p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"uspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Chapter 34- Finally Home/span/u/em/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"When I awoke, I found myself back in bed. In em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"my /embed. Under em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"my /emblankets. In em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"my /emroom./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I was home./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"It seemed too good to be true. I simply lay there, soul brimming with joy, every breath almost turning into a laugh. My adventure felt like a fairytale. Surely, it was just a dream! The dull ache at my shoulder blades, however, and the vague shape of the portal pendant under my shirt, assured me that it had been real. I had persevered all the way to the "happily ever after." And now, I was back where I belonged./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"i'm home. it's over. /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Another happy tear traced my smiling cheeks. /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"i'm finally home. i'm actually—! /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"My jubilant grin vanished. I'd heard something. Confused, I listened carefully. Yes, there it was again. A strained, muffled… sob?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Worried, I slipped from beneath the sheets and snagged my jacket. Leaving my slippers beside the bed, I silently padded over to the door. The faint crying warbled from the other side, and I feared I recognized the voice. Deeply concerned, I grabbed the handle and pulled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"There, kneeling on the ground, face buried in shaking hands, weeping bitterly… was Papyrus. Upon hearing the hinges squeak, he looked up. Our gazes met. His eyes were unbelievably shadowed, and overflowing with bright navy tears. I'd never seen him look so bereaved. A moment passed in stupefied shock./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""papyrus?" I breathed, baffled. I took a numb step closer. But as I moved to comfort him, he scrambled back and burst into tears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""S-stay back," he hiccupped, uncharacteristically quiet and apologetic./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what!?" I balked. Papyrus buried his face in his hands./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Every time we touch, I wake up," he whispered mournfully. "I don't want to leave this dream. Please. Don't leave me here alone…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI gaped at him, astounded, until my sight blurred with tears. My soul twisted in aching empathy. How many desolate genocide runs had I wept outside of Pap's empty room, praying the door would open? Praying my brother would come through it to scoop me up, wipe my tears away, and insist I'd merely had a nightmare? Nearly every time I got my wish, I'd wake from the dream, just to go collapse before the door and weep again, uncomforted by my lonely imaginations./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I would have given anything to switch with him. I longed to dust in his place, so that he could live on and be free. I never thought I'd live to see the roles reversed—and certainly not like this!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSlowly, I knelt—sending my brother flinching back—and wrapped my arms around him. Papyrus went rigid. I just held on. After a long pause, he pulled away. Wide-eyed, he searched my gaze in disbelief. Trembling, he hesitantly reached forward and poked me in the face. I chuckled. He gasped and tried again. This time, I caught his hand and held it close./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""this is em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"real," /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I insisted. "/spanwe're span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"home, safe and together. /spani'm not going span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"anywhere/span. and you'll em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"never /embe alone, papyrus; i'm here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""S-Sans…?" Papyrus whispered, voice breaking. His eyes lit with a bright, warm light, and with a heartfelt cry—I was suddenly in a hug so tight my bones threatened to snap. Despite being tucked away, even my wings protested. Papyrus sobbed. "emSANS!/em YOU'RE HERE, REALLY HERE! BROTHER, I'M SO SORRY. IT'S ALL MY FAULT. PLEASE, FORGIVE ME, I'M SO SORRY!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""calm down, paps. everything's alright," I soothed. Papyrus babbled on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THERE WAS A HUMANem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;", /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"SANS, A/spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" HUMAN! /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"BUT IT ATTACKED FOR NO REASON, /spanAND IT STRUCK YOU INSTEAD OF ME—YOU DUSTED IN MY ARMS!" My own were currently pinned at my sides, so I could only lamely pat his back to assure him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm okay," I promised. "it was just a bad dream." Papyrus shook his head frantically./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT WHEN I WOKE UP—BUT I COULDN'T FIND YOU!" he insisted. "I LOOKED emEVERYWHERE,/em BUT YOU WERE GONE. NO ONE REMEMBERED YOU, NOT EVEN UNDYNE! OH, I WAS SO SCARED. AND THEN I REALIZED IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN A DREAM AT ALL, IT WAS emREAL/em—em!/em"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""wait, wait," I interjected, my head swimming. "you remember… emall that?/em"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SO IT WAS REAL!?" Papyrus exclaimed, positively dismayed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""no! i mean, uh… you don't usually remember your nightmares so clearly," I carefully redirected, struggling out of his smothering embrace to smile at him. Brushing the tears from his face, I fought to keep my own unalarmed. "i'm sorry it scared you so bad." Papyrus's expression twisted with confusion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""B-BUT—!" he argued, beginning to panic again. "NO, YOU REALLY DIED! YOU—!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""that's impossible. i'm right here," I pointed out, donning a carefree grin and spreading my arms. "there's no dust, see? i'm fine. it was just a bad dream."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""JUST… A BAD DREAM?" Papyrus murmured distantly, evidently trying to decide whether or not he believed this narrative./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""of course," I encouraged, smiling warmly. Remembering his words from another lifetime, I added— "and you're awake, now, so there's nothing to worry about."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Paps stared at me, deeply thoughtful. I guessed the details were already beginning to get fuzzy, just as they had for me after each reset. He wouldn't let it go, though./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I'M STILL CONFUSED. IT DOESN'T ALL ADD UP," he mumbled, puzzled. I tugged at his hand, urging him to his feet, and guided him towards the stairs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""nightmares rarely make sense. i wouldn't worry 'bout it." Hoping to divert his attention, I prompted— "how about breakfast? i'm hungry. can we have your fantastic spaghetti? that's a great way to start the day."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBreakfast would be a welcome distraction for me, too. I couldn't wrap my head around Papyrus's account. The timeline should have rewritten his memory of me to preserve order. He shouldn't be aware of the gap! Yet, all this time, he'd missed me. He'd been mourning over a brother that didn't exist anymore. If I thought too much about it, I might join him in his tears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I wondered, suspected—no, emhoped/em—that perhaps, this meant he had been freed from the script. Was he no longer controlled? Was that why he was aware of the time gap? Either way, he knew the truth. And I had to convince him otherwise. I needed time to process my options. For now, I didn't want to burden him with something as severe and sober as this. Not yet, at least. Not until I knew he'd be alright./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YES, I DO SUPPOSE IT IS BREAKFAST TIME," Papyrus distantly agreed. "I CAN MAKE SPAGHETTI."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""great!" I replied, continuing past the couch. Usually, I'd flop atop it and try to catch a few more precious minutes of sleep. Instead, I ignored it completely and accompanied Papyrus to the kitchen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"He spent a surprised glance between me and the cushions, and I briefly feared he'd question my anomalous behavior. His smile, however, suggested he was just happy to have the company./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRelieved, I trotted over to the counter. With a hop and a kick against the cabinets, I managed to land atop it despite its height. Typically, Papyrus would scold me for sitting on the counter. Today, though, he didn't spare me a second glance./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Swinging my legs absentmindedly over the edge, I watched him pull together breakfast; occasionally, I handed him ingredients from the cabinet overhead or seasoning packets from the spice box. My gaze followed him everywhere. I could barely conceal my elation. Papyrus was alive. Safe. And we were together again, despite all the impossible odds. It was all I could do to keep from laughing for joy!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Suppressing a sigh, I dropped my chin into my hands. Keeping up this act of normalcy was challenging. I wanted to tell him everything, right now! But Papyrus was clearly shaken. I regretted my impulsive decision to lie to him, but I had to protect him, somehow. Maybe I could tell him the truth gradually, or… explain it away entirely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I'd have to hide the gold magic and portal pendant until I came up with a reasonable excuse for them. I'd have to convince him I'd only brought my stats up recently. I had to be mindful to not mix up Multiverse knowledge with the workings of my own world, and I'd have to figure out a way to introduce my lookalike friends whenever they visited. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I couldn't imagine how to explain the wings, though. My expression fell. Then I frowned. emi better figure out how to explain them, soon. /emI shifted my shoulders, cringing. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"they're being a real pain, today. /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"They hadn't felt this numb since Raven fixed the misalignment. I concluded I must have worn them out in the battle; I'd never flown so hard in my life./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"For now, I'd have to restrict unfurling my feathers to dark nights alone or strolls into the deep, snowy woods./span span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Someday. Someday, I'd figure out how to explain my wings. I couldn't wait to entrust my brother with this delightful secret. Papyrus would emlove/em to experience flying… even if it was only a few feet off the ground. My smile grew./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""IS SOMETHING GOING ON?" That snapped me out of my daydream./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""huh?" Papyrus crossed his arms, absentmindedly tapping the pasta tin in the air as he regarded me expectantly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YOU KEEP GRINNING AND FROWNING, AND SHRUGGING KINDA WEIRD. ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT? YOU'RE NOT FALLING ILL, ARE YOU?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""oh. no, i'm fine. i'm just…" I hesitated, thoughtful./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Usually, I'd simply answer "tired." But, I wasn't tired anymore. I was happier than I'd ever been, with energy to match. Discovering I didn't have a good answer, I gave a soft smile and merely shrugged./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm fine. thanks, paps."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"He was obviously unconvinced. His expression scrunched up suspiciously. Intent on distracting him, I glanced at the simmering pot of pasta. It was nearly done, and thankfully, I was sitting above the utensils tray. Pulling my legs up to clear the drawer beneath me, I tugged the handle and reached for a serving spoon—and received a light smack on my knee./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""ouch—hey!" I protested, throwing my brother a bewildered glance. "what was that for?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""FEET OFF THE COUNTER!" Papyrus ordered, huffing. He then observed— "YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE YOUR SLIPPERS! WHERE ARE THEY?" I frowned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%; tab-stops: 203.55pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""left 'em upstairs."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""GO GRAB THEM, SILLY!" Paps scolded. "IT'S DEAD OF WINTER. YOU'LL CATCH A COLD!" I suppressed a grin. He was starting to sound like his old self, again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""must i?" I whined, sighing dramatically. "they're all the way upstairs. it's so far, and i'm hungry." Papyrus flicked his hands at me, driving me off the counter./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""GO ON, GO! COME BACK WITH SHOES, AND THEN emMAYBE /emI'LL FEED YOU."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanQuietly chuckling, I complied. Once around the corner, I released my enormous grin and happily skipped every other stair on my way up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Slippers retrieved, I glanced at the bookshelf. Gaster's binder was still there. My soul swelled with hope. Coupled with everything I'd learned in the Multiverse, TAMMy's lost circuit board might fix more than a broken timeline machine. It might fix emeverything/em. I could find G.'s soul in the Void and bring him back. We could be a family again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"one miracle at a time, /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I reminded myself, still beaming. But as I turned towards the stairs, another dull ache hit my sore shoulders. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"alright, alright, /emI relented, sighing. I decided to risk unfurling the cramped wings. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"what's wrong with these things today?/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span… Nothing happened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFrowning, I focused on them again. Nothing. Confused, I wriggled from my jacket and tugged down the back of my shirt. The faint glow over my shoulder blades was gone. Even the rifts had disappeared. There was no sign of the wings' existence. Alarmed, I glanced at the back of the jacket in my hands. The magical markings didn't shimmer like they used to. The design was so faded that I could hardly see it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I quickly tried and failed to summon a protection bubble. I pulled the pendant out. Not a glimmer of light could be seen. I felt, deep down, that if I broke it, it would never fix. It would simply shatter, and I'd be left in a puddle of stale paint./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"it's… all gone./em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I was suddenly hit with a profound sense of grief. Though softened by the joy of my homecoming, and the new hope for my future, the loss was akin to a stab in my soul. I feared what might happen when I called Dream's name, or, what might em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not /emhappen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"maybe it's just one way communication, now/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';", I tried to reason, numb. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"maybe they'll still come back!—/embut I feared it was foolish optimism. For whatever reason, all the abilities I'd gained in the Multiverse had disappeared. Like I'd never even been there. I didn't understand. What did it all mean?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI traipsed back downstairs, slower, this time. Snuggling into the old jacket and repeating my stunt on the counter—and getting swatted again—I contented myself to watching my brother, and occasionally stuffed down mouthfuls of hot breakfast spaghetti./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus busied himself with cooking enough pasta to stock a restaurant, though most of it would freeze solid as "bait" in his puzzles. I suddenly envied him. He was unaware of the worlds beyond ours. He had no idea how simplistic our life here really was. He was talented, and in love with a hobby he could distract himself with. I had nothing to keep me from falling back into my swirling thoughts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Had the world reset wrong? Did Ink seal HopeTale to protect it from Error? Had I messed the code up so badly that my return had ruined it? I didn't know. I probably never would. All I could conclude… was that HopeTale had been shut off from the Multiverse./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I couldn't go back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDespite everything, I began to wonder if I even emwould/em go back, if I had the chance. Would I rather live as "Sans" or "Serif"? If I could rewrite my universe's story, would I? Would I wish away the genocidal human and stay here with Papyrus my whole life, never to love and lose all the friends I'd made? To taste and then be torn from such wonders? To have a hand in a greater cause, to be given such a sacred purpose, to fight beside powerful warriors and defend entire universes from evil… only to be dumped back into obscurity?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Or, would I choose to endure it all again, to brave the pain and fear—to save Blueberry, encourage Dream, be there for Ink, just to have them all taken from me? Was it worth it, to love and lose? If I'd known this lonely outcome an hour ago... would I have left with them? Or stayed here?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWas I Sans? Or was I Serif?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""paps?" I eventually said, almost an hour later. Papyrus glanced at me expectantly. The edge of my mouth twitched up. "i'm glad you're my bro." At this, the last bits of shadow fell from Papyrus's expression as he smiled like the sun and exclaimed—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""ME TOO, SANS!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI knew. I was where I belonged. And, yes. It was worth it. It was worth it to love and lose. I wouldn't change a single chapter. Not for anything./span/p