Chapter 5: Jokes To Friends
Kayla opened the door to Grillby's restaurant and went in, spying the fire monster wiping down the counter. The place was currently empty, so she went up and gave him a hug. "Hi, Uncle Grillby," she said with a smile.
"Hello, Kayla," he said warmly, hugging her back. Ever since he had protected her from Undyne, the young girl saw him as an uncle. River Person had been pleased when Kayla had asked him if he'd be alright with her calling his best friend her uncle and Grillby had been shocked, but welcomed Kayla with open arms.
She now sat down. "The lunch crowd left?" She asked.
"Yes. It was a small one today," he said, wiping the counter. "How are your magic lessons coming?"
"Good," she said, a smile in her voice. "I think I've got the protective magic down, but I still need some practice with the reflective magic."
"That's good to hear," he said. "Your father has been bragging about you and how you're a quick learner."
She ducked her head shyly. "I try to be," she admitted modestly.
Just then, a skeleton appeared beside Kayla. She just barely kept herself from jumping in alarm and letting out a shout, pretending to look at the menu in front of her. "Hey, you're new, aren't ya?" She heard him ask. "Human."
Kayla held back her reaction just in time and stayed still, but then felt a tug at her heart and gasped at realizing he was drawing out her soul. She had no choice now, because he knew she was human.
Quickly, she turned and put up a barrier around herself and Grillby, hoping she could do both protective and reflective magic at the same time. She hadn't tried it before, which she knew was dangerous, but she had no choice.
Sans noticed the protective magic and the barriers and grew curious, calling up some bones and throwing them at her. Whimpering, Kayla threw out a hand with reflective magic, catching the bones and making them hit the floor instead of her. While she succeeded, it was draining her and she was scared. "Papa," she whispered softly, hoping he'd come, because she didn't know if she could last much longer.
Now very curious about this human, Sans again called up some bones and threw them at her, but the result was the same. "Why are you only deflecting my attacks?" He asked.
Kayla swallowed hard. "Because I don't want to hurt you," she said. "And I don't want to fight."
Narrowing his eye sockets, the skeleton called up a Gaster Blaster, to which Kayla gasped in fright and her magic began to fail. "Kayla, run!" Grillby urged, calling up his fire magic.
The young girl did as she was told, but before she could reach the door, something grabbed the back of her cloak and held it firmly, making it impossible for her to escape. "Papa! Help!" She screamed, hoping he'd hear her as she struggled, but was lifted up off the floor and brought back over to the bar.
Grillby came around the counter, facing his friend. "Sans, let Kayla go," he said firmly.
"Never took you to harbor a human, Grillbz," the skeleton said.
"I wasn't, but she is my niece and if you force me to, I will fight you to keep her safe."
"Uncle Grillby, no," Kayla protested as she tried to get free of the Gaster Blaster that held her firmly.
Sans' left eye socket glowed blue. "Well, then, guess there is no choice," he said.
"Wait!"
Hearing the young girl cry out, they turned to her and she looked at the skeleton. "Please, leave Uncle Grillby out of this," she pleaded.
He came closer to her. "Why are you so concerned about him?" He asked.
"Because he accepts me as family, even though I'm human."
He wasn't expecting that answer and his right hand glowed blue. "Let's have a look at your soul," he said.
She whimpered in fear as his blue magic surrounded her. "Sans, no!" Grillby cried out, but was frozen in place by the skeleton's telekinesis.
Sans then turned his attention to Kayla. "You fight my magic and it's going to be painful," he said. "Just relax and let me see."
"Please, don't!" She pleaded with him, tears in her eyes.
He sighed and moved closer to her. "Kid, there's something about you," he said. "I can sense it, but I need to be sure. The only way to do that is the check your soul. Now, stop struggling. It won't hurt. But if you don't stop fighting my magic, I'll have no choice but to knock you unconscious, and believe me, that's too much effort."
Grillby grunted, unable to move. "Sans, don't you dare hurt her!" He growled. "Swear to me that all you're going to do is check her soul and nothing more. River Person will not be pleased if she is harmed."
Sans looked at his friend. "River Person?" He asked. "Why would he be…wait, he's taken this human in?"
"Yes," the fire monster said. "She's his daughter."
Kayla saw the skeleton look at her and he moved his hand, removing her hood and seeing her black hair and her dark eyes along with her face. "So you are human, yet River Person adopted you," he said. "How long have you been down here?"
"A few months," she replied, tears streaming from her eyes as she was still afraid.
A skeletal hand gently brushed over her face, catching the tears and he sighed. "Kid, let me see your soul?" He asked. "I promise I won't hurt you."
She gave him a fearful look and he sighed, releasing Grillby from his telekinesis. "Grillbz, can you help her calm down?" He asked.
Sensing the change in his friend, the fire monster came over to Kayla, taking her into his arms as the Gaster Blaster let her go but hovered nearby. "Sans, you promise no harm will come to her?" He asked.
"I swear, Grillbz," the skeleton said, placing a gentle hand on Kayla's shoulder.
Grillby looked at Kayla. "I've never known Sans to lie, Kayla," he said gently. "Don't be frightened."
She looked at him and then at Sans before nodding, tensing up when she felt the blue magic again. "Easy," Sans said, his voice coming out soft. "Just relax. It won't hurt."
The young girl took a deep breath and Grillby rubbed her back, to which she relaxed and the tug became gentler and the same heart she had seen before was soon in Sans' hands. "Wow," he said in surprise, his eyes wide. "No doubt about it. You're special, kid."
Grillby gasped softly. "Bravery and Justice," he said.
"Mixed with some patience," Sans said with a smile before releasing the heart and it went back to Kayla. "Okay, I can tell you're alright, kid, especially if a friend of mine adopted you."
She looked at him, her face unsure, but he smiled at her. "Hey, did you hear about the microwave and the refrigerator?" He asked.
Kayla was confused. "No, I didn't," she said. "What about them?"
"Well, Grillbz got into a heated argument with his refrigerator because it was claiming to be a microwave, but they're both cool now."
It only took a second, but then Kayla got the joke and a smile came to her face, but she managed to hold in her laughter. "Aw, come on. Only a smile?" Sans asked. "Wonder if this will tickle your funny bone."
With that, he began gently poking her side and she squeaked, squirming to get away, but he kept it up. Grillby shook his head with a smile, but held her as Sans kept up the gentle poking, teasing the girl the whole time.
"Come on," the skeleton said, grinning. "Let's hear a laugh."
Giggles started to erupt out of her from his teasing and he leaned close to her ear. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo," he whispered teasingly.
A laugh finally escaped her and she scrunched up her neck to protect her ears. "Cut it out!" She protested without heat as her laughter made it impossible for her to sound serious.
"Well, would you look at that, Grillby," Sans said. "Her ears are ticklish."
"So it seems," the fire monster said before Kayla squealed as the two tickled her ears for a bit before stopping, letting her rest. Sans then gently ruffled her hair before he and Grillby helped her up.
"Feel better?" The skeleton asked.
Kayla nodded. "Thanks," she said. "For a moment, I thought you were like Undyne."
"Nah, too much work to bring a human to her," he said. "Though my bro might or might not, depending."
That didn't completely reassure her, but she pulled her hood up all the same and she and Sans sat down at the bar with Grillby getting her a cup of golden tea to help restore her strength and Sans a bottle of ketchup. The skeleton smirked. "Looks like you were on fire earlier, Grillbz," he said jokingly.
Grillby rolled his eyes, but smiled when he heard and saw Kayla laughing. "Are you a master jokester?" She asked him.
"You bet, kid," he said. "No one's got more jokes and puns than me."
She giggled again. "So, River Person adopted you, huh?" The skeleton asked her.
She nodded. "He saved me after I nearly drowned," she said. "After…After my…foster parents threw me down here."
Sans paused, his face a look of shock. "Kid, you were…thrown down here?!" He asked. "Why?"
Kayla shrugged. "They didn't want me," she said softly. "I fell in the river not long after and Papa saved me and took me in."
The skeleton shook his head. "That's sad," he said. "Humans are still not totally accepting, are they?"
"I haven't met too many who are," she replied, hanging her head.
Sans sighed and gently rubbed her back. "Hey, do you like living with River Person?" He asked, deciding to talk about a happier subject.
She nodded. "He's like the father I always wanted," she said.
Sans glanced toward the door, seeing River Person come in and catch Kayla's statement. "And I bet you're like the daughter he always wanted," he said, indicating towards the door and she turned to find the very monster who had taken her in standing there.
"Papa!" She exclaimed, running up to him and hugging him.
River Person looked at Sans. "I sense your magic, Sans," he said quietly. "What happened here?"
"Just got curious about your daughter," the skeleton replied. "By the way, she's really good with her reflective and protective magics, but a word to the wise, kid," he said, now looking at Kayla. "Don't use both like that again until you've practiced using them together. Doing so without training can cause an explosion. Thankfully, because you had used one first and then tried to call up the other, it didn't backfire on you."
"Sans, you engaged my daughter in a fight?" River Person asked.
"Not a fight per say, but tested her reactions. She was eager to protect Grillby and to reflect my attacks."
Kayla snuggled in her father's embrace. "He also wanted to see my traits," she said. "But he didn't hurt me, Papa."
Grillby nodded. "Sans would never strike a young child unless provoked," he said. "Kayla was trying to get away from him."
The cloaked being sighed. "Sans, that means you know Kayla's secret," he said.
"Yes, but I'll keep her secret," he said. "She's a good kid and she proved herself to be a good person. You have my word I won't tell her secret to anyone."
"Thank you," River Person said gratefully before indicating he and Kayla should get home. She grinned and turned to Sans.
"I'll have some good jokes for you next time," she said.
"I'm looking forward to that," he said. "I'm sure you'll not only tickle my funny bone, but knock my slippers off too."
She giggled as River Person and Grillby both chuckled, peace settling over them all.
Well, Kayla's made a new friend. :)
Next up: Kayla has a run in with the Royal Dogs. Will she gain them as friends? Stay tuned. :)
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GoldGuardian2418