Disclaimer:
I do not claim to own the original game nor its many AUs; as such Flowerfell and Echotale, but this plot and possible original characters/AU belong to me. Any famous songs, TV show/movies/books and manga names, and brands that are mentioned in this work belong to their rightful owners. This is purely for fun and my inner fangirl.
© Willa Field
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4:
Unfortunate Souls
(Third POV)
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"A deal? We're not making any deals with you, Error." The words echoed off the walls as Papyrus stepped forward to stand by his brother, growling while he crossed his arms.
"Paps?"
The taller skeleton looked down at Sans and Frisk, who were sharing looks of a mixture of shock and admiration. He sighed, looking away from them with a slight blush playing on his cheeks:
"We might disagree often, brother, but I do love you and her. Don't act so surprised that I'm standing by you." Papyrus muttered under his breath, but before Sans could express his thankful words, the villain cut the rare moment short. Which earned him a growl from each.
"Oh, that is rich coming from you! Weren't you the one who continually told him he was an embarrassment?"
The statement hung in the air like a heavyweight, both brothers remembering the hurtful words they once had said before Frisk calmed their sibling rivalry. They both were in the wrong, Papyrus knew he was always the worse of the two.
Before the others could make him a target, he became enemies with the only true family. He let the cruel world change him. He let the power and good feeling of being the better one go and he turned his back on Sans; he broke him.
He scowled deeply, locked in guilt, until he felt a comforting hand land on his arm.
The youngest Skeleton brother shifted his gaze down to Frisk's sweet smile pointed up at him, telling him that it was alright. That he was making amends for the past. He snorted, smirking as he patted her head to show his thanks before he moved a sharp glare back on the black skeleton as he pushed Frisk back him and Sans:
"I was, I was horrible to not only him, but everyone. And I regret that, but I will change that today, I will become the brother he needs. I will protect his happiness. I won't let you ruin it for them." Papyrus growled out, lifting a hand, letting a red-orange bone flow in the air as the others followed suit with fierce glares place into their eyes.
Error chuckled softly, letting a sigh escape while he stuffed his phalanges into his hoodie. For a few moments, the glitchy skeleton just stood there with a cocky grin, before moving onto his toes, peering at the shaking girl in the middle of the protective circle.
"As much as I want to play, I'm just here to talk to you, princess. Sorry about this." He flicked his wrist forward, calling her soul to him, and soon, Frisk was in the air; a gasp squeaked out through her lips as she tried to grab whatever hand she could.
"Sans! Mama, papa!"
A growl rung out through the room, another pull started to tug on her soul as Sans stepped toward the other skeleton with his own hand placed in front of him, his pupil sent ablaze against the black.
"Let. Her. Go. Now." The skeleton slowly stated through his clenched teeth, but Error just shrugged with his grin turning more animalistic as the minutes passed:
"If you two behave and listen, I will."
The beautiful young woman gritted her teeth, both in frustration and from the slight discomfort, not wanting to give this male the pleasure of seeing her weak. But, she knew they couldn't continue the standoff, and if they did, Sans would be too weak to help anyone with keeping her out of Error's strings.
So, with a heavy breath, she looked down at the broken skeleton and nodded silently. She couldn't be the reason he got hurt again, she couldn't be the reason he felt guilt again. She just couldn't, but she needed to do something.
"Good girl, Frisk." He grinned widely, slowly lowering his hand towards the floor with Sans following suit, an unreadable expression was playing across his face as she moved cautiously toward the black; his hand enclosed in hers.
"Okay, Error, you want to talk deals? Fine." Sans' voice sounded tight, dripping with tears.
He knew she would accept anything to save him any pain. But, she didn't understand was that Error didn't play fair, he was probably just coaxing her close enough to strike, taking the only thing that matters to him. However, he also knew that he needed to trust her, so he kept his mouth shut and stay close, prepared to protect her to the end.
Maybe this would finally end, he hoped as he closed his eyes, squeezing her hand for comfort before he heard Error snicker, opening his eye sockets to see him leaning against a polar lazily.
"Straight to the point, 14? I like that about you."
Sans scowled deeply, moving his eyes down, not wanting to show him any more emotion he already had. He wanted to save the emotions for the people that really matter. Sans only looked up when Frisk carefully stepped forward as she lifted her hands in the air.
The pain probably was back, he mused, his eyes watching the movements as he crossed his arms across his chest, staying only a few feet away from her; ready to become as strong as Titanium…
For his sweet rose princess, he would become stronger than anything...
'What is your deal, Error?'
The chuckle that followed her question woke the skeleton from the thoughts and looked up to see the other skeleton walking to the window. He was enjoying this, Sans raged in his mind as his fingers curled into fists hidden under his folded arms. He was like a growling cat stalking his prey, feeling giddy as he watched them wiggle and squirm under the pressure of the waiting. He wanted to torture them like he was:
A few moments later, Papyrus roared out and rushed toward Error, only to be held back by his brother. He was tired of waiting, he wanted to rip that smug expression off the skeleton's face. He was threatening his and everyone else's happy ending, but he didn't care, and Papyrus was so freaking tired of this. Of this cocky, little ass's attitude about ruining lives.
As much as he wanted to copy his brother's actions, Sans figured that Frisk would want to hear the bastard out before she let them have their fun. She was the one who always played fair, knowing how the others felt when she didn't. She didn't want to be unfair ever again. So, Sans held his angry brother to him and growled out angrily:
"If you want to live, you might want to tell us what the hell you want right now!"
Error laughed loudly, turning to the group with his usual smug grin dancing across his blue tear-streaked face, his hands folded behind his back as he rocked on the balls of his feet, giving the scene in front of him before another snarl sounded in the room.
"Error!"
"Okay, okay, geez. Keep your pants on. And Pappy, if you try to kill me, I will kill her, you follow?" Error stuttered out as he moved to Frisk, his smile growing strangely soft with every step, making the flower squirm under that look.
Sans growled again, struggling to not only with his brother's fury, but his own; he wanted to kill that bastard, to not see the creep smile towards his human. But when he tried to move to approach him, he was pinned with a haunting glare by the black skeleton; his palm turned up at her.
"That means you too, 14. You know I will, back off and let us talk."
He snarled deeply, freezing in place, flexing his fingers as he obeyed. The black skeleton smiled one more time at the two angry skeletons before he turned back to the girl, that creepy smile was back on her. This made the girl shiver as he opened his teeth to speak:
"My deal is this, dear Frisk; you let me reset you and everyone, and if you can save them in a year, you can live free without worry. However, there's one catch, you will not remember any of them," Error paused to nod towards her family, "And if you don't not only save them, but remember them; you will become my puppet. You will be dead to them, only I would remember you."
Silence followed the terms, some were too shocked to speak and some were fuming too much to speak. The speech lingered in the air, heavy like a rain cloud before Sans roared painfully, his hands were itching from the power building in his body. Was he insane?
"Are you fucking insane? That's your deal? There's no way she's gonna agree to that! You should have known that before you came here!" Sans gnarled, his red energy started to show as his anger grew and grew, thinking about his strings enclosing around her. The thought made him sick.
However, despite that shout, the black skeleton just stood in front of a frozen Frisk with a soft smile on his face. That smile was like a dark, twisted version of Sans' smile and that smile sent a deep shiver up her spine. How could she even make a response to that? She shook more as the thoughts raced through the walls of her mind, trying to think of a reply.
But, Error heaved a heavy sigh, impatient to hear her response, and leaned forward to meet her blues. The sweet smile slowly turned mercilessly as she backed away from the insane skeleton a bit.
"I'm waiting, my dear. The clock is ticking."
Frisk gulped, the fear of Error slowly reaching a peak as she looked to the angry skeletons on each side of her for strength before she placed a firm expression onto her facial features, her fingers dancing into speech.
'And if I refuse?'
"Welp, then I'd just have to kill you. And it's a shame, really, you are so pretty and you have a long life ahead of you. But if you don't want to die, then I'll happily reward you that."
With that, Error raised his hand toward the beautiful flower, but not to hurt her, just to prove his point and formed a bubble around them. The group wasn't too happy about this, roaring demands and insults at the black skeleton. He didn't care though, he just grinned smugly before he turned back to the scowling girl and spoke again:
"It's your choice, baby doll. It is a fair deal, I'd say. Yes, you won't remember, but they," Error waved a hand towards the angry group, the sight sent tears to her beautiful eyes as she listened to his next words: "will. They will be able to make you remember. Like I said, it's a fair deal. But if I kill you right here, they won't have a chance to save you. You will be dead, no resetting, no starting over. Nothing."
Frisk gasped, the icy hand of fear grasped her heart, knowing what that would do to them. To watch her die and to know they couldn't save her, she knew they would be destroyed.
But, if she agreed to this, they would have a year to save her. A chance of a final happy ending. No more fighting and no more having to reset, they would be free from the fear. She had to leave, she had to make this deal with the black devil to save her loved ones from any more pain.
Error knew Frisk couldn't refuse his deal, not when they were watching and they would see every gory detail of the murder. He knew and he used that against her, knowing he would win what he wanted.
She cupped a hand over her mouth to hide a cry as she looked over to her family one more look, meeting their wide tear-filled eyes. They knew, she thought terrified, they heard and they knew what she was going to do. She was going to save them from that haunting memory.
So, with her mind made up, she breathed a sigh and she smiled watery as her hands formed words of love before she turned to the glitch, meeting his hand. As they shook hands, a warm sensation spread over her body and the voices faded while the blackness slowly surrounded her. The last thing she heard from her family was Sans' pained shout:
"I will find you, Frisk! I will find you, sweetheart, I promise!"
The promise was slowly swallowed by the darkness, but it filled the flower with determination. She would find a way back to them, she demanded in her mind, as Error snickered giddily behind her, making her sick at the sound. He was insane, Frisk screamed inside of the walls of her mind.
"Good choice, Frisk. I knew you would make the right decision." He praised her, but it sounded like the skeleton was mocking her, as he moved to beside the girl and waved a hand in front of him to call the reset and moved it to in front of her.
"Okay, my dear, just push the button and our deal will start. Don't worry, the time limit won't start until you fall down and meet your mother again."
Frisk stared at the reset button, wondering why he was being so fair and what would happen after she pushed it. She breathed a weary sigh, her hand hovering over the button, before she looked over to the skeleton and used her other hand to ask him those questions.
He sighed deeply, looking away with a scowl placed onto his face. She really didn't see why he was doing this? Was she really that blind?
"Frisk, I'm still a version of Sans. As much as I want to hate you and make you pay for all you have done, I can't ignore that you are a sweet girl. You reminded me of my Frisk. I wanted to give you to a chance."
After hearing that, the young woman bit her lip, looking to the button as she thought about the words. She was right about him, she hid a soft smile as she waited for him to continue the explanation. There was some Sans in him, even if it was a tiny piece, it was still there.
"And for your second question, it is a simple reset. But in this new world, your family would be able to remember every memory you made. They just would be a bit different." He stated, stretching his arms over his head as if they were just talking, not about to give birth to a new time.
That was so Sans, she mused, her smile was slowly showing. She smiled at him for a heartbeat before she signed about the difference, asking.
Error laughed quietly, startling the girl a bit, as he leaned forward and winked playfully before he touched her hovering hand to softly guide it down:
"You'll see sweetcheeks." And with that, the world was reborn…
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It was two months after Frisk accepted Error's terms of their ridiculous game, the monsters were trapped in a different kind of darkness beside the darkness of the underground. However, most didn't understand what the different darkness was, they just felt a dark cloud over the kingdom. Something was missing.
Only a handful truly knew the bitter truth behind that dark cloud. They felt the pain of knowing that truth, felt it clawing at their insides. But Asriel knew his and the others' pain was pale against Sans'. His pain ran so deep, it changed him:
He didn't even look the same, his face a blank mask, not showing any emotion. He just went to Grillsby's or out searching for his fallen flower since he made a deal of his own. One that drove a wedge between him and the others, no matter how much they might agree with the decision behind it.
It was a dangerous decision.
Three weeks after Frisk's disappearance, Sans growled out that he was going to search Gaster, the former royal scientist, and the Skeleton Brothers' sometimes father, and was going to force him to make him stronger for Frisk's sake. He wanted to make sure he would be able to protect her this time, that no one could steal Frisk away again.
But this only gained the older skeleton screams and insults, telling him that it was stupid and he could protect the beautiful flower on his own strength. He didn't want to listen to their cries and he stomped away. Since the argument, everyone stayed away from the now-taller skeleton, watching him to make sure he wasn't going too insane.
That was what Asriel's doing. He was leaning against a tree, his golden eyes following each of Sans' movements as he crashed through the Snowdin Forest; his head moving side to side as he looked over the trees for a lost Frisk encaged in them.
The lost look placed onto his face made Asriel's guts twist painfully. The goat monster hated to see his best friend in so much pain, he wanted to take it away. But he knew that he couldn't do anything for his soul brother, only one person could heal that pain, and she wasn't there to hold him through this:
"How is my brother doing, Prince Asriel?" Papyrus asked sweetly, coming to stand by the goat as he followed the movements as well, his happy expression slowly turned sad with every movement.
Everyone but him changed back to their usual selves when the world reseted, Asriel was saved by his necklace, thankfully, but the memories still stung. He could deal with the sting though, he was used to it by now, but the young goat monster was worried about the others. They weren't used to the painful sting of the choices they had make.
They were horrified at their Underfell actions the moment they woke up and they tried to heal the damage they have done, namely Papyrus towards his older brother even if Sans pushed him away with every attempt he tried. The young goat would growl at Sans' actions, in return Sans would snarl back and ordered him to stay of it. But how could he when his family was falling apart? He couldn't and would keep trying to reach out to his best friend, to wake him from this insanity.
"What do you think, Paps?" He pinched his long nose to fight a headache, a sigh came whistling out from his lips. He was tired of this, he just wanted to free Sans from all the painful feelings but he wasn't the one that could.
Everyone knew Sans couldn't be helped by any of them, he would return to the normal joyful Sans only when his sweetheart would return to the Underground. He would be a shell of what he once was until he could land his sockets on her, hold her into his arms.
"Poor Sans, he is so lost without Frisk. Why would she make that deal with Error? She knew how he felt about her, why would she leave us, him?"
The question echoed through the walls of Asriel's mind, trying to find the easy answer, but he didn't want to think about the answer; it was too terrified to think about:
To see that evil bastard murder their flower and to know they couldn't do anything to bring her back was too scary to think about.
But her brother knew that was her only choice, she couldn't leave them with that memory. Now, at least, they had a chance to save her. However, that didn't pacify the pain of her choice.
"You know why she had to do it, Papyrus. Frisk didn't want us to suffer from that horrible memory. Especially hi, you know he would be changed forever if he saw that."
Papyrus breathed a sigh as his sockets move back to his brother, knowing Asriel was right. Sans would be destroyed even more than they would. He would be a completely different monster if she was taken forever, and then he would be lost to them completely. Never to come back from that, so really, it was the only choice. She saved not only her monster family, but his brother, from that memory; no matter how much the younger skeleton hated that decision. He knew why she needed to agree to that horrible deal.
"I just hope that she will fall soon, he needs her."
Assy sighed sadly, hugging his friend close as fresh tears wetted his facial fur.
That same hope sat in his chest, squeezing his heart painfully. He wanted to see Frisk's smile again. He wanted to hear her laugh. But, he knew that it would be too long before he would get to.
They just needed to be patient and someday, someday, Frisk Dreemurr would return to the world of Monsters and would save them once more.