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Sans kept glancing at his wristwatch. How long would it take until his brother was ready? All he had to do was put his swimsuit under his regular clothes! “Are you getting ready for a ball or something? Or are you doing something else in there?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m just getting my beach body ready! I have to look my best when showing off my amazing figure!”
The Blaster’s keen hearing picked up the sound of a vehicle passing by. “Tori’s car already left! Come on, it isn’t always we get the whole beach reserved for us!”
“Wooo~ooow, this isn’t like you at all! No ulterior motive for wanting to go to Eversunny Bay so much? Like, for example… a certain someone you have a crush on?”
Sans rolled his eyes and picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “Finish up what you’re doing in there in five minutes, or my car’s leaving without you!”
Ten minutes later…
“Would it have killed you to wait for five more freaking minutes!?” It pushed the part-Blaster to his very limits, but was he somehow managing to keep pace with the car on foot. Sans had the head start, so the distance between them remained consistent. He could see Undyne and Alphys looking out the back window with bewildered expressions, probably wondering just what kind of monster he was. Don’t just stare! Stop the car!
The car disappeared around the corner. Papyrus grabbed the pole of a nearby sign with Bonetrousle and swung his body around, using the rotational force to maintain speed. Like this, he would be able to keep u- SMASH!
The next thing he knew, he was sprawled out on the ground seeing stars. “Urrghhhh…” Being more durable than the average person, he quickly recovered and got back up, rubbing his head. “Damn, that hurt! Who leaves a mirror lying around in the middle of the road!? Now I’ll never catch up to the others!”
He shook his head and resumed running after the car. It didn’t even register in his mind how sinister the mirror’s design was. Or how it was now starting to emit an eerie light…
The beach was reserved for Asgore and Toriel to have a photo shoot – despite no longer being royalty, they were still immensely popular. Both goats were known for their potential to make nearly any outfit look good, so they were the perfect models for summer wear!
Gaster (who had arrived earlier than both groups to set up) was displaying an untapped potential in the realm of photography – with how his semisolid body could contort and twist, he could always get the perfect angles. Every photo he took looked fabulous! …Although maybe the Boss monsters looked just that good.
Alphys and Undyne were going diving to see the beautiful coral reef hidden beneath the waves. They weren’t allowed to use boats today, but Undyne’s aqueous properties allowed her to swim much farther than the average person, and she was more than happy to carry Alphys.
That just left the four Golden Flower Academy students and Sans. The first thing they noticed upon arrival was Papyrus collapsing right next to the car, gasping for breath. Once the horned skeleton recovered his stamina, he grinned at his friends. “Sorry for the wait~! Now, feast your eyes on my amazing Beach Body!”
With a dramatic flourish, he took off his outer clothes, revealing the swimsuit he chose! It was… noodle-themed? ‘Who in their right mind would make a design like that, let alone approve of it to be manufactured into clothing!?’ That was collectively the first thought that went through the group’s minds when they saw it.
“What do you think, everyone?”
Asriel fidgeted with one of his ears, averting his gaze from the abomination of a design. “It’s… certainly unique.”
Frisk bit his lip. “I never thought you liked spaghetti that much… I guess you learn something new every day.”
If an expression could translate to thoughts, Chara’s face would have said, ‘I’m tired of this crap.’ “Awesome choice. Reeeeaaal great. Suuuper cool.”
The hidden message went completely over the skeleton’s head, his tail starting a friendly wag. “Why thank you, my little human friend!” He turned to his brother. “Your opinion, Sans?”
He shrugged. “No comment.” Sans started to walk towards the beach.
As long as they stayed out of the shoot, the kids could do whatever they wanted. In fact, it was Sans of all people who had planned an itinerary for what they were going to do. Actually being able to do things on the surface, experiencing the sun and everything without worrying about whether they would still be there the next day… it felt great.
Being the oldest out of the five, but still young enough to not feel weird hanging out with them, he supposed it was his duty to try and be responsible for the others, so why not? If things went wrong, Papyrus or Frisk could lend a hand, too.
Going rockpool exploring, followed by a sandcastle competition, beach volleyball, then ending it with exploring the town… that sounded like a fun way to spend the day.
Of course, nothing went to plan. It wasn’t that they were interrupted or anything – the schedule went exactly as Sans hoped. However, something was just off about the atmosphere.
In rockpool exploring, Papyrus kept slipping and falling, like a dog on wet tiles. It wasn’t even because of his paw-like feet – Sans did could balance just fine! Asriel and Sans had to keep catching him. At one point, his head was submerged in one of the pools and he nearly drowned! How could anyone his age nearly drown in a tiny shallow pool!?
With the sandcastle competition, it was set up as Asriel and Frisk vs Chara and Papyrus. It was a true test of creativity and practicality, with each side getting one hour maximum to make the most aesthetically appealing structure as possible.
Sans, who was the judge, expected it to be a very near win for either side – both sides were equally creative in their approach. But in reality, there was no contest. Asriel and Frisk won by a landslide – Castle Hyperdeath was as beautiful and detailed as a marble sculpture from ancient times. They even left the ceiling off the throne room to model the interior! Papyrus and Chara’s looked like a sad, pathetic lump of sand – despite Chara having plenty of great ideas, Papyrus strangely lacked the dexterity or creativity to pull them off.
The beach volleyball match? Once more, it was an overwhelming victory for the side Papyrus wasn’t on. Team Dreemurr scored a perfect victory against Frisk and Papyrus. Sans admitted he was biased with wanting his younger brother to win, but his behaviour this morning was extremely fishy.
Sans couldn’t quite put his finger on what was going on… like a black hole, this odd feeling of wrongness couldn’t help but consume his thoughts…
Even when the group changed back into their normal clothes and went into the city, the beastly skeleton wasn’t able to enjoy himself at all. He couldn’t even appreciate the delicious sushi he bought in one of the city’s food courts for lunch. He also couldn’t keep his eyes off his brother at the other end of the table, who was currently slurping down the pasta he ordered.
Papyrus, feeling the pressure of his brother’s gaze, looked up from his meal with an innocent smile. “Is something wrong?”
“You… feelin’ okay today, bro?”
“Never been better!”
Huh. The party finished their meals, tension still hanging in the air like haze. The only thing left to do now was get a taste of Eversunny Bay’s famous ice cream, then explore the town.
Papyrus stuck an orange magic tongue into the delicious cool treat. “Yum… This strawberry ice cream really is something else! But you know what would be really nice? Spaghetti flavour! I bet I could make something twice as good as this!”
Asriel and Frisk couldn’t stop staring at their friend. Wasn’t it normally blue? Blue and pink didn’t mix to make orange! Could skeleton monsters change the colour of their magic parts? …Actually, that wasn’t really a question they wanted to ask right now.
The oldest of the group went to the cashier to pay for them all, but the moment his wallet came out of his shorts, he felt an unfamiliar weight crash into him from behind and an arm wrap around his throat. A knife was being held against his neck.
“Gimme yer money, freak.” The stench of alcohol and unwashed clothes wafted into Sans’ nasal cavity as the man spoke.
Another anti-monster robber, huh? He picked the wrong guy to threaten! The man’s muscular arm reminded him of Undyne’s, but Sans had one major advantage: his powers. It would take just a few well-placed hits to deal with him.
With a sickening (or satisfying, depending on who heard it) crunch, Sans’ jaws closed around the arm. The robber let out a bloodcurdling shriek, dropping the knife and staggering back. Fresh blood gushed from the wound like a river, staining the pristine floor of the ice cream parlour.
The scent of blood awakening the beast within, Sans started to advance on the man. The deranged grin on his face struck fear into the heart of both enemy and ally alike. The poor, poor human had no idea what he had gotten himself into…
But Papyrus stepping in between them snapped Sans out of his bloodlust. “W-wait, Papyrus? What are you-”
“We’d be happy to hand over our money to you, kind sir!” The younger brother smiled innocently as he handed over his wallet – containing his money, license, credit card, and only ATM card!
Sans grabbed Papyrus’ arm, frustration starting to burn within him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”
Still grinning, the horned skeleton snatched his brother’s wallet and also handed it to the thief. “And here’s my brother’s money, too! Don’t spend it all in one place!”
“Hehe, much obliged~” The robber stuck his tongue out at Sans as he accepted the money.
“Seriously, Papyrus!? You’re being a giant numbskull right no- Gah!!”
The moment the pun left Sans’ mouth, Papyrus turned nasty. His claws dug into his brother like an iron vice. “What the fuck did you just say, you piece of shit!? Your mouth is dirtier than one that sucked off an STD-ridden gigolo!” Orange eyelights blazed with fury as steam emerged from his mouth. “Those disgusting puns are like diarrhoea flowing out of your mouth and into everyone else’s ears! I can’t have you keep spewing those in public, now can I!? CAN I!? It’s time for you to learn a little lesson about what happens when you use such nauseating vocabulary!” Without a hint of hesitation, the demon skeleton hoisted the beast over his back.
Papyrus grabbed each end of his brother and started pulling. “Come on, come on, come on, come on, COME OOOOON!”
Sans howled in pain! It was as if he would be ripped in two at any moment!
“Shit, these guys are psychos! You know what? Keep yer wallets, I’m gettin’ outta here!”
Frisk couldn’t take his eyes off the event before him. His ice cream dropped to the floor, the redness of cherries and blood blending together unpleasantly. “This is horrifying… should we do something? …Guys?”
Asriel and Chara were standing by with huge grins – the same kind of expressions one would make when watching an entertaining action movie.
The middle school student facepalmed. Great, I forgot. Asriel has a grudge against Sans, and Chara’s just a prick in general.
Thankfully, Sans recovered the initiative to defend himself. “Eat this! Ripple Whip!” His tail lashed at his brother, filled with Ripple Energy, but a third hand manifested from the skeleton and caught it. It wasn’t the powerful skeletal hand that he associated with Bonetrousle, but rather deformed, zombie-like flesh. “Y-you’re not…!”
“Sans!” Three large glowing beads rammed into not-Papyrus, sending him hurtling out of the shop before they shattered. Now that Asriel knew it was an actual enemy, he was more than happy to help.
The group ran out of the shop into the town square. The ‘glass’ shards should have at least seriously injured him, but they couldn’t find even a drop of blood. The stranger had mysteriously disappeared. Had he run away?
Sans clenched his teeth. Whoever that was couldn’t manifest his ability before being blown away, but that was a horrifying experience! The question was… where was the real Papyrus?
That question was quickly answered by the exhausted skeleton in question running towards them. “Sans, where were you? I was so worried!”
“Papyrus!” Sans ran towards him, embracing him in a hug.
Papyrus hugged back… but his hands slowly rose to Sans’ neck.
“Gckkk…!” Sans couldn’t even vocalise his surprise as his airway was cut off. In hindsight, hugging my brother when an imposter was around may not have been the best idea…
Frisk and Asriel combined their powers again – right now they only had enough DT left to make one drone, but it should still be enough. They hurled it at the fake Papyrus like a javelin, but this time, he was prepared. Upon contact with the monster, the drone split apart into soft yellow strands, which collapsed uselessly onto the ground.
“…「Mom’s Spaghetti」…” An amber aura flaring up around him, not-Papyrus’ guardian spirit came out. The mere sight of it made bile rise in the students’ throats. It was a giant harlequin foetus – misshapen bulging eyes, oversized head and torso, as well as malformed limbs. The fact that it was made entirely out of pasta did little to remedy the gross factor.
Sans swung a punch at the false Papyrus with all his might! Both skeletons were pushed away from each other, stumbling back and collapsing onto their backsides.
As he landed, unbearable pain streamed through Sans’ arm! “W-what…!?” His arm quivered as the bone changed into a different material. Then, like grated carrot, it split apart! Sans was unravelling into spaghetti! Had the foetus-like creature touched him when he threw that punch?
He grabbed the spaghetti with his other arm, but a similar pain coursed through it as it started to unravel. Anything the spaghetti touched also became spaghetti – it was spreading like a virus! And if it reached his head or chest, he was a goner!
He stretched his noodly arms out as far away from his body as possible. The stumps the noodles were connected to were still okay for now… it wasn’t spreading from there. As long as he didn’t touch his own body, it wouldn’t spread.
The fake Papyrus got back up and charged, the foetus hovering beside him.
Even though I might look unarmed…! Sans turned around, hurling the Spin-infused bone his tail was wrapped around.
Predictably, Mom’s Spaghetti intercepted and unravelled the attack. However…
Sans grinned. “You may be able to change its form, but the Spin is everlasting!” The tendrils wrapped around the fake Papyrus’ neck and started to tighten! The spaghetti squeezed harder and harder until his neck snapped!
The horned demon collapsed to the ground, Sans’ arms returning to normal. Looks like the effect only lasted as long as he kept focus.
Sans retrieved his weapon and positioned it over the imposter’s head, ready to crush it to paste. “Don’t take my brother’s shape again, creature.”
“But Saaaans… I need youuu… I can’t live without youuu…”
The creature tried to reach out to Sans in one last futile attempt. The look in his eye, almost reminiscent of a lost child, made the dragon-like skeleton hesitate.
As suddenly as a jump scare in a horror game, the false Papyrus sprung up and thrust a hand at Sans’ chest! But before it could reach, he was slashed down the middle by a familiar laser blade.
“Chara… you saved me?” A warm feeling welled up in the skeleton.
The teenager sighed, the DT Sword returning to the shovel from which it was made. “You’re welcome.”
The bisected creature faded away, dissolving into glass shards. The four had never seen this phenomenon before. Not in monsters, humans, or Fragment Users. What was he?
Before they could speculate, Chara’s hair stood on end. Danger still lurked nearby! But where? He spread his senses out, trying to pinpoint it… “From below! Sans!”
The skeleton jumped, narrowly avoiding the ground beneath him unravelling into spaghetti. But that was only phase 1 of the attack. The fake Papyrus and guardian spirit, completely unharmed, emerged from beneath the earth and grabbed Sans’ legs! They quickly degenerated into noodles, only the Blaster’s torso remaining. “FUCK!”
Sans, half the man he used to be, fell to the ground. The foetus gurgled in delight as it reached to crush his head.
No! I’m done for! The Blaster squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the end coming.
But then… “NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH~!”
“GYAAAAAAA!” Fake Papyrus was launched straight into a building, leaving a visible crater in the wall. Sans quickly rose to his feet, his body having returned to normal.
Papyrus – the real Papyrus, not some twisted parody – blew the smoke from Bonetrousle’s fists. His eyes remained fixated on his body double. “Sorry for not coming sooner – I was afraid that the fake me would have tried something if I showed up while he was still with you. That’s why I stayed hidden until now.”
The false Papyrus rose up like a puppet. With an inhuman roar, he charged! But compared to Bonetrousle, his movements were just too slow!
“NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH~!” A second storm of blazing fists shattered the creature’s body into glass shards!
“Be careful! He’s going to reform and attack again!” Asriel warned.
“Got it!” Papyrus closed his eyes and sharpened his senses. He could feel even the slightest breeze, hear even the faintest sound… “He’s coming from above!” The skeleton opened his eyes and pummelled the air! Just as he predicted, his fists struck home – the creature respawned right in the middle of his attack! Once more, the false Papyrus shattered into dissolving glass shards.
“Now from behind…!” Papyrus swung Bonetrousle’s fist and punched through his imposter’s torso! The third KO! “And below…!” The horned skeleton backflipped, his imposter’s uppercut stirring the air where he used to be. He swung both hands down and caved in not-Papyrus’ skull, marking the fourth KO!
The creature growled, his patience wearing thin. This time, when he reformed, he stayed out of Papyrus’ range. The faker slammed the deformed spaghetti fist into the ground, causing it to unravel in a line towards Papyrus. But before it could reach him, a small rock shot through the imposter’s forehead like a bullet! He went limp and collapsed, the attack ending as it did.
“Five…”
The skeleton’s entire body jolted when he felt the trajectory of the creature’s next attack! He raced towards Asriel and shoved him out of the way, smashing the enemy’s face in with Bonetrousle as he did so. Six! The ill intent’s target shifted to his three friends, but Papyrus was still quicker to act! Seven! Eight! Nine! Papyrus had defeated his imposter nine times! But he just kept coming back!
The Fragment User panted for breath, blue steam starting to come out of his mouth. “OK, so he isn’t just a cat with nine-”
“Eleven, technically,” Chara interjected. “Sans killed him twice already.”
“Okay, eleven lives. Does anyone know what’s going on!?” This creature – Papyrus thought of calling him ‘Impasta’, considering his obsession with spaghetti – kept regenerating, no matter how badly he was beat up. No matter what the Fragment Users did, they just couldn’t get rid of him! This had turned into a battle of attrition, if nothing changed, the five of them were going to lose! “There has to be a ‘trick’ to this somehow… How can I solve this puzzle? How can I stop him from resurrecting?”
Chara dodged a swipe from the foetus. “Okay, for a start, why does he look like you? Did you do anything weird this morning?”
“Well… the only thing I can think of was crashing into this weird mirror-”
Asriel snapped his fingers, elation similar to what one would feel when solving a difficult maths problem rising in his chest. “That’s it! That’s why this creature looks like you! The mirror triggered the attack!”
Frisk’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. “Wow, you sound so sure about this!”
Even while under threat of literal spaghettification, the goat couldn’t help but laugh bashfully and rub the back of his head. “I’m helping Alphys study Fragment powers in my free time. They never existed in previous timelines, so I find them really interesting! We’ve already managed to classify them into separate broad categories – there are power types, which can only be used at close-range. There are technique types, which are weaker, but can be used at a distance. And finally, there are automatic types. These can either only follow a specific attack strategy or need certain conditions to activate. But they can remain powerful at long-range!”
Papyrus let out an ‘Oh!’ of realisation as he backhanded Impasta’s head off. “I get it now! When I touched the mirror, I set off the trap?”
“EXACTLY! The Fragment power is still bound to the user, so if we knock them out, we can win!”
Sans grit his teeth. “But how’re we supposed to find ‘em? They could be miles away, for all we know!”
A lightbulb popped up above Frisk’s head. “Chara, can you do a scan on the false Papyrus? Aura reading, preferably.”
“One analysis, coming right up!” The middle school student’s eyes briefly glowed gold, focusing on the dissolving creature before turning back to the others. “We’re onto something! His aura’s nothing like Papyrus’! It’s… kind of icky and gross, honestly.”
“Good work, partner! We can use it to track down the user.”
Papyrus cracked his knuckles. “GREAT! Here’s what we’ll do: Asriel, Frisk, and I will keep ‘Impasta’ here distracted so he doesn’t interfere. Meanwhile, Chara and Sans will go after the user. Are you two feeling up to it?”
Chara puffed his chest out with pride. “Of course! When it comes to these kinds of scenarios, I’m like a bloodhound!”
Sans nodded with a chuckle. “Funny, considering I’m the more animal-like one here!”
The boy crouched down, clenching his fists. “Spirit powers, activate!” His body became translucent, before glowing and being absorbed into Sans.
The Blaster-headed skeleton looked down at his chest. “Man, it feels so strange having a kid inside me.”
Chara immediately manifested in spirit form and twisted one of his own nipples, drawing a high-pitched screech out of his temporary user through the sense link. “Don’t make this weirder than it already is!”
“Yare yare daze… Fine. We’re heading off now! Paps, Frisk, Az… good luck!” With that, the duo took off.
The three remaining behind took fighting stances, staring down the newly regenerated Impasta. Papyrus could feel tension coursing through his body.
They had to incapacitate him without killing him. It was more difficult than it sounded – because the horned skeleton was focused on holding back, like this, he wouldn’t be able to hone all his senses and detect Impasta’s location. In other words, he optimally had to defeat him in one go – without giving him the chance to ‘respawn’.
He swiftly closed the distance between himself and his double, swinging Bonetrousle’s fist! “NYEH~!” A Blue Attack was perfect for this occasion! Knocking him into mid-air, then holding him there would render him unable to fight immediately!
But Papyrus’ attack didn’t meet its mark. Just like a certain flower that no longer existed, the culmination of one’s being, the SOUL… wasn’t present at all in this creature. The foetus-like guardian spirit caught Bonetrousle’s arm in its grip!
Papyrus felt like razor blades were slashing across his arm lengthwise as it started to unravel into noodles. He tried to pull away, his now spaghetti-like arm was too weak!
Just before the spaghetti reached his chest, the shatter of glass made the creature flinch! Asriel had burst a DT Drone behind his head! The enemy’s concentration disturbed, Papyrus’ arm reverted to normal, giving him the opportunity to free himself.
With his tail, he smashed the back of Impasta’s legs, knocking him to the ground. Plan B: I’ll pin him down! Even something small will do! Snatching up a small pebble with his free hand, he dropped it on the other skeleton’s back.
The creature let out a sharp gasp as the air was pushed out of him from the force. Impasta choked and gurgled as he squirmed like a worm. But then… he smirked.
Papyrus’ chest tightened as the enemy sunk into the ground, leaving the rock on the surface.
Frisk quickly reacted. “Everyone, spread out!” The three got as far away from each other as possible. With his replenished energy, he summoned another three DT Drones, one hovering nearby each student. The town square was deserted at this point from the commotion, so Impasta’s target could only be one of them.
The drone near Papyrus gave out a sharp vibration. “! He’s coming!” He readied Bonetrousle’s fists, prepared to dodge or counter… but the only thing that came out of the ground was a few bundles of spaghetti.
From right next to Frisk, the ground violently erupted! Mom’s Spaghetti’s malformed arm was aimed straight at the boy’s heart. His quick reflexes allowed him to intercept it with his left arm, but it only prolonged his life by a few seconds – spaghetti was moving towards the vital organ, writhing like maggots.
“FRIIIIIISK!”
With a sound similar to a bass drop, the boy summoned his force field over his own left arm! The wet tear of flesh being ripped apart made everyone cringe. Continuing his counterattack, Frisk took the spade Chara left with him and smashed it into the skeleton’s torso! Impasta flew back and disappeared into the earth once more.
Papyrus and Asriel ran to their friend. Frisk instantly knew what they were going to say from their expressions and answered pre-emptively. “It’s okay! It hurts like hell, but it’ll grow back later!”
Both older students let out sighs of relief. Right! Intensive healing magic! Papyrus looked at the strands of spaghetti on the ground, which were slowly returning the form of a severed arm. That was ridiculously gutsy of Frisk. He truly had the ability to inspire other people – that move planted the seed of a strategy in the skeleton’s skull. It would be risky, but very effective.
Papyrus turned to look at the now lifeless DT Drones. “But how are we going to track Impasta’s attacks? He could just fake us out again.”
Asriel bit his nails, sweat dampening his fur. “Well… there is a way. I didn’t want it to come to this because this brings back bad memories, but…!” He raised an arm into the air. Several thick vines emerged from within, weaving around the area and forming a barrier while also digging into the ground. “This should work as a better detector!”
The vines started turning into spaghetti. One-by-one, the noodles encroached on the plant matter.
“Asriel, stop! You’ll get hurt!”
“Focus on the enemy, moron!”
Papyrus shoved his hands into his pockets, then took them out and wrung them together. Okay… the spaghetti is slowly moving up the vines… so that means the place where there’s a higher proportion of vine is where he is now! And where he plans to emerge is… “Right beneath me!”
Mom’s Spaghetti emerged from below just as the horned skeleton jumped! “NYEHHEH~!” Bonetrousle reached out and grappled with the creature.
Both Asriel and Frisk jolted. What was he thinking!?
Impasta simply cackled. “IDIOT! You’ll turn into spaghetti!”
But he didn’t. Instead, Bonetrousle’s grip tightened and tightened… until the foetus’ arms shattered!
The demon in skeleton form wailed in agony, his arms also broken. “GRAAAAAAH! W-what is this!? How aren’t you a pile of noodles by now?”
“I coated both my and Bonetrousle’s hands in MTT-brand hand cream. That stuff’s amazingly thick – by using it as a sacrifice, it gave me the precious few moments for the attack to work.”
“Y-you slimy son of a- AAAAAAH!” Two swift kicks to the knees cut whatever the doppelganger was going to say short. Impasta fell to the ground, his limbs bent at unnatural angles.
Papyrus stood over him, his arms folded. “You need to touch something with your ‘limbs’ to activate your ability… in other words, now that you’re quadriplegic, the battle is over.”
Impasta was trembling and sweating, but he still had one last card to play. “Nyeh heh heh… You may have won the battle, but have you won the war? Is defeating me really for the best?”
Asriel started to step forward, vines forming into a makeshift gag. “Come on, don’t think we’re going to fall for that stupid-”
“Quiet, let him talk. He might have important information.” The skeleton gently pushed his classmate back.
“I ask you this: has your brother even once felt needed? He needs someone who cultivates the ‘need to protect’. Have you even once considered how jealous your brother was once you eclipsed him in every way?”
Those words dug into Papyrus like knives. Sans didn’t- Sans couldn’t have felt that way! …Could he? Anxiety started to well up inside him… and alongside that, a rarer emotion. The skeleton was clenching his fists so hard, they were starting to bleed.
Impasta continued, a gleeful grin on his face. “He needs someone to soothe his SOUL… not a person who makes him feel incompetent. In fact, it isn’t just your brother… it’s everyone. They want a precious cinnamon roll who’ll do whatever he’s told. Not someone who scares them. I’m the better Papyrus here.”
Now, if emotions were in the form of liquid, Papyrus’ were about to reach the boiling point. A deep, animalistic growl – one that would normally be impossible for a person to make – was starting to rise from within him.
“And you know what the biggest stinger is? They don’t think you’re cool!”
That was the last straw for Papyrus! Eyes changing to the cold reptilian lights that struck fear into the hearts of humans and monsters alike, he moved to attack!
“Papyrus, no!” Frisk and Asriel tried to hold their friend back, but it was as futile as a human trying to catch a shinkansen with their bare hands!
Without a hint of mercy, he pummelled the imposter to a pulp! Every single blow was enhanced by a sideways Blue Attack to hit with as much force as (in)humanly possible!
“NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH~!”
“NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH~!”
An uppercut sent Impasta into the air, giving Papyrus a small pause to inhale… before promptly resuming. “WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!” “NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH~! NYEHHEH~!” With a final punch from both Bonetrousle and Papyrus, Impasta smashed into the ground, leaving a smouldering crater in his wake.
The others thought the barrage would have never ended – they couldn’t believe only three minutes had passed! Impasta had been practically ripped apart by the fists of the borderline feral monster. And yet, he was still alive. Unconscious, possibly braindead or comatose, but still alive.
Papyrus’ eyes returned to their normal state, draconic blue fading into the familiar black dots. He turned back to the other two with a small smile. “See? I know full well what I’m doing. As long as we keep watching him, there’s nothing to fear.” He sat down cross-legged and rested his chin on his hands. “Now we just need to wait for Sans to track down the user.”
Sans dashed through the city, feeling very much like the lost tourist he was. There were way too many people here! It would take too much time to analyse or KO them one-by-one, and the amount of people meant that a ‘general’ scan of everyone’s auras had too much interference to pinpoint a single one!
“Is there a way to amplify the ‘signal’ we’re using to search for the user?”
“I dunno, I can normally feed information into Frisk’s cellphone, but I can access any electronic device in general.”
“So if, hypothetically, there was an electronic object that could receive information from wide areas, you’d be able to use that?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
The draconic skeleton grinned as he stopped at a mobile phone tower. “Perfect.” He pointed dramatically at the tower. “Go for it, kid!”
Chara briefly vanished into the tower before returning. “The enemy’s above us! He’s right over there, in that helicopter!”
Sans followed the spirit’s finger to a yellow airborne vehicle. That’s from the helicopter tour agency that bird from Waterfall made… Good to know business is booming, but I hope the pilot’s okay. He turned back around and flashed a grin at the boy. “Alright, nice job! Now all we need to do is figure out how to get up-” The skeleton noticed the spirit was looking at him with a mortified expression, as if he had stomped on a puppy. “…What?”
“Y-you bonehead…! Look down!”
Beneath Sans’ paws… was a mirror. “SON OF A BITCH!” He jumped off just as the mirror’s light formed his doppelganger. The enemy already predicted my move!? You’ve gotta be kidding me!
The creature the mirror formed looked exactly like him, except for one glaring detail: both its eyes were ignited, blue flames streaming out freely. “My precious, adorable baby brother… how DARE you attack him! You’re gonna have a bad- no, the WORST time!”
In the time space of a single blink, the beast was right in front of Sans. Shit! He’s fast! The world seemed to slow down as its claws neared his ribcage. They looked far sharper than the skeleton’s own claws… for some reason, that set off warning sirens in his head. Keeping his breathing rhythm consistent, he used his tail as leverage to backflip and avoid it!
The doppelganger’s swing kept going and hit a nearby wall! No… ‘hit’ wasn’t the right term. That would imply the wall managed to stop the attack. It punched straight through the stone like a professional martial artist!
Completely unharmed, the creature turned around and fixated its soulless gaze on its target. Sans gulped. Was it just him, or was it slowly getting taller? If ripping apart stone like tissue was only a taste of its true abilities, then… there was only one thing to do in response. He made a mad dash towards a nearby parked motorbike! A small surge of Ripple Energy through it was enough to turn on the engine. “I’m outta here!”
“KUUAAAA….”
The ensuing chase was a nightmare! Sans was forced to move away from the town centre, not wanting to get people caught in the crossfire between him and the pursuing predator. The skeleton realised how horrifying he could be when he went all-out. Talk about giving a new meaning to the phrase ‘you are your own worst enemy’…
The yellow helicopter’s form was quickly shrinking. Sans cursed under his breath. His goal was getting farther and farther away! And how big was this ability’s range!? He thought that moving away from the user would make the attack stop, but the demon just kept getting bigger and bigger.
The formerly short horns had become long and curved, like a dragon’s. The muzzle had fully extended, each individual tooth sharper than any weapon and a sizzling blue liquid leaking out. Concrete effortlessly shredded beneath its claws. And the laser…! Well… that hadn’t been fired yet, but once it mutated to the point where it gained its signature 「Surging Fang」 attack, Sans would be completely out of luck.
Regardless of how much it mutated, its tenacity to catch its prey remained the same. As inevitable as the sun rising, the demon dragon was determined to kill him. Slashed to ribbons, eaten alive, or vaporised. Those three paths were the only ones that were laid before Sans!
As the creature’s transformation progressed, its destructive power and speed increased. It was starting to gain on Sans! It felt like an unstoppable force was slowly dragging him towards his doom, that he and the dragon were being drawn together… Wait… a force… dragging people together… “YES! I figured it out!” The skeleton managed to pave his own fourth path! “Hey, Chara! Where’s the nearest DIY store? I need the route with the least possible collateral damage!”
“I’m not a smartphone! But to answer your question…”
Because Chara’s own life was on the line too, the spirit was very clear and specific with his instructions. The grateful Sans followed them to the letter. There was only one civilian in the way, and Sans’ vocal warning combined with the sight of the foul beast was more than enough motivation for her to escape the warpath.
Sans slid in and out of the store smoothly. “Step 1, complete! Now tell me the route to the nearest playground!”
Chara arched a brow. “Seriously!? At a time like this!?”
“Just do it! Trust me!”
Once more, the spirit and skeleton combo managed to reach the playground without incident. A tremendous roar from Sans cleared the children out of the area before the beast reached it. A part of him felt guilty for scaring the kids, but he reckoned being chased away by a man with a scary face would be a better fate than being devoured by a berserk beast.
His eyes frantically scanned the playground. Please be there, please be there, please be there… It is! Yes! Yes! YES! Sans abandoned his motorcycle, jumping onto the roundabout. This thing is made of metal… therefore, if I run Ripple Energy through it, I should be able to…
When Chara saw Sans produce two heavy duty magnets from his pockets, he couldn’t help but groan at the harebrained idea his acquaintance was trying to pull off. “Are you… are you stupid??”
The beast-like skeleton smirked. “Why even ask? ‘Stupid’ is my middle name.” He pointed the two magnets down, then concentrated his breathing. “COOOOOHHHHH….!”
With a jolt, the roundabout came loose! Sans had achieved flight! It really took a toll on his arms, but he only needed a few minutes in the air to reach the helicopter. See if you can catch up now, you overgrown lizard!
“BEHIND YOUUUU!” Sans had a miniature heart attack (despite being a skeleton…) as Chara grabbed his arm and wrenched the right magnet. The carousel violently spun vertically, narrowly avoiding a giant blue-white laser surging through the air.
The demon had grown bat-like wings. It was hot on his heels, firing lasers, and still gradually growing. Sans wondered if it would end up looking like one of the kaiju that terrorised cities in movies he saw with Alphys.
A sharp slap snapped the skeleton’s attention back to himself. “Concentrate, dammit! You’re the one holding the magnets!”
“R-right…”
Sans continued to manoeuvre around the beams by turning the magnets. It was… easier than expected, actually. Chara’s frantic screaming of directions helped. Lack of planes aside, it was like a futuristic, laser-filled dogfight. He could feel the exhilaration as wind blew against his bones, and the lasers that missed him made a pretty lightshow.
With adrenaline surging through him, it was almost starting to become fun for Sans! Then a laser hit the side of the roundabout and blew a chunk off. His blood ran cold as the debris knocked the magnet out of his left hand. The platform started to fall towards the gaping jaws of the beast… The two were about to descend into hell. One magnet wasn’t enough to maintain flight!
The dragon-like skeleton grit his teeth, and in one, final Ripple-charged leap, leapt for the helicopter. His claws barely scraped the paint off the side of the door. No! So close, yet so far!
But another surprise was in store for him: someone caught his outstretched arm. “Chara!?”
The spirit only grinned, before hurling the skeleton up with all his might. Chara only had the strength of a normal human, but the boost was enough for Sans to make it!
When the passenger inside the helicopter saw a very angry dragondog flying at him, he did the only thing possible: scream.
Jerry whimpered, shrinking under the gaze of the five Fragment Users surrounding him. He had already been mauled by that beast that climbed into the helicopter… what more did they want to do to him?
Both replicas dissolved into nothing upon Jerry’s defeat. Frisk’s arm could be healed via a combination of Asriel’s healing magic and his own DT.
The helicopter pilot had been bribed by Jerry to extend the tour – the time they spent in the air – and nothing else. Upon finding out that the potato sack-like monster nearly got several people killed, the pilot chose to look the other way while the Fragment Users decided what to do with him.
“Pleeease, have mercy!” Jerry wailed. “It was just a prank – I only wanted to ruin your reputation with a fake you, I had no idea it would have ended up like this!”
Papyrus unfolded his arms. “Alright… apology accepted, I suppose. I don’t really want to touch your hand, so instead of a handshake, I’ll do this!” SMASH!
“UWAAAAAAAAAA!” With a single punch, Jerry became the first land-based monster to soar into the skies unaided!
Asriel whistled at the twinkle in the sky Jerry had become. “Wow, Papyrus. That was pretty harsh.”
His classmate shrugged. “I’m only following Undyne’s example – in the Royal Guard, she used to hit misbehaving people to slap sense into them. It would be a double standard if I couldn’t!”
“Yeah, that was to knock some sense into them. You just knocked him out!”
“More like outta the atmosphere, eh?” Sans winked and made finger guns. Everyone else simultaneously facepalmed.
Frisk peered into the orange sky, shading his eyes with his hand. “Hey, when is he coming back down?”
Chara returned to human form and helped Frisk look, but instantly regretted his decision when a greasy meteor slammed into him. “Eww, I can taste the oil! Get him off, get him off, get him offffff!”
Sans smirked at the sight, but noticed that they were already casting long shadows. Already evening, huh? He gazed at the setting sun. Gaster and the Boss monsters were still on the beach, milking the picturesque view for all it was worth. “So much for an enjoyable day trip…” His sombre mood was sliced through by two comforting hands on his shoulders. “Frisk? Paps?”
Papyrus smiled warmly. “Come on, don’t get all gloomy… We can come back at any time!”
“Nothing stopping us,” Frisk added.
Even Chara and Asriel were smiling at him reassuringly!
“In faaact…” Papyrus dug into his bag, then produced two sets of room keys. “We don’t need to come back in the future – we can stay here overnight! I hope you don’t mind that we’ll have to share the beach… but here, I rented some rooms at a nearby hotel. The money I saved up from all those part-time jobs finally has a use!”
Sans’ jaw dropped. “B-but that took you all year to earn!”
“For my brother’s happiness, it’s worth it! Times have changed, the opportunity for do-overs is scarce. Let’s take this one while we still can.
Papyrus took on his signature triumphant pose, placing a hand on his chest as a non-existent wind ruffled his clothes. “I’ve even prepared my own itinerary for the day! There’s plenty to do here. Tomorrow, let’s really enjoy Eversunny Bay!”
As cliché a response as it was, the skeleton couldn’t help but shed a tear of joy. Impasta and Jerry got it wrong – in the end, Papyrus was the one who was there for him. When it came to greatness, the skeleton could be replaced by no one.
Jerry: Hospitalised for at least a year. RETIRED!
Jerry‘s Funhouse Mirror
Combat Stats
Destructive Power: None
Speed: None
Range: A
Durability: A
Precision: None
Developmental Potential: A
Ability
Two separate full-length mirrors that on their own, do absolutely nothing. However, when a person aside from Jerry touches it, they collect data. From that data, they can create an exaggerated replica of the person in question. The replica has the same amount of ‘power’ as the original, although it may come in a different form due to the character exaggeration altering their abilities.
These replicas have their own personality, but will react violently if attacked, regardless of the person they are based off.
Each mirror can only hold data for one replica at a time, and only manifest one replica at a time, but it can continuously respawn until either the data is replaced or the user is incapacitated.
Phantom Fragment Users
“Impasta”
Can make others unravel into spaghetti from direct contact with its limbs. Objects that touch said spaghetti can also unravel, spreading like a virus. However, the user cannot use this attack on himself, and the objects only stay unravelled as long as the user maintains focus.
“Doppelsanser”
A powerful and horrifying demon, its strength unrivalled by even determined humans and Boss Monsters. Its claws can pierce the thickest of armour, and its lasers obliterate all in its path. Once it is at its maximum power, it would take an entire army to destroy it.