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';"Afterstory- Reunited/span/u/em/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMonsterkind was free. Our dreams had finally come true. And it was all thanks to Lark's kindness to us./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"The human world fell into chaos upon the integration of a new race. Initially, we feared another war would break out. But once they realized a mere child had led us from the mountain, unharmed, mankind reluctantly gave us monsters a chance to speak. They respected our leaders' request to discuss peacefully, and after three weeks of tense exchanges, we were tentatively welcomed into the land of sunshine./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"True, not all the humans were happy to have us around. Our people were frequently the subject of dirty frowns, curses, and harsh political debates. But thankfully, altercations were rare. Instead of squabbling, we set out to prove our worth by pursuing a quiet, peaceable life./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough our collective pocket-change was minimal, the exchange rate of golden coins to surface money was fair. It was just enough to give us a fresh start in this unfamiliar world. Toriel, Asgore, the newly restored Asriel, Papyrus, Lark, and I worked together to get a house to all share, as did many other groups of monsters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"At times, things felt rather cramped—borderline claustrophobic—but we were all happy. We were together, and that was all that mattered. Lark would return to school in the spring. The Dreemurs worked to arrange peace between our governments. And Paps and I, well… we wouldn't change much. Life would come at its own pace, and that was okay./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhile the others settled into their regular routines, I worked to hide the precarity of my own. I had to protect Lark, almost constantly. It seemed I really was her guardian angel. The kid was downright emcursed/em. If it weren't for my foresight, she would have promptly perished. Why did my universe work so hard to orchestrate the destruction of this gentle child?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Within the two mere months since the barrier broke, I'd saved Lark from being struck by a speeding car 64 times, caught her as a heavy, overhead tree branch suddenly snapped 37 times, snatched her from shady lurkers 18 times, and whisked her up off the ground from unnaturally aggressive, venomous snakes, deadly spiders, and angry hounds 49 times./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Leaving out the isolated incidents, the disasters still totaled a whopping 168 brushes with death. If I included the random, freak accidents, the grand total was actually around em300/em. But I tried not to keep count. The events themselves brought me enough anxiety. I didn't need to quantify it into an exact number./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanEventually, we planned to have a picnic atop Mt. Ebott. It was safe, now. The cave entrance had been sealed off and the trails had been marked. It would be surreal to climb the mountain we'd all been stuck under for so many years. Torrential rains throughout the awaited week threatened to postpone our outing. But miraculously, the morning dawned bright and clear. A mere handful of fluffy, golden clouds dotted the sky, and we decided to stick to our plans./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Undyne had been up all night studying for the entrance exams to join the police force. She'd passed, and celebrated by sleeping in. Grillby wouldn't leave the diner till after the morning rush, and Alphys was busy shadowing at a robotics lab until lunch. Since the Dreemur family had to attend a conference until noon, that left Papyrus, Lark, and me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Initially, I'd been hesitant to leave without the others. Later, I was indescribably grateful that we had./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"hey—!" I playfully swatted Lark's hand aside as it slipped into the picnic basket swaying on my arm. "i saw that." She glanced between me and the phone in my hands with a puzzled frown./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"you weren't looking!" she protested./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"oh, but i was," I insisted with a serious nod. "don't you know adults have eyes in the back of their heads?" She giggled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"no they don't!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""you sure?" She nodded vigorously. I chuckled and dug in my pockets. "alright. i felt the basket tip," I confessed, holding out a gummi worm packet. "better luck next time, kiddo." She received the snack with a triumphant grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"can i go play?" she requested./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I glanced around the clearing. The edge of the cliff was marked off with ropes. There were only a couple boulders and logs lying about, and everything was covered in a thick layer of moss and wildflowers. Staying focused on the trails up to the peak had been challenging for Lark. She had to pass up many snails and flowers to obediently stay by my side. She deserved a chance to explore without me hovering over her shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""sure," I relented. "just stay in sight and away from the edge, alright?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"She nodded enthusiastically, then ran off. Smiling, I watched her go. After snapping a picture of the correct trail marker and sending it to the group chat, I pocketed my phone and wandered over to Papyrus./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"He stood on a hefty, mossy boulder by the tree line. His hand shielded the sun from his wide eyes as he surveyed the amazing view, murmuring to himself in awestruck wonder. Leaving the picnic basket on a lower rock, I boosted myself up, sat beside my brother, and gazed out over the horizon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I couldn't help but recall similar sights from the cliffs of BirdTale. The surprise outing was one of my fondest memories. I could still envision the stunning sunrise over the endless sea of rustling leaves, with Ink and Dream beside me. I'd flown with the flock. Raven. My friends. A lifetime, no, galaxies away. I wondered futilely for the millionth time how they were, if they were safe and happy. I wondered if they missed me, too./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""… SANS?" I glanced up, pulling my absent smile back up properly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""sorry, paps. i spaced out. what did you say?" Papyrus watched me thoughtfully for a moment. Then he pointed excitedly at the horizon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THOSE GOLDEN CLOUDS LOOK QUITE CLOSE. IF THEY BLOW THIS WAY, MAYBE WE COULD TOUCH THEM. IMAGINE IT! HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?" He plopped down beside me. "WHAT WOULD CLOUDS FEEL LIKE?" he mused. "I HEAR THEY'RE MADE OF TINY RAINDROPS, SO I GUESS THEY'D FEEL ALL WET?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah, but they're only a bit damp," I observed, recalling the magical memories again. "they're kinda chilly, too, even on hot days—sometimes they're cold enough to freeze into little pockets of snowflakes!" I quickly remembered my senses. "i mean, that's what i've read, at least. can't compare to actually emtouching/em one, i'll bet."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus nodded enthusiastically. Whatever response he had in mind was forgotten, though, as Lark rushed over to us. She stood on tiptoe, entrusted Papyrus with a handful of dandelions and daisies, then promptly scampered off in search of more. A smile spread across Pap's face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I'M REALLY GLAD LARK CAME TO THE UNDERGROUND," he declared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah," I agreed, smiling. "me too." I wasn't sure my brother even heard me, considering how focused he seemed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""EVERYONE'S HAPPY," he observed thoughtfully. "QUEEN TORIEL AND KING ASGORE HAVE RECONCILED. THEY'RE ELATED TO HAVE PRINCE ASRIEL BACK—MIRACULOUS! AND UNDYNE'S BECOME A POLICEWOMAN. ALPHYS IS MUCH HAPPIER MAKING ROBOTS THAN BEING THE ROYAL SCIENTIST, AND HAS AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF THOSE BIG-EYED JAPANESE CARTOONS AT HER FINGERTIPS."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""anime," I interjected, chuckling. Papyrus still didn't pay me any mind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""METTATON'S ALREADY A STAR AMONG THE HUMANS. MUFFET AND GRILLBY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND FUKU'S HAPPY, TOO. LARK IS HERE, AND IS SAFE AND HAPPY. I'M HAPPY." Done listing his observations, he looked at me and asked— "SO, WHY AREN'T YOU?" I balked, completely caught off guard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what're you talking about?" I asked, dumbfounded. "of course i'm happy!" Papyrus frowned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YOU'RE A LITTLE HAPPY. BUT, NOT em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"REALLY/em HAPPY. WHAT'S WRONG?" I merely stammered, mentally scrambling to come up with a distraction or a convincing lie. I forced a carefree grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""come on, paps, you gotta be emribbing/em—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""AND DON'T TRY TO DISTRACT ME WITH SOME HALF-BAKED EXCUSE OR A SILLY PUN!" Papyrus interjected. "I KNOW YOU'VE SACRIFICED A LOT SO I CAN BE HAPPY. AND I CARE ABOUT YOU! SO, I WANT TO SEE YOU HAPPY, AS WELL. JUST TELL ME WHAT'S BOTHERING YOU, SANS. PLEASE."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI stifled down a sigh. I didn't have a good response. Papyrus was right. I wasn't happy. How could I be? I'd managed to fool myself for months, to convince myself this was how things were always supposed to be… but I couldn't buy the lie, anymore. I was two people—Sans and Serif—and I knew I could never be whole. So how could I possibly be perfectly happy?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i guess…" I began slowly. "well, for starters, you're right," I confessed, sighing defeatedly. "i guess i'm not very happy. i'm sorry. it seems selfish to be sad on a glorious day like this, in a life so good it feels like a dream."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I DON'T THINK IT'S SELFISH," Papyrus stated thoughtfully. "KNOWING YOU, I THINK IT JUST MEANS YOU CARE A LOT ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL." I considered this response. It was a forgiving outlook on my tendency to anxiety, and surprisingly, soothed a great deal of it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""thanks, paps," I murmured. He nodded, and I considered my next words. "i don't miss our old life. but, i do miss aspects of it. things used to be simpler, you know? now that my world is bigger, i feel isolated. some old friends of mine haven't reached out in ages, and it's like our worlds have just… drifted apart. i miss them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SURELY THERE ARE WAYS TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR OLD BUDDIES," Papyrus offered. "I KNOW A LOT OF MONSTERS, AND TOGETHER, MAYBE SOMEONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEM!" I gave an absent nod./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""you never even got the chance to meet them, paps. and, it's more than knowing where to look. i think they've moved on. they've got their whole lives ahead, so i guess looking back on old connections doesn't make much sense. don't get me wrong; i'm happy for them! i just miss seeing them, is all."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark ran over and delivered another fistful of flowers. She presented me with one, too, her golden eyes sparkling happily as she handed over her offering. She skipped off to gather more gifts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i worry about lark," I admitted in a whisper. "she's just a kid. she's super brave, but she doesn't have the strength or wit to match. she's practically defenseless. she doesn't even have a proper family to rely on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""WE'RE HER FAMILY," Papyrus pointed out./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""well, yes," I conceded. "but, she should have the chance to live among her own kind, even if she wouldn't choose that path. someday, she'll grow up. she'll wonder about her parents. she'll wonder if she had any siblings, or doting uncles and aunts, cousins and grandparents. she'll wonder if they would have loved her, too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus seemed to take my point, for he nodded slowly, rather pensive. I guessed that he himself felt that very same void, deep down. One lousy, overprotective older brother couldn't compare to having a loving, functional family to grow up with./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""above all, i'm really glad you're happy, papyrus. it's a dream come true. i so badly want to ensure you'll emalways /embe happy, but it's out of my control. i can only do my best, and i know my best won't always be enough to keep you safe." I released a wistful sigh. "so, yeah. you're right, as usual. i'm still figuring out how to be happy."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus turned his attention back to the skyline. I glimpsed the seriousness in his gaze, balanced by a repressed, triumphant grin. He smiled, thoughtful./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""WELL, I SUPPOSE—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"Lark," /emforesight whispered. em"Hurry."/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"In a blink, I saw the danger that awaited her. With a jolt of dizzying horror, I yelled for Papyrus to stay back and sprang forward./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark was at the crest of the outcropping, reaching for a buttercup. I teleported bursts, calling out for her to run. She looked up, startled—and her golden eyes filled with fear as the entire ledge beneath her suddenly shifted… cracked… and crumbled. With a terrified cry, Lark was lost over the edge./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I dove after her. Papyrus's distant shouts were drowned out by the crashing of stone chunks and Lark's cries. A stone narrowly missed her head. I wasn't close enough. The ground was coming too fast. Her hairbow was ripped away by the wind. I reached out for her. She was seconds away from being dashed to pieces—I grabbed her hand—the next impact brought blackness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Oblivion. Then, eventually—/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';""sans… sans… sans…"/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';" All I knew was a horrid, dull ache, all over. "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"sans. sans, sans…" /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Tap, tap-tap./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes a slit. Lark knelt atop me, frantically patting my cheeks and tearfully whispering my name over and over. Upon seeing I was alive, she burst into sobs of relief and threw her arms around my neck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm okay," I murmured, hoping it was true. "s'alright, lark." Distantly, I noticed the crackling ruckus as Papyrus raced down the overgrown path towards us. My eyes flinched shut again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe fog began to clear from my spinning head. Just before we hit the ground, I'd grabbed Lark and wrapped my wings and a shield around us. The vague, throbbing pain must be from bouncing around inside the protection bubble, which thankfully didn't do any damage to my HP. Too late, the full implication sank in. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wings. /emI sat bolt upright, narrowly catching Lark from toppling, but it was too late. Papyrus rounded the corner./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""emSANS! LARK!" /emhe called tearfully, racing to meet Lark as she flew into his arms. "OH, THANK HEAVENS, YOU'RE—!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"He noticed the ruffled wings as I frantically tried to pull them in. There was a dumbfounded silence./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""S-SANS? WHAT ARE emTHOSE?/em" Even if I'd had an excuse ready, I didn't get the chance to offer it up. "I HEARD YOU CRASH ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE! HOW DID YOU SURVIVE? HOW DID YOU KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO FALL? SANS, WHAT—!? WHAT IS GOING ON?!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I buried my grimace in a hand as my chin dropped to my chest. Perhaps I could have fabricated a story for the wings on the spot. I'd been toying with attempts to reveal them to Papyrus for months, and I had a few promising monologues prepared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"But this wasn't just about a new, bizarre magical ability. Papyrus had seen it all. He had far too many questions that I couldn't avoid. Sighing, I stood, cringing. I had no choice. There was no explanation but the truth./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""it's a really long story," I said slowly, solemn. Papyrus merely blinked back in shock. "i'll cut the details for now and just give you some answers. but you're, ah, gonna wanna sit down for this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Shaken from the scare, and surprised by my even, serious tone, Papyrus didn't question me. He sat. Lark still clung to him, wrapped up in a comforting hug; she watched me, too. I tried to figure out where to start./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""remember that nightmare?" I began. "months back, it had you stressed out for ages. the one where i was gone for so long and no one remembered me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THE ONE WHERE YOU DIED?" Papyrus asked concernedly. I nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah, that's the one. well, it wasn't a dream. i didn't really kick the dust-bucket then, but we've both actually kicked it before, and, there are other dimensions than the one we live in." Papyrus's eyelights had gone out. I waved my hands, hoping to calm him. "don't worry, that's the worst of it! it's not all as insane as it sounds."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Remembering the existential crisis I'd experienced after learning these earth-shattering revelations, I did my best to trim the details. Papyrus couldn't absorb it all at once, and some events weren't fit for Lark's ears. So, I did my best to summarize my months of adventures in a matter of minutes. It felt woefully insufficient./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""... foresight: warnings and glimpses of what might happen. that's how i keep her safe. and i already explained the wings and the shield, so i guess… i guess that's it," I finished tensely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Stunned, Papyrus watched me with huge, unblinking eyes. His expression was frozen between a look of distress, amazement, and a touch of skepticism. I didn't blame him. All things considered, he was taking this baffling news outstandingly well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark sat beside him, worriedly glancing between us. She clearly didn't grasp the implications of all that I'd said, but was evidently aware of Papyrus's distress. She laid a hand on his knee comfortingly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS, IF… IF THIS IS ONE OF YOUR J-JOKES," Papyrus stammered shakily. "IT'S NOT VERY FUNNY." I sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i know it sounds too crazy to be true, but it's emreal/em, papyrus." He blinked for the first time in eight minutes. "look, i understand if you don't—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"There was a flash of light between us. An elated cry of "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Serif!" /emrang out, and I was tackled to the ground so hard that my untied sneaker went flying. Crushing pressure squeezed around my shoulders like a python. Waking from my daze, I shook away the stars circling my head, and found—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"blueberry?!" /emI balked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Mweh!" Blue exclaimed, still smothering me in a hug. "It's so good to see you, Serif!" Without even letting go, Blue picked me up, still squeezing suffocatingly hard. "Oh, I've missed you so much." emwe knew each other for like, 20 minutes, /emmy uselessly numb mind observed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""okay, blue," I wheezed, bones threatening to snap. "you can let go now…!" He released me. Before I could even catch my breath, another flash of light announced a new visitor, and I was promptly pulled into yet another fierce embrace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""What took you so long? We've been worried sick!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""dream?" I gasped, tears welling. He held me at arm's length and tried to force out a stern scowl. He quickly gave up whatever chide he had prepared and pulled me in again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Oh, I can't be cross with you, my dear," he confessed, his warm smile evident even in his voice. "I've missed you terribly."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what are you talking about?" I balked, returning his embrace. I was so overwhelmed, I felt like I might cry. "where have you guys been?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Then, a few paces beyond Dream, Ink dropped in. He glanced around frantically and saw me. With a joyful gasp of recognition and widening eyes—he suddenly stifled a lurching sob as bright tears welled and slipped down his face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Serif!" he lamented between sniffles, pointlessly trying to rub his eyes clear as he stumbled over. "I/spant's been emforever…!" /emDream, who had turned to witness this dramatic meltdown, gave an empathetic sigh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Ink, just—" He grabbed his tear-blinded friend by the arm as he tripped. "Oh, good grief."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"As soon as Ink found his footing, I was immediately locked in a desperate embrace with an inconsolable Artist sobbing into my jacket. Twisting my trapped arms, I only managed to lamely pat his back in an attempt to comfort him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""guys," I whispered, dangerously close to joining Ink in tears. "you came back…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Of course we did!" Blueberry affirmed happily. "We're your friends. We promised we'd visit, remember?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""but, it's been months! there was no contact. the portal pendant wasn't glowing. i thought… i thought you were gone forever." Dream planted his fists on his hips and frowned; it was an unusually stern expression coming from someone so gentle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Don't be daft," he scolded, in the most endearing way possible. "We didn't abandon you. We've been waiting for you to open the world all this time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""and, uh… how was i supposed to do that, exactly?" I prompted. Dream's scowl softened, and he sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I thought I'd explained it clearly. But, perhaps it was too advanced of a concept." Seeing my blank stare, he concluded this was the case. "Simply, a harmonious world will always prioritize the unity of its character pairs. When you learned of the Multiverse—and failed to inform your brother of such a monumental discovery—the world locked itself down to protect your family from mind-altering events. Does that compute, Serif?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"My clueless expression twisted. Now that Dream mentioned it, I did vaguely recall him telling me of the phenomenon. He'd taught me about it when we'd visited HavenTale with the infected Artist. It hadn't sunk in then, though, so I'd forgotten. I felt idiotic for not working it out sooner./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""… oh," I murmured weakly, feeling incredibly foolish. Ink, who had stopped crying and pulled away from the embrace, glanced over and smirked mischievously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hah," he chuckled, observing my expression. "Bet you feel pretty stupid now, huh?" He received a light emsmack/em upside the head from Dream and laughter from Blue./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""UM… S-SANS?" Papyrus whispered, then shrieked when we all turned. "WHY ARE THERE emFOUR/em OF YOUem? /emTHEY'RE ALL REAL! WHAT IS GOING ON?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""paps, it's alright," I assured, promptly taking a step forward. "they're not 'me,' exactly." He stammered, speechless./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THEN, WHO…?" I smiled warmly, glancing back at the Star Sanses./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""they're the friends i told you about," I explained simply with a sigh of peace. Blue lit up, excited./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""How thoughtless of me," he declared, marching over and going up on tiptoe to give Papyrus a hug. "I'm Blueberry. You must be Serif's brother. It's wonderful to meet you!" Paps handled it surprisingly well. He numbly returned the affection. "Oh, hello tiny human!" Blue exclaimed, noticing Lark, who was hiding behind Paps. "What's your name?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""her name is lark," I answered when she didn't reply. "she's a bit shy." Ink noticed Lark's ribbon on the ground nearby and picked it up. After glancing between it and her, he walked over./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hi, Lark," he greeted. "Is this hairclip yours?" She hesitantly nodded. Ink grinned. "It's super cool. Did you make it?" he asked as he offered the accessory back to her. She took it, nodding slowly as a smile began to tug at her lips./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""She's not a typical Frisk, is she?" Dream observed, directing the comment at me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""she's not," I affirmed. "there's not a drop of determination in her. just hope." Dream glanced back at her curiously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hope? That's a rare soul quality. She doesn't strike me as such."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what do you mean?" I asked. Dream shifted uneasily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""She has an… unusual energy aura," he observed cryptically. I glanced from Lark back to Dream. What did this powerful empath see? "Can she reset? Do you sense Chara's presence with her?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""no," I answered. "no chara, no reset. she can't even reload using save stars. i'm not the world's angel, apparently. just hers. and honestly? i'm barely up to the task."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""She's a handful?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""like you wouldn't believe," I sighed. "it's not her fault. she's just super disaster prone. why ask?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Well, it is a rare phenomenon. But, perhaps…" Dream turned to me. "May I check her stats?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm not the one to ask," I replied, shrugging. Dream nodded, then stepped over to Lark. She had warmed up to Ink and Blue, enthralled with their colorful magic tricks. Papyrus seemed a bit more relaxed, too./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hello, Lark," Dream greeted, kneeling before her and smiling warmly. "You have a lovely name. Mine's Dream. Would it be alright with you if I pinged your soul?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark seemed somewhat reserved, evidently pensive about this new person and his unusual request. But, looking between me and Dream, and apparently deciding we were friends, she timidly nodded. Dream pinged her and started reading her stats./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""What are you looking for?" Blueberry asked, leaning over curiously. Ink watched, too. Dream scrolled a bit further, then pointed to one of the lines./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""What's 'K.C.'?" Blueberry inquired. Ink's eyes narrowed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""That's unexpected."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""It's not hers," Dream observed, then prompted— "Can you help fix it?" Ink chuckled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Of course." I took a step closer, worried what they were talking about. But Dream waved his hand, assuring me all was well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Thank you, my dear," he said to Lark, releasing her soul. "What's your favorite color, love?" Lark considered this question, then held up two fingers. She then pointed at the blue flower in her hair and the light lavender on her shirt. Dream smiled. "Those are marvelous! They go together quite nicely." He turned to the Artist. "Ink, do you think you could whip up a pendant?" Ink grinned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hey, Lark," he asked, "wanna see something cool?" Lark nodded—as did Blueberry and Papyrus, who were watching with rapt attention./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"After a colorful energy display, Ink held up an iridescent, hollow glass heart on the end of a ribbon. It looked similar to my portal pendant, but was more locket-like in shape and size. After acknowledging the child's delighted gasp, Ink handed it over to Dream./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Enveloping it with another cloud of magic, Dream finally held up the completed product: a silver-rimmed, glimmering, lavender and blue heart necklace. Lark gaped in awe as Dream held it out to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Here," he offered. "It's for you. Are the colors right?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark nodded passionately. She accepted it gratefully, then scrambled over to me. She cupped the gift adoringly and pointed anxiously at the clasp. Soon as I helped her put it on, she scurried back to Dream and held it up for him to see./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Oh, it looks lovely, Lark!" he approved, smiling. "I'm glad you like it. I'll tell you a secret; it isn't just a pretty piece of jewelry. It's a very special pendant. As long as you're wearing it, it will protect you from all sorts of dangers—and give Serif here a bit of a respite."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""really?" I balked hopefully. "how?" Dream stood, grinning at Lark's happy antics as she puffed her chest out to display her new treasure to Papyrus./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""It cancels out a Karmatic Curse," Dream explained. "It's a rare occurrence, but sometimes, genocidal humans maliciously leave behind a trap for the next child. It would have been an easy task for your former hacker. When Lark arrived in the Underground, she was charged with wrongdoings that were not her own. It turned her into a beacon for danger. But, that pendant should help balance things out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was at this moment that Lark returned to our gathering. Pointing from Ink to Blue to Dream, she requested—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""stay." She then pointed at me, back to them. "family." The three Star Sanses smiled like the sun, instantly endeared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Oh, human, you're absolutely precious!" Blueberry exclaimed, swooping her up and spinning her around while Lark giggled gleefully. "I would be emhonored/em to be part of your family!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""We can't stay much longer, today," Ink admitted, also standing. "But we'll be back! And, Serif," he started. "If you've found your place here—don't feel pressured! But, all that separates our worlds is a shattered portal pendant. So remember, no matter where you go, you can always come back!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""sure you wanna say that?" I chuckled, grinning. "you're not gonna be able to get rid of me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I'll take my chances," Ink jested, smiling. A swirling rainbow portal opened a few feet away. "Well then, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Hope,/em" Ink teased, his eyes sparkling happily, "see you on the flip side."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThree farewells later, I was left beneath the glorious, sunny sky. My soul was bursting with hope, standing there between my brother and my kiddo. All I could do was stare at the empty air where my friends disappeared. Somewhere deep down, I'd still hoped I'd get to see them, even just one more time—but I never could have imagined an outcome emthis/em perfect!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""WOWIE! THE OTHER 'SANSES' ARE AMAZING!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah," I agreed. "they really are." Papyrus caught glimpse of my face and beamed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""FINALLY!" I sent him a puzzled glance./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""'finally,' what?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YOU'RE FINALLY HAPPY!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJust like that, I realized he was right. Sans and Serif were reunited, and were finally whole. I was right where I was supposed to be, all along. And I was happy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMonsterkind was free. Our dreams had finally come true. And it was all thanks to Lark's kindness to us./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"The human world fell into chaos upon the integration of a new race. Initially, we feared another war would break out. But once they realized a mere child had led us from the mountain, unharmed, mankind reluctantly gave us monsters a chance to speak. They respected our leaders' request to discuss peacefully, and after three weeks of tense exchanges, we were tentatively welcomed into the land of sunshine./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"True, not all the humans were happy to have us around. Our people were frequently the subject of dirty frowns, curses, and harsh political debates. But thankfully, altercations were rare. Instead of squabbling, we set out to prove our worth by pursuing a quiet, peaceable life./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough our collective pocket-change was minimal, the exchange rate of golden coins to surface money was fair. It was just enough to give us a fresh start in this unfamiliar world. Toriel, Asgore, the newly restored Asriel, Papyrus, Lark, and I worked together to get a house to all share, as did many other groups of monsters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"At times, things felt rather cramped—borderline claustrophobic—but we were all happy. We were together, and that was all that mattered. Lark would return to school in the spring. The Dreemurs worked to arrange peace between our governments. And Paps and I, well… we wouldn't change much. Life would come at its own pace, and that was okay./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhile the others settled into their regular routines, I worked to hide the precarity of my own. I had to protect Lark, almost constantly. It seemed I really was her guardian angel. The kid was downright emcursed/em. If it weren't for my foresight, she would have promptly perished. Why did my universe work so hard to orchestrate the destruction of this gentle child?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Within the two mere months since the barrier broke, I'd saved Lark from being struck by a speeding car 64 times, caught her as a heavy, overhead tree branch suddenly snapped 37 times, snatched her from shady lurkers 18 times, and whisked her up off the ground from unnaturally aggressive, venomous snakes, deadly spiders, and angry hounds 49 times./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Leaving out the isolated incidents, the disasters still totaled a whopping 168 brushes with death. If I included the random, freak accidents, the grand total was actually around em300/em. But I tried not to keep count. The events themselves brought me enough anxiety. I didn't need to quantify it into an exact number./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanEventually, we planned to have a picnic atop Mt. Ebott. It was safe, now. The cave entrance had been sealed off and the trails had been marked. It would be surreal to climb the mountain we'd all been stuck under for so many years. Torrential rains throughout the awaited week threatened to postpone our outing. But miraculously, the morning dawned bright and clear. A mere handful of fluffy, golden clouds dotted the sky, and we decided to stick to our plans./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Undyne had been up all night studying for the entrance exams to join the police force. She'd passed, and celebrated by sleeping in. Grillby wouldn't leave the diner till after the morning rush, and Alphys was busy shadowing at a robotics lab until lunch. Since the Dreemur family had to attend a conference until noon, that left Papyrus, Lark, and me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Initially, I'd been hesitant to leave without the others. Later, I was indescribably grateful that we had./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"hey—!" I playfully swatted Lark's hand aside as it slipped into the picnic basket swaying on my arm. "i saw that." She glanced between me and the phone in my hands with a puzzled frown./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"you weren't looking!" she protested./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"oh, but i was," I insisted with a serious nod. "don't you know adults have eyes in the back of their heads?" She giggled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"no they don't!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""you sure?" She nodded vigorously. I chuckled and dug in my pockets. "alright. i felt the basket tip," I confessed, holding out a gummi worm packet. "better luck next time, kiddo." She received the snack with a triumphant grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"can i go play?" she requested./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I glanced around the clearing. The edge of the cliff was marked off with ropes. There were only a couple boulders and logs lying about, and everything was covered in a thick layer of moss and wildflowers. Staying focused on the trails up to the peak had been challenging for Lark. She had to pass up many snails and flowers to obediently stay by my side. She deserved a chance to explore without me hovering over her shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""sure," I relented. "just stay in sight and away from the edge, alright?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"She nodded enthusiastically, then ran off. Smiling, I watched her go. After snapping a picture of the correct trail marker and sending it to the group chat, I pocketed my phone and wandered over to Papyrus./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"He stood on a hefty, mossy boulder by the tree line. His hand shielded the sun from his wide eyes as he surveyed the amazing view, murmuring to himself in awestruck wonder. Leaving the picnic basket on a lower rock, I boosted myself up, sat beside my brother, and gazed out over the horizon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I couldn't help but recall similar sights from the cliffs of BirdTale. The surprise outing was one of my fondest memories. I could still envision the stunning sunrise over the endless sea of rustling leaves, with Ink and Dream beside me. I'd flown with the flock. Raven. My friends. A lifetime, no, galaxies away. I wondered futilely for the millionth time how they were, if they were safe and happy. I wondered if they missed me, too./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""… SANS?" I glanced up, pulling my absent smile back up properly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""sorry, paps. i spaced out. what did you say?" Papyrus watched me thoughtfully for a moment. Then he pointed excitedly at the horizon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THOSE GOLDEN CLOUDS LOOK QUITE CLOSE. IF THEY BLOW THIS WAY, MAYBE WE COULD TOUCH THEM. IMAGINE IT! HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?" He plopped down beside me. "WHAT WOULD CLOUDS FEEL LIKE?" he mused. "I HEAR THEY'RE MADE OF TINY RAINDROPS, SO I GUESS THEY'D FEEL ALL WET?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah, but they're only a bit damp," I observed, recalling the magical memories again. "they're kinda chilly, too, even on hot days—sometimes they're cold enough to freeze into little pockets of snowflakes!" I quickly remembered my senses. "i mean, that's what i've read, at least. can't compare to actually emtouching/em one, i'll bet."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus nodded enthusiastically. Whatever response he had in mind was forgotten, though, as Lark rushed over to us. She stood on tiptoe, entrusted Papyrus with a handful of dandelions and daisies, then promptly scampered off in search of more. A smile spread across Pap's face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I'M REALLY GLAD LARK CAME TO THE UNDERGROUND," he declared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah," I agreed, smiling. "me too." I wasn't sure my brother even heard me, considering how focused he seemed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""EVERYONE'S HAPPY," he observed thoughtfully. "QUEEN TORIEL AND KING ASGORE HAVE RECONCILED. THEY'RE ELATED TO HAVE PRINCE ASRIEL BACK—MIRACULOUS! AND UNDYNE'S BECOME A POLICEWOMAN. ALPHYS IS MUCH HAPPIER MAKING ROBOTS THAN BEING THE ROYAL SCIENTIST, AND HAS AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF THOSE BIG-EYED JAPANESE CARTOONS AT HER FINGERTIPS."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""anime," I interjected, chuckling. Papyrus still didn't pay me any mind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""METTATON'S ALREADY A STAR AMONG THE HUMANS. MUFFET AND GRILLBY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND FUKU'S HAPPY, TOO. LARK IS HERE, AND IS SAFE AND HAPPY. I'M HAPPY." Done listing his observations, he looked at me and asked— "SO, WHY AREN'T YOU?" I balked, completely caught off guard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what're you talking about?" I asked, dumbfounded. "of course i'm happy!" Papyrus frowned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YOU'RE A LITTLE HAPPY. BUT, NOT em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"REALLY/em HAPPY. WHAT'S WRONG?" I merely stammered, mentally scrambling to come up with a distraction or a convincing lie. I forced a carefree grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""come on, paps, you gotta be emribbing/em—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""AND DON'T TRY TO DISTRACT ME WITH SOME HALF-BAKED EXCUSE OR A SILLY PUN!" Papyrus interjected. "I KNOW YOU'VE SACRIFICED A LOT SO I CAN BE HAPPY. AND I CARE ABOUT YOU! SO, I WANT TO SEE YOU HAPPY, AS WELL. JUST TELL ME WHAT'S BOTHERING YOU, SANS. PLEASE."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI stifled down a sigh. I didn't have a good response. Papyrus was right. I wasn't happy. How could I be? I'd managed to fool myself for months, to convince myself this was how things were always supposed to be… but I couldn't buy the lie, anymore. I was two people—Sans and Serif—and I knew I could never be whole. So how could I possibly be perfectly happy?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i guess…" I began slowly. "well, for starters, you're right," I confessed, sighing defeatedly. "i guess i'm not very happy. i'm sorry. it seems selfish to be sad on a glorious day like this, in a life so good it feels like a dream."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I DON'T THINK IT'S SELFISH," Papyrus stated thoughtfully. "KNOWING YOU, I THINK IT JUST MEANS YOU CARE A LOT ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL." I considered this response. It was a forgiving outlook on my tendency to anxiety, and surprisingly, soothed a great deal of it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""thanks, paps," I murmured. He nodded, and I considered my next words. "i don't miss our old life. but, i do miss aspects of it. things used to be simpler, you know? now that my world is bigger, i feel isolated. some old friends of mine haven't reached out in ages, and it's like our worlds have just… drifted apart. i miss them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SURELY THERE ARE WAYS TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR OLD BUDDIES," Papyrus offered. "I KNOW A LOT OF MONSTERS, AND TOGETHER, MAYBE SOMEONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEM!" I gave an absent nod./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""you never even got the chance to meet them, paps. and, it's more than knowing where to look. i think they've moved on. they've got their whole lives ahead, so i guess looking back on old connections doesn't make much sense. don't get me wrong; i'm happy for them! i just miss seeing them, is all."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark ran over and delivered another fistful of flowers. She presented me with one, too, her golden eyes sparkling happily as she handed over her offering. She skipped off to gather more gifts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i worry about lark," I admitted in a whisper. "she's just a kid. she's super brave, but she doesn't have the strength or wit to match. she's practically defenseless. she doesn't even have a proper family to rely on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""WE'RE HER FAMILY," Papyrus pointed out./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""well, yes," I conceded. "but, she should have the chance to live among her own kind, even if she wouldn't choose that path. someday, she'll grow up. she'll wonder about her parents. she'll wonder if she had any siblings, or doting uncles and aunts, cousins and grandparents. she'll wonder if they would have loved her, too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus seemed to take my point, for he nodded slowly, rather pensive. I guessed that he himself felt that very same void, deep down. One lousy, overprotective older brother couldn't compare to having a loving, functional family to grow up with./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""above all, i'm really glad you're happy, papyrus. it's a dream come true. i so badly want to ensure you'll emalways /embe happy, but it's out of my control. i can only do my best, and i know my best won't always be enough to keep you safe." I released a wistful sigh. "so, yeah. you're right, as usual. i'm still figuring out how to be happy."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Papyrus turned his attention back to the skyline. I glimpsed the seriousness in his gaze, balanced by a repressed, triumphant grin. He smiled, thoughtful./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""WELL, I SUPPOSE—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"Lark," /emforesight whispered. em"Hurry."/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"In a blink, I saw the danger that awaited her. With a jolt of dizzying horror, I yelled for Papyrus to stay back and sprang forward./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark was at the crest of the outcropping, reaching for a buttercup. I teleported bursts, calling out for her to run. She looked up, startled—and her golden eyes filled with fear as the entire ledge beneath her suddenly shifted… cracked… and crumbled. With a terrified cry, Lark was lost over the edge./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I dove after her. Papyrus's distant shouts were drowned out by the crashing of stone chunks and Lark's cries. A stone narrowly missed her head. I wasn't close enough. The ground was coming too fast. Her hairbow was ripped away by the wind. I reached out for her. She was seconds away from being dashed to pieces—I grabbed her hand—the next impact brought blackness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Oblivion. Then, eventually—/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';""sans… sans… sans…"/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';" All I knew was a horrid, dull ache, all over. "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"sans. sans, sans…" /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Tap, tap-tap./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes a slit. Lark knelt atop me, frantically patting my cheeks and tearfully whispering my name over and over. Upon seeing I was alive, she burst into sobs of relief and threw her arms around my neck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm okay," I murmured, hoping it was true. "s'alright, lark." Distantly, I noticed the crackling ruckus as Papyrus raced down the overgrown path towards us. My eyes flinched shut again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe fog began to clear from my spinning head. Just before we hit the ground, I'd grabbed Lark and wrapped my wings and a shield around us. The vague, throbbing pain must be from bouncing around inside the protection bubble, which thankfully didn't do any damage to my HP. Too late, the full implication sank in. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wings. /emI sat bolt upright, narrowly catching Lark from toppling, but it was too late. Papyrus rounded the corner./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""emSANS! LARK!" /emhe called tearfully, racing to meet Lark as she flew into his arms. "OH, THANK HEAVENS, YOU'RE—!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"He noticed the ruffled wings as I frantically tried to pull them in. There was a dumbfounded silence./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""S-SANS? WHAT ARE emTHOSE?/em" Even if I'd had an excuse ready, I didn't get the chance to offer it up. "I HEARD YOU CRASH ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE! HOW DID YOU SURVIVE? HOW DID YOU KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO FALL? SANS, WHAT—!? WHAT IS GOING ON?!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I buried my grimace in a hand as my chin dropped to my chest. Perhaps I could have fabricated a story for the wings on the spot. I'd been toying with attempts to reveal them to Papyrus for months, and I had a few promising monologues prepared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"But this wasn't just about a new, bizarre magical ability. Papyrus had seen it all. He had far too many questions that I couldn't avoid. Sighing, I stood, cringing. I had no choice. There was no explanation but the truth./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""it's a really long story," I said slowly, solemn. Papyrus merely blinked back in shock. "i'll cut the details for now and just give you some answers. but you're, ah, gonna wanna sit down for this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Shaken from the scare, and surprised by my even, serious tone, Papyrus didn't question me. He sat. Lark still clung to him, wrapped up in a comforting hug; she watched me, too. I tried to figure out where to start./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""remember that nightmare?" I began. "months back, it had you stressed out for ages. the one where i was gone for so long and no one remembered me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THE ONE WHERE YOU DIED?" Papyrus asked concernedly. I nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah, that's the one. well, it wasn't a dream. i didn't really kick the dust-bucket then, but we've both actually kicked it before, and, there are other dimensions than the one we live in." Papyrus's eyelights had gone out. I waved my hands, hoping to calm him. "don't worry, that's the worst of it! it's not all as insane as it sounds."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Remembering the existential crisis I'd experienced after learning these earth-shattering revelations, I did my best to trim the details. Papyrus couldn't absorb it all at once, and some events weren't fit for Lark's ears. So, I did my best to summarize my months of adventures in a matter of minutes. It felt woefully insufficient./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""... foresight: warnings and glimpses of what might happen. that's how i keep her safe. and i already explained the wings and the shield, so i guess… i guess that's it," I finished tensely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Stunned, Papyrus watched me with huge, unblinking eyes. His expression was frozen between a look of distress, amazement, and a touch of skepticism. I didn't blame him. All things considered, he was taking this baffling news outstandingly well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark sat beside him, worriedly glancing between us. She clearly didn't grasp the implications of all that I'd said, but was evidently aware of Papyrus's distress. She laid a hand on his knee comfortingly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS, IF… IF THIS IS ONE OF YOUR J-JOKES," Papyrus stammered shakily. "IT'S NOT VERY FUNNY." I sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i know it sounds too crazy to be true, but it's emreal/em, papyrus." He blinked for the first time in eight minutes. "look, i understand if you don't—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"There was a flash of light between us. An elated cry of "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Serif!" /emrang out, and I was tackled to the ground so hard that my untied sneaker went flying. Crushing pressure squeezed around my shoulders like a python. Waking from my daze, I shook away the stars circling my head, and found—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"blueberry?!" /emI balked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Mweh!" Blue exclaimed, still smothering me in a hug. "It's so good to see you, Serif!" Without even letting go, Blue picked me up, still squeezing suffocatingly hard. "Oh, I've missed you so much." emwe knew each other for like, 20 minutes, /emmy uselessly numb mind observed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""okay, blue," I wheezed, bones threatening to snap. "you can let go now…!" He released me. Before I could even catch my breath, another flash of light announced a new visitor, and I was promptly pulled into yet another fierce embrace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""What took you so long? We've been worried sick!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""dream?" I gasped, tears welling. He held me at arm's length and tried to force out a stern scowl. He quickly gave up whatever chide he had prepared and pulled me in again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Oh, I can't be cross with you, my dear," he confessed, his warm smile evident even in his voice. "I've missed you terribly."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what are you talking about?" I balked, returning his embrace. I was so overwhelmed, I felt like I might cry. "where have you guys been?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Then, a few paces beyond Dream, Ink dropped in. He glanced around frantically and saw me. With a joyful gasp of recognition and widening eyes—he suddenly stifled a lurching sob as bright tears welled and slipped down his face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Serif!" he lamented between sniffles, pointlessly trying to rub his eyes clear as he stumbled over. "I/spant's been emforever…!" /emDream, who had turned to witness this dramatic meltdown, gave an empathetic sigh./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Ink, just—" He grabbed his tear-blinded friend by the arm as he tripped. "Oh, good grief."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"As soon as Ink found his footing, I was immediately locked in a desperate embrace with an inconsolable Artist sobbing into my jacket. Twisting my trapped arms, I only managed to lamely pat his back in an attempt to comfort him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""guys," I whispered, dangerously close to joining Ink in tears. "you came back…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Of course we did!" Blueberry affirmed happily. "We're your friends. We promised we'd visit, remember?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""but, it's been months! there was no contact. the portal pendant wasn't glowing. i thought… i thought you were gone forever." Dream planted his fists on his hips and frowned; it was an unusually stern expression coming from someone so gentle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Don't be daft," he scolded, in the most endearing way possible. "We didn't abandon you. We've been waiting for you to open the world all this time."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""and, uh… how was i supposed to do that, exactly?" I prompted. Dream's scowl softened, and he sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I thought I'd explained it clearly. But, perhaps it was too advanced of a concept." Seeing my blank stare, he concluded this was the case. "Simply, a harmonious world will always prioritize the unity of its character pairs. When you learned of the Multiverse—and failed to inform your brother of such a monumental discovery—the world locked itself down to protect your family from mind-altering events. Does that compute, Serif?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"My clueless expression twisted. Now that Dream mentioned it, I did vaguely recall him telling me of the phenomenon. He'd taught me about it when we'd visited HavenTale with the infected Artist. It hadn't sunk in then, though, so I'd forgotten. I felt idiotic for not working it out sooner./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""… oh," I murmured weakly, feeling incredibly foolish. Ink, who had stopped crying and pulled away from the embrace, glanced over and smirked mischievously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hah," he chuckled, observing my expression. "Bet you feel pretty stupid now, huh?" He received a light emsmack/em upside the head from Dream and laughter from Blue./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""UM… S-SANS?" Papyrus whispered, then shrieked when we all turned. "WHY ARE THERE emFOUR/em OF YOUem? /emTHEY'RE ALL REAL! WHAT IS GOING ON?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""paps, it's alright," I assured, promptly taking a step forward. "they're not 'me,' exactly." He stammered, speechless./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""THEN, WHO…?" I smiled warmly, glancing back at the Star Sanses./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""they're the friends i told you about," I explained simply with a sigh of peace. Blue lit up, excited./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""How thoughtless of me," he declared, marching over and going up on tiptoe to give Papyrus a hug. "I'm Blueberry. You must be Serif's brother. It's wonderful to meet you!" Paps handled it surprisingly well. He numbly returned the affection. "Oh, hello tiny human!" Blue exclaimed, noticing Lark, who was hiding behind Paps. "What's your name?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""her name is lark," I answered when she didn't reply. "she's a bit shy." Ink noticed Lark's ribbon on the ground nearby and picked it up. After glancing between it and her, he walked over./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hi, Lark," he greeted. "Is this hairclip yours?" She hesitantly nodded. Ink grinned. "It's super cool. Did you make it?" he asked as he offered the accessory back to her. She took it, nodding slowly as a smile began to tug at her lips./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""She's not a typical Frisk, is she?" Dream observed, directing the comment at me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""she's not," I affirmed. "there's not a drop of determination in her. just hope." Dream glanced back at her curiously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hope? That's a rare soul quality. She doesn't strike me as such."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""what do you mean?" I asked. Dream shifted uneasily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""She has an… unusual energy aura," he observed cryptically. I glanced from Lark back to Dream. What did this powerful empath see? "Can she reset? Do you sense Chara's presence with her?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""no," I answered. "no chara, no reset. she can't even reload using save stars. i'm not the world's angel, apparently. just hers. and honestly? i'm barely up to the task."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""She's a handful?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""like you wouldn't believe," I sighed. "it's not her fault. she's just super disaster prone. why ask?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Well, it is a rare phenomenon. But, perhaps…" Dream turned to me. "May I check her stats?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""i'm not the one to ask," I replied, shrugging. Dream nodded, then stepped over to Lark. She had warmed up to Ink and Blue, enthralled with their colorful magic tricks. Papyrus seemed a bit more relaxed, too./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hello, Lark," Dream greeted, kneeling before her and smiling warmly. "You have a lovely name. Mine's Dream. Would it be alright with you if I pinged your soul?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark seemed somewhat reserved, evidently pensive about this new person and his unusual request. But, looking between me and Dream, and apparently deciding we were friends, she timidly nodded. Dream pinged her and started reading her stats./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""What are you looking for?" Blueberry asked, leaning over curiously. Ink watched, too. Dream scrolled a bit further, then pointed to one of the lines./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""What's 'K.C.'?" Blueberry inquired. Ink's eyes narrowed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""That's unexpected."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""It's not hers," Dream observed, then prompted— "Can you help fix it?" Ink chuckled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Of course." I took a step closer, worried what they were talking about. But Dream waved his hand, assuring me all was well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Thank you, my dear," he said to Lark, releasing her soul. "What's your favorite color, love?" Lark considered this question, then held up two fingers. She then pointed at the blue flower in her hair and the light lavender on her shirt. Dream smiled. "Those are marvelous! They go together quite nicely." He turned to the Artist. "Ink, do you think you could whip up a pendant?" Ink grinned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Hey, Lark," he asked, "wanna see something cool?" Lark nodded—as did Blueberry and Papyrus, who were watching with rapt attention./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"After a colorful energy display, Ink held up an iridescent, hollow glass heart on the end of a ribbon. It looked similar to my portal pendant, but was more locket-like in shape and size. After acknowledging the child's delighted gasp, Ink handed it over to Dream./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Enveloping it with another cloud of magic, Dream finally held up the completed product: a silver-rimmed, glimmering, lavender and blue heart necklace. Lark gaped in awe as Dream held it out to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Here," he offered. "It's for you. Are the colors right?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Lark nodded passionately. She accepted it gratefully, then scrambled over to me. She cupped the gift adoringly and pointed anxiously at the clasp. Soon as I helped her put it on, she scurried back to Dream and held it up for him to see./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Oh, it looks lovely, Lark!" he approved, smiling. "I'm glad you like it. I'll tell you a secret; it isn't just a pretty piece of jewelry. It's a very special pendant. As long as you're wearing it, it will protect you from all sorts of dangers—and give Serif here a bit of a respite."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""really?" I balked hopefully. "how?" Dream stood, grinning at Lark's happy antics as she puffed her chest out to display her new treasure to Papyrus./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""It cancels out a Karmatic Curse," Dream explained. "It's a rare occurrence, but sometimes, genocidal humans maliciously leave behind a trap for the next child. It would have been an easy task for your former hacker. When Lark arrived in the Underground, she was charged with wrongdoings that were not her own. It turned her into a beacon for danger. But, that pendant should help balance things out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was at this moment that Lark returned to our gathering. Pointing from Ink to Blue to Dream, she requested—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""stay." She then pointed at me, back to them. "family." The three Star Sanses smiled like the sun, instantly endeared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""Oh, human, you're absolutely precious!" Blueberry exclaimed, swooping her up and spinning her around while Lark giggled gleefully. "I would be emhonored/em to be part of your family!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""We can't stay much longer, today," Ink admitted, also standing. "But we'll be back! And, Serif," he started. "If you've found your place here—don't feel pressured! But, all that separates our worlds is a shattered portal pendant. So remember, no matter where you go, you can always come back!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""sure you wanna say that?" I chuckled, grinning. "you're not gonna be able to get rid of me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I'll take my chances," Ink jested, smiling. A swirling rainbow portal opened a few feet away. "Well then, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Hope,/em" Ink teased, his eyes sparkling happily, "see you on the flip side."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThree farewells later, I was left beneath the glorious, sunny sky. My soul was bursting with hope, standing there between my brother and my kiddo. All I could do was stare at the empty air where my friends disappeared. Somewhere deep down, I'd still hoped I'd get to see them, even just one more time—but I never could have imagined an outcome emthis/em perfect!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""WOWIE! THE OTHER 'SANSES' ARE AMAZING!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""yeah," I agreed. "they really are." Papyrus caught glimpse of my face and beamed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""FINALLY!" I sent him a puzzled glance./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""'finally,' what?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YOU'RE FINALLY HAPPY!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJust like that, I realized he was right. Sans and Serif were reunited, and were finally whole. I was right where I was supposed to be, all along. And I was happy./span/p
