Even though it should've, the dust speckled light filtering in through the stained windows didn't annoy them as much as it usually did.
They'd lost count now. How many times they'd come back here, revisiting the hall that they'd come to hate. And each time, no matter what, it was always the same. The same warmth that did nothing to ease the winter inside of them. The same graceless marble that shouldn't have seemed as simple as it really was. And, above all, the same blue eyed gaze of the skeleton, who never seemed to actually be there until they'd gotten no more than ten feet in front of him.
They prepared themself, their hand coming to rest on the hilt of their dagger on their waist. They waited for it. The same speech. It always came, and they guessed it always would.
"That look..." It came slow. Mocking. Like it always had. But, despite its tone, they couldn't force themself to be angry. "That's the look of someone who's died...what was it again? Bah, I've lost count. Let's just get to it."
It came again. The fleeting fear mixed with agony and hope that always came when their soul prepared to clash with another. They felt themself grow lighter, until it felt as though they were not there.
"It's a beautiful day outside."
They closed their eyes, listening to the breathing of the skeleton mix with the chirps from afar.
"Birds are singing."
They gripped their dagger in a vice.
"Flowers are blooming."
Their mind told them to hate.
"On days like these, kids like you..."
They tensed, ready to attack. Despite the situation, they were awfully at peace.
"Should be burning in HELL."
They felt the wind rushing towards them before the attack hit. They managed to roll out of the way as a blast of pure energy tore by them. The room began to smell of ozone, and they bared their teeth against it.
Running forward, they slashed, only for the skeleton to bend backwards at an impossible angle, easily dodging the blade. They fell backwards as a bone slammed into them, sliding until they collided with a pillar. They felt a viscous liquid trail down their cheek, already knowing it to be blood.
Shaking their head, they dashed forward, leaping to the left as bone shattered and sent fragments of itself flying in jagged paths. Meeting with the skeleton again, they lunged and the monster twisted, almost dancing to avoid the attack. Again, they retaliated, throwing their elbow backwards.
It collided with nothing.
They heard the blue eyed skeleton's bones ripple and crack, and they began to fly upwards. Twisting in the air, they met the ceiling feet first and jumped as rough bones split it open.
Landing safely again on the floor, they jumped forward, lashing out again at the skeleton. But this time...it was reluctant. Easily, he sidestepped it and sent a volley of bones towards them. Making no attempt to dodge them, they seemed to struggle in place for a moment before being thrown backwards by the vicious white storm, once again colliding with a pillar.
They struggled to stand, weakened severely by the blow. Then, step by step, they struggled forward. The skeleton, confused, did nothing to retaliate. He'd never seen anything like it before. It was as if...
They'd lost their determination.
Finally, they got close enough to attack, and sent their blade clumsily towards the skeleton's abdomen. He caught their hand with ease, the blade falling from it. He, though surprised at their lack of will, prepared a final attack.
He stopped when he heard something he hadn't heard ever since they'd began fighting the first time. Something he didn't expect he'd hear for as long as they fought.
"Sans...listen to me."
The voice was quiet. Raspy. But above all else, Sans could only fathom how such an innocent voice could come from a heartless murderer.
"Kid, it's time to go again. You an' I both know mercy 's off th' table."
He looked down, meeting the child's gaze. He didn't see anything but death in their eyes, and maybe...a small amount of sadness.
"I know..." A small trail of blood trickled from the child's mouth. "But there won't be...another time."
Sans's eternal smile got slightly wider. "You're confident aint'cha kid? Game's over."
The child shook their head. "No Sans...I won't...be coming back."
His eyes grew dark. Had the child lost his determination?
"Sans...hurry up and kill me. I can...FEEL them in my head. Telling me to KILL you. It...It HURTS."
Sans wondered what the kid was talking about until he saw it. His eyes went wide. In the child's other, shaking hand was the dagger, still without a drop of blood on it.
"I can't resist them...for much longer...so Sans please...just KILL ME!"
Sans shook his head, the thought jumbling around. It was...over? He'd won? He didn't know that was an outcome.
His smile shrunk.
"Alright kid. Ya' got it."
A cage of bones jumped up and caged the child in. And, as they felt their soul shimmer and begin to shatter, they smiled.
"Thank you." The last words said before their eyes lost all color, and they fell limply to the floor.