[[ As a random note: I really really like the thought of Sans losing his 'lazy' speech patterns when he's being all serious and intimidating...like, a lot.
There's a lot that happens in this chapter, and I'm sorry if it seems kind of convoluted or confusing. Direct any and all questions to my askbox on Tumblr and I'll be more than happy to answer anything I may have left a little confusing! Also, I'm posting this after midnight, so if there are any errors, please just PM me and I'll fix them if I don't notice them on my own. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! The tension is coming to a breaking point! So strap in and prepare yourself for some shit to go down. ]]
It was only three syllables, but the way it was said, so deeply in that normally smooth baritone, made it almost sound enough like a growl that it felt more menacing than any threat. It was hollow and deep, shaking Kathleen to her very core, and she was quick to realize that this was the person who had sent those text messages. She recognized the skeletal face, though his eye sockets were completely devoid of any light now, and the green glow being cast from the still-captive human's soul bathed across his bones in a way that was absolutely haunting. Her legs began to tremble as she struggled to get to her feet, backing away until she was pressing against the cold steel of the wall behind her. 'He's going to kill me. He'll recognize me, realize who I am, and he's going to kill me. Oh god, oh god-' Devon's pleased laughter pulled her from her thoughts and, when she glanced over, she hardly recognized him. ...Though, really, how often had she been thinking that? How long had it been since she first thought that the semblance was lost? Her brother was never a good person, but the type of cruelty and hatred he'd been displaying was inhuman. He'd never been this bitter. His heart was never this ice cold, lifeless.
"Smiley trashbag! It's been too long!" her brother said, sounding far too happy with the situation at hand. She only briefly wondered why he seemed to know this monster that was now a very threatening presence in the room, but that thought was derailed by a shrill tearing sound filling the air. It disturbed the space and where, in one moment, the room was fine, she blinked...and everything went to hell.
The skeleton's jacket was billowing in an invisible breeze, pulling backward against his solid frame and toward the...the what? Her mind could barely even wrap around what she was seeing. It was the darkest place she'd ever laid eyes upon. It was solid, yet not, its darkness swirling and colliding and mixing and she wanted to vomit suddenly, and she didn't know why. Why...no, how could something so dark exist? Why was it there? What had once been the door leading out of the little room was now a torn fragment of darkness, and suddenly nothing made sense. Did emptiness have a sound? If it did, she's fairly certain that's what she was hearing now. The emptiness and darkness was pressing against her ears so closely that she was going to go deaf, go blind, and she still couldn't imagine how something like that could exist. ...She was fairly certain that it shouldn't. As bile worked its way up her throat she turned her head, swallowing hard to try and compose herself.
"What's the matter, bitch? Don't like what you see?" the skeleton asked, his voice hollow, save for the undercurrent of rage. His left eye socket, which was once empty, now held a blue orb of light- or was it yellow? No, she's fairly certain it was blue, with only little flashes of the golden light shining through as he looked her over. It was a gaze full of judgment, and she felt something deep inside herself stir. A crawling sensation crept down her spine and she shuddered, gagging as her eyes flickered back to the darkness directly behind his skull. "This is the Void. Humans aren't supposed to see it, but, I figure, with the way you've been acting..." The glow of his eye socket increased, casting more light that cast shifting shadows across the arches of his brow and cheekbones. "You don't deserve to be called human." It felt like an electric bolt struck her right through the heart, and tears sprang to her eyes just as she managed to swallow down another round of bile, the acid leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The monster chuckled darkly and gave her a smile, though it lacked any mirth or goodness. She swore she saw his teeth part momentarily, revealing a set of fangs that glinted in the green-blue-yellow light.
"She's garbage, but she has her uses," Devon piped up nonchalantly, and Kathleen felt more than saw the animosity in Sans' gaze as it shifted to her brother. She was so afraid that she couldn't even properly feel offended. 'Because they're right. I...I'm awful.' Her eyes cast themselves over to the unconscious human, the transparent green shell still wrapping her up in a protective bubble of magic. She recalled the things she felt as she held the other woman's very soul in her hands and felt the greatest amount of shame and guilt she remembered having. 'Lena...' She took a tentative step closer to the shield, reaching a hand out to try and touch it, try to help her, but something bright blue flashed past her head, narrowly missing her by mere inches. The rough sound of twisting metal broke the unsettling silence and she froze, turning her head slowly to see a glowing blue bone embedded in the steel. The strength left her legs and she fell to her knees, shakily turning back to Sans, who had his left hand held out in front of him, a growl rumbling from him more menacing than any animal.
"Don't touch her," he snarled, wisps of blue magic curling and licking along the side of his skull as they drifted from his left eye socket, like an ethereal mix between smoke and flames. She felt her mascara running thickly down her cheeks as she cried, but it was the furthest thing from her mind. She'd just been inches from death... She could have died! ...and Devon didn't seem bothered in the slightest. If anything, he looked amused.
"Another funny from the comedian! It's not like she could anyway, even if she wanted to." The skeleton's eye sockets narrowed dangerously, and he gnashed his teeth loudly as another growl ripped from him.
"What did you do to her, brat?" he asked, though it was less of a question and more of a demand for an answer with the way it was said. Devon scoffed and shrugged his shoulders, the grin on his face teasing and cruel.
"Who, me? Why do you assume I did anything to your precious mate- ...oh, I'm sorry. I know you haven't gotten that far yet. I meant to say 'friend.'" The high-pitched, childlike giggle that bubbled from her brother's lips sounded distorted, growing almost manic as Sans' face contorted into a rage-filled glare. Skeletons were made of bone, how was he able to make such a terrifying expression? "Heheh, what, did I hit a nerve? Funny, seeing as you don't have any!" Another low, menacing growl, and Devon rolled his eyes at him. "You're being so easy right now, letting me get under your skin...but not as easily as it was to get under hers." His lips twisted into a cruel smile, shoulders shaking with unrestrained giggling. Kathleen's ice blue eyes stared at him, vision blurred with overflowing tears, and she furrowed her brows as a cold, thick feeling of shame washed over her.
'Who...who is this? Who have I been looking at, been speaking to, for the last however many months..?'
A feeling of golden light welling up inside her made her stumble, pushing away the vile guilt for just a moment and, her lips pressing into a thin line, she made her decision.
'I have to do what's right...'
Everything was too bright, too cold, too much. It hurt. Every single thing hurt, from the soles of her feet to the hairs on the very top of her head. Her entire being felt like it was surging, being forced through a sieve as something foreign and not gentle forced its way inside her. She didn't know what it was, she didn't know what she was, even. In that very moment, she found her mind blank, save for a single, solitary thought.
'Make it stop.'
The pain was immense, the sensation of being overfilled with something leaving her feeling stretched thin, worn, fragile. Tears poured from her open but unseeing eyes, irises hidden as they'd rolled upward, like they couldn't bear the sight of what had just happened and they were trying to escape to the back of her skull. Her body throbbed and burned, and she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Her breath had been lost after the initial scream, and her entire body was so tensed, muscles pulled taught as a violin string, that she couldn't draw breath. Were it not for the straps binding her, she most certainly would have fallen from the chair and to the floor to writhe in pain. But she didn't, and so she was held captive, leather rubbing her skin raw as she arched with more strength she should have possessed.
Yet through the cold agony afflicting her body, she felt something warm brush against her sternum, and though she had no physical capacity to look down to see it, she knew what it was. The little silver locket that she rarely ever removed, the precious gift that it was, had remained. She'd been certain it would've been stolen as soon as she was unconscious, but no. It was still there.
Despite everything, he was still there, comforting her.
'Sometimes kindness is enough...' The familiar voice whispered to her again, and then, with a flash of light behind her eyes, she felt that warmth beginning to spread. It enveloped her, like the blankets she'd be snuggled up in when she was younger, swaddling her in comfort and protection. 'Don't let them dim your light.' The surging feeling within her soul lessened a bit, and though the pain was still immense, she felt less like she was about to shatter into pieces.
'You sleep, sweetheart. I'll protect you until morning.'
Soothed and exhausted, she submit herself to the warmth, her mind fading into nothingness as everything around her faded from existence.
The air was thick with magical energy and, though not all of it was expected, Devon's lips spread into a wide, almost ecstatic smile. The 'test' had been a success! The magic was being wielded, obviously by the shield that had encased her, and though it didn't seem to be incredibly powerful, it had enough energy thrumming through its transparent, glass-like surface that they didn't dare touch it. They didn't know what it was capable of, and they had no desire to be alienated from the body they'd wrangled.
'She's not dead yet, so surely it means she's capable.' Their eyes flickered from the green-tinged 'bubble' of magic toward the source of growling in the room and, more importantly, the vast rift of darkness behind him. They felt their eyes crinkle as their smile widened even further, lips curling cruelly. 'Him showing up at this exact moment is...inconvenient. But I can still make this work for me.' An amused giggle spilled past their lips and they watched as already narrow sockets turned to mere slits, the fierce glow of magic spilling from the left socket with the ferocity of a flame.
"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Another bone flew forth with unseen speed and lodged itself in the hard cement, inches from Devon's right foot. They only laughed harder, their arms moving to wrap around their stomach as they doubled over in their mirth. "Answer me! What did you do to her?" The cyan-glow increased, and behind them, they could hear Kathleen suck in a terrified breath. 'How useless.' Slowly straightening themselves up, the narrowed their crimson eyes at the enraged skeleton, rolling their shoulders.
"I just helped bring out her potential. You should be thanking me, Sans." The way they said his name made the monster standing before them stiffen, teeth grinding together noisily. "I honestly don't see how you're so attached to something so...revolting. The amount of Determination she lacks is embarrassing, and the way her soul is so kind is sickening."
"You don't talk about her like that." A loud groaning sound came from the rift, and they were unsurprised to see the massive animalistic skull floating forth, maw already parting and crackling with a ferocious white light. They gave an unimpressed snort and crossed their arms.
"You're not intimidating anyone here with that. Well..." Glancing behind them at Kathleen from the corner of their eye, they gave her a sweet smile. "Nobody important." The crestfallen look on her face wasn't nearly as pleasing as they'd have liked it to be, but they simply shrugged, turning back to the skeleton who was glaring holes through them. "You'd dare to kill a human? You'd just end up with all your friends trapped underground again! You'd make Frisk reset, and...well..." Something dangerous flashed across their gaze. "Maybe I'd be able to have more say this time around."
It was infuriating.
Not just the insults, not just having her captured, not even having her insulted. No, it was something exceedingly simple. It was something that he knew, but he was even more angry that he knew.
It was that his foe, the very threat to everything he knew and loved, everyone he knew and loved, was right in front of him, and he couldn't do a goddamn thing about it. Pain stabbed at his teeth as they cracked under the pressure of him grinding them together while the rest of him stood ramrod straight, all of his attention poured into two things.
One was Lena, whose soul was still crying out desperately for him, and, even though they were so close, he felt just as far away as he had been sitting in Grillby's. The expression of torment and suffering on her face was enough to want to bring him to his knees, but he stood against it. He wasn't going to move, if only so he could make sure that she was safer in his presence.
The other reason was keeping his magic under control before he 'accidentally' unleashed a horde of blasters that brought the whole goddamn warehouse to the ground.
Though his right socket was still completely empty, his left flickered over to glance at the woman who'd moved to cower against the wall, and a sick little spark of pleasure curled in his soul at the terrified expression on her face. 'Good,' he thought, the blaster behind him giving a resounding rumble of a growl, so low and powerful that it shook the steel walls. She deserved to feel all of the fear that he knew Lena had felt. 'She deserves a hell of a lot more than that...' The thought of dunking her was so tempting, but he resisted. Because, despite how enraging it was, Chara was right. If he killed her- hell, if he even injured her with his magic, then all of monsterkind would be set back.
"What's the matter, Mr. Skeleman? Got no backbone left?" The unnaturally high-pitch of the child's voice seeped through the human's they'd possessed, and it sent tremors through his bones that were less from fear and more from anger. Behind them, Kathleen started to move, and he snapped his bony fingers, a surge of ethereal blue bones rising from the ground all around her. She screamed and fell back onto her ass on the ground, and he wanted to laugh at the way her perfect makeup was now running down her face in disgusting trails.
"You're gonna hang tight, kiddo," he mumbled, smiling as she, once again, looked like she was seconds from vomiting.
Surely this amount of enjoyment from her pain wasn't healthy for his soul.
...but, really, he couldn't bring himself to care in that moment.
"Skewer her if you want! I really could care less what happens to her." Sans saw the hurt look on her face, but paid it no mind, his gaze instead moving to rest on Chara. Their borrowed face was holding a look of pure indifference, their arms unfolding themselves from in front of their chest to instead shrug their shoulders, hands held palm-up at their sides. "You should know how, right? Afterall, how many times was it you killed Frisk-"
A bone rose from the cement underneath Devon's shoe, sending them stumbling backwards slightly, a surprised look crossing over their crimson eyes. "Yeah, see, that's not going to work this time around," he began, the bone slowly sinking back into the earth before it dissolved into nothingness. "Your first mistake was leaving the Underground, but let's give you grace and say you just wanted to get out of that cramped cave. That's fine..." Another bone rose, stopping just short of their nose, and they flinched backward slightly, body uncoordinated, and he grinned to himself. They probably weren't familiar with that type of body after so long possessing Frisk. "Coming to fuck around with me I can forgive, too. We've got beef going way back, so I get it. You hate everything, I can't fucking stand you. It's cool." He took a step forward, slippers shuffling far louder against the ground than they should have as he got into a loose stance, feet shoulder's width apart. "But when you decided to come after my family and kidnap my girl... That's where you fucked up."
There was a physical shift in the air. As the gaping rift in space behind the skeleton monster slowly knitted itself closed again, the feeling of emptiness in the room dissipated slowly. It was almost so similar to opening a bottle of soda, the hiss of pressure being released, only instead of the pressure leaving, it was returning. The gravity of the situation was finally being allowed to weigh completely on them, and the amount of tension that settled across the room was tangible. Giving the glowing blue bones surrounding her a wary look, Kathleen finally allowed her eyes to settle on Sans, the threat of the Void now gone. She swallowed back a thick wave of nausea as she met his gaze, realizing that he was looking at her in a way that was only able to be described as vengeful. He hated her, she knew that. If he had done the things she'd done to someone she loved, she was certain she'd hate him, too. She was alright with that. She could accept that...
...but still, she needed his help, and she wasn't going to be able to help him without it. Needing someone to help you to help them sounded like one of those overly-complicated ideas that people used as a saying but, in reality, would be too difficult to carry out. If someone has to help you to help them, then do they really need the help that badly in the first place? Why can't they just help themselves?
Except that she was the only one who could help him, and she couldn't do a damn thing until he trusted her to do that. She didn't deserve even the idea of that trust, and she knew that...but she felt a warm glimmer of something inside her chest, telling her that, despite that, she had to keep trying. She had to do what was right.
Cementing the decision in her mind, she thrust her hand out to knock the bones holding her captive aside, only for her hand to phase right through. Pain immediately riddled her body, mostly centered on her hand and wrist, but it spread everywhere. She bit back a short cry of pain and withdrew her arm, clutching it tightly to her chest, feeling an odd sensation of emptiness there. Briefly she panicked, wondering just what the magic had done to her. She didn't know much about it. But then she saw the cartoonishly shaped heart floating in front of her, between her sternum and the bones, and she realized what it was. It was...not what she expected. Its hue was that of a dull mustard yellow, and even though she'd never seen it before, she knew it wasn't entirely right. She glanced up to make sure her brother- no, that They hadn't noticed it, only to catch the skeleton staring deeply at her chest. 'No, at my soul...' There, in the very center, was a small starburst-shaped spot that was significantly brighter, clearer. It shone with a soft gold light, like sunlight, only richer. She looked at him imploringly, her vision cloudy through tears and runny mascara, but he glared at her just before tearing his gaze away from her soul, looking back up at Them in a way that spoke volumes, despite him not saying a single word. She caught the smallest bit of movement from the corner of her eye, then, suddenly, They had rushed forward toward Sans.
The silver glint of steel felt so much colder compared to the light coming from her soul, and seeing it alone made her shudder. Her soul shuddered with her, moving away from it, from the body and face of her brother, and if she wasn't sure before, the she definitely was now. Her hands groped around on the ground blindly, fingertips brushing against smooth glass, and as she curled her fingers around it, she realized what it was and decided to act. She held it tightly in her hand and pushed herself to her feet, feeling the tremors in her legs lessen bit by bit as she steadied herself. With the plunger of the large needle against her palm, she held it with her other hand with the needle pointed outward, locking her shoulder as she ran forward. The blue bones phased through her shins, and despite the pain that wracked her, she didn't stop. Her heels had fallen off at some point, she couldn't remember when, but she didn't care. She caught the barest glance of Sans' face, his eyesockets widening in shock only momentarily as stepped fluidly to the side, leaving Them standing alone. She caught them just before they could turn around, driving the thick steel needle into their lower back, close to their spine. Her brother's voice cried out in pain, mingling with a much higher tone that wasn't his, and she had all of three seconds to contemplate who it was before she felt an elbow being driven into her temple. She fell onto her back, head spinning slightly as she looked up at Them, their face drawn tight in rage.
"You useless piece of shit-" They drew their arm above their head, knife due to drive straight into her chest, and she held her arms up over her head protectively, as if they alone could stop it. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she awaited her fate. The sound of metal bouncing off of something solid rang out loudly in the small room, and she cracked an eye open just enough to catch sight of a bone jutting from the ground, just managing to block the blow. "This is why humans are disgusting!" They raved, breathing harshly as their eyes glowed an even sharper hue of red, voice sounding even more distorted. "They're not loyal to anyone but themselves. Not even to their own blood...and monsters are no better." She scrambled backward as they swung again, and though no bone came to protect her this time, she just managed to avoid it. "You all deserve to die. All of you."
"Nah, kid," Sans piped up, holding his left hand out, glowing a faint blue, and summoning a row of bones to jut from the concrete, pinning Them to the wall. "You just met all the wrong ones." They struggled against the bones, their grip on the knife tightening until their knuckles were a ghostly white. "I've met humans who are more loyal than some monsters I know. And, for every bit of LOVE you got..." The feral blue eyelight glanced to the unconscious woman still protected by the green magical shield, his expression softening for a fraction of a second before he returned his gaze to Them, glaring hard. "...they've got twice as much love. You're not gonna get away with your little tantrum, brat." Their lips curled back into a snarl, exposing yellowed teeth and pink gums, but then a sudden peace seemed to come over them, expression falling into a smile.
"You think love is all you need? Think kindness is enough?" A small flash of something vulnerable appeared in those blood-colored eyes, but it was too fleeting, soon replaced with a cold apathy. "It's not. It never has been, and it never will be. You'll realize that soon enough." Sans growled and his fingers twitched, the bones pressing closer, pushing the air from Their lungs. "I've found the third soul I need... I only need four more..."
"For what? What're you planning?" the skeletal monster pressed, but the only answer he received was a high, keening giggle, one so manic that Kathleen covered her ears. When the laughter finally died out, there was a sharp silence, only broken by harsh breathing and coughing as They doubled over. Sans watched them warily, magic flaring and ready to strike as soon as it was necessary. After a moment, Devon gave a soft groan, blearily looking around. Kathleen felt her stomach drop to the ground as she met similar ice blue eyes.
"Kath...?" Devon's voice was thick and pained, and she began to tremble as realization washed over her. She heard Sans mutter a curse under his breath, pulling back his bone attacks just a bit so the human could breathe easier. "What... Y-you... You stabbed me...?" The amount of disbelief in his tone was palpable, and it sent a surging guilt through her, despite her previous sureness. "You... Y-you fucking stabbed me?! Me?!" She tore her eyes away to the ground, becoming blinded by her tears, and as she fisted her hands tightly in the material of her skirt, she told herself over and over that she'd been right. "LOOK AT ME!" She flinched bodily, fear spiking through her so strong that she raised her hands again to cover her head. "KATHLEEN, GET OVER HERE AND FUCKING HELP ME!" Flashes of memories and images appeared in her mind, and she felt herself lash out.
"Stay back!" A small burst of light came from the heart floating upside down in front of her (had it always been like that?), and she heard Devon give a sharp cry of pain before falling silent.
Sans didn't care about the human woman who'd hurt his Lena. He didn't. Whatever shit happened between her and her fucked up brother was her business, and he didn't want to care about it at all. ...That very quickly became impossible as he watched her soul invert itself and fire a fucking projectile at the captive man. It was small, just a little burst of golden-colored light, but it flew with such speed and intent toward her brother that he could only think one thing: she just used magic. She was infinitely more dangerous than he had expected, and he realized that, despite her attempt to help him, she was a threat.
Chara- no, Devon, fell limp against the bones holding him, and it was only after a few long seconds of certainty that he was unconscious that Sans released his magic, bones dissipating immediately and Devon's body falling hard to the floor. He's almost certain he heard something crack on the way down, and he tried not to grimace at the sound of bone bouncing off the concrete. (A not-so-distant memory of Lena doing that very same thing played vividly in his mind, and he forcibly shoved the thought off.) A quick glance to see that he wasn't moving aside from the subtle rise and fall of his chest was all Sans gave before he strode across the room, flicking his index finger upward to point toward the ceiling. The yellow soul in front of him quickly turned a deep shade of blue as it rose, bringing the human with it to hover just a few inches off the ground. He twisted his wrist and curled his finger in a 'come hither' motion and she floated closer, her glacial blue eyes wide with fear.
"Look," he groused, his voice rough as he made eye-contact with her and, though she looked like she so badly wanted to hide, he gave her credit for maintaining it. "I don't know what that stunt you just pulled was all about, but let's get something straight. If you mess with anyone from my little family, ever..." She was already nodding, heaving with breathless sobs, but no, he wasn't about to let this go unsaid. He pointed to the floor and she fell, landing on her knees just in front of him, leaving her at about chest-height to him. His mouth twisted into a horrifying grimace. "You'll wish you were dead . . . Got it?" The smell of ammonia permeated the air as liquid pooled around her knees, and she gave a loud sob as she nodded tearfully, and he was quick to release his magic and step over to the center of the room. His magic faded and his sockets were empty once again, brows knit as he looked through the transparent barrier holding Lena inside. Her body was still wrenched taut, and her chest wasn't moving with its usual rhythmic breathing. Hesitantly he held a hand up, touching the shield. Almost immediately it snapped back at him, and he just barely managed to pull away from it before he took any real damage. The barrier shimmered slightly, warping and shivering, then it went still. He waited to see if anything would happen and, when it didn't, he held his hand out again.
He almost wanted to cry when it went right through.
Immediately he lunged into it, bony fingers deftly undoing all of the leather straps. He'd just managed to get the last one undone when the door burst open, Papyrus standing there with a bone club in hand, right socket glowing a fierce orange.
"LENA, ARE YOU-" The taller skeleton saw his brother and immediately gave a sigh of relief. "THANK GOODNESS YOU FOUND HER, SANS. I WAS MOST CONcerned..." His voice trailed off quietly as he took notice of the second human in the room, a look of familiarity passing over his face before it pulled into a strained smile. "AH. HELLO, HUMAN. ARE YOU INJURE-"
"Don't." Sans voice cut sharply through the room, and Papyrus looked over at him to give him a scolding, but the words died when he saw him. His brother was holding the stiff, unmoving Lena in his arms, trying to find a comfortable way to hold her. His left eye was flashing, emotions obviously on the rise. Papyrus reached a gloved hand out to rest on his shoulder, not missing the way he flinched beneath his touch.
"GO, BROTHER. FIND HER MAJESTY AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR HUMAN. I WILL DEAL WITH THIS ONE." Sans gave a quick nod and, the instant the other's hand was off of him, he cut a doorway in the air in front of him. Ignoring the small shocked noise from behind him, he tightened his hold on Lena and walked through, stepping out just on the outskirts of the singed field he remembered leaving. The matronly monster was already waiting for him, her expression sorrowful and taut with concern as she looked the human over. He knew she was wondering what had happened, and he couldn't even tell her. Chara hadn't given him a single fucking bit of useful information, and he was completely useless without it, he-
"Come, friend," the ex-Queen said softly, reaching a heavy paw out to rest on his shoulder. "Let us return home. We will all need some butterscotch-cinnamon pie after a night like this."
And, despite feeling nauseous without a stomach, despite the thought that eating was the very last thing he ever wanted to do in a moment like this, he nodded, silent because he didn't trust his voice. His left eye flared a bright blue and he felt her tighten her hold, leaning down and enveloping both him and the unconscious human in an embrace. It took him a few seconds longer than it should have in order to create a doorway through space to get them home.
Toriel sat a small plate and fork holding far too large a piece of pie on the coffee table in front of Sans, next to the cup of now cold tea that he'd refused to touch. She breathed a silent sigh and looked over her friend worriedly, not missing the way his fingers twitched against his skull as he held it in his hands. His shoulders were hunched and tense, spine bent at an uncomfortable angle. She wasn't a mind reader, but it was painfully obvious that he was distraught, and it was upsetting to know that she could do very little to ease his mind.
"The evidence suggests that her soul took damage directly...and there's the presence of magic."
"Yeah, told ya she made a shield-thing," he muttered quietly, knee bouncing in an effort to get rid of even a fraction of his anxious tension. It didn't help. She sighed and drummed her claw tips against her lap, trying to breech the subject gently.
"Yes, well...the magic isn't hers." His skull snapped up violently at that, neck cracking, and she winced only slightly before she continued on. "The type of magic does not fit. She..." Drawing a small breath, she lowered her gaze to her empty teacup sitting on the coffee table. "It would appear that she was...forcibly given the magic by unnatural means." A low, rumbling growl came from across the table and she looked up, not surprised to find his eyesockets completely devoid of light and his fingers gripping roughly at the edge of the coffee table. He left deep gouges in the wood, but she didn't pay it any mind. She can't say she blamed him for his reaction. "It is...uncertain how she will respond to it until she wakes up. The fact that her soul was not immediately shattered should be taken as good news."
"When will she wake up?"
"I do not know..."
She had turned away all other visitors for the time being, but burdening Papyrus with the sole duty of healing everyone was taxing and unfair. Drawing in a slow, even breath, she sat up a bit and leaned across the table, rapping her claws gently against the wood to get his attention. The way he flinched let her know she'd made the right choice in doing so.
"Sans. Take her home. I am but a call away." He glanced up at her then, slowly, his face full of uncertainty, and she gave him a patient smile. "You know her soul better than any of us. Who better, then, to watch over her than you?" She then slowly reached a paw out to pull one of his hands away from his skull, giving it a squeeze. "And who better to greet her when she wakes up than you?" His phalanges twitched around her paw, and she released his hand to clear away the dishes on the table. She gathered them and stood to take them into the kitchen, turning to speak to him over her shoulder as she left the room. "I will be sending you home with the rest of this pie. Be sure Lena eats some when she wakes up, yes?" The teacups and saucers went into the sink to be rinsed later, and she pulled out some foil to cover the pie tin. "And don't let her say she's on a diet or something equally foolish!" She heard the dry chuckle from the living room and felt like she could count it as a tiny victory, for what it was.
"Yeah, sure Tori..." Her gracefully silent footsteps brought her back into the room she left him in, pie tin held out in her paws as Sans slowly got to his feet. "Hey, uh...we got somethin' we need to talk about. Pretty important..." He seemed like he might have looked guilty if he wasn't so exhausted, and she gave a small sigh and nodded.
"I believe we do...but it can wait until your human is well." The look of surprise on his face made her chuckle, and she turned to lead him down the hall to her bedroom where she'd left the human. "Ah! My child, what are you doing up?" Frisk stood in the hallway, their brown eyes wide with conflicting emotion. They ducked past Toriel and ran straight to Sans, throwing their arms around their middle and burying their face in his chest, lips moving soundlessly as wetness soaked through his shirt. And he suddenly looked even more weary, if it were possible, like he were suddenly much, much, much older than he was, and Frisk's eyes looked as though they'd seen far too many years for someone so young. It pulled at something deep within her soul, but she stayed quiet. Sans' arms twitched at his sides, drawing in a deep breath and forcing a smile onto his face as he raised a hand to ruffle their already bed-mussed hair.
"Go to bed, kiddo. We can talk later." Something unspoken passed between them, though what it was, Toriel didn't know. Frisk nodded and withdrew, stopping to give her a quick hug before returning to their room, and Sans was already moving to her bedroom to retrieve the unconscious human. By the time she'd shaken herself from her reverie he had her held bridal-style in his arms, and the pie tin floated from her paws just as he cut a doorway to their living room. He muttered a soft word of thanks and a bidding of goodnight before the rift closed neatly behind him, leaving her standing alone in her living room with too many questions and not enough answers.
[[ Whew... Okay. It's 12:30 AM and I stayed up to write this for you guys. As an explanation of sorts, if it hasn't been made obvious already, Kathleen's relationship with her brother has always been far from healthy. None of this should be to try and excuse any of what she did, at all, but more so explain why this turn of events came around. Have questions? Come to the blog and lay 'em on me! I'm more than happy to answer questions on my Tumblr or my Discord server (I make posts on Tumblr about when I'm active on there, so check that out). Thank you guys so much for reading! I love you guys! ]]