Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hey, if you don't already know, my name is Sans. Sans the skeleton. I used to live in the Underground with my younger brother Papyrus. The Underground wasn't bad of a place, but I've always wondered how it felt to be above ground. Monsters have been stuck down here for more years than even Asgore can count. He lost the number at around 500 or so. Of course, he's far older than that now, FAR older. Asgore wasn't that bad of a guy. In fact, he was known for being overly kind and caring. He was a great king to us all. Life started getting dull down in the Underground, but Asgore insisted that we should hold onto our hopes and continue to fight for freedom. But now...I don't even know if it's worth it anymore...

My life wasn't that normal at all. I was blind—although I never understood why. Everything that I wanted to see was covered by a black void. Sure, I could use my other senses, but I was bad at it—terribly bad. So, Papyrus would help me walk around. One day, Paps went and got me a pair of blue headphones. I don't really know where he was going with it at first, but he insisted that I'd love it. Papyrus was a BIG music lover, and I'd constantly see him listening to new hits that a ghost named Napstablook, whoever he was, fire out constantly. Napstablook wasn't at ALL that bad of a music maker. In fact, when it came to music, he was better than Mettaton!

The gift that my headphones had was that they would play out different music by themselves. They didn't need to be hooked up to some sort of phone or anything like that—they just went ahead and played music on their own. I would walk around our house and bump into things when Papyrus wasn't around to help me. Every time I'd hit something, though, a sound would play in the music I listened through my headphones. There would be a slight buildup, and then I'd hear a random sound play. That was when I was supposed to dodge. Eventually, I used the music I was hearing to move out of the way of the furniture.

I got better with the strategy I had. I would use the main part, the melody, of songs to dodge. I was a bit rusty at it, but I was able to mostly fine-tune myself into keeping my skull where it was on my body. I really owe it to Papyrus for giving me these headphones. But I had to wonder if he knew about the trick that they had. Eventually, I refused to take them off. I didn't need Papyrus to help me around anymore because I had these headphones of mine. Though, having him help me was one of the few times I'd get to spend with him. I wish I knew what he looked like, though. People said that when he gets excited, his eyes shimmer a bit. And me, being blind, was unable to see that big smiling face of his. People also said that he'd look like that when he listens to music. Like I said, he loved that stuff. He was so into music, he wore a white scarf with a music sheet pattern on it.

Often, I'd try and play a few games that Papyrus would enjoy. There was this one time Papyrus convinced me to go outside and have a snowball fight with him. I tried to tell him that I was blind, but he didn't listen.

"HEY SANS, DODGE THIS!" he called.

"p-papyrus, i-AAAGH!" I fall on by back, snow jumping into the air.

"WHOOPS... UH, SO...TV?"

"papyrus..."

"RIGHT, RIGHT." He nods."MY BAD,"

He'd always be reminded of it though, so it wasn't too bad.

One day, Papyrus went and told me he had found a human. I didn't have experience with humans before. Usually, the other six that had passed through here weren't seen by me. Mostly because I stayed inside our house whenever possible. I LOATHED the outdoors simply because I'd hit things all the time. But...Papyrus was pushing me like usual so I HAD to go see. Though Papyrus had his quirks, I couldn't hate the guy. He was too optimistic and happy for me to be mad at him. Plus, he was my brother, and the only family I have. When he brought me to the human, I'm assuming it was a human, anyway, he instantly hopped onto the idea of capturing it.

"HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL CAPTURE YOU... AFTER NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF PUZZLES," he declares,"NYEH-HEH-HEH-HEH!"

Papyrus speeds off into the forest to prepare "numerous amounts of puzzles". He really loved those things. Even more so than he did with music. Personally, I just power through his puzzles to hear that cheerful voice of his. It's really one of the most notable things about him. Papyrus spoke in this loud, overly happy voice. It was as if simply existing was the best thing ever to him. Really, I could learn from him. The guy knew how to stay positive, even in the worst of situations.

After Papyrus was clean out of sight, I try striking up conversation. Of course, I'm terrible at that, so I sort of just hang there in a piercing awkwardness.

"h-heya kiddo, how's it goin'...?" I give the friendliest wave I could. "got any, uh... plans?"

A low flute note plays in my headphones and I step off to the side. The human just walks off, as if I'm not even standing there in the first place. I scratch my skull for a bit and just shrug. Maybe they're too busy. Either way, I'm heading back indoors...wait a second.

"P-PAPYRUS! I CAN'T SEE! HELP!" I wave my arms around to no avail. Papyrus had gone off again.

Chapter Text

I’d say that beyond any other instrument I loved, I loved my trombone most of all. My ear for music was one of the things I could actually be proud of—I didn’t have too much. I could learn any instrument within the span of three-to-five tries, and it didn’t look like there was stuff I wasn’t able to pick up and play. Well, besides violins—Asgore’s a master with those.

 “SANS, NAPSTABLOOK HAS A NEW ALBUM!” Papyrus threw open the door to my room, causing me to flinch and suppress a yelp.

 Papyrus sighed, apologizing. I was, y’know, twitchy. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I get freaked out easily. I press my thumbs together, shaking off the shock.

 “i-i, uh… yeah what album is it?”

 Silence.

 “papyrus, i can’t read that…”

 “OH, RIGHT.” A dull, hollow sound followed: Papyrus facepalming. “SORRY, SANS.”

 I hold up the trombone and play three descending notes on it, an annoyed groan following. I laugh, and Papyrus manages to join in. Even if he tried to be the mature one, we were both childish.

 I liked it that way.

 That same day, I stopped by Grillby’s to see what was up. I stepped inside and stopped, looking around. I was right in front of the doorway, but the town felt… emptier than normal, so I wasn’t worried about blocking anybody. Someone clears their throat, and it comes from the corner of the room, grabbing my attention. I could hear a lot better than most people, sometimes startling them with how accurate I could pick up sounds. Finally knowing where to go, I head towards the corner of Grillby’s pub and walk up to him. A scraping sound broke through the silence—he had moved a stool.

 “G’day, Sans…” Grillby said, “Anything… bringing you here?”

“nah, just wanted to sit down and relax.” That was always my answer.

 With that, Grillby began playing his guitar. The notes that played let me know that it was an acoustic. Honestly, it fit him. Grillby was a quiet guy, and I often found myself hovering around him without trying. It was odd to be quiet but still have that charisma. I guess that’s just giving me another reason to admire the guy.

 “... Have you heard any of the other townsfolk?” Grillby asked, “Only one person came by today—a human… they didn’t appreciate my music, I think,”

 “aw what…?” I frown. “your music’s fine, grillbs. it’s something i look forward to anytime i step in.”

 Grillby wasn’t used to having his music shot down—he took a great deal of pride in it. I like to think it as one of the wonders of the world… er, the Underground. There was almost nothing like walking into the pub and taking a seat while he sat on that stool he always did and played for all of us. It was like a family in here.

 “did they do anything…?” I dreaded an answer.

 “Ah, no,” Grillby responds, “It was just a cold stare, but it was uncomfortable enough to convince me to stop,”

 Fair enough. That human gave me so many bad vibes that it almost made me sick. Actually, was Grillby the only one that saw them?

 “hey, do you know where they might be right now?”

 “The edge of Snowdin if I’m right.”

 “thanks, grillby.”

 As I turn to leave the place, I wind up stumbling into one of the tables, then a chair, and then the front doors of the pub. I hear Grillby’s wince. Yeah, that was probably painful to watch. Shaking off a crippling embarrassment, I manage to make my way outside. Taking a deep breath, I put one foot out forward. Good, solid ground. Still, it would be hard to figure out where to go without—

 “WORRY NOT! I, PAPYRUS… WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR!”

 My eyes widen, and I dart off in the direction of Pap’s voice without another thought. What was Papyrus doing all the way over—

 The human had forced their way to the front of my mind.

 Oh no…

 “wait…!” I stumble a bit as my hand reaches for my brother. “PAPYRUS, WAIT!”

 A pained gasp echoed. My soul shivered as a coldness swept over me.

 “W-WELL, THAT’S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED…” Papyrus’ voice was… weak.

 A CLUNK followed a moment after the sound of something being swept away with the wind.

 “BUT… ST… STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU!” Papyrus said, “YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK SO! I… I PROMISE…”

 I heard a crunch… the sound of bones shattering. It seemed to loop in my mind, increasing in volume with each passing moment. Footsteps were heard moving away from me. Going… going… gone.

 “payprus…?” I call, “you’re okay, right…?”

 I step forward, my legs shaking. There was nothing but the howling wind as my company. For once, the cold of Snowdin had gotten to me. It felt freezing, but it was a coldness that didn’t fit this town. It was a hollowing chill, something that evoked a piercing sense of sadness. I felt… empty, tired, and…

 My foot had scuffed something. I stopped walking and took a step back, leaning down and feeling around in the snow for what I had hit. My hands met with cloth, finely sewn and treated well. I gripped it tightly, the cogs in my mind turning. They slowly came to a stop. A faint sting tore at the edges of my eye sockets. Tears streamed down my face. I sank to my knees and held the scarf close to me. I felt so empty…

 Papyrus was gone.

Chapter Text

I had been on a sprint through Waterfall for who knows how long. King Asgore needed to know that a human was killing us! They were after him too, I’m sure of it. I was grateful that the running water and the creaks of the boards made it easy for me to find my way around.

So you’re probably asking why I didn’t just teleport all the way there. Well, it sounds easy—I’ll admit that. Hell, I can teleport. But, uh, at the time, I didn’t really understand how outside of knowing where my feet needed to be—I needed to have a clear vision of where I wanted to go and where I’d stand. Because I was blind, that was almost impossible for me, and my magic is tweaky, so most of the time I’ll just wind up exhausted and face-down on the ground. I’m just not used to teleporting…or anything involving my magic, really. I think I might have weak telekinesis…?

But, somehow, what I was capable of didn’t seem to matter; a power still within Papyrus’ scarf—around my neck—made that the case. I felt empowered, almost, and I managed to shove self-doubt to the back of my mind for the time being. I managed to reason that with my brother’s death and the magic I felt lingering that it was Papyrus trying to hold on to this world. I managed to give a sad smile—my brother was amazing.

And when I managed to realize that, my smile was torn away from me. Though I’m sure now that I loved every moment I had with Payprus, back then was different. At the time, I didn’t think I appreciated the guy enough—Papyrus was probably the greatest gift life had given me. I wouldn’t have anyone else as my brother. I’d love him even if he never spoke to me. His ambition to join the Royal Guard is what got me inspired to find out what I was gifted at: music. I used what he did as a template to just get a lot more out of life. As long as he tried, I would try. But now, I can’t rely on his determination anymore. I’ll have to rely on mine.

The sound of disturbed water interrupted my thoughts.

“Hey, Sans, you’re out late…” a voice says.

That was Aaron, indifferent and relaxed. The sound of a harmonica followed his words. It was an instrument he always had.

“it’s late…?” I turn to him.

“Yeah, and we’re supposed to be leaving,” Aaron explained, “Undyne says a human’s coming through here. Apparently it’s nothing but trouble,”

“where is she?”

Undyne could help out so much if she was nearby. I could use the extra set of hands.

“Yeah… wait, you’re not going after her are you? You know Undyne loves to get her hands dirty—she could be with that human right now, actually.”

I was already running off, unsure of where I was even headed. High pitched harmonica notes played out, scattered and hasty. I guess I surprised Aaron.

“Head along the boardwalk and take the straight path!”

I heard the sound of water splashing that told me of Aaron’s leave. Why did the quietness of Waterfall bother me so much now? It was, well, missing something. It was missing Shyren. Shyren had a melody hauntingly beautiful. It was popular enough to give her a bit of fame, but she rarely ever sung. She was tone deaf, so she assumed that her voice was horrid. She shut the rest of us out and sung only ever when she believed she was truly alone. Normally, when I would walk through here with Papyrus by my side, we’d listen from afar to Shyren’s song. With her gone, this place had lost its heart.

“Y-YO…!” a voice shouted. “Stop where you are!”

That was Monster Kid, and he’s barreling towards me at a speed I couldn’t respond to. The sound of a rapidly playing trumpet fills my headphones. Like anyone else, he had knocked me over without a problem. The monster picked himself up off the ground and shook his head.

“s-something happen, kid?” I said, picking myself up off the ground and adjusting my headphones.

“Uh, Undyne was fighting that human earlier!” Monster Kid replied, “We gotta go!”

“i can’t—i need her help!” I grip Papyrus’ scarf tightly. “where is she?”

“Just up ahead, but—”

“thanks,” I said, running off again, “p-please stay safe!”

Eventually, I heard two people clashing in a battle. I knew what was going on—and Undyne seemed to have it handled. I felt a strong presence of magic, stronger than anything I’d felt in a long time. Was something going on with Undyne?

“Thinking about what’s led up to now… I can’t lose,” she said, steadying her breathing, “Not when I know the cost of me losing,”

This wasn’t something I needed to interrupt. Asgore needed to be warned. I gave Undyne a silent prayer and headed off as quick as I could.

“You’re gonna have to try a little harder than THAT,”

I grab my violin and sit in front of a patch of golden flowers, playing a tune I cherished so much. I liked to call it “Home” because of its comforting feeling. It was like a blanket you never wanted to let go of… just something you could hold close and call dear. The days were getting increasingly lonely, and my dependence on music was growing ever still.

The tune I played in front of the wilting flowers caused them to jump back to life stronger than before. This was the gift of music to all monsters—one chord, one word, one note could enrichen, purify, and bless life. I look towards the ceiling of the Throne Room and try to piece together a new song to play… but I could think of none.

“king asgore…” A familiar skeleton’s voice finds its way into my throne room.

This was Sans.

“King is too formal,” I say, “Just call me Asgore,”

I never understood why he felt that it was so important to remain formal. I’m not a strict king—I lead with an open heart and mind. Even so, Sans was determined to make good first impressions each time he visited. He visited a lot, sometimes asking me what I spent my afternoon or morning doing. Usually, it was nothing. When Sans came along, however, things became interesting.

Sans is the only monster in the Underground with a stunted growth. Usually, from birth, monsters have magic that surrounds them in a sort of White Noise. I can see these—they’re essentially the life energy a monster projects. The stronger the monster, the more White Noise that flows from them. Naturally, I have the most. Sans, however, barely has any—his White Noise surrounds him in a way that gives him just a slight outline. It’s almost unnoticeable, and you’d think he had no magic at all. It’s for his stunted growth that he’s blind. Still, he doesn’t let that dim his vision of life.

“um... you called it ‘golden flower tea’?” Sans looked just above my head.

Bless his heart—he was unsure about so many things. I had to wonder about all the things he failed to witness in his life.

“Ah, it’s a tea I used to drink with my wife,” I explained, “But now, all I have is myself, my thoughts, and my music. I’ve mostly moved on."

“Sometimes, however…” I continue, lifting the teacup to my lips, “I do dwell in the past,”

Surprisingly, Sans picked up on the meaning behind my remark.

“you can move through time?” the white eighth note in his right eye socket glows brighter.

“Correct.” I nod. “Do you wish to know how?”

“y-yes, please!”

The universe and universes beyond all act on a timeline—a series of events that can be changed depending on an individual’s reactions. I see these multiple timelines as Measures. Each has a specific set of music that aligns with the nature of their universe whether it be calm or bouncy. When I play the songs of these timelines in reverse, I am able to go back in time. Doing so requires practice, precision, and a powerful amount of magic—something only I and Toriel are capable of.

There is a way to travel to multiple universes. When one combines all of the Measures of a universe together into one full piece of music, they are taken to that universe and placed in a Measure proportionate to the one they left from. That is something I myself am not capable of. I do know a person who was, however, but he is long gone.

I do not bother traveling back in time, but I reach into my robe and place a piece of sheet music down in front of Sans. He glances just below where I placed the paper, and I mentally sigh. Right, yes, he’s blind. I reach out and place my hand on his forehead, briefly linking the songs in my mind to his own. I pick out one piece—the Measure of this timeline—and focus my magic on it. The eighth note eye light jitters, becoming a bass clef for only a fraction of a second before returning to normal.

The eye light gave off a blue mist, energy bursting from it and traveling down his hands. In an instant, with some odd magic, he gathered his energy into a ball and summoned an instrument—a flute. I was intrigued; Sans always used a trombone whenever he wanted to play music—a flute was something I’d barely ever seen him touch.

And then, he began that song. Each note was played exactly as it should have been in reverse. All at once, I became aware of Sans’ growing White Noise. That outline of energy hovering just off his body… expanded. The aura had spread to incredible levels, almost filling the entire room. My eyes widened as I glanced about, seeing every ounce of magic grow ever still. Did I awaken something? I could hear a song rise in my heart involuntarily, attracted to the reverse music.

And in a flash of light, Sans disappeared from the Throne Room. I sat, bewildered, and let my mind wander. Placing a head in my hand, I close my eyes. Sans, magically stunted, performed a feat that I thought would result in him falling unconscious. Yet, without hesitation, and on his first try, he had strung a Chord within the Measure. His magic was… terrifyingly powerful, and it was concealed this entire time.

Is he even aware of his potential?

Chapter Text

Hotland wasn't my favorite place in the world, y'know? It's not much of a "skeleton's world". All that lava just sitting there is enough to make me pass on the idea of ever stopping by this place.

Even with how silent Hotland was, an almost crippling anxiety ran through me. Hotland was way too quiet, and it shot my paranoia through the roof. I guess that's just what that human does—anyone around them would feel chills. A small part of me was glad I couldn't see; that kid had probably silently passed me by. I'm sure I would've stumbled off in a run towards home had I seen them. When it comes to bravery, Papyrus is a lot braver than I am. He was probably braver than Asgore himself, and his heart of gold could shine even in the darkest of times.

Still… I couldn't help but feed the idea that Papyrus' death was my fault. I could've done something—maybe paid closer attention to the kid… Maybe I could've seen what they were planning and stopped it before it happened. Maybe I could've saved Snowdin… I grasp the scarf around my neck and close my eyes, mulling over this for a while.

THUNK… THUNK...

Metallic noises—the sound of armor. Were the royal guards nearby? No, that was the sound of only a single pair of feet. There were usually two—where was the other? My headphones played out heavy percussion. Ah, it was RG 02—also known as Ivory. Ivory was the strong, silent type of the two royal guards. I'd learned that those kinds of people tend to be dangerous if you mess with them, so I always made sure to treat him with ample respect.

"Sans, you're going somewhere dangerous…" A hand grabbed my shoulder. "I was tasked with evacuating the other monsters…"

Ah, Undyne already had plans. Well, she was always one of the most reliable monsters in the Underground even if she was a bit… much. In Ivory's voice, I caught an underlying sadness despite his attempts to hide it. I frown, and ask a question I immediately regretted.

"w-where's jess...?" I braced myself.

I already knew the answer, and when I noticed his breathing grew more shallow, I got the image of a dragon whose face was wracked with grief and pain. I shrank away from Ivory, fearful of his silent rage… but nothing happened. Good, it looked like he hadn't flipped out of control.

"sorry, but i can't come with you," I said, facing the ground, "i have to warn the king about that kid … wait, does alphys know? i need to talk to her,"

Ivory grunted, and I heard him begin walking off. "Follow me…"

As he kept his hand locked with mine, I felt a small pang of guilt.

"sorry…" I said, "i didn't mean to, uh… bring up a sensitive topic like that,"

"Hm…?" Ivory responded, "It's… fine. Stop apologizing so much…"

I had a bit of an issue when it came to that. People have always told me once or twice to stop apologizing for things that weren't that big of a deal. To me, though, that stuff meant a lot. Maybe it's because I'm looking for meaning where it doesn't exist, and maybe it's just because I'm… afraid. It's odd how despite never looking for any kind of socialization, I'm afraid of people disliking me. I spoke with Asgore several times about how he's afraid of letting everyone down and that's the reason why humans had to be killed. But, Asgore's feelings make sense; he has connections to everyone in the Underground. I… only have him, Grillby, and Papyrus. I never really went out of my way to talk to anybody.

But I guess… I guess that's just how it feels to care about someone. I wondered what Ivory thought… he had lost his best friend. We've both lost someone we cared about.

"are... are you okay…?" I asked.

He stops walking for a moment, and I stumble forwards the moment his movement stopped. Luckily, he caught me.

"No…" Ivory replied, "But, I can't let that drag me down. I am part of the royal guard. I'm going to protect you and everyone in the Underground…"

He got back to walking. "Sometimes, we have to stand on our own."

That was the truest thing I'd ever heard.

"Papyrus, I'm pleased to see you again," I say, turning to the skeleton as he walked into the throne room.

"YOU… ASKED TO SPEAK WITH ME?" Papyrus looked like he couldn't contain himself.

Papyrus was one of the happiest monsters in the Underground. His smile was contagious, and I found myself reflecting it. Truly, if I had a brother, I'd want it to be him. Right now, I needed his joy more than ever. I could never ask him to leave his brother's side, however. In fact, I had to ask if it was alright for him to come speak with me. Luckily, Sans was at home and tucked away in his room.

"Yes," I answer, "I have something very important for you,"

From my robe, I pull out a pair of blue headphones and hand them to Papyrus. He looks confused for a brief moment and goes to put them on. I grab his arm.

"Ah, no no no." Lowering his arm, I shake my head. "That's not for you. It's for your brother."

"WELL, WOULDN'T IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO GIVE IT TO HIM YOURSELF?" Papyrus scratched the back of his skull.

"It's about time for the holidays, Papyrus," I respond, holding up a finger, "It would be more special to him if you gave it to him,"

A moment of clarity came over the skeleton as he nodded. He pumped his fist in the air.

"THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE BEST SANTA AND GIVE THIS TO MY BROTHER!"

"There's something special about them, you know." I chuckle, leaning in close. "It's why I didn't want you to put them on."

Sometime after watching Sans perform a stunning feat of reverse music, I began wondering how he managed to conceal such a great deal of White Noise. Certainly, it would be impossible to avoid my careful eye. Yes, I was sure Sans would take longer than normal to develop his magic properly. But with that burst of White Noise, I realized that Sans' magic was somehow… suppressed. I surmised that when I linked him to the music in my soul, my magic somehow "jumped" his own. In other words, it's sleeping, not stunted. That's very intriguing.

Knowing this, my curiosity had taken over. Enlisting the help of Alphys, I was able to infuse these headphones with my own magic. Hopefully I'm correct in my theory,

Chapter Text

Ivory and I were a bit more than disappointed when we left Alphys lab without an idea of where she could be. Neither one of us was savoring the idea of running into the human if Alphys was in trouble, as selfish as that sounds.

“Maybe… maybe she’s already started evacuating…” Ivory put a hand to his chin. “Let’s go find her.”

Well, at least I didn’t want to find her. I didn’t want to look for Alphys, and the idea of having a ton of lives on the line of a single decision wasn’t something I was comfortable with. I don’t like the idea of being the person that the Underground needs, and I wasn’t in a rush to claim that spot. Papyrus was always braver than I could ever manage to be, and putting his life on the line to save all of us and turn the human into something better was the bravest I’d ever seen him. I gotta hand it to him—he’s amazing.

Around the time of Hotland’s settlement, Alphys decided it would be “fun” to put all of these random conveyor belts everywhere. The idea sounded cool at first, but then I actually tried using them, and they sent me in some random direction before flinging me off and dropping me in the dirt. Never again did I ride the conveyor belts.

“please tell me we don’t have to use these…”

“We could always wait for the human to find us.”

“point taken.”

So, you can imagine my displeasure when Ivory started using these things to get around. Maybe he had some thirst for adventure and these weird things were a way of sating that. I knew Ivory could fly, and I wondered why he never decided to, but then I realized his wings had to be folded when he put on his armor, and I felt a sense of sympathy for the guy. Dragon wings are sensitive, so the first thing that came to mind was a guy always uncomfortable because of how his wings were under the armor.

At some point, the speed of the conveyor belts got to me.

“s-slow down…!” I plea.

“Slow down…?” Ivory sounded bewildered. “I hope you’re kidding; there are lives on the line, here!”

“i... y-yeah, glad you caught my joke, man...” I sink into my scarf and fall silent.

Once again, I let my cowardice slip through. I could only hope he forgot about it.

There was nothing but dust for miles. I could feel Ivory’s anger once again as his breathing shifted, becoming heavier and part of a snarl. His thuds echoed as he stormed off ahead on a warpath. I hoped the human wouldn’t find us—Ivory was making a lot of noise with the way his armor clanged together. What if some paranoid monster attacked us? It could happen…

At this point, I made sure to get counseling hours to solve my anxiety problem.

Ivory made it a point to explain that we were safe as long as we went through the Core. I didn’t really believe him, but his voice was enough to reassure me. I could feel the purest form of music energy flowing about here. For a brief moment, a ball of light began to pierce through the black void I had always known. It didn’t get any brighter than something faint, but I still felt chills when I had seen it. Is that what it was like to see? I wondered briefly what was causing this… but I came up without any answers.

Maybe that’s just the way music magic works. I’d have to ask Asgore.

Soon, a low flute noise played out. I froze.

“ivory, sto-”

“I know,” he interrupted.

It was that child again—I knew they’d find us! I knew things were looking way too safe for us. Once again, that fear engulfed me—I was flat out terrified . I admit it, I’m a coward. What was I going to do here? What is someone like me going to do? I can’t see, and the only reason I was able to have a semi-normal life was because Papyrus buckled down and help my sorry butt anytime I wanted to go somewhere. Even when he was gone, I needed to rely on Ivory who lost somebody because I was too late to stop that human before they went on a rampage through the entire goddamn Underground!

Ivory dropped me and charged off ahead at the human, raising his weapon. I could hear the thundering clamour of drums deafening all other sound… I was unable to tell what was going on. I stood and glanced around—where were they?! Still, all before me was an abyss of nothingness.

I heard a roar cut through the cacophony of percussion as the drums slowly faded out. The sound of a thud against the ground followed. Did he get them? Did Ivory—?

I heard the sound of footsteps moving towards me.

“ivory, did you win?”

“... ivory, this isn’t funny—stop joking with me! did you—?”

“No, he didn’t.”

I froze. That was definitely not Ivory’s voice. It was quiet, mildly high-pitched, and childishly mischievous. That was the voice of a human child. I stared off into the void, completely still. It was my time to die.

“He fought with all he had—I’ll give him that. He gave me a fight I wasn’t expecting.” I felt a hand on my shoulder. “That was something I expected from you, you know.”

“You’re a pathetic being—a coward with no other purpose than to be a reminder of what monsters can be when they have everything taken from them. What use are you? Your brother died protecting someone utterly useless.”

I couldn’t stop shaking, both from fear and… guilt. Crippling guilt ran through me as their words sank into my mind, echoing… echoing… forever.

“Humans are much the same way, you know. The vast majority are cowards. They’ll talk as though they themselves have experienced pain, but none of them are willing to actually put their lives on the line. There are worse demons than me, you know.”

“Like, for instance, yourself.”

That was all I heard from them before finding myself shoved off the side of the rock, sailing towards the lava below. I screamed in terror, grasping my headphones tightly and closing my eyes.

“i don’t want to die. just focus, teleporting is easy!”

Teleporting was something I never thought I’d try to do. Doing so required a clear picture of the location, and getting that was hard. What did I remember? I remembered the grass, a small patch of flowers… maybe… yes, I remember a throne—Asgore’s throne! Just… if I could focus enough on that, then my life would be saved.

I could feel the heat getting stronger. I curl up into a ball… praying that I could, for once, do something right. I felt the world fall away as location, temporarily, didn’t exist.

And to my surprise and relief, I found myself in New Home.

Music duels are different from regular fights. Music duels are not fatal by any means and result simply in the potential incapacitation of the losing side. The only requirements are magic and an instrument. As such, humans are generally incapable of performing music duels.

The goal in music duels are to counter the songs the aggressor plays, cast them into the role of the defender, and overwhelm them with one’s own song. Such battles create stunning songs that could make even humanity cry out in awe and joy. I pride myself on going undefeated for as long as the concept of these duels has existed. Though, a part of me does wonder what exactly would happen if a human gained the ability to participate. They’ll be left bound by the chains of my beautiful song, most likely.

One monster that frequently gave me a hard time in these duels was none other than Undyne. Undyne was generally the aggressor and therefore the leader of the duels. She was known for her extremely rapid strings of piano notes that few could match. On one occasion, she herself challenged me.

“Today, I’m the one that’s gonna send you on your back!” Undyne pointed towards me, a grin on her face. “Hope you’re ready to LOSE!”

Appropriate for the king of all monsters, and as I said before, I have gone undefeated. My followers have made a game out of who could finally best me, but the result has always cast me as the victor. Undyne was the one who challenged me the most, and she was the also the one to come the closest to beating me.

I could see one, two, dozens of music notes form bolts of energy and home in on me. It was impossible to dodge in a music duel. One could only counter. One single violin chord formed a shield of sound around me and caused the bolts to burst into light. Onlookers cheered at the spectacle as a rush of magic energy practically exploded. Euphoria and adrenaline welled in the hearts of many, and I could feel their happiness. I was sure Undyne could as well.

Even if a loser resulted in these duels, nobody was truly sour. These duels only inspired both sides to continue playing their hearts out until the end of time.

To truly understand how music duels worked, one would have to understand the style of play one participant had—Chords, that is. Every Measure in a timeline is made up of Chords, and fragments of these Chords persist in locations, magic items, and even people. These Chords reflected a certain style and dictated how one’s music would form in a magic duel. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to keep track of at a beginning level. I do admire Undyne’s ambition.

Unfortunately, she would get no farther than pressuring my shield. The moment I noticed the crowd of piano notes falter, I took a stand and sped up my own strings. The shield around me condensed before expanding in a flash of light, pushing the notes back and sending Undyne reeling. An explosion of cheer wracked the air, and I gave a wink to the crowd.

“It was inevitable, Undyne.”

As my gaze moved over the crowd, I could see the hopeful gaze of Sans focused directly on me. His face was trained directly on me almost as though he could see where I stood. The precision was almost startling. And looking back, had I paid closer attention at that time, I would have noticed that there was a faint glow in his normally empty eye socket.

Chapter Text

"Howdy!" Asgore's voice was all too comforting.

"h-hey, king-"

"King's too formal… please, just call me Asgore."

Whereas Undyne looked up to Papyrus, I looked up to Asgore. Asgore had been through arguably the most painful experience out of us all, and he was still able to smile at the end of the day. Violins were the instrument of the day… and every day. Asgore just really liked violins, and after months of speaking with him, I understood why: they were just comforting to hear. In fact, Asgore's playing almost made me forget about the crisis.

"a-asgore, please, we're in danger," I began, "i think you and i should get a human soul and leave."

"But my people are still out there." Asgore leaned down. "Why so hasty all of a sudden? This isn't like you, Sans."

I opened my mouth to speak, but apparently, something clicked at the back of Asgore's head.

"Which means this must be cause for distress!" He grasped my hands, staring at me attentively with determined eyes. "Please, tell me what's troubling you."

"th-there's a human down here—it's… a kid." I grasped onto my scarf. "s-so many monsters died trying to get rid of it. i… i need your help! you're strong enough to fight them, so… so please."

Asgore understood my plea and immediately grasped his weapon, a scythe. I could sense the anger in him when I mentioned his fallen people. With a proud stance and a ready mind, he left the throne room. I understood his resolve now—putting the lives of his people before himself is what made Asgore a good king. He wasn't perfect, but I looked up to him. I wanted to be as strong as him. With the magic in Papyrus' scarf, I navigated my way back to a corridor described as grand and glittering gold. A flute noise played as the human showed themselves at the other end of the hall. They stepped forward, raising their knife. I could feel shivers wracking my bones. Near me stood Asgore, an uncharacteristically fierce expression on his face.

"Human..."

He raised his scythe.

"Goodbye~!"

"G-GGAAAHHH!"

That was Asgore's voice. The sound of a body hitting the ground and disintegrating echoed throughout the hall. Silence. I heard footsteps moving towards me, getting closer and closer.

"d-don't hurt me! i-i don't want to die!"

"Sans."

"it hurts! I'M DYING. IT HURTS!"

"Sans!"

"Sans, it's alright." Asgore's voice finally reached me.

I felt lightheaded. I had imagined all of that. Asgore squeezed my hands to drag me out of my trance. It was in that moment that I realized my hands were shaking. Was… was I crying? No, it's certain, I was crying.

"You look so pale…" Asgore frowned. "Please, take a moment to rest. Have a cup of tea and two slices of bread."

He patted my head, and I had managed to stop shivering. Asgore was amazingly gentle. I wouldn't have anyone else as our king. The small meal did help calm me down—golden flower tea was Asgore's specialty. Still, the comfort couldn't last forever; we were still in danger.

"You know what we must do, yes?" The sound of an empty teacup hitting a tiny platter followed. "That human's soul is the last one we need to break the barrier."

I flinch, throwing my hood over my head. "y-you're saying we have to fight that thing!?"

"It would be best if they not escape along with us." Asgore stood. "Wave away your worried face! It'll be alright."

He was already leaving, ready to throw himself out there without a moment's notice. He was fully ready to die. Something clicked at the back of my head, and I was following behind Asgore the second his other foot left the room.

"but... what if it isn't alright?"

"Then…" Asgore sighed. "... then, it was nice being your king."

We stepped into the Last Corridor.

"I want you to know that the moments I've had drinking tea and playing music with all of you… were some of the happiest moments of my entire life."

We weren't alone. The human was already approaching, dull flute notes announcing their presence. I was shaken to the core, still partially behind Asgore. Even when he wasn't facing me, he could tell I was frightened.

"It's okay." He rested a hand on my head.

Somehow, that was all the reassurance I needed. Even when the going gets tough, it would be okay. I miss you, Papyrus.

"Are you sure this is a human?" Asgore asked me. "This isn't even a monster I recognize…"

The sound of a blade scraping against the ground, Asgore's blade, was followed by the gust of a flame sparking to life. Before battle, Asgore always lit the blade of his scythe on fire. I'd always wondered how he was able to put his magic into a weapon, but he never gave any hints. Small sounds of a jingling necklace responded to the scraping.

"I'd ready myself if I were you," Asgore said to me.

I nod, the scarf around my neck floating an inch off of me, moving like some wind had caught it.

"i-i'm ready."

One thing that surprised me during this fight was what I saw. Yes, I could see, but not in a way that I expected. Instead of total, complete darkness, I could see soundwaves. Wherever the human moved, I would see them, their body covered in the soundwaves. I could see Asgore and myself as well. Some saving grace had given me what I needed to fight-I could hear so much more. This… was not going to waste.

A blade crossed with Asgore's. Monster souls were culminations of their entire being, and the more will they fought with, the stronger they wound up being. I knew that if Asgore fought with everything he had, he'd be a match for the human. Still, the hallucination from earlier… forced doubt to the front of my mind. What if we lost? Then… then…

"It's okay."

I shook my head and took in a deep breath. It'd be fine. With all the magic I had, I summoned a blaster. It missed.

The human was way too good at dodging. I thought the moment I landed one, that'd be that, but nope. My shots weren't strong, I was terrible at aiming, and Asgore was having to carry more and more of the weight I put out there. His bullets covered the Last Corridor, spiking the temperature. With his scythe, he cut a rift in space and shot the bullets into it. It closed before multiplying and spreading out all over the Corridor. I took refuge behind a pillar, but nothing prepared me for when the pillars started crashing down, a storm of fire magic scorching the floor and ruining the decor. Asgore's might was terrifying, something I was fortunate to never experience before. Dust was flung into the air-I could see all of it laced with the soundwaves that formed. Asgore gripped his blade tightly. He and I knew it wasn't over.

I peeked out from behind a tower of rubble.

"is... is he gone?" I call with a shaky breath, "did you get hi-GGHRK!"

A hand tightly grasped my collar, dragging me to the floor.

No,  he didn't.

Something pierced my chest. With the angered cries of Asgore filling the Last Corridor, and the pain that shot through me, I was almost too dazed to tell. A knife…? Was it a knife?

… It was a hand. Through the cloth and bone, the human had dug their hand in and grabbed my soul. Though it was hard to tell, from my own scream of pain, I could faintly see the edges of the human's mouth curl upwards. I saw several different lights, some of them bright while others were dim. I lurched forward and grabbed the human's arm with both my hands, trying to keep my soul where it was. Still, I could never be as strong as them. Never in a million years. … I could feel my soul… shattering into a thousand pieces. Crushed between their fingers. … Goodbye...

"... SANS?"

I heard his voice, calling to me through some sort of abyss. It was strange. It was strange to feel nothing. I couldn't see soundwaves. I couldn't hear music. I…

… Papyrus?

"SANS, WAKE UP."

I… could see. It was a splash of color right before me, giving me a full, clear picture of something I could never really enjoy. I saw a field of golden flowers, petals gently falling from somewhere in the sky. There was a white background that seemed to neither begin nor end. In the middle of the field of golden flowers was Papyrus.

And I cried. I sank into the field, throwing my hood over my head again and trying to quiet myself. This was probably another hallucination. I'm not getting tricked again. Never again… never again. But even when I thought I was dreaming, Papyrus proved me wrong. His arms wrapped around me in a hug, pulling me close. I forgot what it felt like to just… be there with my brother. It felt like it'd been… years. To be honest, it probably had been more than just years. I wasn't able to tell. But...

"I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" He squeezed me a bit.

That loud voice… it still felt like a dream. I didn't want to believe it—not after this long. But, that loud voice almost made me want to smile. It was so hard.

"is it really you…?" I ask.

"WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE?" he responds.

With those words, I hug Papyrus as tightly as I can.

"i didn't get 'em, paps." I lower my gaze to the flowers. "the king might die too."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU'RE NOT DEAD."

"w-what…?" I flinch, looking back up to Papyrus. "but my soul-"

He was holding it. In his hands, two halves of a soul sat. I caught it all too late, but Papyrus was disappearing. As he began to fade, white stitches began messily linking the two back together. Papyrus was finally leaving me.

"w-wait, i don't care about dying if it means i can just… sit here with you and stop caring!" I fumble across the next words. "you don't—i don't want you to… stop!"

I grab Papyrus' arms, looking up to his face. He looked… disappointed. The sudden change in expression surprised me. I immediately let go of his arms.

"SANS… Sans… Sans Sans Sans… that's something I'd never expect to hear you say."

His loud voice had faded, and he spoke unusually calmly.

"I know… I know me leaving hurt you, and I know no apology is going to make up for that, but the reason I look up to you is because you care."

"what…?"

Papyrus sighed. "I've had some time to think and… I've realized I can be a bit much for you. It's not fair for you… especially since, uh…"

He gestured towards his sockets.

"Still, despite everything I've done, despite all the problems I can get into, you're still there at the end of the day to walk me through everything and tell me I'm doing fine. Even if I'm not, it felt… nice. Thank you."

Thank you…

He handed me my soul, waving.

"w-wait, i…!"

"Go make others happy." Papyrus smiled once again. "I'LL STILL BE BY YOUR SIDE! GOODBYE, BROTHER! I LOVE YOU!"

"goodbye papyrus…"

Darkness, from one abyss into the next… I could hear the sound of Asgore's blade cutting through the air wildly. I could feel the rage.

I was alive again. Exhausted, full of tears, but alive. With the shockwaves, I could see Asgore matching blades with the human once again. I saw my chance, summoning a blaster and catching the human off guard. They rolled into a pillar, bits of rock crumbling and falling onto the human's body. A flash of crimson splattered across the ground. It was done.

I walked up to the human and found their soul lingering. Being careful not to absorb it, I look over the body.

"goodbye... you dirty brother killer."

Asgore huffed, slouching. "Fortunate… I couldn't have taken much more of that."

"we got it, asgore." I turn to him. "here's the soul."

Another hug drew me in. Fluffy, soft arms once again told me that everything would be alright. Even with my back against the wall, I would be okay.

I was shaking with both fear and excitement at what would lie beyond the barrier. Asgore made it perfectly clear that he couldn't wait. The seven human souls circled above his head.

"For generations, we've lay silent down here. We hid ourselves away because the world feared us. No more. No more will we be condemned to this."

"Many have sacrificed themselves to see the freedom of our people. Some were good, some were bad. Yet, all mattered in one way or another."

"Today… a new age will begin."

"One to turn the world over sevenfold."

The sound of glass shattering was all I needed to hear. And though we stepped from under the ground and into a soundless world, neither of us were afraid.

"Are you ready?"

"... more than i'll ever be, asgore."

Chapter Text

I’m not sure what I expected when we left the Underground. Did I expect to see a sea of flowers swaying in a gentle summer breeze? Did I expect to hear seagulls with their cries joining with the gentle, rocking sounds of the ocean? What greeted Sans and I was the sound of rain and the beautiful glow of a full moon. Amid the soft pitter-patter of raindrops against the cobblestone path were our footsteps that only seemed to add to the ambiance. Around me were trees that lined the way out of the underground, their shade stretching out onto the path ahead. The grass that the pathway divided into two was lush, dotted with the occasional berry bush (surprisingly, ripe), and speckled with immaculate, white flowers that seemed to glow in the darkness. Squirrels and birds slept, nestled away in the trees comfortably away from danger. Sans’ hand was clutched gently in my own, and I could see the tiredness in his expression. I should have felt lonely with only one soul by my side, but the world that awaited me—I felt as though everything would be fine. 

I picked up the skeleton and cradled him in my arms, watching ahead for anything that might jump out at us. The path seemed to steepen, steadily rising with a hill that slowly came into view. I started up it, and as I began climbing, I could hear and feel the rain stop pecking at my fur. As I felt myself reach the top of the hill, I took a seat, resting a sleeping Sans on my lap. His quiet snores gave a strange sense of relief as though I had been holding a breath this entire time. My gaze turned towards the sky, and I sighed at the sight of the moon. It was still so beautiful.

“You feel so much farther away,” I say to the moon. “But, you are definitely the moon I remember after so long… Hello, again.”

Maybe, somewhere in my mind, the moon spoke back to me. Maybe it was saying hello as well. Maybe it was wondering where I had been, wondering who I had met, or wondering what had become of me in its absence. Maybe it was curious about the skeleton I clutched in my arms, curious about the solemn atmosphere I carried on my shoulders, or curious about why I stared at it so wistfully. Wistfully, as though it could disappear in the blink of an eye. Having been in the Underground for so long, the guiding light of the moon was more than a blessing, and I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t scared of it disappearing so soon. I fixated on it as though it were some prize, some reward for me clawing at my right to live, and then I closed my eyes, remembering who died so that I would not. 

I closed my eyes, and I heard nothing but breathing. It was strange to be in a world that was as quiet as the one I stepped into. The rain that had kissed my face felt like it left me ages ago, leaving me with nothing to please the ears. I opened my eyes again and saw the moon still shining down on me, relief coming to me once more. I remove my cape and place it over Sans’ body, lying next to him with my back pressed against his. 

“Good night, Sans.” I give one last look to the moon and shut my eyes. “Please be here in the morning…”

“What in the blazes?” 

Asgore awoke to the gruff, bewildered voice of a farmer. He opened his eyes and winced as the sunlight hit his face. The shade of another person soon blocked out the sun. The image of the world swirled around the king, soon focusing, and Asgore was met with the expected-but-unexpected face of a human. Brown hair—face and beard too—sullied with dirt and soot, broadly built and stout, and the faint smell of a pasture said everything Asgore needed to know. Civilization was nearby.

The king blinked a few times before sitting up and grasping his head.

Asgore winced, stretching. “Stiff back…”

“Who’re you?” the man asked, clutching a pitchfork.

“Is Sans alright…?” 

“Ey, I’m talking here!”

Asgore flinched as the pitchfork was brought up to his neck. He exhaled sharply and fixed his eyes on the human in front of him. Despite the icy glare Asgore gave, the human had the resolve to return it. Asgore dropped the glare immediately, familiar with this type of person. No way was he going to scare the human.

Asgore brushed aside one of his bangs and pushed the weapon away with a single finger. “If you could please keep your voice down…!”

The human’s nose twitched in response. “Name, kid.”

Kid? Who did this human think he was? Asgore was a lot of things: King Fluffybuns, a certified “Golden Maestro,” and Former King of The Underground , but he was most certainly not a child. The audacity! 

“King Asgore Dreemurr.” Asgore squinted. “Now, my friend here—”

“The skeleton? Judgin’ by how limp he is, a stampedin’ hurricane couldn’t wake him,” the farmer said. “Name again?”

“ King Asgore Dreemurr,” Asgore said through clenched teeth. “Is there some auditory disturbance I’m not hearing?” 

“Nah, just had to hear ya right,” the farmer said, the wheat sprig in his mouth moving to the other cheek. “Thought it sounded like bullshit, but now I know it’s horse shit!” 

“W-What is that supposed to mean!?” Asgore pursed his lips.

“Everyone knows King Dreemurr died in that old war!” 

Asgore raised a finger before falling silent. Though that was obviously untrue, Asgore didn’t really have a way of refuting the farmer’s claim. The king had dealt with these kinds of people before; it was easier debating with a wall. At least the wall was unable to spout nonsense for hours on end. The king mentally reprimanded himself for his harshness and instead swallowed his pride.

“Yes…” Asgore nodded slowly. “Of course, how could I be so mistaken? My name is… Rye… of The Underground.”

“Rye?” asked the farmer. “Like… Like rye bread ?” 

It sounded better in Asgore’s head, to be honest. Fluffybuns, fluffy buns, buns, bread—rye bread! Now it just sounded silly. Unfortunately, Asgore had already said his fake name, and there was no going back. From here on out, he would be Rye of The Underground, a king without a kingdom.

“Well, Rye , name’s Lasko.” The farmer took off his hat and pressed it to his chest in a respectful manner. “Lasko Fitzgerald, if you wanna be all formal.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah, augh, you sound like them city folk…” Lasko grimaced. “C’mon, we gotta wash your mouth.”

Lasko turned around and began walking down the hill, north of Asgore. Asgore looked back down to the sleeping skeleton in his lap. It was a wonder that Sans hadn’t woken up yet. Wait…

“Hurricanes do not stampede!” Asgore picked up the skeleton and hurried after Lasko.

Chapter Text

Sans had taken some time to awaken, but he was surprised to find himself in a warm bed when he did. The sharp whistle of a tea kettle had stirred him, but it was the smell of golden flower tea that caused the skeleton to get out of bed. Sans tapped a toe against the floor a few times to make sure it was actually a floor before reaching up and finding that his headphones were missing. 

“what?” he blinked a few times.

The world around Sans was black and featureless, and he pressed against the bed’s headboard, drawing the bedsheets up to his neck.

“king asgore?” Sans called. “are you there?”

Sans could hear footsteps echoing in the hallway. They were heavy, the weight of each foot causing the wood beneath to creak ever so slightly. The door to the bedroom creaked open. Sans raised them in front of his face, perhaps thinking he could fool whoever would wander inside.

“You’re awake…!” said Asgore. “You’d been asleep for hours.”

Sans lowered the bedsheets and let a smile come across his face. He heard the soft scrape of plastic against fur on the nightstand to his right, and his headphones were thrust over his head. At once, Sans saw the waves of quiet violin notes rippling outwards from Asgore’s position. Once the skeleton saw Asgore’s soft smile, his shoulders finally relaxed.

“where are we?” Sans asked quietly, hoping nobody else would hear. “i don’t… recognize this house.”

“We’re finally out of the Underground, Sans,” Asgore answered. “A nice man offered to give us a place to stay.”

“really?” Sans blinked. “can i… can i meet him? you know, to thank him.”

“He should be in the kitchen,” Asgore said, “and if he’s not breaking my teapot as he threatened, he should be enjoying golden flower tea.”

Golden Flower tea; a great thing to wake up to in the morning and definitely something Sans could use to get himself into gear. Today would be his first time interacting with a human other than those children in the Underground! He felt jitters tickle at his back as he got out of bed and shuffled over to the doorway, Asgore following closely behind.

“Come on, this way,” Asgore said, gently grabbing Sans’ arm and leading him off to the right.

Sans smiled as he walked through the home at Asgore’s side. Something about the place seemed welcoming despite how unfamiliar it was. There was a warmth—Sans heard the faint crackles of a fireplace from just up ahead, sound waves bouncing off the walls and guiding him forward. Soon afterwards, the sharp grating of metal against metal met the skeleton's ears, and Sans flinched at the noise.

"uh… hello?" Sans called, fidgeting in place.

He jumped at the sound of a pot slamming on a stove, and Asgore had to pat his shoulder a few times to calm him. This wasn't anything unusual; Sans was always jittery around strangers. It was one of the reasons the poor skeleton didn't have many people he spoke to regularly.

"Bad nerves?" Asgore asked.

"no, my hearing is just sensitive," Sans responded. "and everything around me is outlined with sound waves. it's like—oh!"

Sans stiffened as Asgore bent down and reached for the side of his headphones, placing a palm over one of the ear cups and turning his palm as if he were adjusting a dial. Sans heard the harsh noises quickly become more bearable.

"oh…" Sans reached up but didn't feel any dial. "thanks, asgore."

Asgore patted his head in response.

"Oy, the skeleton's risen from the dead!" Lasko said, slapping his knee before pointing at Sans. "Would've thought it was mine from how bad it was rattlin'."

Sans saw an opportunity. "don't worry, death's comin' back to get me. i can feel it in my bones."

"Ha!" Lasko applauded the skeleton.

"Please, do not get him going." Asgore raised a hand. 

"Grow a spine! It's gonna take us all someday!" Lasko ignored Asgore.

"Please." Asgore covered his face. "I don't have the guts for—oh no."

Asgore saw Lasko and Sans turn their gaze to him, grinning from ear-to-ear, and the king threw his hands in the air in exasperation, electing to dismiss himself from the conversation and reflect on his word choice on the nearest sofa. There was very little to focus on aside from the room itself, however. Despite Lasko’s poor first impression, his home looked and felt surprisingly cozy. The wooden floor creaked under Asgore’s feet, and it felt like he was, for a moment, back in his old home underground. A lovely fireplace sat across the room in front of him with a new flame burning away at the wood inside. Separating Asgore from the fireplace was a coffee table with a few cups of Golden Flower tea set atop it. The former king took a deep breath and sighed. It wasn’t his home, but it was good enough.

Asgore cleared his throat. “Lasko, was it? I just wanted to say I liked your home.”

“Yeah?” Lasko had to take a few seconds to quit laughing at his own puns. “Built it with my wife and eldest son. It’s got a good few years of blood, sweat, and tears put into it, so it’d better look damn good!”

Asgore stared back at the fireplace, admiring the way the flames danced and swayed as though they were sparks of magic between his fingertips. The orange glow was beautiful, undeniably so, but… something was missing. Something felt off.

“Lasko?” Asgore called.

“Yeah, Rye?” Lasko had to take a moment to stop himself from laughing at his own puns.

“Has… Has the fireplace always been that quiet?” Asgore squinted at the flames, furrowing his brow. “Maybe my hearing’s gotten worse with my age, but—”

“Yeah, ever since a few days ago, my hearing’s gone bad too.” Lasko nodded, scratching the back of his head. “But it’s the weirdest thing. You folks showed up, and suddenly, I can hear again!”

Sans glanced towards the kitchen. “so i’m guessing asgore’s teapot must’ve been a bit of a scare, yeah?”

“Kinda!” Lasko answered with a nod. “I’d almost forgotten what those sounded like. It was sharp—jumped right out at me too. Wasn’t expectin’ it, but it felt nice to not be near deaf. Not even my banjo sounds the same anymore.”

Now that was intriguing. Lasko’s sudden hearing loss would have sounded like age kicking in, but Asgore suspected something else. He gave a brief glance to Sans’ headphones and turned back to Lasko. 

“May I see that banjo of yours?” Asgore asked.

Lasko didn’t even answer. Instead, he walked out of the living room and into the hallway. Asgore noted the creaking of the floorboards as Lasko walked away. A few moments after the farmer left the room, Sans tugged on Asgore’s robe, eyeing the soundwaves that almost completely disappeared once Lasko was down the hall yet still within his line of sight.

“hey, the soundwaves are acting up,” Sans said. “i know that the floorboards aren't an intense noise, but he’s just down the hall, and they're kinda squeaky. but they're barely showin' up...”

Asgore raised his eyebrows and was about to open his mouth before Lasko came back with the banjo in his hand.

“and they’re back to normal…” Sans said quietly.

“Don’t break ‘er, okay?” Lasko said. “That’s my mother’s.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Fitzgerald.”

“Lasko, not Mr. Fitzgerald, you loon.”

Asgore rolled his eyebrows and let the banjo rest in his lap, not exactly positioning himself to play it. 

“If I’m correct…” Asgore reached a finger for one of the strings, magic forming at his fingertips. “Then the reason your hearing might have gone wrong…”

At once, the magic from Asgore's hand jumped into the instrument. The banjo gave a brief golden glow before returning to normal.

Twang…! 

“HUH?!” Lasko stuck a thumb in one of his ears to clean it out. 

Asgore nodded. “... is because of what that human child did to us.”

Lasko stared down at the banjo in Asgore’s hands incredulously. "Buh, whuh, uh… heh? Play it again?"

Twang, twong!

"HOT DIGGITY!" Lasko cheered. "You put the sound right back in my banjo!"

"what? but that's just our magic working." Sans squinted. "what's that mean for the surface?"

Asgore handed the banjo back to Lasko, who went crazy on the strings, kicking his legs out and making the occasional 'woo!' noise. Asgore did have to admit that joining in looked fun, but he had bigger things to do.

"It means that there's almost no sound up here." Asgore grimaced. "Are we near a city, Mr. Fitz—uh, Lasko?"

"Yep!" Lasko nodded, strumming once and humming. "Port Sonnus they call it."

"Port Sonnus!" Asgore nodded. "It's been ages since I've gone."

"Need me to show you the path?"

"No, we'll be just fine. Sans!" 

"yeah, king?" Sans had picked up a cup of tea.

"Drink your tea, and be quick!" Asgore said. "We're going to do a bit of snooping."