A/N: Phew! I'm back with another chapter! I've been busy for about two weeks trying to move and university/college started on top of them. Great timing *thumbs up*

Anyway, I was quite surprised to get more favourites & follows by fellow authors/readers - Thanks heaps! The plot is pretty decent (in my imaginary land aka brain) buuuut I honestly don't know how it'll turn out. Thank you to SneaselXRiolu for your reviews! All of your reviews were very interesting and some were even close to my plot *spoiler alert!* :D I always appreciated readers with reviews :)

I'll be aiming to upload at least one chapter per 3-5 days! Nag me if I'm late! Let's cut the chitchat and go straight into the story :D

Phantom Pain

"-oi, kid." The low growl was the sound that woke her up. Hovering ice blue glow focused as she blinked a few times. And then a sharper, higher-pitched voice cracked her skull with a headache.

"SANS! SHE IS SLEEPING! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"Papyrus, you're making more noise than anybody here!" Aria opened her eyes gingerly, feeling sick. Gasps, relieved sighs and nervous exhale escaped from the people in the room, but she sat up to raise her hand and retch in the bin beside the bed. She felt the numerous pairs of eyes on her. She felt cold, clammy and sick.

Wasn't too bad, though. She thought to herself, struggling to think positive.

She blinked a few times to clear her head.

"My child, are you okay?" Toriel asked, concern visible in her eyes. Undyne and Papyrus gaped at the girl in interest. Aria felt cold sweat on her forehead.

Shit, this was bad. Almost everybody was in the room. Where was she, anyway?

Feeling uncomfortable at the silence and the attention that was on her, she stood up to leave when she realised that her clothes had changed.

"HUMAN! YOU CANNOT LEAVE!" Papyrus sprang into action, blocking the door. Aria sighed involuntarily, irritated. And then the nausea hit again, making her sway on her feet. Feeling herself fall, Aria closed her eyes.

But there was no impact that she expected. Instead, she felt somebody lifting her. Aria opened one eye to see Sans carrying her. He tucked her into bed again, putting pillows behind her back for support. Toriel patted her forehead gently, wiping the cold beads of sweat with a cloth.

"You're too sick to leave."

[It's okay, we won't hurt you.] Frisk's sign language did not help anything. Instinctively, Aria raised her hand to sign back.

[I know you won't hurt me, but I need to leave.] She heard Frisk gasping.

"May I ask how you know sign language?" Toriel's cautious question made Aria grin bitterly.

"My adoptive mum used sign language." She felt Frisk's eyes staring at her.

"Adoptive? Then where's your-"

"She's dead." Cold silence filled the room again as Aria muttered quietly. Toriel covered her mouth, horrified. Even Undyne seemed uncomfortable at the situation.

"She passed away. When I was sixteen." The calm demeanour of the girl seemed to take others by surprise. Even Sans looked up to meet Aria's eyes.

"How old are you now?"

"Eighteen."

[But you look about the same age as me!] Frisk quickly signed to her, eyes widening in astonishment. Aria grinned slightly. Now everyone was gaping at her.

"Your name?" She chose to ignore that question. Toriel nodded.

"I understand."

"T-Then, where do you live…?"

Alphys stammered quietly, nervously cleaning her glasses. Aria opened her mouth, closed it again to sign to Frisk.

[I wander around. I never live in the same place for a long time.]

"B-but, that's dangerous, you're a-"

"-an eighteen-year-old grown up who can take care of herself." Sans finished, his face expression unexplainable. Alphys tried to say something but decided not to and looked down at the floor, embarrassed. Aria stared at the big boned skeleton with curiosity. He was so different.

"Sans! How could you." Toriel chided Sans and he shrugged like a kid. Frisk snickered at the sight in front of her, earning a well-meant glare from him. Sensing a laugh incoming, Aria hastily coughed to hide it. Toriel's attention snapped right back to her, concern knitting her eyebrows.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Aria quickly nodded, her face flushed in red as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

"You don't look okay, human." Undyne snapped at her sharply, then hesitated.

"Look, I'm sorry for…"

[I understand. It's hard to be a monster on the Surface and I know that you have to protect the monsters. Just bear in mind that hurting a human directly in front of public will not do any good to the monsters.] Toriel nodded in assent as Frisk looked at her incredulously.

[But you know, you can always hunt them down to a private spot. Where nobody will see what happens.] The words that came next were unexpected, though. Toriel's face paled as she pulled Frisk closer to her embrace. Undyne regarded Aria with a piercing gaze as she signed the words effortlessly, expressionless.

"I don't like the way you talk, punk." Aria gave a slight smile to Undyne, nodding.

"You remind me of something I knew. A creepy feeling that I get." Shuddering slightly, Undyne murmured. Aria raised an eyebrow, looking at her questioningly.

"I don't like to think about it. Not that I remember clearly anyway." Aria grimaced slightly and slunk into the blankets.

"What's-"

"Please leave me alone. I want to rest." Toriel opened her mouth again to reply, but decided not to. Nodding at the monsters in the room, she ushered them out quietly.

"Good night." Toriel murmured as she stared at the lumpy blanket silently. Shaking her head, she left the room as the small girl sunk back into the unconsciousness.

She was crying.

Sobbing pitifully, trying not to make any sounds. All by herself in that dark room with a busted hunk of metal and dusts.

Same thing happened, and she couldn't stop it.

She went back. Told him to run.

He died.

Stopped him from starting the research from the first place.

Still died.

Breaking the horrid machine before he could go further. Attempting to find a different way to tackle the problem.

None of them worked.

She cried, again and again. But every time, her tears were drying faster and faster.

Never did she reset on purpose. She knew what would happen.

The tally counts in her diary increased, but she didn't give up. She went back further. Further. Travelled back to future to see if there were any differences.

Going back again. Trying to find the root of all problems. Taking down notes. Making small changes here and there.

But the outcome was same. The same rumble of the machine. The humanoid monster hurling his body in front of her to take the blast purely by himself as he embraced her tightly. The magic of the machine and the monster flowing into her body and the hourglass charm that she has.

She was tired.

Was this what he felt, too?

Feeling powerless.

Useless.

Worthless.

Wanting to give up.

But she couldn't.

No, she wouldn't.

He was the only one she could bide in. The one who will whisper words that could cheer her up, despite his stupid shit-eating grin and dad puns.

She was saved by the man so many times, and now it was her time to return the favour. So she travelled back further in time. She knew the consequences.

But she would never give up.

It was still night when Aria woke up. Groaning slightly, she dragged herself out of the bed as she looked around. The room was dark, and the only source of light was the dim moonlight that was peeking through the closed curtains. Exhaling shakily, Aria lightly touched her charm as she gingerly walked out from the room.

The roof had a nice breeze. Even if it was snowing and she was half frozen from the little insulation that the thin pyjama was giving her. Sighing, she extended her arm to open her palm and see a snowflake drop on it to soon melt.

"it is a nice feeling, isn't it?" Gasping at the sudden baritone voice, Aria whipped her head around to face a gasterblaster inches away. She didn't blink an eye.

"Sa – you."

"fancy seeing you here, bud." The cyan glow on his eyes never ceased despite the audible wince of the girl.

"You…"

"what about me, kid? ya looking for a bad time?"

"You're just the same." The kid's words took him by surprise. She knew him?

"what-"

"Let me just tell you this. Your shit-eating grin sickens me." Aria spat harshly, her eyes never leaving the pinpoint pupils of the round skeleton. Confused and worried, Sans opened his mouth to retort to the girl's harsh words.

"kid, you must be mistaken. i never met-"

"You were always like that. Y-you…" Voice cracking, Aria turned away from the round skeleton. Breathing sharply, she murmured into the cold air.

"I don't want to harm you nor your companions. That I will promise. If I ever end up hurting your friends, you can kill me with your own hands." The young melodic voice was too hollow. Too empty for a kid around her age. Sans immediately regretted his decision and put his gasterblaster away to put a hand on her shoulder gently.

"kid, i was only jokin'-" Then it happened. The sharp pain pulsing near his ribcage where the core of his magic was. The girl pushing him away roughly as her eyes filled with a visible emotion that he could put a finger on – terror. She crawled away from him as she winced again, vulnerable as she could be. Sans looked down on her in confusion as the girl exhaled shakily.

"Please don't touch me. You shouldn't."

"kid-"

"Please. I don't want to hurt you." She wasn't lying. The quiver in her voice, her wavering eyes that glowed faintly under the dim silver moonlight was telling him that the girl was telling the truth.

"…alright, buddy. i think it's time for us to head in." shaking his head slightly, Sans extended his hand out to the cowering girl. She looked up at him, reaching out…

…only to stop herself from touching the skeleton monster and standing up by herself.

"I'll be hanging around for a while, but please, don't tell others that I know you… or the others."

"You know others as well?"

"I knew everybody." The distant, fading smile on her lips did a trick to him. How did the humans put it… pulling a string on their heart?

He felt exactly like that.

Not that he had a heart, though.

"…hey, kid. you mind tellin me what happened?" the oddly long pause made his heart- magic-sink. The girl was regarding him with her now almost-black violet orbs. Glazed with something – nostalgia?

"I wish I can, Sans. I really do." And to be honest, he was dying to ask more questions. Whether they had met before. Whether she was there when the kid was running on and about to "save" the monsters from Underworld.

But he couldn't.

Not when he saw her eyes.

Not when he recognised the similar emotions. Endless loneliness. Hollowness. Emptiness. Sorrow that couldn't be replaced. The defeated look.

Almost exactly same as what he had felt.

She was on the brink of tip-over. One more push and she would break.

And as much as Sans was an overprotective psycho, he couldn't bring himself to break the girl who seemed to experience the similar pain as he had.

So he let it go. Just like that.

A/N: Tbh I don't think that was a good ending but if I had to write more this chapter would be extra super long :( Will come back with new surprises :D

'Til then!

-HelloSkye-

+ I just created a tumblr blog! I think I'll end up scribbling any random ideas but feel free to follow me as I'll be reblogging loads of Undertale stuff :D follow helloskyei :)