floor on his knees. His magic on the doorway finally fell, and I heard everyone hurry in. They stopped not far behind me, expect for one. I glanced up at my brother who, to my surprise, didn't look worried about what he saw, he had a serious look about him as he glanced down at me. I winked up to him to assure him I was alright. He smiled and nodded, looking back at Frisk and Mystrium.
"Enough. Please." Frisk implored Mystrium.
Mystrium slammed his hands to the floor as he leaned over. His body was beginning to break down even worse suddenly.
"Nothing... Nothing matters...!" Mystrium growled in anger. "Do you realize that?!" he shouted at Frisk. "Nothing any of us do is enough to make a difference… We fight until we turn to dust; and for what?! To cause more pain to those around us! To instill fear! To waste our pathetic lives fighting for what could very well be the most horrible purpose under the stars!" he yelled out with intense anger.
Frisk wasn't fazed by his words.
"Fighting for our friends is never wrong." Frisk replied calmly.
"I am far from a friend of yours..." Mystrium snarled at them.
"You can change that." Frisk stepped closer.
I feel like I've missed something. This seems a little sudden, even for Frisk.
Time did reset quite a lot before now.
Did Frisk get this far all those times before?
Mystrium looked up at Frisk as they approached. His expression was... opposite of what it just was.
"You are not... Brianzar... are you...?" he asked them in fear.
"No, but, that doesn't mean we can't still be friends." Frisk told him with a smile.
This kid I swear.
"Brianzar… has been gone… Who are you child?" he held his hand up to his chest and asked them.
"Frisk." they happily answered.
He looked at them confused, then curious.
"You are... a very different kind of human. Just like him." he stated with interest now.
Frisk reached out and put their hand on his shoulder. He cried a single tear, then lowered his head as he began to laugh.
"How foolish of me to think you were him. He was not a child when we met… It must be the Star Blade... reminding me…" he laughed at himself, gazing at the Blade.
"So is this guy okay now or what?" Flowey whispered to me.
I shrugged my shoulders in answer.
Has he... fought past it...?
Seems like it.
I looked past them at the final door to the Rift across the room. Through it was, from what Lillian's memories told me, a corridor that led to the Rift. That's why all of us were here. That reality altering machine. Somehow, despite everything that had happened to all of us, we all ended up here, at the same time. It seemed... strange. A little too strange.
Suddenly I sensed a reset. It didn't actually occur, but it came close. I focused back on Frisk and saw them fall to the floor. They were still alive, somehow, with Mystrium standing over them with his diamond weapons, ready to attack again as his corrupting confusion took over again.
"Frisk!" Flowey was the first to shout out.
Semi rushed over and snatched up the Star Blade, quickly using it against Mystrium. Mystrium grabbed it mid-swing, ignoring the damage it was doing to his hand as its white magic collided with his black magic.
"Why is it you fight Semi?" Mystrium asked him plainly, his tone turned more dark as he fell further back under the corruption.
"Why do you...?!" Semi struggled to overpower him. Mystrium's eyes narrowed. "Rimmy—! Listen—!" he began to be pushed back. "You're on the wrong side here! This isn't... right!" he lost his strength.
"How are you sure of that?" Mystrium questioned.
"Because I…! I fight for them..!" he shoved Mystrium back, releasing the Blade from his grip "For my family, others, the world!" he made an attack with the Star Blade.
Mystrium sidestepped and tripped him, snatching the Blade from his grasp as he fell. Semi hit the floor, and Mystrium stood ready with the Star Blade towards him. Its white magic burned his hand, but he didn't seem to care.
"As do I fight for family, Semi." Mystrium stated. "So why is it our alike choice has brought us to such drastically different conclusions..." he said in a low tone.
"What...?" Semi staggered up.
I saw Calibri, Dad, and Mom raced by to help Frisk while they had the chance. Papyrus stood with me, ready to help Semi. I had to hold him back from jumping in too soon, he wasn't as patient as I was.
"Lord Mastic Monster is a masterful tactician." Mystrium stared Semi down. "He has plotted events leading to his return to power for nearly 1,000 years." he walked Semi back a few steps. "Nothing you do now matters. Your choices, do not matter. Not even my own choices matter now. They never had. My Grandfather will not easily be defeated, that has already been proven more than once. He has planned every step, foreseen every event, and accounted for every choice any of us could possibly make." he walked Semi back again.
"No one can plan for everything. You would have know everything to do that." Semi replied, tense like the rest of us from this information.
"A very easy thing when time has been reset enough." Mystrium stated.
Semi spat in anger.
"So you're going to willingly help him? Why?" Semi questioned him.
"I opposed him only once before..." Mystrium stood ready with the Blade. "And failed!" he yelled out, slashing the Blade through Semi. Semi staggered from the hit, but he wasn't hurt. I held Papyrus back again, and myself. Not yet. "I put all my hope into escaping the lies I had been told, into finding the truth." Mystrium got ready to attack again. "But I all I found was misery... I LOST EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE!" he attacked Semi with the Blade again. "I STARTED A WAR THAT KILLED THOUSANDS!" he attacked again.
Semi gasped from the attacks. The pure magic of the Blade didn't damage him, but it was still knocking him off balance.
"That wasn't your fault Mystrium!" Semi sternly told him.
"But it was. Brianzar died for nothing. His death, our efforts, MY efforts, are what brought the war on monsterkind!" he attacked Semi again. "I carried his soulless body to his home, expecting mourning and appreciation for his sacrifice, but instead..." he paused, almost laughing. "Instead I was attacked. Insulted. Feared. Hated." he snarled in anger. "Within the span of a day, the war had begun, and I was labeled an enemy due to my relation to Mastic. The humans— Even monster kind hated me! They did not want another corrupted soul filled monster— no, BEAST, destroying their world!" he shouted in anguish. "Before I knew it, war had come, and Asgore made the plan to retreat here, to Ebott Mountain. And he invited me to come..." he stated more calmly. "He had forgiven me... for far too much..." he looked aside ashamed.
"Because he knew you weren't like that monster. He knew there—"
Mystrium cut him off in more ways then one, and Semi nearly fell backwards from the attack. Papyrus took a sharp breath, but stayed put beside me. We had to catch Mystrium off guard at his weakest moment. This wasn't it just yet...
"You do know that doesn't hurt me right?" Semi smiled up at him.
"It will soon..." Mystrium growled, attacking Semi again without mercy.
Semi winced a bit from the hit.
"I don't think that's how it works." Semi replied in a tense voice.
Mystrium roared and made one last hard hitting attack. Semi's eyes widened as he was hit, and I could tell it dealt damage to his soul this time. I caught him with my magic and pulled him towards us, at the same time, Papyrus fired off a wave of attacks at Mystrium.
Semi! What happened...?
Mystrium dodged Papyrus' attacks and quickly countered with his own. His blank expression told me everything that Frisk had done to save him was undone, just like that. Me and Papyrus barely managed to dodge his attacks, and he had others waiting for us, all of them coming at us from different angles. They came too fast and too random to dodge. I was knocked to the floor by the attacks, and I sensed Lillian's hate grow. My sadness grew as I felt myself floating on the verge of death. Our confusion grew as we questioned everything...
HATE. FEAR. SADNESS. VIOLENCE. CONFUSION. PRIDE—
No! I'm not letting that happen again!
We can't let him get away with this! Stop him!
NO. Stop! You're making it worse! Don't you realize that?!
I... I won't—!
STOP!
YOU STOP!
We fought for control, making me stumble around as I got on my feet. I kept my reasonable thoughts in the front of my mind, fending off her hate, letting me keep control for the moment. As long as I could counter her negative thoughts with positive ones, I could hold control of myself.
PERSEVERANCE...
I gazed out at Semi, still laying on the floor, and got ready to go help him, but I noticed Mystrium approaching Frisk. Semi would have to wait.
JUSTICE...
I quickly shot blue bones into Mystrium to stop him, and caught him off guard. He stepped out of them, and nearly fell over from the damage he took.
"What—?!" he exclaimed in shock at me.
I stood my ground as he faced me.
BRAVERY...
Something was stirring in me, making my magic stronger. I ignored it and waited to see what move he would make in response. I held my magic in at the ready for any possibility or opportunity.
PATIENCE...
He charged forward in attack, and so did I. But when we met, I stepped around him, tripped him, and snatched the Blade from his grasp as he fell. I made no immediate counter on him, though I had the chance.
INTEGRITY...
He landed on his hands and pushed off the floor, spinning in mid-air to fire attacks at me. They hit me square on and knocked me back off my feet. Flowey caught me and shoved me back forward. I staggered around, my vision blurring... my soul... feeling like it was falling apart...
"Wake up Sans!" I felt Flowey slap me with a vine.
KINDNESS...
Thanks bud, heh.
Another attack hit me out of nowhere, and I fell sideways to the floor.
Everything... went black...
No…!
I'm not giving up.
Flowey said not to give up, and for once, I'm going to trust him.
WE ARE NOT GIVING UP SO EASILY.
DETERMINATION.
All reality flashed by me, and I stood standing against Mystrium.
In the past.
I had... reset back in time.
Not as exciting of an experience as I thought it would be, heh.
Mystrium fired off attacks too quick to dodge; the first time. I dodged them from memory and made a charge at him. He flinched in shock and I took advantage of it, sliding under his feet to trip him up. I tossed myself back over him as he fell and snatched the Blade from him. He got back up as I landed and turned to face him. I stood with the long sword, the Star Blade, in hand, and felt it connect with our soul. It's glow brightened and I felt its power increase. A soft voice told me we were accepted to wield it, and I felt a purifying magic rush through me.
I trust you Sans.
You too kiddo.
Let's finish this for Frisk.
Mystirum summoned his magic, and the moment I saw him begin to move, I made my own move. I rushed past his attacks and got around to attack him from the side. He side stepped me, but I dodged his counter swing, blocking the next with the Blade. Black and whites magics sparked between us as our weapons made contact. We clashed over and over as I waited for the right moment to attack. He had been so close to being free earlier, so one last strike from the Star Blade should do it for him. I hope...
He grew frustrated and shoved me back with a sheet of magic. As I skid to a halt from the force, he summoned an array of diamonds that began building energy within the structure they created. Was that his magic's own type of blaster? I summoned my own, a Gaster Blaster. And got... a full blown dragon. My magic was surging in my soul. I had never pushed it this far before. It had to have been because of Lillian's raising soul power. The full-bodied skeletal dragon stood beside me, magical energy building in its mouth ready to fire. Mystrium fired off his magic, so I let mine loose as well. The two magics collided in a fury of magical energy. I focused my magic into a more concentrated beam and overpowered his crystal blaster, busting it into shards. I recalled all my magic the moment it was destroyed. While he was stunned from the feedback, I teleported behind him using DT and magic. It was so much easier to do now with real DT, heh.
"Game over pal." I surprised him.
I took one good swing at him with the Star Blade, and it tore the corruption off his soul, which took the form of a dark mass on the Blade. I flung it to the ground and stabbed the Blade down into it to finish it off. It faded to nothing, and I heard Mystrium fall to the floor behind me. I caught my breath, and let myself slide down the Blade to the floor. My soul might be at peak power, but my body sure isn't, heh...
"That was so cool!" Papyrus cheered impressed.
Mystrium lie motionless now, as well as Semi still. I pulled myself up on the Star Blade and walked over to him.
"Is he alright...?" I heard Frisk say.
I looked back to see they meant Mystrium.
"Stay back!" Mom pulled them back.
"We cannot be sure..." Calibri warned.
"B-But the Blade should have helped him. Right...?" Dad shivered behind Mom.
I ignored them and focused on Semi.
Please be alive...
I got down and shook him a bit. No reaction. I rolled him over on his back, and snapped my fingers in his face. Nothing.
Oh no...
I sensed his soul… it was alright. So why isn't he...?
"Is it over...?" he whispered.
"GOD DANG IT GRAMPS YOU'BOUT GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!" I shouted out angrily.
"What? Heh, you thought I was actually dead?" he laughed.
"You will be if you keep pranks like this up." I stared him down.
"Don't give me the blank eyes, boy." he stared me up with blank eyes.
I heard someone pull the Star Blade out of the metal floor; it was Frisk. Mystrium was getting up. Semi grabbed my jacket and pulled himself up on it, then used me as a support to get to his feet. He pat my head as we watched Mystrium get up on his knees.
"Real proud by the way." he told me with a wink.
I nearly gasped at the genuine compliment from him. He actually said that? To me? Heh, wow, did he get hit in the head or something?
Mystrium looked up and around, wincing in pain.
"Mystrium..." Calibri was the first to approach him. He looked up at her curiously. "Are you.. alright?" she asked him.
He stared at her for a moment.
"I... believe so...?" he replied confused.
Semi pat my shoulder as I got up before walking over to them. Mystrium winced in pain as held his hand up, and we all noticed it still melting.
"I cannot... keep this up..." he gasped. "Please..." he whispered.
"Let us heal you Mystrium." Calibri offered.
"Yeah! With all of us, we can help you!" Papyrus shouted.
"No…!" Mystrium gasped in terror at them. "That is... not the problem… He just... refuses to let go..." he panted as he looked at the floor.
"Brianzar?" Semi stood in front of him.
"Y-Yes..." Mystrium stuttered.
I walked up behind Semi.
"That's what I suspected. Your two souls aren't melding very well anymore are they?" he asked him.
Mystrium shook his head.
"All this time he has fought against Mastic's magic over me… But all it did... was damage my soul and body... His resoluteness kept me alive, in a condition I could be rescued from, but not without... painful consequences..." he winced in pain.
"This is not over yet either." Lillian forced her words out with my voice as we walked over.
"No." Mystrium voice came out deeper. "But I cannot keep doing this to him." he told us.
"No. And I'm sure the same will happen to Sans concerning me." she replied. "W-Wait-! You mean your DT might overwhelm me? How does that work if monsters absorbing humans souls is, well, normal, I guess." I replied to her out loud.
"When the power of the human soul becomes too much for a monster form to bare, the magic begins to decay." Brianzar, I figured from Lillian's knowledge, explained. "I have been overpowering Mystrium for... centuries. I am surprised this hast not happened to us sooner." he stated with a weak laugh.
"So I'm good for now?" I asked with worry.
"You're good for now." Semi told me with a side glance.
"But then... what do we do...?" Mom asked concerned.
Brianzar made Mystrium smile. Then Mystrium looked shocked. He cringed and fell on his hands. He sat there for a moment, clenching his fists, crying, and shaking his head. Then suddenly...
"Trust yourself. And trust your friends." Brainzar looked at us, forcing a smile on Mystrium's face.
Frisk walked up and offered their hand to him with a friendly smile. Mystrium hesitated, losing the forced smile. Papyrus offered his hand to him, so did me and Lillian. Semi joined in, along with everyone else. Expect Flowey, he had no hands, heh. Mystrium looked between us all with an expression of disbelief. Then he cautiously reached out, and took Frisk's hand. And pulled them down with him as he winced in pain and fell to the floor. He lied still, like he was fallen, and Frisk rightly became worried. Then... Brianzar's soul appeared, cracked, dull in color, and hardly glowing.
This soul... was over 1,000 years old...
"Brianzar." Lillian called out to him.
The soul glowed brighter for a moment in response.
"Thank you." she told him, making me smile.
Thank you... young one... Never give up... in your efforts...
A crack suddenly ran down his soul, and it instantly shattered, the pieces disappearing into the air. Every trance of it faded away... into nothing… Is that what it looks like when a human soul... dies? I honesty didn't think that was possible.
"Frisk." Semi called softly. Frisk looked up at him from Mystrium. "Don't worry about Mystrium too much. We need to continue on." he nodded to them. Frisk nodded back. "Look after him Cally, and keep a look out for us." he told her. She nodded in reply. "Probably best if the rest of you stay here." he eyed everyone else.
"Nonsense!" Papyrus objected with a stomp of his foot
Semi groaned and rolled his eyes.
"Fine. But just you." he sternly told him.
"And me." I stepped beside Papyrus.
"Just you two." Semi grumbled.
Papyrus stood up straight and saluted to him. Semi looked at him confused for a moment. Frisk came over to us carrying the Star Blade, and Semi led us on towards the final door.
"Sans." Mom grabbed me by my head to stop me. "Keep him safe." she told me with concern.
"Heh, you keep him safe." I gestured at Dad.
"HEY!" Dad heard me. "No respect, not even from, like, my own children..!" he grumbled.
"Sans..." Mom pleaded.
I glanced over at Semi inputting a code to open the door. That old bones... I don't think he knows how much everyone else worries about him.
"I'll do my best Mom." I assured her. "We both know how stubborn he is." I winked.
She looked like she wanted to say more, but, she held it in. I held back some things too. I didn't want to make things sound final. This wasn't going to be the end.
I heard the door begin to open, so I caught up to Semi and the others. I felt Flowey hop back into my hood at the last second, wiggling his way deeper into it to keep out of sight.
I stood with Semi as the door finished opening.
This was it. This was the center of everything that was happening.
It was why we were all here...