Level 16
Sans felt untouchable.
He didn't know how he had come onto such power or strength but what seemed impossible before was now trivial to him. He lumbered through the walkways of the Core, keeping a slow, steady pace so as to not cause any discomfort or illness to Papyrus.
Still his brother didn't move or speak, simply breathing lightly but letting Sans know that he was still alive. They would reach the barrier soon enough, and again he would see Papyrus smile.
It was almost laughable whenever a monster scurried by his path or wished to fight him. A simple swing of his knife and all monsters fell, trying to crawl away or left to tend to their wounds.
Finish them. The childish voice would always command. Let them know our strength.
"No." Sans would always reply back while he shook his head. "They know not to mess with us now. If they try again, then I'll finish them."
He didn't understand why he hadn't thought of this before. Trying to be friends with all these monsters? Who knew how slow and agonizing that was when they all just wanted to take your soul? That was all they saw of him and Papyrus, nothing but presents waiting to be torn open for the sweet gift inside.
He almost felt foolish now for doubting himself all those times he reflected upon his knife. It fit perfectly in his right hand, like it was destined to be there all this time.
The Core was relatively simple when one didn't care to waste their time. Upon entering he had found a sign in which he could be directed three different ways, but opted to choose the easiest path despite the voice in his head wishing to go the other routes.
Time was not something to waste here. Papyrus came first, that's all Sans thought of.
With monsters left wounded on the path behind him, Sans moved to the only elevator in the Core that took him to a higher level. Upon exiting the elevator he was confused to be greeted to a small, tan house with a doorframe and two, open windows.
Sans paused for a moment, had he gone back to the Ruins by mistake? It wasn't purple like the Ruins but the structure before him looked exactly like the home Papyrus and him had first ventured in.
This isn't the same. The childish voice soon spoke up to ease Sans' mind. Let's continue.
Sans nodded his head in agreement before setting off for the inside. Upon entering the house Sans felt his confusion return when he scanned his surroundings.
The staircase leading down to another level before him, the two halls on either side, that table in the corner with the pot; it was all the same. The only thing different was the plant-life, which consisted of bright, healthy, golden flowers.
Sans shuddered for a moment to see so many, slowly entering the abode while slipping his knife back into his pocket unsheathed. It looked deserted for the moment, but he wouldn't hesitate to whip the knife back out if needed.
Seeing no reason to stay in the house, Sans started to move for the stairs when the voice perked up.
Wait. I want to fetch something.
"We don't have time." Sans simply muttered in response, resuming his walk towards the stairs.
It will only be a moment. It's a gift for you.
"I don't need any gifts." Sans didn't bother stopping this time to respond, resting his hand on the guard-rail near the staircase to descend.
You'll wish you reconsidered. The voice's tone was annoyed, which made Sans pause to let the entity continue. Asgore is a threat not to be taken lightly. What I can give you will protect us from him; make sure that we will succeed.
"Kid, if you haven't noticed by now, we're doing pretty fine on our own." Sans shrugged his shoulders albeit the little he could with Papyrus on his back. "I don't need it."
… Suit yourself.
The child sounded annoyed and upset, but Sans wasn't going to try and comfort them. His first priority literally rested on his shoulders, he wasn't going to take what little time he had to try and make some voice happy.
No one really mattered except him.
Upon depositing himself down the stairs, Sans continued his heavy walk down the long and grey tunnels beneath the home. There were no monsters in his path to try and stop him, which made Sans relax a little. As fun as it was to cut down enemies, he enjoyed the silence and kept his focus on Papyrus.
"Heh, you probably would have checked the kitchen for a pie, wouldn't you?" Sans spoke allowed, allowing himself a glance at Papyrus' pained and unconscious face.
Such hurt reflected back into Sans' eyes, allowing a small cough to escape his lips. He quickly cleared his throat and pushed the pain back down, giving Papyrus a small smile. "When we get to the surface, I'll buy you as many pies as you want. That sounds nice, right? Or would you want spaghetti instead?"
Sans chuckled, his heart hurting like it was twisting in on itself. "Who am I kidding? Of course you'd want spaghetti."
An uneven chill crawled up Sans' spine, making him turn behind him to check the hall. Something small had darted into the ground and disappeared, but what Sans didn't have the time to see.
He heard the voice in his head sigh, as if this wasn't new for the child. Forget him. He's no threat to us.
"You know what that was?" Sans decided to speak aloud, positioning himself back on the right path and taking steps.
…Let's just say he's an old friend. A desperate, clingy friend.
When the path before Sans took a turn he didn't hesitate to continue following the trail. What did surprise him however was how the enclosed walls around him suddenly opened up, and before him he was greeted to a vast kingdom.
For a moment Sans forgot the reason he was there, standing in awe of what was presented before him. A shadow of gray submerged the kingdom in grays and whites, with buildings rising tall and close to where he walked. If he squinted hard enough he could see small moving objects on the ground several hundred feet below him, monsters. The kingdom was alive.
Papyrus' short breaths snapped Sans back into the moment, trying to peel his eyes away from the scene before him. It was a side of the Underground he had never seen before, how he felt the adventurous urge burst within him again to jump down and explore.
But there were more pressing matters before him. He only wished that Papyrus could marvel in such a sight with him.
Keeping himself on the path, Sans walked his way through the bustling kingdom underneath him, deciding to sneak glances every so often while keeping his head on the task at hand. "I bet they have some noodle shops down there, Pap. I know you want to try them but we have to get you home."
The realization of the end goal Sans was going towards made him pause for a moment, his feet coming to a still. His comforting smile fell for a moment to let him frown, taking a long breath. "…We're going home."
Breathing in through his nose, Sans held his head up once more and walked back into the enclosed walls at the end of the kingdom, being surrounded in tan once more. He was starting to wonder just how long this corridor was when a dark doorframe was starting to emerge on his right.
He quickly scampered in only to find himself in another hallway, but this one was vastly different than the one he had just entered. The floor was covered in a combination of red and orange tiles, the ceiling held up by pillars of stone that stretched on either side of Sans. Mosaic windows that held the strange symbol of the Ruins door littered the wall to his left, letting in a warm, dark yellow light that he had never seen before. From beyond the blinding light there were the chirps of birds and the rustle of grass and Sans wondered what magical world was beyond them.
But more importantly, there was someone else in the hallway.
Eyes narrowing, Sans let the knife return to his hand once more, starting to take steps towards the monster before him. Like the large, black monster he talked to outside the Core, from what little he could see from the dark shadows the pillars cast, this monster too hid itself from him.
What Sans could make out though was that the monster was small, around his height actually, and wore something blue.
Upon taking his fifth step over the room echoed with the sound of a bell, causing Sans to jerk back in alarm and drop his knife for a second. It clattered to the ground with a sharp echo, coming to a still just as the bell did.
"you dropped something." The figure spoke, their voice very deep yet odd in a way that was hard to describe. It was almost comical.
Sans crouched down to pick up the knife while allowing his mind to register that the monster before him was male. "course it'd be easy to drop a lot of things from how sweaty you look."
"Get out of my way." Sans threatened, holding the knife in his right hand again as the blade part pointed in the direction of where the monster stood.
Sans figured the monster shrugged when his body moved. "no can do, human. you see, I've been waiting awhile for you. glad you didn't take your time. you want to make this easy for both of us? listen."
Sans heard the monster shuffle from his position, as if he was contemplating stepping out of the shadows. He stayed in the dark though. "So you finally made it. The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the King. Together, you will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will be judged."
Anger started to take hold of Sans as he gritted his teeth. "I don't have time for this. Move or I'll cut you down."
"hey, what did I say?" The monster's tone shifted from serious to playful for a moment, before going right back. "put those lips to good use and zip it."
Sans bent his knees, the urgency to keep moving influencing his thoughts. "I could say the same."
Knife itching to cut through something, Sans started to move quickly towards the monster in hiding. After a few steps though Sans felt his whole body freeze beyond his control, noticing a familiar, blue hue encompassing him.
The monster in the shadows had revealed a lone, bony finger when he had outstretched his arm, along with a blue circle when casting his magic. The monster shook his head. "man, you are one feisty human. believe it or not, I understand why you're acting like an idiot."
A different hue of blue overtook Papyrus' form, Sans' fear escalating when he felt Papyrus being lifted off of him. "Papyrus!"
"relax." The monster replied, using another hand to gently guide Papyrus over to the ground and rest him easily on the tile. "the last thing he needs is to be shaken like a can of soda. you though."
Sans gripped his knife tighter when he was suddenly zipped through the air and near where the monster hid himself, being turned upside down. "you could use a good shake."
In anger and frustration Sans sliced his knife through the air, trying to stab the monster in hopes of slaying him. "You don't know what you're messing with!"
The monster seemed to anticipate every slash Sans made, with the monster simply dodging or stepping to the side as the only thing Sans was cutting was the air. "now, I bet no one told you about EXP. and really, I shouldn't be having this talk with you from the way you were going. but EXP stands for execution points."
"This isn't some video game." Sans said through his teeth, allowing his arms to dangle above his head after tiring himself from all the constant stabbing.
"you would think, right?" The monster shrugged his shoulders. "but I'm getting off track. see, EXP can only be obtained when you kill someone. get yourself enough EXP, and you increase your LOVE. what's LOVE? why, it stands for level of violence."
Sans glanced over to Papyrus, making sure he was ok and nothing was going to happen before glancing back at his captor. He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"
"cause you're dangerously close to earning yourself some EXP, kid." The monster's tone grew very serious, deciding to bring Sans close to his face.
Still all Sans could see was darkness, but his flesh felt like it was trying to flee off of his bones. "i know you more than you'll ever find out. i know what you've been through, why you're here, and how this will all end. you're predictable, see."
The bony finger soon pointed upwards at Sans' face, so close that it threatened to touch his nose. Sans felt electricity dancing through his skull and body, as if something was trying to hide, but he also felt something else. Like if that finger even graced his nose, something seriously bad would happen. "but that monster inside you? he's part of the reason I'm here."
Sans angrily glared at the monster, entertaining the thought for a moment of just ramming his knife into the monsters' head. But he decided against it for the moment since there was a high chance of touching the monster himself, and he didn't want to find out why everything in his body said to keep away.
"i'm only going to say this once, so listen with those ears of yours. i get it. you're angry; you want to save your brother. but you need to keep a calm head. no more running around trying to stab everything. that's not you, that's not what you stand for."
"How would you know?" Sans spat at the monster. "You say you know me but you don't. Making sure I fall for your kind act before you stab me in the back."
"kid, I'd have a real problem on my hands if you got killed." The monster chuckled, as if he was laughing at something Sans would never understand. "all I'm saying is don't listen to that monster inside of you. he sounds like a friend but believe me. he doesn't have your best interests at heart."
Sans narrowed his eyes. "Why should I trust you?"
"now that's a good question. i could ask the same thing about your friend there." The monster's tone had become playful, before slowly changing to serious again. "i have no way of proving why you need to trust me."
Another bony finger slid out from the shadows, pointing over to where Papyrus laid. His voice was strained with guilt. "but him... i've seen a world where he doesn't make it. by your hands."
Like a volcano Sans erupted with anger, throwing his knife hand towards the monster's face. The blue around his knife grew heavy and stopped, but it shuddered and shook in the air as Sans tried to desperately fight the magic and fulfill the knife's purpose. "I would never harm Papyrus!"
"i know you wouldn't." The finger slid through the air until it almost touched the tip of the knife. He didn't say anything else because he didn't need to.
He could almost see a bitter-sweet smile on the monster's skull. "just keep my words in mind, kid."
With a simple wave of his finger Sans was flung backwards and onto the ground. He slowly pulled himself up just as the monster's finger and blue eye disappeared into the darkness of the shadow. "now if you'll excuse me, I have someone to fi-!"
The monster jumped deeper into the shadows when Sans watched his form flicker, as if he had glitch-ed. The monster was surprised as much as he was, the blue eye igniting again. "what? but he said I had more-!"
Another fizzle tore through the monster, then another, until the form was nothing but fuzzy pixels and distorted voices. The monster gave out a shriek of pain and fear before disappearing all together, leaving Sans to sit on his knees in the grand hallway.
Sans blinked a few times, trying to register what had happened before him. His eyes slowly drifted over to where Papyrus laid, feeling a twinge of fear in his heart at the thought of ever harming his brother.
He was confused.
We need to go.
Sans was a little shocked to hear the kid's voice come back, wondering why they were so quiet earlier. Don't worry about that. We need to continue on.
Sans didn't move, suddenly distrusting of the voice inside his head. The entity within him seemed to stir with his emotions. You want to sit here? We can sit here. But I don't think that will do your brother good.
Sans hitched a breath at the mention of his brother, eyes locking onto his form over by one of the pillars. Despite what the monster had said, he wouldn't be here without the entity's help. He needed them until they got to the surface; Papyrus' life depended on it.
"Ri-right." Sans nodded his head though in an uneasy manner, stepping back over to where Papyrus laid. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Papyrus wasn't injured or getting worse, fixating him back on his back before continuing on.
A garden of golden flowers bloomed from the grass beneath Sans' feet as he stepped out of the hallway and into this new room. Sans furrowed his eyebrows at the annoyance of all the flowers before fixating his eyes onto a single chair in the room. It was decorated in gold and sat in a patch of grass around the flowers, with windows on either side of him and the chair.
He had entered the throne room.
Pocketing his knife, Sans slowly crept into the room, a little surprised that the King was nowhere to be found. He expected the King of all Monsters to be lying comfortably in his throne with a look of contempt as he stared Sans down, but there was no monster there to be prideful. Another throne seemed to lie in wait at the end of the room on a small row of tile, but it was covered with a white sheet like it was to be forgotten.
Sans' skull prickled with a warm sensation, and for a moment his hand quickly reached behind him to test if he was bleeding. But after a moment he realized that the warm sensation must have been coming from the entity inside of him, as if they were happy to be in this room.
"You part cat or something? Cause it sounds like you're purring." Sans chided, walking himself through the golden flowers with no care to watch his step. Many flowers were crushed beneath his shoes or trampled without a second thought, his eyes fixated on the doorframe out of the room.
The child did not respond to his comment, but Sans didn't care if he got one or not. Just so long as he could break the silence.
With another hall under Sans' belt after leaving the throne room, he was greeted to two, massive pillars with large doors in front of him. Sans felt himself being taken back to the beginning of his journey with Papyrus, where his brother was starting to lose hope that they would get out alive.
In response to this thought Sans let his fingers tense into fists for a moment before taking a deep breath. Could this be the end?
Pressing his fingers on the doors, Sans used all his strength to push the doors open, which swung backwards with no resistance. Sans fumbled for ground as he raised his head up to see the room before him, eyes widening.
What greeted Sans was a large, empty room. There were no walls, no ceiling that he could see; only a long tunnel that shifted from gray to white towards a black exit. The room hummed and buzzed as if it were alive, like it was waiting for someone to enter.
Sans took hesitant steps inside the room, holding his right hand out to test how far he could go. Would the room go on forever? As if to answer his question he soon felt an invisible wall press up against his open palm several yards into the room.
He had found the barrier.
"Whoa…" It was the first thing to escape Sans' mouth, his excitement escalating upon his discovery. This was it. This was the barrier that kept all the monsters trapped beneath Mt. Ebott. The only thing stopping the reunite of monster-kind and human-kind, or the reigniting of a centuries old war.
This was magic manifest; what humans were capable of.
Sans was so giddy that he didn't try to hide his cheerful laughter, his hand recoiling back to his chest. It hurt to laugh, but this was worth it. "Pap, I found it. I found it!"
His eyes smiled to the barrier, his grin the most excited it had ever been. "We can go home now, Pap. We can make you better."
A soft, comforting feeling blossomed inside Sans' chest to think of Papyrus getting well. He could see it now, his brother opening his eyes again while he laid in a hospital bed; how he would read to his brother all the puns he could from that joke-book he found until Papyrus would throw his pillows at him; how he would stay there and nap on a chair while Papyrus rested. Things would be better now.
Sans pulled from his memory what Carrie had said long ago, how a human soul could pass through the barrier. Well, he had two human souls, including his, so he didn't see any reason why they wouldn't be able to pass through easily.
A melancholy feeling made itself known through Sans' as he took a moment to reflect upon his journey. Him and Papyrus had come a long way from when they had initially started. They learned, they fought, they laughed and they cried together.
Even with all the bad, Sans couldn't help but feel sad that he was leaving. This was going to be his new home if Papyrus wasn't so ill; how much he could have learned and shared with the monsters.
Would anyone believe him or Papyrus if they told anyone of their adventure? From what Sans had learned the humans seemed eager to cover up the past or the knowledge that monsters exist, so perhaps it would be better not to say anything. But then again, who would listen.
Sans gave himself a minute to just close his eyes and remember the good of this whole adventure before opening his eyes once more. It was time.
With his grin fading into a nice smile, Sans held his hand up to the invisible wall once more, closing his eyes and concentrating. He figured all he would have to do was believe that him and Papyrus could go through and then would fall through the barrier, but worry soon rooted itself in his heart when nothing happen.
Squeezing his eyes shut tighter, Sans willed himself to focus harder, believe that he was on the other side. Still the wall held firm to his touch, and with it his worry sprouted and took hold of his nerves. He opened his eyes for a second to stare at the barrier before trying again, his fingers pushing on the wall before he started to lean his weight into it.
Worry shifted into fear, and Sans could fee a cold sweat starting to form on his forehead. Why wasn't this working? They should have crossed through easily.
Sans changed his tactics to thinking of him and Papyrus beyond the barrier, like he had done with the spider web and the black monster that held him. He expected that in a moment he would fall to the ground without the wall to lean on and be in front of it, but he didn't feel any change. His eye burned like it was trying to obey what Sans was telling it, but something held him back.
In fear Sans retracted his hand, opening his eyes to find himself still behind the barrier. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. Anger started to take Sans' form as he crouched down and gently rested Papyrus near the barrier, propping him up so that he sat up with his back on the barrier.
Taking a few steps back, Sans let out a cry before ramming himself into the barrier, only to be met with a solid wall and pushed back. Sans stumbled for his footing, rubbing his arm that he so rudely shoved into the barrier before trying again. And again. And again.
"Why… why isn't this working?!" Sans finally spoke, his breathing becoming heavy as he surveyed the emptiness before him. Desperation took form in his eyes when the grave thought of Papyrus dying here flashed through his mind, sending him to throw himself at the barrier again. "I need to get through! You have to let us through!"
Being shoved back again, Sans rubbed his arm as he could feel the bruises starting to form, taking a moment to rest his weary body. "Isn't a human soul supposed to pass through?!"
"A human soul can pass the barrier."
Sans tensed when he heard a low, gravelly voice coming from behind him. He slowly turned his body to the source of the voice, having to look up to fully see who was before him since they were so tall. He did not recognize who this was and yet he knew who stood in the way of the only exit out, holding a long, red trident in his two fuzzy hands.
The monster before Sans appeared to be a goat monster, with long horns sprouting up from his white fur. Two floppy, bunny ears hung on either side of his head, and his face with his soft, black eyes was gentle. His head was covered in blonde hair from the top to his short beard, while a small, golden crown fit perfectly atop his head. A dark purple cape kept the rest of the goat monster's body hidden, save for the large and intimidating golden shoulder pads that were stitched onto the cape and drawn together by a golden chain.
"Asgore…" Sans growled, for who else could this be but the King himself. The King of the Monsters, the one who reigned over the Underground. And yet he looked nothing like the contempt, evil and sadistic King he thought he would be.
Asgore seemed pained to look upon Sans and Papyrus; how dirty, torn and blood-stained their clothes were, how dirt was caked onto their skin and faces, how messy and unruly their hair was, and how savage their eyes had become.
When Sans' attention had fallen onto the King he looked as though he held his breath, though he still spoke with a tone of authority. "You need a human and a monster soul in order to pass the barrier."
Sans brought his feet close together when standing before the King, feeling a sick smile sprout on his face. "Oh, is that all? That's all it takes to get across the barrier?"
He laughed at the sick irony of it all, causing Asgore to grow nervous and clench his trident tighter in confusion. "All this time, I've told myself that death was the last option. That I would never kill a monster."
Sans brought a hand to his forehead, fingers passing through his knotted and disgusting hair before locking eyes onto Asgore. The determination was something to behold. "But now that I know that death is my key out, well…"
His right hand dipped into his pocket and then sliced the air before him, brandishing his hunter's knife once more. He broadened his stance and lightly crouched now that Papyrus wasn't weighing him down, smiling before the King. "I don't feel so hesitant about killing you."
Asgore's eyes swelled with concern. "Please, I mean you no harm. I have been informed about your conditions and what is happening. You two need to seek medical attention immediately."
To show a sign of peace Asgore let the front of his trident face downward and he took a step forward, to which Sans took one back. It was like a hunter trying to help a wounded beast. "Let me help you, child."
Sans felt himself hesitant for a moment when Asgore extended his hand, palm facing upwards while he smiled in a loving manner. He felt so angry and energized like a wild animal, but in that moment of hesitation, he didn't know why he was so angry.
He understood that Papyrus' life was on the line but Asgore didn't seem to show any signs of malicious intent or tricking him. He wanted to help them, he was showing them mercy.
Suddenly everything didn't make sense as Sans clenched his head, staggering backwards for a moment. His mind was like a battlefield, two unknown forces clashing against one another for control of his thoughts. His head grew light, his stomach gurgled in its sickening way. Coughs crawled up his throat ready to exit the mouth and his legs felt like jello.
Don't let him confuse you! He's the only thing standing in your way, kill him!
The child's voice rang clear inside Sans' mind, sharp and quick like a knife to his senses. Sans just wanted to accept the help and rest, how he just wanted to close his eyes and let whatever was stirring inside of him to take hold. He opened his eyes to see a blurry picture of something purple moving towards him, a giant, white paw coming close.
Fear overtook Sans' mind and without thinking he slashed the knife in front of him. "Get away from me!"
A pained cry was heard as the picture before Sans revealed itself. Asgore took a step back, his right hand clenching his left hand. Sans realized what he had just done, his mind stunned.
Then, everything erupted into hatred. His anger and energy returned full-force, with Sans frowning.
Threateningly Sans held the knife out once more, keeping it between Asgore and himself. "Ever since Pap and I fell down here, it's been nothing but the same thing. Monsters chasing us, threatening us, trying to murder us. None of them cared about our well-being, so why should you be any different?!"
Sans took a large step forward, making Asgore step back for if he didn't he'd have a knife in his stomach. "I'm tired of believing that there is mercy down here, that one monster doesn't look at us as just some happy-meal with a prize inside!"
Determined Sans brought the knife up to his face but didn't focus on his reflection or the fact that his brown eye was slowly turning to red. "I'm tired of trying to pacifist my way through this hell-hole. In this world, it's kill or be killed. So you got two choices here, Kingy. You either finish me off,"
He then extended his hand once more, knife pointing straight for Asgore's heart. "Or I kill you."
And this was why I was a little upset to know that Fanfiction won't change fonts.
If you're wondering when I'm going to explain how the Judgement Hall scene even exists, trust me, there's a logical explanation on how it could work. But that explanation is a looong ways away, so you're going to have to trust me on this and please don't tell me how it shouldn't be able to work.
Also for those of you wondering, there is only one more chapter to this story! We are at the final fight before everything down-spirals, so a lot of you might be confused on how I'm going to fit everything into one more chapter. Well… you'll see soon enough.
But I wanted to thank everyone who's been reading, supporting and reviewing this story. From the people that were with me from the very beginning, when I was doubting if this story was worth investing time and energy into, to the people joining us now and discovering it still to this day. Your loving reviews and enthusiasm for the story has kept me going this whole time, and I honestly can say that without it this story would have never seen completion. So thank you, everyone!
I suspect a few of you are catching onto just what I'm doing here with the story, but for the rest, you'll just have to wait and see. ; P