im dizzy just seeing chapter 49:
Despite being touted as the thinner wall, Suzy had to have been walking through the claustrophobic, her-shaped hole for at least five minutes before she emerged on the other side. The passage opened onto shadowy, eggplant-coloured cavern with a few wooden crates stacked in it. The small dog was there already, sleeping on its back and snoring loudly. When she turned to back to the bright, white world, the path behind her looked to be only a couple feet long. She rolled her eyes.
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"Hey, I made it!" she called. The echo of her voice vanished deep down the hole.
There was no reply at first. She sat down. Just when she was starting to think she'd been ditched, she heard Papyrus cackle.
"Excellent! Great job, Suzy! What's over there?" he called.
Her scales flushed. "Uhh… It's like a purple cave, I guess?! Also, the tunnel is kinda a freak and takes way longer to walk down than it looks like it does!"
Once again, there was a long pause. She guessed it was just the nature of this weird hole. She rested her cheek on her sleeve-covered fist.
"I-I think m-maybe the Queen r-really didn't want to be found!" Alphys said. "A-Are you okay to wait there? We're going to try to fit Papyrus in after you!"
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Suzy was taken aback and her heart sunk. "But I said I would…" She stood up and shook her head. "I-I can go! It's not even scary! I'll just start looking! He has long legs, he can catch up, right?"
"Nyeh heh! I certainly can! If, um, I can fit. But! If you're sure, absolutely go ahead! I believe in you, my purple assistant!"
The kid snorted out a quiet laugh. Papyrus seemed like kind of a strange dude, but hearing a big monster like him say he believed in her— something about that filled her with warmth. She balled her fists under his jacket's long sleeves.
"Yeah, I'll be fine! I'm not a weak little wimp!" she shouted back. "I'm going!"
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She turned to look over her surroundings again. The dog was gone.
"Hey! Dog?" She pushed back the hood on the jacket and peeked around near the crates.
They were empty. Behind them, however, was a short set of steps. They lead up to a cellar door. She shoved on it, but it was locked. She winced.
"Good luck, kid!" Captain Undyne shouted to her.
The others also wished her luck, but they were farther away and less coherent. Baring her sharp teeth and growling, she shook her head. She couldn't get stopped by some dumb planks of wood.
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Suzy had never been great at magic. It was all noise and no melody— at least, that's what her teacher had said when he finally gave any thought to her being in his class. But, there was something to it, wasn't there? Suzy rolled up her sleeves and looked at her hands; at her sharp little claws. She'd cut stone, at least. Maybe that's what noise was good for.
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With a huff, she brought her glow into her hands. She growled and punched the planks as hard as she could. The tiniest burst of violet energy combined with her strike busted through the wood. She perked up and grinned, and quickly shoved her way through.
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The kid came out behind the dark counter of a shop. She shook debris out of her hair and took a look around. The place was an awful lot like a convenience store that used to be around the corner from her house, back when she knew where her house was. Unlike that one, though, this place looked like nobody had actually been there in ages. The shelves still had some junk on them, but not much.
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She scrambled up onto a stool to an old mechanical till box sitting on the counter. There was still three gold coins left inside, but nothing else. She fished them out. Two of them had a sun and moon on either side. The third had a crown on one face and a flower on the other. She didn't really make a habit of looking at coins, but the difference from what she recognized was interesting for about half a second. Then, she wondered, if that Sans guy was sick and she found him, would he need some snacks? She didn't have much cash in her phone. Was there even anywhere to buy stuff down here?
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She fumbled as she dropped back to the floor. One of the shiny gold coins bounced away and fell right back down into the cellar.
"Aw, crap," she grumbled. She didn't want to waste time chasing it, though. She rubbed her head and peeked out the vacant spot where the front door should have been and onto the street.
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All around her, massive buildings in dim purple towered over dark cobblestone streets. If it weren't so empty, she would have sworn it was New Home.
"Weird," she said under her breath. She crept outside and looked down the road in either direction.
Everything was so stagnant and boring. The buildings in the distance blended together as if they were lost in smoke.
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Movement around the corner caught her eye. She whirled just in time to see some chunky, pale monster vanishing around the side of the shop.
"Hey!" she called. She sprinted after them, only to find a wide-eyed froggit standing, startled, pressed up against the wall beside the building as if hoping it would somehow disguise him. "Whoa. I thought this place was empty."
The froggit blinked one eye and then the other and said nothing. Suzy quickly cleared her throat.
"Uh. That shop, it anybody's?"
He shook his head.
"Okay. Have you seen a short skeleton? He's missing."
The froggit shrugged sheepishly. Suzy frowned. She tapped her foot, growling to herself. The frog monster started to sweat.
"Wait here," she said.
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She ran back into the shop and scoured the shelves for a pen and paper. Most of what was left here was junk. She found someone's old, hand-written receipt book left alongside some garbage, and she grabbed that. She snatched a box of coloured chalk as a snack and found a pack of glittery markers nearby. She did a quick drawing of the grinning skeleton in blue ink and rushed back out to the street. The froggit was gone.
"Ugh! Dumb frog," she grumbled, and then cupped her hands in front of her snout to shout,"Hey! Where'd you go?!"
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Nobody answered. Suzy muttered darkly to herself and stomped down the road. It wasn't until she'd stormed down a few blocks before she remembered she had no idea where she was going. She stopped in the street and knocked a hand against her head.
"Think, Suzy, think!" she whispered harshly.
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The Captain and all the big monsters wanted to get through a door to begin with. So she had to find a huge door. But, maybe she had to find Toriel. If Sans was looking for her, maybe that's where he ended up. Maybe if Suzy could find a school? But, the others, they said Toriel was the old Queen, right? Maybe that meant she should look for a castle. Or, at least, a building that was really, really big.
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Suzy snorted. It was a lot. Was it crazy? She doubled back, wondering if she really should just wait for Papyrus. But then again, what if he couldn't fit through the hole? What if it really was all up to her? Her soul stirred in her chest. She wasn't a dumb baby, she told herself. She could do this.
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She pulled out her coloured chalk. Red was one of her favourite flavours so she kept that one aside. The brightest and easiest to see on the dark stone would be yellow. Sticking to the left side of the street, she stuck her arm out and drew a line on the buildings she passed to mark a trail.
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She kept going until she saw a building raised up on steps on the other side of the street. It had a tall tower built into the roof. She wrote CROSSED in big letters on the wall before scampering over. As she did, though, her soul suddenly pinged and the hum of an assailant crashed into her as something jumped at her from the top of the steps. She yelled out and punched whatever came at her. With a loud, shrill oomf, a round, rust red monster with horns rolled away from her, both hands held over the one, giant eye that made up most of his body.
"Ooooooh don't pick on meeeee," he whined.
"Don't pick on you?! You jumped me!" Suzy yelled.
"Ooooh ow my eye." He rolled around, magic orbs appearing around him and bouncing lamely towards the purple monster's feet.
"What's your deal?!" She stepped over what could only loosely be called an attack and peered down into the eyeball monster's face, jabbing her chalk at him. "Can you knock it off?!"
The monster waved his arms at her. "Don't point that thing at me!"
"Stop attacking, then!"
"Only if you don't pick on me!"
Suzy sighed heavily. "Okay, I won't!" She huffed as what little battle resonance was there died off, and she rubbed the hair out of her eyes, which did nothing as usual. "Why'd you jump me though?!"
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The eyeball monsters whinged and rolled onto his stubby legs. His massive eye darted up and down the crocodaur with confusion. "You were purple and different and maybe a human, I don't know!"
Suzy gestured to herself incredulously, baring her huge, pointed teeth. "Do I LOOK like a human to you?!"
"AAaah, don't be rude to me." He cowered. "I don't know! I guess not."
The crocodaur shook her head. "Look—"
"Loox."
"What? Okay. Whatever." She let out a deep sigh. "Sorry I punched you. But you scared me, alright?!"
"Oh." He twiddled his fingers. "…Sorry, I guess. But. Uh. What're you doing here if you're new here, 'cause that doesn't really make any sense. Nobody comes in here."
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Suzy perked up. She quickly pulled out her drawing of Sans and shoved it at him. "You seen this guy? I mean, if anyone would have…"
"Heh. That's true, but…" He shook his whole body back and forth. "Never seen him before in my life."
"Dang," she muttered. "Okay. What about the Queen? You seen her around?"
"Ummm…" He squinted. "Well. I've seen her. Definitely."
"Any clue where she lives?"
"The castle, maybe?" He shrugged his little arms. "She's a Queen, right? So she probably lives in a castle."
"I guess," Suzy said. "So, uh, what's going on here? Why're all the stores empty?"
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The monster blinked blankly at her. "You serious? I don't think there's even fifty monsters left in Home. It's been like this hundreds of years."
"It has?" She rubbed her head. "Dang. So where is everybody?"
"Um. Dunno. All over I guess?" He shrugged again. He grabbed her hand and shoved some coins into it before rolling away unceremoniously, calling back, "See ya around!"
"Hey!" Suzy pouted as the eyeball monster zoomed away, and yelped with surprise when a carrot-shaped creature frantically wobbled after him from its hiding spot near the top of the steps.
The two of them disappeared down an alleyway across the street.
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The kid was left befuddled. She rubbed her head. People were really weird down here.
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After marking the building with yellow, she went inside. It was dim and dark, like all the rest of the city. The wide room before her was filled with tall shelves. Most of them were empty, but the ones that were not held a small selection of books. A library, Suzy thought. Eyeball guy and that veggie must've been huge nerds.
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She found the stairs to the tower easily— they were marked with a sign and some pictures. She hurried up to where a door opened onto a merloned roof. Standing on her toes, she could see over the purplish buildings to finally get her bearings. A whole city sprawled out before her, gloomy and vacant— except wherever those weird monsters had slipped off to, she supposed. She could see only a few small balconies that cut out of the cavern far away. The space didn't seem to make sense. That wasn't usual for monster places, but if this cave even remotely lined up with the outside, those huge stone doors would be floating in the air. Suzy frowned to herself and munched on the purple stick of chalk from her pack. She wondered where that dog had gone.
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There was a large structure with lots of towers far off in the distance. Maybe that was the castle.
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With a slightly better understanding of where she was, Suzy set out again, back across the street and drawing out lines in chalk as she made her way through vacant streets. She tried to keep going as straight as she could towards the maybe-castle.
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Suzy felt like she'd been walking for hours. As her yellow chalk wore down to a nub, she tossed it into her mouth and munched it, switching over to orange instead. The quiet was getting to her. She hummed to herself to break through it. The streets were wider now, and planters of spindly dead trees with black bark framed the walkways.
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Before long, a towering set of stairs filled the view at the end of the road. Suzy picked up the pace. The steps lead to a huge fortress with a domed roof and lofty battlements that easily surveyed all the blocks around it.
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She clambered up to the building and was met by a pair of massive doors emblazoned with a massive, fancy Delta Rune emblem above a spiral-patterned sun and a crescent moon, framed on each side by a four-pointed star. She put her hands on her hips and leaned back.
"Well. Crap," she said. She cautiously knocked on the door.
The sound echoed off to nowhere. Nobody came. She put both hands on the door and shoved as hard as she could, bracing her feet solidly against the ground. Nothing budged. She grunted, her magic bristling around her, but that did nothing to the doors either.
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When she stepped back, the sound of grinding rock made her jump. She whirled around to see five square pillars raising up behind her. They were taller than she was. She doubled back and, when she touched the closest one, all of them lowered to her eye level. There was a flat button on top of each and different symbols that meant little to her flashed in faint, white magic across them. Suzy frowned and pouted. A puzzle.
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She tried hitting each button. The symbols froze at her touch, but after they were all pressed, they flashed and then began to shift again. The door remained firmly shut. She tried two more times but got the same result. The little crocodaur heaved out a heavy sigh and plopped herself down onto the steps for a rest. She pouted and munched on her red chalk to make herself feel better. She'd always sucked at puzzles. Maybe there was another way in? Maybe she could scale the wall or something.
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"Suuuuuzyyyyy?" a distant skeleton's voice called.
Suzy perked up instantly. "Over here!" she called.
"Yes, I know! I'm glad you're still close!" Papyrus jogged up the street, sticking his hand up high to wave at her. He had a few specks of glitter on his skull.
She waved in return and he was at her side quickly, shooting her a big, proud smile.
"You made a lot of distance!" he said. "Sorry I didn't call. The reception is very odd down here. I didn't remember it being so bad. Anyway! Those markings were a great idea!"
"Oh. Um. Thanks," she said. "I got stuck, though."
"Oh?! Where?!" Papyrus looked around.
She pointed to the pedestals behind her.
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The tall skeleton leaned over them, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. His eyes glittered. "My excellent assistant! Do you know what you've found?!"
"Uh. A puzzle?" she said.
"Yes! But not just any puzzle!" He beamed. "A very ancient puzzle! One that no monster has solved in a very long time! So! Naturally!" He put a hand to his chest. "I, the great Papyrus, and you, my great assistant Suzy, will be the first!"
"I dunno," she said. "I don't really do puzzles."
"Oh?!" Papyrus looked genuinely shocked. "Why the heck not?!"
She shrugged. "I'm not good at 'em. I end up breaking 'em, mostly."
"That's definitely a shame," Papyrus said. "Well! How about you just watch me?" He winked. "Maybe you'll learn something! Nyeh heh heh! Now! Let's take a look."
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Papyrus circled the pedestals, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Suzy tried to follow what he was looking at. He stopped mid-step and turned to her with bright eyes.
"Oh, right! Why are we solving this? That's probably a good first question. I mean, aside from the satisfaction, of course," he said.
"I dunno, I thought maybe this is the castle?" Suzy said. "And Toriel was the Queen, right? So I thought…"
"Ooh! I see, I see. That is good thinking! I'm not sure if I remember a castle, but my memory is all over the place, and that logic is sound." He turned his attention on the puzzle again. "So did you try this?"
Suzy nodded. "Yeah, the markings stop changing when you touch it but I dunno how to get the right ones."
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"Okay! The very first thing we do, then, is inspect our symbols." He brought a notepad and pen from his phone and began to draw in a hurry. "It seems like each one goes through six ones that are the same, see?" He showed her his immaculate sketches: a blank circle, one tilted crescent each facing opposite ways, a leaf, a star, and another circle he'd filled in. "But, did you notice anything else?"
Suzy squinted at the changing patterns. She wasn't sure, but the middle one, closest to her, looked as though it had a seventh symbol: a sun with a spiral in it. "Uh. This one has a special one?"
"Yes!" Papyrus said, grinning. "Each one has one unique symbol! So. A logical attempt might be…" He beckoned to Suzy.
"Uh. Try…? Try the weird ones."
The skeleton stuck his thumb up. "Very good guess! Now, I suspect it might actually be misdirection, but let's give it a shot."
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He pressed each symbol to get a lineup of a downwards-facing crescent, a triangle, the spiral sun, a bitten leaf, and a dog's face. The symbols flickered. They began to shift again as if nothing had changed. Suzy drooped.
"Crap…"
"Don't worry! It's not as if big giant spikes are going to drop on us if we get it wrong," he said.
Cautiously, Suzy looked up, just to be sure. "Man, don't say that, what if they do now?"
Papyrus cackled. He patted her reassuringly on the head. "If they do, I am very quick and I will definitely block them." He winked and he gestured widely to the steps and the door. "Now! Another key element to unlocking a puzzle like this is to look for context clues! For example!" He hopped over to the door and pointed up at the symbols. "What do you think?"
Suzy squinted up at the door through her mop of hair. "But… we don't have any wings."
"That… is true." He rubbed his chin. "Or do we?"
"We don't, though."
Papyrus lifted the kid up under her arms to give her an overview. "Or dooooo we?" He gently pressed the filled circle button right at the centre. "Take a look. Maybe squint a tiny bit."
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Suzy couldn't keep the confusion from clouding her face, but she did as he suggested. Even from above, she wasn't sure of what to do. She looked up at Papyrus. "Can I get one more hint?"
"One single more!" he said. He twirled a finger over the button left of centre and poked it right on the crescent facing away from the circle. "Does that help?"
Suzy squinted. It did kind of look like part of a wing like that, didn't it? She reached out and quickly pressed on the opposite moon. There were two stars on the door, so she figured maybe those were the last ones. She reached out and Papyrus moved her to each one. When both stars were in place, the markings flashed green. All pedestals but the centre one sunk back into the ground.
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Suzy looked up at Papyrus for approval with a sheepish grin, only to find him beaming. He squeezed her into a hug. She hadn't expected that but it felt pretty nice.
"You've made me a very proud Papyrus once again," he said. He pressed the spiral sun on the remaining pedestal. It flashed green again and, this time the doors opened with a groan and the grinding of stone.
"H-Hey, we did it!" Suzy said shrilly.
"We did! Nyeh heh heh!" Papyrus's soul glowed golden and warm. "Excellent job, my assistant! Now let's…" He paused and his face fell into an incredulous scowl.
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The small white dog stood before them between the splitting doors, tongue out, tail wagging.
"Don't tell me you got this open on your own and then locked us out?!" Papyrus squawked.
The dog yipped brightly and spun in place. Papyrus rolled his eyes.
"You are too mysterious for your own good, it's no wonder you get along with my brother."
"Do you guys know each other?" Suzy asked.
The dog barked.
"It was a general you, as in you dogs," Papyrus explained. "Especially small white fluffy ones like this that break into our house at least once a month and steal my attack bones." He carried Suzy over the threshold and past the dog.
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Inside was a wide, polished stone chamber in white, accented with dim violet and gold. It was framed on either side by large, curving staircases, and lit by only small, flickering white flames in sparse sconces. Right ahead, on the edge of an empty stone planter was a pile of parchment. The dog bounded over to them and rummaged through them.
"I can walk," Suzy said.
Papyrus quickly plunked the kid onto the floor. If she were honest, though, his warm soul was reassuring in this strange place. She looked around cautiously. It smelled like cold dirt. Papyrus paced the floor, peeking around into every shadow.
"Mom?" he called. "HelllooOOO?! MOM?! IT'S YOUR TALL AND COOL SON PAPYRUS! I'M LOOKING FOR YOU AND SANS, ARE EITHER OF YOU HERE?!" He cupped a hand around his ear hole to listen, but there was no reply but the echo of his own voice. "Hmm… I'll check upstairs. Wait here."
"Um. Sure," Suzy said as the skeleton was already halfway up the nearest flight of steps.
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As Papyrus vanished beyond the banisters, Suzy looked around nervously. It was kind of spooky here. The dog was still digging in parchment. She joined him as he flung the notes around and she fumblingly grabbed one out of the air. It was a handwritten brochure of parks in the area, signed at the bottom with King Asgore's name and a small drawing of a flower. Perking up, the kid grabbed another one as the dog stopped digging and rolled into the dirt of the empty planter. It began to dig there instead. Suzy gave the second flyer a look. This one was of taverns that were undoubtedly not there anymore.
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The little crocodaur quickly sorted through the other pieces of parchment. Many were repeats, but in the middle she found exactly what she hoped to find: a map. It was even nice enough to include a big blotch of green ink marking the exact building they were in. It also had a flower in the legend and a note that read:
If neither the King or Queen are here, please feel free to visit at our home!
The flower mark on the map itself was a beyond the main cavern, but definitely walkable. Suzy grinned. She turned and opened her mouth to call for Papyrus, only to find the dog right in her face. It booped its cold nose against her snout and dropped something into her hand. A chocolate bar. Suzy stared at it and then at the hole it came out of. She had no idea what to make of that, and so shoved it into her pocket and patted the dog approvingly on the head.
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"Papyrus?!" she shouted.
"Nyeeeees?" he called back from what sounded like very far away.
"Me and the dog found a map!"
"WHAT?!"
Somewhere up there, there was a crash and the clatter of bones, and the faintest sound of a scale on a xylophone. Then, Papyrus's boots clunked above her and he sailed over the banister to land on the floor nearby. He turned to her, nursing his spine for a moment, and then dropped to one knee and held out his hand. She passed it over, and the skeleton's eyes lit up the second he read it.
"Suuuuzyyyy!" He beamed. "Puzzles may not be your thing, but you are certainly a great finder of things! I'm very proud of you."
"Oh!" Her snout flushed faintly and her soul sped a beat. "R-Really?"
"Of course!"
"So, um, can we get outta this weird place?"
"Yes, we definitely can! And as long as time has not become a mess and moved things around here, too, this is a solid lead!" He hopped to his feet and beckoned to the dog as well. "We're well on our way!"
"Do you think we could, um, take a small break?" Suzy asked quietly. "I kinda had to walk a while on my own and stuff."
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Papyrus froze in his tracks. His brow furrowed with a sympathetic frown. "Of course. You are doing us— especially me— a massive favour." He looked around quickly and then gestured to the outside. "How about we sit and you can have a whole container of spaghetti all for yourself!"
Suzy blinked. The mysterious pasghetti.
"That's food?" she asked
"Of course it's food! GASP!" Papyrus gasped. "Have you never even heard of…?! It's one of the nutritious and delicious dishes in the whole underground, if I do say so myself! Very good for you. You'll love it, I'm sure!"
Suzy wasn't sure. But, she was pretty hungry, now that she thought about it. And she definitely wasn't about to turn down free food. "Y-Yeah, okay."
Papyrus beamed and stuck his thumb up. His eyes shimmered and his bones seemed to glitter. "You're about to experience the cooking of master chef Papyrus for the first time! I'm almost envious!"
xXxXx
It was so dark. Cold. There was that song again. Like a soft whirlwind, passing in and out of San's skull; wrapping his soul in a starlight cocoon. Why couldn't he remember the notes when he could hear it so clearly?
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That lake of darkness washed over him again. Did he really have to stay here? Did he have a choice? He was so used to gold or red coming to fetch him. Now, he just sank farther and farther, crushed to nothing under endless shadow. Useless.
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Then, a different song. One Sans knew very well. Violet flickered softly in the dark. His bones were stiff and sore, but around him was soft and warm. He opened one eye a crack but couldn't see except the magic that swirled in it.
"Ah… You are awake, are you not?" Toriel's voice was quiet and calm.
Sans had rarely felt such relief; it practically oozed out of his soul. "You're oka—?"
"Shhh. Shh. Rest," she said. "Your skull is fractured. As is your shoulder. I just need a little more time. You will be alright."
He winced. He must've hit the ground pretty hard. He stuck one thumb up and settled in. Toriel chuckled quietly.
"What a strange little thing you are," she said softly. "Well. Thank you for being patient."
"Thanks for lettin' me be your patient," he said.
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Toriel snorted and snickered. He could hear her stifle a louder laugh under her hand and then she cleared her throat. Her big paw moved from its place on his shoulder to carefully hold his chin. Her magic seeped through where her fingers touched. He could feel the ridge of a missing chuck under her palm.
"Shh," she said again. "Stay still. This will not take much longer."
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Sans let himself go slack and flecks of light green joined the purple in his head. He closed his blinded eye and tried to piece together what happened. He supposed it was good that he could still teleport even if it fit snugly into the top five worst ideas he'd ever had. Papyrus was probably worried sick. He raised a hand and pressed it to his forehead. He was such an idiot.
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"Are you in pain, little one?" Toriel asked.
"Nah," he said quietly.
"Good. The hole is nearly closed now. Patience."
He almost laughed. He wished he had more time for that than he did. Sure was nice to think about, though.
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Sans blinked. Felt like it'd only been a moment, but when he opened his eye, he could see clearly again. It was the first time in days he'd seen anything without some small fragment of broken time. He breathed a sigh of relief, and Toriel leaned over to fill his field of view.
"Welcome back," she said. "I was worried you had fainted for a moment."
"Nah." He sat up slowly, his back stiff. His eyes shifted past her to take in the dimly lit, warm-toned bedroom that was clearly meant for a child. His sister's memories instantly recognized this place— she'd spent a lot of time here. "Dozed off."
"That is preferable," she said. "You had me very concerned, young man." She shook her head. "I can't even recall the last time I saw a skeleton in a state like that. You're lucky I happened upon you."
"Sure am," he agreed. "'Preciate it."
"If you do not mind. That is, if you're feeling well enough, I have some questions," she said. "The first of which is, how did you get through the doors? They were closed when I found you. And they are sealed as well."
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He knew the second she'd finished talking— with a deep, cold sinking feeling in his bones— that this wasn't the Toriel he'd hoped to find. His eyes darkened. The heartache struck his soul with force and his voice snagged before he could answer. The huge monster tilted her head slightly.
"Ah. I apologize, my child, I am not accusing you of anything," she said. "It just… shouldn't be possible that you were there."
"Got it," he said, lowering his voice with a quiet cough to try to hide the crack in it. "I, uh… Teleport. Kinda sick now so I shouldn't or I get all smashed up, apparently. Guess I ended up in the Ruins, huh?"
"Yes, you did. So my seal did not falter." She sighed with relief, but her expression crinkled and she hesitated. Her shoulders drooped. "Ah. I suppose I have given myself away, have I not? Do you know who I am?"
"Yeah," he said. "It's, uh… It's good to see you— that you're okay. We didn't know."
She smiled sideways. "That may have been a good thing. But, I appreciate the sentiment. I am so sorry about your injuries. And relieved you are feeling better. That is a phenomenal power, though, little one. I have never heard of a monster able to do such a thing."
"Yeah, I'm uh, pretty Sans-sational," he joked weakly.
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Toriel stared at him with a bemused smile. Swing and a miss.
"You, uh… don't remember me, huh?" he said.
Toriel merely looked back at him, cracking a puzzled, apologetic smile. "Little one, I am not sure what you mean. Unless you are much older than you look."
He shrugged. "S'okay. Sorry. That was weird."
"That is alright," she said. "You have been through quite a time. Just rest a while longer." She stood up from the bed. "I will get you some cocoa. Please don't move." She slipped out of the room and closed the door quietly.
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Sans sighed and leaned back against the pillows, putting a hand to his brow. His red scar stung faintly. His soul ached but at least whatever had shifted her around hadn't placed her in front of an undone time's blade. If he had to just be satisfied she was alive, he'd take it. It wasn't the first time they'd lost months worth of their relationship to incoherent timelines. Still, it set a darker cloud than usual roiling in his mind.
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He checked his pockets before recalling that his phone was missing. He wondered if Toriel had one he could borrow. He also wondered what year it was for her, or if she was sent sideways or not. Actually, what about him? He checked down the front of his shirt and along his arms, and then patted his skull over for any marks. He didn't feel anything out of place.
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He carefully peeled back the blankets and swung his legs out of bed, but the second he tried to stand, he was in a heap on the carpet. He laughed at himself and rolled over onto his back, folding his arms behind his head.
"Welp. That's about right," he said. He took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. "Ah, shit."
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Even if he could have stood, guilt was the weight of an anvil on his chest. The more he tried to settle, the farther into the deep it sunk him.
.
Toriel returned shortly, but froze in her tracks upon seeing him spread out on the floor. She hurriedly put down the mug she carried and dropped down to lift him.
"Oh dear, what happened?" she asked.
"Eh, legs ain't cooperatin'," he said with a shrug. He lifted a foot and pointed at it. "Fallanges not so great either."
Toriel snickered despite the worry weighing on her brow. "I am glad you are in good humerus despite it, little one. Though I did suggest moving might not be for the best."
He grinned. "Yeah, wasn't my brightest moment."
.
She placed him back on the bed and passed over the mug of steamy cocoa.
"Thanks," he said. He gave it a sip; it warmed his bones. "S'good."
She nodded. "I'm glad." She tilted her head, her ears flopping over her shoulders. "Little one, may I ask you another question? A strange one, perhaps?"
"Shoot," he said.
"Something about you is… familiar to me," she said.
Sans kept his hope subdued. "Oh yeah?"
"You… Ah. This might be nonsense. But. You would not happen to be related to skeleton named Gaster, would you?"
Despite the mild strike of disappointment, Sans nodded. "Yup. That's my dad."
"Wh…?!" Toriel's eyes went as wide and bright as the moon and she leaned forward, holding his face in one massive, soft paw. "You are his son?! He has a son?!"
"Two, and a daughter," Sans said.
"Oh my god," she said under her breath. A bright smile spread upon her snout. "I almost cannot believe…! I am very glad to hear that, my child!" She smiled fondly. "We were old friends, your father and I. Before…" She stopped herself and her eyes took on a sad sheen. She patted his shoulder gently. "Ah, never mind the ramblings of an old woman, dear. Drink up. You will feel better."
.
Sans hesitated, but he took another swig. "Hm. Nice to meet an old friend, though. He talked about you a lot."
"Oh? I… I am sure I did not leave a very good impression when I abdicated," she said quietly.
"He understood. It, uh, has been a while though. Few hundred years, probably," he ventured.
She nodded and frowned thoughtfully, counting silently on the fingers of one hand. "I suppose it has… perhaps been four hundred and something? Goodness, do the years blur after a while."
Sans nodded. That was a good measure. But, he knew she'd been in that cavern longer than that when he'd met her. This Toriel was displaced by over a hundred years. He hid a grimace behind the mug.
.
Toriel got to her feet and brushed out her robe. "I will let you rest," she said. "We can speak more on this later. I will prepare something to eat. Oh. Do you you prefer butterscotch, or cinnamon?"
"Uh. Either, but you don't need to go to the trouble," he said. "I should get goin' soon. Hey. You should come with me."
The woman froze. "What?"
"I'm sure my dad'd love to see you," Sans said.
"I…" She winced. "I cannot." She hurried to the door. "We will speak later. Rest, child." She left quietly but a wobble in her hand had her shut the door a little too hard this time.
.
Sans frowned thoughtfully. This was a lot more complicated than he'd hoped. He chugged the rest of the cocoa and then tested his feet on the floor again. Much better.
.
He gave the room a once-over. He figured there might be something here that was incongruous with Toriel's current mindset. Maybe a way to help jog her memory. He stalled in front of a drawing of a golden flower posted up on the wall. Somehow, it felt a little morbid.
.
Next, the skeleton peeked in the chest of drawers. There was a small, wooden box marked with the Delta Rune inside the topmost compartment. His soul sped a beat. He could've sworn he'd seen one like that before. He cautiously pulled it out and flipped the lid up. He was rewarded with the tinking of a music box's gentle tune. The second the song made him dizzy, he knew it had to be the one they'd been missing. Asriel's hum. He grinned despite himself.
.
He carefully placed the music box on top of the dresser and began to search through the drawers for something to write with. Nothing useful was in there, though, so he gave the whole room another pass. He rummaged through a box of old toys near the foot of the bed. A box of crayons beneath the butt of a plush dinosaur was the best he was going to find. He grabbed the red and, listening closely and carefully, wrote each note on the bones of his forearm, just in case.
.
That was one thing taken care of. Now for Toriel. He wasn't sure how to help her, or even if he could. Was it even fair to try? Maybe she was better off without all this stress in the short term, until the kids came back. Sans frowned at himself. That was a stupid idea, he thought. She'd be pissed to know he'd even humoured it for a second. He apologized to her in his head. But this whole thing was his mess. He hated all these people getting caught up in it.
.
As he closed the music box, some of the fog lifted from his memory. He still couldn't focus on Asriel's face, but he felt the cadence of his voice coming in clearer. He was sure those pale eyes were green-tinted. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Something, at last.
.
Sans put the crayons back and left the music box where it was for now before heading out into the rest of the house. He scuffed his heels on a plush, golden carpet and wandered down the hall of the home that mirrored Asgore's until he came upon the dining room.
.
Toriel was at the table, fingers knitted, glaring down at the wood. Her soul was bothered and bristling— Sans could hear a fragment of it from across the room.
"Hey, uh, you okay?" he asked.
Toriel jolted up and out of her seat, her surprise palpable, but she quickly put on a smile. "Oh! Little one, you're up! I'm glad to see it. How are your legs?"
"Better. Thanks," he said. "You okay?"
"Do not concern yourself with me," she said hurriedly.
Sans raised his brows and shot her a sideways smile. "You sound like my dad."
"…Pff. Still like that, is he? Of course he is." Toriel sighed. "I…" She shook her head. "It is alright. Come. Sit if you like."
He joined her at the table. "Think I gotta head out soon," he said. "My brother'll worry. You wanna come?"
"Ah. I… My child, I cannot," she said.
"Wish you would," he said.
She shook her head again. Her brow was heavy with worry and she opened her mouth as if to speak but then reconsidered and sighed softly instead.
.
"You got a question 'bout the outside?" he asked. "It's been a while."
"That is a good guess. I suppose…" She drooped. "Maybe this is foolish. But… You wouldn't happen to have any news of a human out there, would you?"
"A human?" he repeated curiously. "…Uh. Kinda need a little more than that."
"I… I do not expect she is still alive, but… There was a girl," she said. "Young. Early teens, I believe. Or, she was when she left. Clever little thing. Loved making notes about everything she saw here." Her expression lightened in her reminiscence. "Her eyes were a lovely hazel colour and she had brown skin and dark hair— she wore it tied back, much of the time. And she wore rather thick spectacles. You haven't happened to see anyone like that, have you?"
"You cared a lot about this kid, huh?" Sans said.
Toriel nodded. "Fool that I was, she convinced me to let her leave the Ruins," she said quietly. "She wished so badly to study magic. More than what one could find here. She made me a promise to stay safe and… And she never returned."
.
Sans tapped his teeth thoughtfully. "…You don't mean Minerva, do you?"
"You know her?" Toriel asked sharply. "How?"
"…Welp. She did her research," Sans said. "She, uh… Far as we know, spent years bunkered down in Waterfall. Wrote a lotta books. Until—"
"Asgore," Toriel said bitterly.
"Nah," Sans said, catching the woman's attention fully. "My dad knew 'er. Said she had some human sickness that lingered a long time. Couldn't travel much. Whatever made her sick eventually got 'er. Sorry to tell you like this. She gave her soul to, uh, Gerson, I think."
.
Toriel's eyes went wide with shock. "So she… survived that long, and…" She put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, that brave girl. I cannot believe she…" She shook her head. "No, of course she would not…" She wilted under Sans's questioning gaze. "She made a promise to never reveal I was here. That did not mean she could not return, but I… I suppose she… felt that was best." She sighed heavily.
"Hey, uh. Sorry if this is too much," Sans said hesitantly. "I know you gotta have your reasons, but, you never came outta here, right?"
"No," she said softly. "It… It is not something I am… No. I could not."
"And the door back's sealed," he said.
"Yes," she said.
"Agoraphobia?" he asked.
"Hah. Not exactly," she said. "If I am honest, it is… The feeling of being among everyone is almost unbearable." She sat down again and gripped her hands together tightly. "Do you… know why I left?"
"Yeah," he said. "Sorry."
"When I came here, it was sorrow and betrayal. After a little human boy came and went, and Asgore took his soul… My rage was such that I lived in a flaming house for over a decade. I feared that… I still fear that if I stray outside, I may not be able to resist confronting him. I worry that I may try to destroy him. Imagine such an abomination of a monster, to attack another with that intent. To even consider it…" She shook her head. "It is disgusting."
.
Sans hadn't expected that. "Well, uh… Damn." He slumped his cheek onto his fist. "That's heavy."
"It is a despicable thought, is it not?" she said quietly.
"Listen, Tori, you feel how you feel," he said. "…It'll get better, though. For sure."
She cracked a tepid smile. "You are very much like your father, you know that?"
"Oh yeah?" A tiny ping of a headache crept into his cranium.
She chuckled wryly. "I cannot believe I told you all that. I don't think I have ever uttered that to a soul." She shook her head. "I suppose you have always brought that out of me, haven't you, Sans?"
Sans's brows shot up. "What?"
"Hm?" She looked confused. "Is something the matter?"
"You, uh…?" His soul sped a beat. "What'd you just call me?"
"…Sans? That's right, is it not? I didn't mishear, did I?"
He smiled sideways. "Funny. About bringin' stuff outta you. Thought we just met."
"Pardon? Did I say that? I could have sworn…" She cupped her chin. "Wait a moment, didn't we…?"
.
A small fraction of Sans's vision fragmented into the wrong colours, but he couldn't help but grin.
"Think that's progress," he said.
"Sorry, hun, I am not sure I follow," she said.
Sans forced himself to his feet and faced her. "Look, uh. Dunno how to say this. But I, uh… Things are kinda screwed up right now. You already did a ton for me, but I, uh, need your help one more time. Think you could gimme a hand?"
"How so?" Toriel asked.
He held his hand out and blue glimmered between his fingers and up their tips. He had no clue if this would even do anything, but if something was coming back on its own, maybe he had a shot. "Lemme just touch your head. Sorry that sounds dumb. I'll explain in a sec."
"I am sorry, little one, I still do not understand." Even so, she lowered her head a little. "But, if you feel somehow this will help you, feel free."
.
Sans's eye lit with blue. He rubbed his fingers together and the magic shone brighter and he gently touched them to her temples. Instantly, his vision shifted to nonsense and static. He blinked hard and concentrated everything he had into Toriel. He was a mess. His soul ached. He'd tried blue to no effect a few days ago, on the path climbing up to the plateau from Asgore's, but maybe that was enough of a link in and of itself.
.
The glitter of his own magic shimmered in his eyes and the scar on his hand stung. He could see again but he felt cold ooze seeping down his face from his sockets. He scrunched his eyes shut and focused, carefully pressing his forehead against hers. His hum sped up with the smallest trill of anxiety.
"C'mon, mom…" he muttered under his breath.
.
She went slack for a moment, but then jerked back. Sans blinked at her, grimacing, ready to apologize. Her violet eyes flickered over him with surprise. She leaned forward and cupped his face, wiping his jet black tears with her thumb.
"Sans, what on earth…?"
.
He couldn't believe it. He began to smile in earnest, the blue in his eye flaring brighter. She pulled him into her arms and he grabbed her with a desperation he couldn't hide.
"What happened?" she asked. "Why on earth are we in my empty old house?!"
"…Time tried stealin' you," he said quietly.
She snorted and snuggled him. "This force is foolish if it thinks I'm letting you do this alone." She cracked a smile. "…It's nice to hear you call me mom, honey."
He coughed out a laugh. "Nice to have one."
She squeezed him so hard something in his back popped. She snorted and he laughed harder.
.
When he finally regained himself, he pulled back to look Toriel in the face. The blue in his eye flickered out to darkness. "I'm sorry about… everything."
"It is not your fault," she said.
"It is. It's a hundred percent my fault. This whole thing is." He sighed. "And you, uh… Probably won't remember this. After it's done."
"I will," she said.
He shrugged weakly.
"I will." Her violet eyes were glimmering. "I promise you."
He wouldn't hold her to it, but he appreciated the gesture.
.
She tutted gently and wiped his face again. "You don't need to cry, Sans."
"Hm?" He brushed his fingers under his eyes and caught the black ooze on his fingertips before it vanished. He laughed. "Oh. Let me know if it stops, huh? Otherwise, uh, guess I'll just look like a dramatic mess for a bit." Sure was a good thing this gunk didn't stain, he thought.
"Is it…? The same thing that was leaking from your father?"
"Think so," he said.
"Bizarre." She patted the top of his skull. "What happened here, exactly? Was I gone for long?"
"I dunno. Since sometime this morning," he said. "We noticed you were missin' and so I tried teleportin' to get you since the Ruins were sealed again, but that went pretty bad."
"…Right! Yes, your skull and shoulder were damaged," she said. "It's a little foggy. You are alright now?"
"You took care of it," he assured her.
"And we… We talked. About the human, Minerva, am I right?"
He nodded. She rubbed a hand through the fur between her horns.
"I'm so sorry, Sans, that must've all been so alarming."
"Eh. Not for too long," he said with a wink. "Huge crisis in a small time frame. Not too bad. You're alright, though, yeah?"
"I feel… Well. A little annoyed," she admitted. "I did not want to let you down like that."
"Let me down?" He grinned sideways. "Never."
.
She sighed. She wiped his face with her thumb again and then lifted him only to plunk him comfortably in her armchair near the hearth. "This is not your fault."
"Sure is," he said.
"Stop. It does you no good at all to think like that," she said. "If you lose hope, we will lose you all the sooner."
Sans shrugged. "Won't matter," he said.
"Of course it does." She seized his shoulders. "Why would you say something like that?"
"I'm too weak on a normal day to help with most of this stuff," he said reluctantly. "Now, like this, I'm… a problem."
"That is not true and you do not need to help to matter," She frowned at him steadily. "Sans. I love you. We all love you. Please understand that. Even if you feel like you are not helping— which you certainly are, by the way— your family loves you. We want you around." She smiled and gently smooched his brow. "Even when you're oozing mysterious shadow liquid."
"Well that's good, 'cause I kinda can't stop," he said with a tired laugh. He rubbed his skull. "Phew, that was an amount of real intense heartache I super didn't need. Glad it worked out."
.
Toriel smiled sympathetically. "I know. I am sorry that happened." She reached to her robe as if for a pocket, then frowned. She peeked down her collar and then inside her sleeve. "Ah. I'm sorry, hun, it seems my phone has been misplaced."
"Same," he said.
"Well…" She frowned thoughtfully and rubbed her chin. "How about…? Ah. Let's take a little rest. And I will finish making that pie. We can give some to Papyrus as an apology for undoubtedly worrying him. And you. Sit. Or take a nap. Whatever you do, do not leave on your own."
He put his hands up. "Alright, alright, I'll just ooze on your furniture."
"Perfect."
.
Toriel returned to the kitchen. Sans got up stiffly and checked himself over for any other instances of void goo. Seemed like the rest of him was fine.
"Feel free to make use of the house! Or the beds, if you would prefer to nap!" Toriel called.
"Sure. Uh. Hey. You got a music box in the bedroom, can I take it?" he said. "Think it has your Asriel's hum."
"My WHAT?!" She stuck her head back out of the kitchen. "Wait, you're certain?!"
"Yup." He tapped the side of his skull. "Think you might have it remembered as a lullaby, 'cause I'm pretty sure you hummed it for me when I was havin' that breakdown."
.
Toriel frowned to herself. She folded her arms, closed her eyes, and began to hum a soft melody. It was the right one. She looked at Sans questioningly. He stuck his thumb up.
"Asriel…" she said quietly. "Somehow I… feel better, knowing that."
"Same."
She smiled. "Good." She vanished back into the kitchen. "Sorry to ask, hun, but would you mind checking my room as well for anything important?"
"Got it."
.
Sans went back to the bedroom and grabbed the music box. There wasn't much more in there that looked useful, but he decided to grab that plush dinosaur, too. If he remembered right, Asriel was pretty fond of stuff like that, even if it'd mostly live in the closet. He put it on the table in the dining area before heading back down the hall to Toriel's room.
.
Most of her clothes were here again, as if she'd never moved out. Sans sighed. He was pretty sure all the unusual patches on them were just his eyes malfunctioning again. He lethargically packed her things and a journal into a chest and, with the help of some wobbly blue magic, shoved them out into the hall.
.
The final room's door was shut tight.
"Hey, uh, what about this?" he called. "The locked one?"
"Oh! Don't bother with that one for now, it's just storage," she replied. "I doubt we'll need any of that before the children return."
"Kay." He stretched tiredly and reflexively wiped some of the shadowy ooze that was still dripping down his face.
.
There was a large mirror on the wall to the right of the locked door. Curiosity piqued, Sans took a look and instantly began to laugh. The streams of darkness running down his face from his currently lightless eye sockets looked like something out of a horror movie. He wiped under his left eye again and it make no difference whatsoever.
"What?" Toriel called.
"I look like I'm 'bout ready to start talkin' backwards and spider walk down some stairs," he said.
"Ooh, hush, it's not that bad," she said, chuckling.
.
Sans snorted. Seeing this, though, he had the sinking feeling that he wasn't going to make it too much longer. Another day or so maybe? He hoped he could last at least until Gaster was back in action. He took a deep breath. It would be fine. Papyrus wouldn't give up. Neither would Gaster.
.
Colours flickered deep in the mirror, catching his eye with a vision of Asgore from what must've been hundreds of years ago. He looked younger— his mane not as full and his shoulders not quite as wide. Sans stepped back. Another face appeared in the glass. A gaunt child in a warm, long-sleeved green tunic. Pale skin dotted with freckles, big, honey-coloured eyes and reddish brown hair chopped to the shoulders. She looked nervous.
.
Sans felt a chill. It was as if she was standing right beside him. Could that be Chara? The real one? His sister's memories said it very likely was. The ghostly form she'd seen before Chara's ghost had gone to rest bore a striking resemblance to this child, despite being older and having shining, crimson eyes.
"…So you're our little troublemaker," he said quietly. He tilted his head and carefully touched the glass. "Heh. Wish I couldda told ya to chill out. Probably wouldn't have helped though, huh?"
She was a cute kid, surrounded by the love of a kind family. Such a shame about the stuff that rattled around in that head of hers.
.
The kid carefully straightened her hair and mimed little horns on her head with her fingers, and then turned around to look over her shoulder as the huge white paw of the King gently pat her on the back. The sound of the past was lost, but she looked to be asking Asgore a question by the look of nervous concern on her face. The two of them vanished as the fragments shifted and Sans was left with only himself staring back in the mirror, looking like an oozing nightmare.
.
The skeleton trudged back over to the air chair near the hearth and slumped tiredly. "Hey, Tori, sorry if I space out again. If you find me on the floor just, uh, don't trip."
"Do not worry. Just rest," she said. "Did you find anything of interest?"
"Nah," he said. His soul tingled with sunshiny warmth out of nowhere. He quickly sat up and got to his feet. "Hey, uh, we might have—"
A heavy knock on the door cut his words. He grinned.
"Are you alright to get that?" Toriel asked.
"Sure am."
.
Sans answered the front door and was immediately crushed into a hug from Papyrus. Their souls synced and he grinned and clung tight.
"Oh my god, you had me worried sick!" Papyrus said shrilly.
"I figured. Sorry," he said. "Tori's okay, though."
The tall skeleton heaved out a deep sigh. He pulled back and Sans caught a glimpse of Suzy, smiling awkwardly at his side. She raised her hand to wave. He snickered.
"Hey, kid, had an adventure?" he asked.
"Yeaah, I had to go through that big spooky city and I got jumped and we had to do some old puzzle," she said. "Your eyes are all weird again, huh?"
Sans shrugged. "What can I say, been spendin' too much time in Waterfall."
"You don't sound very upset," Papyrus said, carefully wiping his brother's face.
"I'm not, I'm just leakin'." Sans waved the two of them in. "Hey, uh. Wait. How'd you guys get in?"
.
Papyrus stuck a finger up and was about to answer when Toriel joined them with a big smile.
"Aah! Mom! There you are!" he said. He threw his arms around her and she chuckled and lifted him off the ground. He cackled and squeezed her tightly. "What the heck happened?!"
"Time shift, unfortunately," she said. "I am alright now." Her eyes rested on Suzy. "Oh! Little one!" She let Papyrus down and knelt to get closer to the kid's height. "Welcome! It is nice to see you again. Did I hear that right, you came all the way through the old city to find us?"
"Y-Yes, Miss Toriel," she said a little stiffly, her scales flushing.
"That was very brave of you. How would you two like some pie? It's almost done, if we ignore chilling time."
Suzy perked right up. "I-I'd love some," she said.
"Perfect," Toriel said. She straightened up and smiled at the skeletons. "Let's discuss this in a moment." She froze. "Papyrus, what's that on your arm?"
"Oh! Now that is a long and silly story I can tell you," he said. "It involves archery and Mettaton and giant billboards of me looking very cool."
.
The massive pie was soon served, gooey and hot, and a bit runny from being unset, but delicious all the same. It was very sweet and caramelized, with just a hint of warming cinnamon. Suzy wolfed it like she hadn't eaten in a week, even though she had definitely— and with gusto— eaten a whole plastic tub of spaghetti not too long ago. Papyrus, gleeful at the acquisition of cellphone reception, quickly called Undyne to tell her everything was okay. Then, he regaled everyone at the table with the chaos that had occurred on their end, and Sans explained Toriel's odd displacement from what he had seen.
.
Besides snatching Toriel's memories back, Sans also had the good news of the music box. When he let it play for them, Papyrus's eyes beamed. He was positive he recognized it. He recorded it on his phone, just in case.
.
Once they were done with the delicious pie, they gathered Toriel's things and the leftovers, and headed back towards Snowdin through the basement. Toriel pushed the huge stone doors open as easily as if they were made of paper. Undyne and Alphys were waiting out in the snow with the small, white dog.
.
Upon seeing them, Alphys wheezed, clapping her hands to her snout before rushing to Sans and smacking a hand onto either side of his face. "O-Oh my god, what's wrong?! A-Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he assured her.
"Kinda looks like nightmare stuff, though," Undyne said, leaning over and squinting.
"I know," he said with a laugh.
"He's been like that for a while now, I'm afraid," Toriel said.
.
Undyne and Alphys both stalled and stared at the huge monster with wide eyes. The little lizard's jaw dropped open and she babbled something incoherently. Undyne quickly stood at attention and thumped her fist over her soul spot.
"Your Highness! I, uh… I'm glad to see you're alright!" she said.
Toriel tilted her head. "No need for formalities, hun, we've… Oh." She frowned sympathetically. "You've lost your memories as well. Both of you?"
"Uhhh…" Undyne grinned bashfully and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah. Sorry 'bout that!"
"S-S-Sorry!" Alphys squeaked in puzzled agreement, bowing quickly.
Toriel's ears drooped a little, but she put on a smile and dipped politely in return. "Do not worry, young ones. I'm sure we'll have this all sorted out soon. For now, just know, I care very dearly for both of you."
"Oh, th-that's super nice," the lizard said under her breath.
"I'm hoping it comes back," Undyne said quickly. "My mind keeps kinda shifting around so it might."
"This is really freaky," Suzy muttered.
"Sorry, kid," Sans said.
.
"Well. For now, I'd suggest the main thing is, we stick with each other as much as we can," Toriel said. "Perhaps there's… a way for us to keep track of some of this? I'm not sure. I've been writing large changes in my diary. I suppose this'll be quite the long entry, hm?"
"And add one for Suz over there," Sans said, jerking his thumb at the kid. "New Home moved and she can't find her house."
"Oh! Poor thing!" Toriel said, hurriedly scooping the kid up from the ground. "You may stay with us for the time being, if you wish."
"We are way ahead of you, mom," Papyrus said brightly.
.
Alphys stuck up her hand tentatively. "U-Um! Sorry t-to, um… I have a few big projects o-ongoing, but I think it wouldn't be too hard to just write up a check-in app f-for everyone?" She blushed. "I… I know I'm… o-one of the least involved. When things shift around, I don't n-notice a thing, but…" Her eyes flitted over to Sans. "I know th-this is really important. I want to help."
"So. What, just, give your phone a tap to say you're still keyed in every morning or something?" Undyne said.
"A-And… And maybe another if you notice a shift," Alphys said, nodding. "Would that, um, help very much?"
"Couldn't hurt," Sans said.
"We are very grateful, Doctor Alphys," Toriel said. "Now, how about we all go home and finish up this pie?"
"Could we actually go to the lab to finish this pie?" Papyrus asked. "If we can put Asriel's hum in with the rest of those notes, I think that's a big chunk of work done!"
"To the boat, then," Toriel agreed.
.
As they headed on their way, Sans paused to watch the dog for a moment as it lingered. It hiccuped strangely. Then, it dry heaved and spit out a phone before summersaulting away into the trees.
"Gross." Sans grimaced and knelt down to check the device.
It was Toriel's and it was, mercifully, dry. He picked it up with just his fingertips anyway. When he straightened up, Undyne was still there. She glared at him. He pointed after the dog. She sighed heavily and bonked him on the head.
"You're such trash," she grumbled.
"I know."
"I legit thought I was gonna have to comb your dust outta a carpet," she growled. "Don't you dare die, I'll freakin' kill you, I swear."
"Heh. Sorry," he said.
"Good. You should be. How many days you got?"
He shrugged. "It's been five."
"Shit. Keep it together, okay?!" She sighed and cracked a tired smile. "Pie?"
"Pie," he agreed.
xXxXx
The lab was a mess when the group got there. It looked like it'd been hit with a hurricane. Even Alphys noticed this. Thankfully, none of her work was gone or altered. She set it all to backup and send to computers outside the lab, too, just in case, before she got to work. They also ate pie and stashed some in the fridge for everyone at Asgore's, for when they had time to share it.
.
Sans lazed in a cushy desk chair, eyes still leaking, as everyone bustled around him. Toriel cleared up what mess she could and Undyne super slammed the useless stuff into the trash. Meanwhile, Papyrus transcribed the song from the music box for Alphys to use. Suzy didn't know what to do with herself. She sat on the desk the tall skeleton was working at and snacked on the rest of her chalk.
.
When she was ready, Alphys brought up the program that contained the melody of the red line. Asriel's notes were simple to add to the gaps. She checked and double-checked, and then nodded to herself.
"G-Guys? I think I got it? Do you want to hear?" she called from her work station upstairs.
"Yes absolutely!" Papyrus said.
Alphys cranked up the volume on her desktop and told it to play. The notes that played were digital an uncomplicated, but carried a melody that was somehow familiar and nostalgic. The room came to a halt. Some warmth of magic seeped into the air and expressed in motes of gentle red, like the embers of flame. With a confused frown, Suzy cupped one of them in her hands. Her strange soul surged with light.
.
As the second melody entwined with the first, the magic in the air joined it like the whisper of a hum.
"It's lovely," Toriel said softly. She put a hand to her chest. "Hah… It makes my soul flutter."
Alphys squeaked when her soul flickered, too. Undyne's did in tandem, and Papyrus's stuttered with an orange glow. He held his hand over it and looked at Sans worriedly.
.
Sans sat up; payed rapt attention. Slowly, the dribble of void black stopped and the light returned to his eyes, but when the left glimmered, it was flickering with purple. "That's it."
"I've… Whew! I-I've never felt something like this," Alphys said. "But I feel l-like I have?"
"It's…" Undyne closed her eye, ears lifting, and she nodded to herself. "It's like that in my head, too."
"You found it first back then, Cap," Sans said.
"Damn, I did?!"
"I can't wait for dad to know," Papyrus said with a grin. "He's going to be so happy. Excellent work, everybody! Even Sans!"
"Thanks, dude," Sans said with a laugh.
.
The second the mysterious melody ended, black goo spurted out of the short skeleton's eyes like twin geysers and dizziness rocked his mind. Suzy shrieked. He stumbled out of his seat by accident and clunked onto the floor.
"Oh for god's sake," he said. He laughed and rolled onto his back, where the goo bubbled up and flowed down his cheeks and onto the floor before vanishing. He was instantly subdued by intense vertigo. "Okay. Wasn't expectin' that."
"NyeeeEEEEH, SANS!" Papyrus raced to him and dropped to his knees, pulling off his gloves, and put a hand on his brother's forehead and chest, healing him as best he could. "You are ridiculous, you know that?!"
"Tell me about it."
"I will! How is it your head even holds this much liquid!?"
"Literally no idea, bro."
.
"Sans, are you alright?" Toriel asked, leaning down over them.
"Think so," he said.
"Can you get up?"
"Don't think so."
"…Sh-Should I be taking a sample of that?" Alphys asked quietly.
"It just disappears, I'm afraid," Toriel said. "A similar thing is happening to Gaster. But… from his hand instead of… Oh my, Sans can you even see through that this time?"
"Nope," he said.
She sighed heavily. "Oh, my poor boy."
"Did we try just holdin' him upside down?" Undyne asked.
"We could try!" Papyrus said.
"Could we not?" Sans said. "Feel like I'm gonna pass out."
"Well, if you pass out, can I?"
"Sure, why not?" Sans said with a laugh.
.
"M-Maybe you guys should go home for now," Alphys said. "Get some rest. I c-can handle this stuff from here."
"I think that's a good idea," Papyrus said. "But! You should come over later. I was in a movie, apparently, and Mettaton sent me a copy, so I was hoping we could all watch it tonight."
"O-Oh! Um. Okay! That sounds g-good!" she said. "Wait, you were in a movie?!"
"Apparently! Captain, would you like to come, too?" He grinned. "I think a break for everyone might be nice after all the time shenanigans today."
"Uh. Sure. Just gonna go home and get a little work done before tappin' out today, though," she said, focusing on Suzy. "Gonna check in on the investigation for ya, alright?"
"Thanks," the kid said. Her gaze shifted to Papyrus for a split second. "I, um… I don't… really mind if it takes a bit."
Undyne stuck her thumb up. "Gotcha."
.
"O-Oh, and Sans?" Alphys said.
He turned his head to face her and more goo shot out of his eye sockets. "Sup?"
She winced. "A-Aaahhh… Um. Oh! Right. Just so you know, I'm a-almost done fixing your machine, t-too, so—"
"Fixin' what machine?" he asked.
"Um. Your, uh, time machine?" She started to sweat when he just stared blankly in her direction. "W-Well, I noticed when you came out of it, some components near the door were fizzling s-so I took them o-out to s-solder them back up and m-make sure the wires were okay. I left a post-it in there!"
"Oh. Huh. Sorry, must've missed that," he said. "Thanks, though." He winked, though it didn't stem much of the flow. "Darn, I was plannin' on takin' it for a spin."
"I know you're joking, but absolutely do not spin anything," Papyrus said.
"Head's the only thing spinnin'," Sans assured him with a grin.
xXxXx
As was to be expected, Sans fainted on the way home, but when he woke up in the boat, he'd completely stopped oozing and, thankfully, could see again. It wasn't until they got to the house that the time fragments returned to his vision. The front door was still embedded in the kitchen, so Toriel crafted a new one out of magic: simple and stone-like, and fairly heavy. Inside the house, the couch was now apple red. It was still just as comfy as usual, though. Toriel rolled her eyes and made another note.
.
Sans and Suzy lazed as Toriel and Papyrus set up the short skeleton's old room to accommodate the kid. For the first time in days, Sans tried to read a little to take his mind off things, but that did nothing but remind him of his sister. He smiled sardonically at himself. It was pretty pathetic, wasn't it? He put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.
.
The purple kid was quiet, but didn't seem particularly bothered. When she thought Sans had dozed off, she scooted over to his side and curled up, holding her tail. He tapped his foot in the air so as not to startle her.
"Doin' okay?" he asked.
"…Yeah, I guess so," she said.
"It's confusin', huh?"
"So freaking confusing," she agreed.
"…Sorry."
"Thanks. I, um… I was glad to help, though," she said. "Felt kinda good to be, um, useful."
Sans opened one eye. "Once this is over, you're gonna feel a lot better," he said. "And the more time goes, the more you're gonna feel like you belong."
"Dunno 'bout that," she grumbled.
.
Sans blinked himself more awake and sat up. The crocodaur looked troubled.
"I… I guess I just don't get it. Why I feel like this so suddenly," she said. "And why… I dunno." Her snout flushed. "It's lame."
"Lame's okay," Sans said.
She snorted. "I… did a puzzle with your brother, right? He said he was proud of me." She grasped her hands together. "I dunno if anyone's ever been proud of me before."
.
The skeleton kept his expression steady, but his heart broke for the little nerd. It would be too much to just tell her she hadn't existed for ten years. How was she supposed to deal with something like that without some serious therapy? If anyone was fit to break that news to her, it'd be Gaster, but he was still napping off that massive spell.
.
"This weird stuff, it's 'cause of that black in my soul, right?" she said quietly. "All of this? Even… Even Papyrus's laser thing busting the seal 'cause of me. Right?"
"That last bit, probably," Sans said.
"Can I get it out?"
"I… kinda doubt it," Sans said apologetically. "But I think it may be more useful than you think." He grinned. "Either way. When she's home, I'll introduce you to my sister. She's an expert at makin' people feel better about their weird souls. S'got a weird one herself, actually."
"Really?" Suzy asked shrilly.
"Oh yeah, the weirdest." Sans winked. "Well. Maybe a close contest with the Prince. You can meet him, too."
"I'd kinda like that," she said quietly.
.
She huddled up snugly under Papyrus's jacket, which she still wore like a robe, and she yawned widely, her huge, sharp teeth flashing. With a little blue, Sans shifted a cushion around and gently moved the kid so she could rest comfortably against it. He stretched and leaned against the arm of the couch and dozed off himself.
.
His slumber didn't last long, though. His phone rang urgently from its place back in his pocket. When he answered, he could hear weird cracking noises and water blurbling
"Hey, uh…" Undyne said awkwardly. "You got room for one more? Like, to stay?"
"Sure. Why?"
"Wellllll… Uhhh…" She turned on the video-call mode.
The entire screen was engulfed in flame. Undyne's fish-shaped house was getting roasted.
"I think I burned down my house?! Maybe?!"
"Ah." Sans rubbed his brow. "Yeah. Come over."
"Thanks, dude." She hung up.
.
Sans sighed. He clutched the phone tight in his hands. His scar warmed up gently, like it was trying to console him. It didn't help much. They needed their anchor back before the whole world flipped over.