"I found the Knives!"
Tenebris sat there, crying while he clutched Selendis' head to his chest as her blood stained his clothes and the surrounding snow. He knew she was gone, but he still pined for her to come back. Back to him… to Frisk.
"Pa… Papyrus…" Tenebris looked up to see a crying skeleton wearing a blue hoodie lifting a red scarf from a nearby pile of dust. Sans looked and saw Tenebris clutching the now deceased Selendis. "You too… lost someone…"
Tenebris sobbed a bit more. "Please… save… her…"
Sans let out a shuddering sigh. "You already know… the truth, bud. She won't come back… and neither will… Papyrus… I'm so sorry…"
Through his sadness, Tenebris managed to connect the dots. "Y-you mean… that pile of dust… is…?"
"It… used to be my brother…"
"T-then… all those dust piles I've been seeing…"
Sans nodded slowly. "Other monsters who have been killed… a human has been murdering everything in sight ever since they came out of the ruins…"
"And they… also killed…" Tenebris stopped himself when he saw a green heart emerge from Selendis' body. "What… is that…"
"Her soul…" Sans confirmed. He didn't know that she was there before this, but he still remembers her.
Tenebris reached for the soul, managed to grasp it, and brought it to his chest. "I'm so sorry… Selendis… I… couldn't save you."
Sans observed for a bit before seeing a green flash come from Tenebris. When it was gone, Selendis' soul was gone as well, which confused him greatly. "Wait… human souls don't just… up and disappear like that." Tenebris started looking around frantically for her soul before letting out another sob, thinking she already moved on. Sans immediately thought of something. "Let me see your soul!"
This confused the human greatly. "W-why?"
"I have a hunch." Sans entered a fight and the area grew dark. Tenebris' dark purple soul emerged… along with a green soul that was orbiting it. "I… have never seen anything like it before…"
"Wait… I absorbed her soul?" Tenebris focused a bit, no longer sobbing. "Wait… I can feel her in the back of my mind! She's… still unconscious though…"
Sand wondered if the shadow magic had something to do with Tenebris absorbing Selendis' soul. "At least she's still with you in 'spirit'."
That got a small chuckle out of Tenebris, though he shook his head somberly. "She still… died. And your brother…"
"Papyrus wouldn't want me to grieve over him forever… I'm Sans by the way. Sans the skeleton."
"Tenebris."
Sans nodded. "As for your companion's body… well we can bury it here before I take you elsewhere."
"What about Papyrus' dust? Are you going to just leave it there?"
Sans nodded. "It's customary to have a monster's dust spread over the things they loved. He loved this scarf, so technically the custom is already fulfilled. I'm taking his scarf, though."
Tenebris nodded. "Alright. If you feel he's already been honored, I won't pry."
After burying Selendis' body, Sans took him through a "shortcut" to a place called Hotland. There, they entered a laboratory and shocked a yellow lizard-like monster in a lab coat. "S-S-Sans… wh-why is there a human- "
"He's not the one killing everything, if that's what you're thinking." Sans cut her off, which made her flinch. "Where's Undyne?"
"O-oh, she said she's on her way here. I just h-hope you know what your d-doing… wait is that b-blood?!"
Tenebris nodded. "The blood of someone I cared about… someone I couldn't save…"
"Oh no… I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to- "
"It's fine… at this juncture, I don't blame you for thinking like that. So many people have already died…"
Sans was about to say something when an armored monster burst into the lab. "Alphys, I'm here! Can you tell me- "Seeing Tenebris, she screeched to a halt and summoned a spear to point at him. "Why is there a human here?!"
"U-Undyne, wait! He can help us!"
She scoffed. "HELP US? He can help us by give us his soul! We were down here to begin with because of his kind and now- "
Sans stepped in front of him, eye sockets dark. "Stand down, Undyne. He's just as much a victim as the rest of us."
She hesitated before scrutinizing Tenebris who merely closed his eyes, regretful that it was one of his own species murdering all these monsters. Realizing her mistake, Undyne dissipated the spear. "My apologies, human. You aren't covered in dust, which is the tell-tale sign of a monster killer. It's just that things are very hectic with the string of monster murders going on."
Tenebris shook his head as Sans stepped aside. "Like I told your friend, I don't blame you. My name is Tenebris… and I also lost someone dear to me because of this genocidal maniac."
Undyne frowned. The name sounded familiar to her, but she brushed it off. "I'm Undyne, head of the royal guard and the one in charge of Waterfall."
The yellow monster spoke up, "A-and I'm Alphys, royal scientist under king Asgore."
Now it was Tenebris' turn to frown. He felt like he knew them already for some reason. Undyne cut off his though process. "So I guess the blood on your clothes is… your companion's blood?"
"Yes… I couldn't save her… much like…" He shot a look at Sans and the scarf in his hands.
Undyne followed his gaze and stopped dead before beginning to tremble. "S-Sans… please tell me that isn't… Papyrus'…?" All she got was a nod and she slowly backed away. "No… no…" Her face eventually went from pained disbelief to rage before she forcefully punched the wall. "DAMN IT! It's not FAIR! He was HARMLESS! HE WOULDN'T HURT A FLY!" She started flinging spears everywhere except where people were standing and a nearby monitor. "He was nice to everyone! He was my FRIEND! Monsters like that aren't supposed to die! They're supposed to stay safe!"
She slowly started crying before collapsing on the ground. "I'm… supposed to keep them safe… damnit, Papyrus… I'm… so sorry…"
Alphys gave her a hug. "Undyne…"
Tenebris could tell… everyone was suffering because of this megalomaniac. His depression slowly turned to anger and hatred for this person. He clenched his fist tight enough to draw blood and he eye flared up, something Sans noticed. "Buddy, getting worked up over it now is not going to bring anyone back."
"I can't help it. I am so enraged over this… somebody who thinks they're fucking GOD. I swear on the lives already lost, I will that person suffer as they have suffered!"
Undyne gave the human a small grin. "Though you are a human and I am a monster, our hearts beat as one!"
"If I may interject." Sans stepped forward, catching everyone's attention. "There's something about Tenebris that's very… unique for a human. For one, his eye isn't normal."
Undyne gave it a discerning look. "Didn't Gerson have a book saying that users of shadow magic have an eye like that? Very interesting; I thought humans couldn't use magic."
Tenebris nodded. "They normally can't. The reason why I can… is not important. All that matters is that I'm willing to use it."
Sans shrugged. "Never doubted you there. Thing is, that's not even the most interesting thing about him."
Alphys gave him a confused look. "What could be more interesting than a human capable of learning magic?" Sans made Tenebris' and Selendis' souls appear, Selendis' smaller one now somewhat hiding behind Tenebris'. Both Undyne and Alphys looked at them in utter shock. "But how? Humans can't absorb other human souls!"
"I don't know and I don't know what this means in the long run. Perhaps his magic infused soul allowed him to absorb her. Whether it actually gives him a power boost or if it's purely for safe-keeping, that's yet to be known."
Undyne shook her head. "Guess the magic made your soul into something else. That geeky stuff isn't important, though! We can figure it out after we destroy that murderer!"
Tenebris was about to say something when Alphys cut him off with a panicked voice. "U-Undyne! Monster kid is approaching that human despite your warnings!"
Undyne's face contorted. "Damnit! I told him to stay away from that thing! He's too naive… and I don't want another monster like that dying!" Turning to Alphys she added, "I know you had preparations ready for evacuating the rest of the underground, but I'm going to see if I can't stop their rampage here. Regardless, go through with the evacuation plans; even I'm not certain I can stop them. Doesn't mean I'm not going to damn well try!"
She was about to dash off when Tenebris spoke up, "I'm going with you. I want to see who this person is as you bring them to justice. Maybe I'll be able to pitch in a little as well."
Undyne gave him a hard look before nodding with a smile. "Looks like you're one to at least try and take action. I like that. Only one thing about that: don't fall behind, punk!"
"Wait." Sans suddenly put his hand on Tenebris' forehead. He then transferred all of the training he did with Tenebris in the last "run" to the human's mind. "That should help you fight… or at least contend with that human. I need to check something out first, so I'll see you later." With that, he vanishes.
Tenebris was still staggered by the information overload, partially by the fact that he felt like he already knew all of it. He quickly shook it off and ran out after Undyne, shadow-stepping to catch up with her which made her give him an odd look. "What did Sans do?"
"Somehow teach me how to use my magic. Think about it later; we've got a kid to save and a murderer to destroy!" All he got was a nod. Despite him catching up to Undyne by shadow-stepping, he was still unable to keep up with her just by running.
Just as he caught up to her again, he witnesses her jump in front of a small monster on the other side of a bridge and take a seemingly fatal blow from the human in front of her. "Undyne! Wait… it can't be…"
The human child turned around and revealed herself as Frisk. "Oh, well what a coincidence seeing you down here, "Tenny"." The way she spoke screamed axe-crazy.
Tenebris took a step back as the monster kid ran away. "Frisk… what the… what the hell are you doing?! Why are you- "He was cut off when she swung and, despite his panicked summoning of a dark orb, sliced his right eye. He howled in pain as he shadow-stepped away before attempting to heal it off. Despite his efforts, he knew he was going to be blind in that eye.
"T-Tenebris! Look out!" He looks up at Undyne's shout too late for him to see Frisk take another swing at him. This time, his abdomen was cut open in the exact same was Selendis' was: a diagonal line across the stomach.
Frisk let out another psychotic laugh. "Oh that's just pitiful. I thought you were smarter than that."
Tenebris tried to heal that wound as well, but knew it wouldn't be enough to save himself, only delay the inevitable. Through the pain, he looked back up at Frisk, rage and hatred rekindled by a new feeling… betrayal. "D… damnit, Frisk. We… tried to save you! How could you turn… to this? To kill all these innocent people?!"
She merely giggled. "It's all just a game, Tenny. You should know how it feels to get stronger like this in your games."
He spat blood on the ground as Undyne slowly pulled herself back together. "That… and this have nothing to do with each other! But I see how it is; you betrayed us ALL! For what?! Because it's just a game to you?! How many innocents have you killed?! How many more have to die?! What if Your family could see you right now?"
Frisk burst into maniacal laughter, though there were tears in her eyes for a different reason. Tenebris didn't see them as he stumbled back a bit more, clutching where his wound was quickly sapping his strength, and snarled, "You bitch… You're not even human anymore. You're a nobody; a nothing! I don't care if you were akin to a little sister to me. I will make you suffer for everything you've done!"
"Tenebris, while I enjoy the enthusiasm, I'm ordering you to fall back to the lab!" Undyne had managed to use her determination to come back from the brink in a new form. "I can't have you dying here, not now." Seeing Tenebris hesitate, she growled at him. "NOW!" Reluctantly, managed to pull off an actual teleport to the lab. Looking at Frisk, she snarled. "He treated you like family and that is how you repay him? I'll tell you one thing for that…
"You're gonna have to try a LOT harder than THAT!"
When he teleported to the lab, Tenebris immediately collapsed from his wound, which refused to be fully healed, earning a scream of fright from Alphys. "Tenebris! Hold on, I'll get you patched up as soon as- "
"Sorry… Alphys. I kept trying to… heal it, but… it's… refusing."
"Damnit, Tenebris. I didn't want to lose you too!" The human looks up as Sans, who's eye sockets were dark. He spoke like he already completely knew him, like they were great friends in a past life.
Tenebris merely chuckled weakly. "Sorry… Sans… looks like… I won't get… a shot at… her after all…" Looking up at the monsters present, including a grey rectangle robot who had just arrived, he raises his hand. "Sorry… I couldn't… help any of you. Forgive me… Selendis…"
His hand fell limp. Alphys turned away to cry while Mettaton comforted her. Sans continued to stare at Tenebris' corpse in disbelief; not only did he just lose his brother, but he also lost someone who he saw as one of his best friends.
Sans got back up and walked a little bit away, unable to cry. Mettaton looked back at the dead human, only to sharply gasp. "Alphys, darling… is it natural for a human corpse to be twitching?"
/
Sorry if these chapters are shorter than what they used to be. It was kind of deliberate for the first chapter, but all of the things I wanted to limit to a particular chapter wind up not making them very long.
