2. Storyshift
A/N – Hi, so I normally don't post these, but I wanted to warn you lovelies that this story does contain some violence and emotional abuse. Nothing much, but if you're sensitive to that kind of thing, I'd opt out on this one. Voltrathelively on Reddit is the author and creator of Storyshift.
"nice meetin' you, i guess. i hate to be that guy, but i need your soul."
"But... why?" The human was shaking, their hands pressed over their chest as if that would keep their soul in place. King Sans tilted his head to one side.
"to break the barrier."
"No, I know, but... isn't there another way? Please. I just want to go home."
A flash.
"WE CAN'T DO THAT! WE'RE NOT KILLING ANYBODY."
"bro..." King Sans closed his eyes for a minute, listening as Papyrus stomped around the throne room. "we have to, it's the only-"
"NO! THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY. I'M! NOT! KILLING! ANYBODY!"
"and what will happen when we let them come through, huh? don't be such an idiot, paps! remember what happened to wingdings?"
Papyrus paled - a remarkable feat, for a skeleton. But Sans wasn't finished.
"wing tried, papyrus. he was even more of a pacifist than you. and when the human came through and refused to fight-"
"NO! NO, NO, NO... HE WOULDN'T WANT US TO DO THAT! HE- HE WOULD-"
"it doesn't matter what he would want. he died. i'm king, now."
"AND I'M YOUR ADVISOR. YOUR BROTHER." Papyrus stretched out a hand. "PLEASE... DR. ASGORE WILL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. HE'S SUPER SMART, HE'LL MAKE A WAY FOR YOU TO-"
"we can't sit around and wait for him to come up with a substitute or something. we need to get out of here." He pulled a piece of paper in front of him and began scribbling something down.
"Alert Captain Toriel. All humans are to be killed on sight, or captured and brought to-"
"NO."
Sans glanced up.
"I'M NOT TELLING HER THAT." Papyrus' arms were crossed, and he glared down at his brother. "I WON'T. I - I QUIT."
Sans sat up, knocking his pen off the table. "what? no-"
Tears were dripping down Papyrus' cheekbones, but he didn't move. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO INSIST ON KILLING, I... I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO WITH YOU." He turned away, walking towards the door. Sans stood up, but didn't move towards him.
"you - you - paps, please. we have to do this!"
"I'M SORRY, SANS."
The door slammed behind him.
Sans straightened his crown. "there's no other way. believe me, we've tried. you ready to battle, or what?"
"I'm ready." Frisk took a deep breath, staring at the king. He looked so unlike his brother – if they weren't the only two skeletons in the Underground, she would have never guessed they were related. But at the same time… they had the same expression – the same grim smile, the same deep, underlying sadness in their eyes.
"Your brother misses you."
"WELCOME TO MY HUMBLE ABODE. BEHOLD, THE DWELLING OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"
Frisk giggled, taking the hand the self-proclaimed Guardian of the Ruins as he led them into the house. It was small, almost cozy, and incredibly clean.
"ARE YOU HUNGRY? WORRY NOT! I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR SUPPER THAT YOU'RE SURE TO LOVE. SPAGHETTI! BACK WHEN I LIVED IN NEW HOME, MY BROTHER LOVED IT! HE'D EAT IT EVERY NIGHT! AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. I THINK HE ACTUALLY ONLY ATE IT ONCE."
"You've got a brother?"
Papyrus hesitated, leading them down a hallway.
"WELL... YES. I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN A LONG TIME, NOW. HE LIVES OUTSIDE THE RUINS."
Frisk sighed, leaning against him as he tousled their hair.
"I've got a brother too," they whispered. "I miss him a lot."
"I MISS MINE AS WELL. EVERY SINGLE DAY."
Sans shrugged, taking off his blue cape and tossing it to the side. "yeah, i miss 'im too. he's real stubborn. i guess all three of us were."
"He said you had another brother, but he was killed by a human."
Sans' eyes flickered and disappeared. "yeah. wing. he refused to fight. so i killed the human, and then i killed five others. in this world... heh."'
"It's kill or be killed?"
Sans stared numbly at the closed door, still holding the roll of parchment. The royal order. If he ran now, he could probably catch up with his brother before he got too far away. He could beg for forgiveness, rip up the paper in front of him, then go to Dr. Asgore's lab and see how his progress was coming. Papyrus probably hadn't even made it out of the castle courtyard yet.
"Seems you've lost your Royal Advisor."
Sans pupils disappeared. He knew that voice. By the powers, he'd never forget it. He didn't turn around.
"w-wingdings?"
"You don't think I'd leave my baby brother behind in this big bad world, do you?"
"you - you died. we found your dust."
"Right in one, Sansy. Now that we've established that, let's move on. What's got you so down?"
Sans turned around, and stumbled backwards.
There was a spirit floating in front of him - dark robes, a cracked skull, an overly wide smile. He looked exactly the same - other than being semi-transparent.
"I guess you're fired from Lordship once you're a ghost. Lemme lend you a hand or two. As former king, I think I've aced every qualification to be your new advisor. Whatdaya say?"
"b-but what about papyrus? shouldn't i-"
"Nah. He's weak. Let him run - he could never do what it would take to get the job done. You and I, though..."
"you were a pacifist."
"WERE being the key word. Sign the order, send it to Captain Toriel. You are so much stronger than him, Sans. Don't worry about what it takes – free your people. In this world, it's kill or be killed."
The human's soul flickered in front of their chest, and they whimpered. Sans crossed his arms.
"c'mon, kid. surely you know how this works by now. i engaged you. you attack first. we can't-"
"P-please… let me spare-"
Sans' pupils disappeared. "no. none of that." A blaster appeared over his shoulder, and he shrugged.
"sorry, kiddo. this is the way it has to be."
In a single, blinding beam of energy, he destroyed the mercy button.
They turned and face him, and he ran a check.
FRISK
ATK- 10
DEF- 10
Still believes in forgiveness.
"heh." He looked back at his own.
KING SANS
ATK – 1
DEF – 1
too far gone.
"You're never too far gone," said Frisk. "Please, just…"
Talking wasn't going to help them now.
"maybe a few years ago. heck, maybe a few weeks ago. but now…" Another blaster materialized behind him, and Frisk ran to get out of the way of the beams.
"nah ah ah, come back here." Frisk's soul flickered blue, and they flew backwards. They shrieked, crashing into a wall of bones behind them. Sans hadn't moved, grinning as they crumpled to the floor. Frisk coughed, then wiped the blood off of their chin.
"Your brother, he-"
"you need to stay focused on the battle kid." Another wave of bones. Their HP was down to 1. He smirked. Just like his.
They fumbled for a second, pulling something out of their backpack. A weapon? No, a…
Frisk crammed the cold spaghetti in their mouth, and the bruises faded from their face. Sans sniffed. Tomato, onion, an overabundance of oregano…
"It's kill or be killed."
The words still rang out in his head, and Sans wandered farther into the palace. The ghost... his brother? was still following him, now silent. He couldn't talk to Captain Toriel. Not yet. Maybe Papyrus just needed some alone time - time to blow off some steam, time to figure out what he really thought. He had gotten mad before - he was always quick to anger, quick to ask forgiveness. No big deal... right?
Somehow he had made it to the kitchen.
"Sans, you need to make up your mind."
Blatantly ignoring the ghost, he opened up the fridge.
The smell of spices blasted him back, sent him reeling. He coughed, squinting.
Spaghetti.
Mounds and mounds of spaghetti, stacked in careful little boxes. A tired smile flickered across his face. Paps always loved his herbs.
"You're wasting time, boyo," muttered Wingdings behind him.
"it's waited for a good two hundred years, it can wait a little while longer."
"What if a human comes through? You've got to be ready! I couldn't do it, so you must be the one! You must kill the humans, and take back the surface. Free my - free your - people!"
Sans opened one of the boxes and ate it cold, still standing in front of the open fridge.
Sans wavered, then shot another row of beams towards them. Shakier, smaller. They were able to dodge them easily. He chuckled.
"do you really think the worst people can change?"
"I do."
"well then, watch me prove you wrong."
The human wasn't crying anymore – the terror in their eyes had been replaced by pure determination. Even as he blasted them with volley after volley of bones, they were faster, more agile. One smashed against them, probably breaking their shoulder, but they didn't stop. That expression on their face…
It was almost like they had done that before.
"Your brother still believes in you. He thinks you can do better."
Sans' eyes disappeared. "you keep talking, an' you're gonna have a bad time." He winked. "well, i'm gonna kill you anyway, so i guess you don't particularly care anymore."
"He said you're wrapped up in vengeance. That this isn't really you."
"he never knew me. not like wi- not the way i really am."
The bones wavered. The blue glow flickered off of Frisk's soul, and they fell to the floor.
"I've met so many wonderful people, made so many friends. You're not any different from- ack!"
Sans had them again, dragging them upwards by their soul. They were kicking, fighting, begging. He shrugged.
"i'm not like them. i'm just a good, old-fashioned monster."
He dropped them, raising dozens of spiky bones to meet them as they fell. Blood splashed up, but he didn't bother wiping it off his face.
He dropped them again. Again. Somehow, they were still clinging on to life – little more than a bloody pulp. Their HP quivered at a mere .1. Surprising they hadn't kicked it yet.
They weren't bothering to fight back – muttering something on each of their turns he wasn't listening to.
Why were they still trying? If they weren't going to fight back, they couldn't run? Why, I don't know, prolong the agony? They were holding their guts in with one broken arm as it was.
He sighed, dangling them a foot below the vaulted ceiling.
"any words for posterity?"
"P- p…"
"can't hear ya, kid. least you can die knowing you helped me an' the rest of us out a lot."
"P-papyrus." He could barely hear it.
"you already played that card. it ain't workin'."
"Papyrus… help."
Sans chuckled. "he can't hear you. he – he's gone."
"BROTHER, NO!"
"HUMAN! ARE YOU OK?"
Papyrus wavered for a second, then broke his battle stance, rushing over to where the child was kneeling.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO HIT YOU THAT HARD. PLEASE, LET ME HEAL YOU."
Frisk pushed his gloved hand away, stumbling back to their feet. "I'm fine, but... I – I still don't want to fight you. Please, just let me go home."
Papyrus took a step back, hurt.
"THIS – THIS IS YOUR… UGH! I CAN'T DO THIS. I'M SORRY, HUMAN." He stood back up, straightening his purple robe. "YOU TRULY ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE OUT THERE. FORGIVE ME FOR DOUBTING YOU." He scratched the back of his neck.
"IF YOU DO GET TO THE CASTLE AND… AND MEET MY BROTHER, TELL HIM…" He closed his eyes for a second. "TELL HIM THAT I LOVE HIM, AND THAT HE CAN DO BETTER! SURELY ONE AS STRONG AS HIM CAN REALIZE THAT! YOU CAN DO IT, HUMAN. I BELIEVE IN YOU!"
"I will. I'll make you proud!"
"NYEH HEH HEH! YOU ALREADY HAVE. YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE. IF YOU EVER NEED HELP, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL COME TO YOUR RESCUE!"
Sans stumbled back, looking around wildly. His control on Frisk's soul flickered, and the human began falling. The bones had vanished beneath them, but by this point, it didn't matter. They would splatter into goo the second they hit the floor.
Another blue light appeared, grabbed their soul. The human went flying backwards, back towards the door. Sans turned.
The blue light faded, and the human collapsed into Papyrus' arms. The younger skeleton hugged them close, pushing their hair away from the battered, almost unrecognizable face.
"SANS… HOW… HOW COULD YOU?"
Sans was shaking, staring at his brother.
"you – you came back? but… but…"
"THEY DIDN'T MEAN YOU ANY HARM!" screamed Papyrus. Bones shot towards Sans, far enough overhead that they wouldn't hit him. "THEY JUST WANT TO GO HOME! THEY'RE JUST A KID!"
"it's… wing said i-" Sans fell to his knees, pressing his hands into his temples. "i… i had…"
"WE'RE FINE. GETTING TO THE SURFACE? IT'S NOT WORTH THIS!" Green light swirled over his gloves, and Frisk's wounds began to fade. "IT WAS NEVER WORTH THIS."
He smiled up at his older brother, tears streaming down his face. "PLEASE LISTEN. I KNOW YOU, SANS! YOU CAN DO BETTER!"
All the light vanished, plunging the judgement hall into darkness. Sans' eye lit up, and Papyrus pulled the child closer.
"S-SANS?"
"He doesn't need you anymore!" The voice was smooth and deep, with an odd tinge of urgency. "People grow, people change. And you never seem to realize that." Sans shuddered.
Papyrus' eyes shone blue.
"W-WING – NO! THIS- THIS IS A TRICK! SANS, HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?"
"It's not a trick, baby brother." A figure was beginning to form, as if their eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness. "It's me."
"NO! NO NO NO! IT – THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"
"I told you I'd always be there, didn't I? Don't forget." The figure drifted closer to Sans, who instinctively flinched away.
"We're talking about the greater good here. All of your people, everyone who you care about – or one half-dead, worthless human. How is that even a comparison, Sans?"
"it- it's not." Sans shot a shaky, blue bone at Papyrus. Wingdings chuckled.
"That's right. It's all science – get rid of the weak, and the strong will thrive. That's not so difficult to understand now, is it? This is all for the good of your people, Sans! What will they think when you let murderous filth like this live, while they all suffer!" He grinned, hovering a few inches above Sans' shoulder.
"FRISK NEVER DID ANYTHING!" protested Papyrus, trying to shield the human with his body. "THEY'RE NOT A MURDERER!"
"That's just what they want you to think. Look what happened to me! Look what I've been reduced to! Take him out. Be done with this."
Sans stood up, his knees shaking, tears and wisps of stray magic running down his face.
"but… he's my brother. he's our brother." Another bone shot from his hand, and Papyrus grunted in pain. He curled almost completely over Frisk – not running, not trying to fight back.
"Him? Look what he's doing – trying to protect a human, trying to hold back the growth of your kingdom. That sounds like no brother of ours, right Sans?"
A blaster formed behind Sans, shaky and uncertain in the half-light. Wingdings kept grinning – his skull stiff and frozen, like a mask. Like a corpse.
"you're no brother of mine."
The blaster spun ninety degrees in midair and tilted down at Wingdings, shooting him square in the face before he could dodge.
Papyrus looked up, still cradling the child.
Sans was shaking, crying. He ran towards his younger brother.
"i'm so sorry i'm so sorry i'm-"
"SH! IT'S OK. I'M HERE." He shifted Frisk to one side, and hugged Sans as he collapsed in his arms. "I FORGIVE YOU, AND I'M SURE THE HUMAN WILL TOO."
"So. You've shown you true colors, I see. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. You two were always so weak!"
"YOU WERE TOO, AT ONE POINT. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, WING?" Papyrus sat up, carefully holding the two others – one unconscious, one sobbing.
"y-you're not really wing." Sans wiped his nose.
The ghost chuckled. It was beginning to change form – shifting in the darkness. Its eyes were the same – wide, dark, with the two pinprick pupils.
"Funny how you never questioned that before. Altering your appearance is so easy when you're non-corporeal!" The ghost was grinning at them, its eyes empty of everything but gleeful malice.
"You may have figured out our little game, but we're not through just yet. Anyways, I'll be seeing you soon, darlings!" It vanished. Sans shuddered.
"n-now wh-what?"
Papyrus stared at the spot the ghost had been. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED, BUT I THINK WE'RE DEALING WITH SOMETHING VERY DANGEROUS. SOMETHING BIG IS GOING ON, BROTHER, AND WE'RE JUST NOW SCRATCHING THE SURFACE. WHATEVER HAPPENED, IT WASN'T GOOD." He looked down at the others.
"SO. ANYONE HUNGRY?"