Chapter Text
The Last Corridor. Two figures standing at opposite sides while staring at each other, one is a human and the other is a skeleton monster.
...
Sans: so... you're back again. didn't learn much did we?
...
Sans: well, what'd you miss this time? a bit of dialogue, an item, or some stats?
...
Sans: what's that? you wanna know why i didn't just take you out at the start?
...
Sans: heh, well the answer is that... i considered it.
...
"once or twice."
And now, deep in the hollow forest of Snowdin. The skeleton monster ambushes the very same human, and snatched their SOUL in blink of an eye.
Sans: not this time, sorry.
Sans hides the SOUL by putting it inside of his hoodie, doing so would make sure the SOUL wouldn't break.
Sans: huh, caught you before you could even reset. one would say it's a miracle... funny, huh?
...
Sans: you shouldn't have come back kid.
Sans leaves the area via a "shortcut" while the human's body rests in amidst of the snow.
Using the shortcut, Sans is now at the throne room of the castle. Where Asgore tended to his flowers.
Sans: ...sir?
Asgore: Oh? Is someone there?
Sans: hey, fluffybuns.
Asgore: Sans? I did not hear you come in. Were you wanting to visit? You look like you have something to get off your chest.
Sans: heh... oh boy do i.
...
Sans: ta-dah.
Though the moment the SOUL started cracking, Sans immediately hid it again to reinforce the damage.
Asgore: Sans... were you one to...
Sans: i'm a sentry, i did my job for once. and, it should be over now... this is the last soul, right?
Asgore: Sans...
Sans: you have seven. the barrier can finally be broken, and monsters go free.
Asgore: Well... about that.
Sans grimaces, almost like he expected this but not fully.
Asgore: Would you walk with me for a moment?
Sans: sure.
The king and his sentry are now at The Barrier.
Asgore: This is the barrier, I'm sure you already know that... and here-
Six SOUL containment jars.
Asgore: -are the SOULs. Six SOULs collected over several years, locked away here at the barrier. And thanks to you, there is now seven.
...
Asgore: But... I must be honest with you. I am not ready for this, we cannot open the barrier yet.
Sans: what... what do you mean? it's right there. i just need to pass you the soul and you do your thing and it'll be done.
Asgore: Sans, to cross the barrier... I only needed one SOUL. But, I dared not to cross. Knowing how my son died.
...
Asgore: It is true however, that with seven... I can free us, I can become a god. A god among monsters.
Sans: but?
Asgore: But, among humans it would matter not. There are millions of them, and only hundreds of us. If they knew everything, the past, the declaration, the children. They would destroy us all.
Sans says nothing, leaving with dreadful silence and the ambience of the barrier.
Asgore: Let us think carefully of this... over a cup of tea. We'll put the SOUL away with the others for now. And I'm sorry that-
Sans: nope.
Sans lightly smacked Asgore's hand away.
Sans: even if i wanted to, i'm barely able to keep this soul together. it's not gonna make it in a glass jar. and sides', i didn't break a promise to sit down and drink tea.
Sans's white pupils disappear, notifying his distraught state.
Sans: we didn't kill seven kids to just wait a few extra years to get a happy ending.
...
Sans: sorry asgore, i can't afford to slack off on this.
Asgore: Sans... I do not know what you're thinking of, but surely there is time to talk?
Sans readies himself, ridding dust from his hoodie's fur.
Sans: it has to happen, it's my burden of this situation.
Asgore: Now, now... no need to be brash my friend.
...
With a quick up-swing, Sans levitates the six SOULs. Freeing them in the process.
Asgore: NO! You must not! The future of everyone depends on it!
...
Sans: i know.
With the seven SOULs circling around him, Sans' body began to glow in radiant light. And then...
...
The Barrier was destroyed.
Meanwhile in few moments before Sans took action with the SOULs...
Papyrus: SANS? BROTHER?
Papyrus seems to be searching for his brother, while entering the very area the human was ambushed.
Papyrus: BROTHER, WHERE ARE YOU? YOU LAZYBONES, YOU LEFT YOUR POST WIDE OPEN!
There, he found the body.
Papyrus: OH MY! IS THAT A... HUMAN?
...
Papyrus: HELLO? ARE YOU... SLEEPING?
Ringing... it's Papyrus' phone.
Papyrus: HM? YES MARTLET?
...
Papyrus: NO, I'M STILL SEARCHING. I DID FIND SOMETHING STRANGE ON MY PATH HOWEVER.
...
Papyrus: YES! NOTIFY ME WHEN YOU FIND MY BROTHER.
Ending the call, Papyrus crouches down and inspects the human. Feeling no SOUL presence in them, and poking didn't wake them up either. So his next course of action... is to carry them and leave the area.
Papyrus: MY, YOU'RE LIGHTWEIGHT! PERHAPS I COULD TAKE YOU TO UNDYNE? SHE'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO.
Knock, Knock.
Undyne: Papyrus! What's-
The sight of Papyrus carrying a (sleepy?) human was a genuine surprise at her doorstep.
Undyne: Papyrus... is that-
Papyrus: A HUMAN? YES! BUT THEY'RE UNCONSCIOUS. I FOUND THEM RESTING IN THE SNOW WHILE I WAS TRYING TO FIND MY BROTHER.
Undyne: ...Papyrus, let me...
Undyne touches the human's forehead, feeling...
Undyne: Papyrus? They're cold.
Papyrus: COLD?
Undyne: Wait! Where's the human's SOUL?
Papyrus: OH! I ALMOST FORGOT! WELL... I DIDN'T SENSE ANYTHING WITHIN THE HUMAN, SO I THOUGHT I COULD TAKE THEM TO YOU FOR HELP!
...
Undyne: Papyrus, we need to go to Alphys. Quick!
It seems urgent for Undyne that by her assumptions, some monster killed the human child and took their SOUL rather than reporting it to the Royal Guard. And speaking of which, her and Papyrus run to the path of Hotland. There they'll be at Alphys' lab in no time.
Papyrus: YOU'RE ASSUMING SOMEONE TOOK THE HUMAN'S SOUL?
Undyne: They're supposed to report the SOUL to us! Whatever they're doing, it can't be good!
Papyrus: WHICH MEANS... I'VE BEEN CARRYING A CORPSE FOR THIS WHOLE TIME?!
Undyne: Not how I put it, but yeah! And why are you still carrying that thing?
Papyrus: I CAN'T LEAVE THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE! IT'S PREPOSTEROUS! I INSIST WE GIVE THEM A PROPER BURIAL. AND WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER I'LL GO BACK TO FINDING MY LAZY BROTHER!
Undyne: S-sure Pap'.
They reached to their destination and entered, and already Alphys becoming a nervous wreck the moment she sees Undyne. As always.
Papyrus: ALRIGHT DOCTOR! WITH THE HUMAN IN THE MONITOR'S SCANS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DETECT THEIR SOUL IN NO TIME!
Alphys: S-sure! I'll do my best...
While Alphys was finding the SOUL's location via the lab's monitor, Undyne asks Papyrus...
Undyne: Hey Paps'... Your brother's sentry post... is it near at the Ruins?
Papyrus: I BELIEVE SO. WHY?
Undyne: Do you think... he killed them?
Papyrus: WHAT?! NONSENSE! I'VE KNOWN MY BROTHER SINCE I LIVED AND HE'S INCAPABLE OF COMMITTING SUCH VIOLENCE LIKE THIS! AND I DON'T THINK HE'D BE THE ONE TO STEAL THE SOUL FOR HIMSELF.
Undyne: Right! Right.
Papyrus: BUT DON'T APOLOGIZE, YOU WERE SIMPLY ASKING! IF I HAD AN ASSUMPTION... I'D SAY IT'S A MONSTER DWELLER THAT TOOK THE SOUL! THERE'S STILL BAD MONSTERS ROAMING IN THE UNDERGROUND-
Alphys: W-what? This can't be right...
...
Undyne: What is it Alphys?
Alphys: A-alright so, I traced the residual energy left from the human, decoded the pattern, and deployed an ultrasonic scan of the entire underground to find a matching signal. I checked three times now, yet I keep getting the impossible results! You won't believe when I say this...
...
Alphys: The SOUL is already at the castle.
Papyrus: OH! MAYBE THE SITUATION ISN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL!
Right when Papyrus finishes his sentence, Undyne bursts down a wall of the building and running at MACH SPEED to the castle, worrying for Asgore's safety.
Papyrus: OH DEAR... DR. ALPHYS? PLEASE TEND TO THE HUMAN AND BRING THEM TO THE CASTLE IF YOU CAN!
Alphys: O-okay?!
There's a lone kitsune fox monster staring at the horizon of New Home at a balcony. Ceroba Ketsukane. Fitted with her same outfit, this time the reds are replaced with teals. And unfortunately her enjoyment of inner-peace is interrupted by a commotion between Undyne and Papyrus on their way to the castle. Ceroba couldn't help but listen.
Undyne: ASGORE'S IS IN TROUBLE! COME ON PAPYRUS!
Papyrus: I NEVER SEEN YOU THIS STRESSED UNDYNE, WHAT'S GOING ON?
Undyne: Paps', absorbing one SOUL can make you a powerful being! But with seven SOULs? A humongous threat! A LITERAL GOD!
Papyrus: PERHAPS WE CAN NEGOTIATE THEM? OR THEY DON'T WANT TO FIGHT THE KING AT ALL? MY BEST GUESS IS THEY'LL BREAK THE BARRIER!
Undyne: I... nnnnnnAAAGH! SCREW THIS, I'M DONE THINKING! I JUST WANNA BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THAT ROGUE MONSTER!
Undyne lets out her signature battle cry, summoning multitude of floating spears at her possession. Back to Ceroba, she couldn't believe what she heard. A rogue monster stole the seventh SOUL?
The castle... the six SOULs...
...
Ceroba: Clover!
Without a second thought, Ceroba followed pursuit of Undyne and Papyrus...
...Only to stop when-
Undyne: Of all times for the elevator to not work!
Papyrus: WAIT, IT'S FIXED! UNDYNE YOU CAN-
Ceroba: E-excuse me?
...
Papyrus: OH! HELLO FOX PERSON! ME AND MY SUPERIOR ARE KINDA BUSY-
Ceroba: I'm also going to the castle, I heard your commotion so you can spare me the details.
Papyrus: VERY WELL! LET US GET IN TO THE ELEVATOR!
Undyne's living in hell trying to reach to the castle... Ceroba and Papyrus on the other hand, held an interesting conversation.
Papyrus: SO MS. KETSUKANE, ARE YOU ALSO IN THE ROYAL GUARD? IS THAT WHY YOU'RE COMING ALONG WITH US?
Ceroba: Ah, no. it's rather... personal.
...
Ceroba: One of the six SOULs... he was a friend of mine.
Papyrus: OH... MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES.
Ceroba: Appreciate it. They were one of the kindest humans I have ever met, practically befriended every monster they came across! And... in their last moments, they gave up their SOUL to us. In the hope that we'll get to see the surface again...
SNIFF
Hearing the snippet origin of Ceroba's friend had Papyrus getting teary.
Papyrus: YOUR FRIEND... WAS TRULY THE GREATEST! OH HOW LUCKY YOU TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE THAT MS. KETSUKANE!
Ceroba: L-lucky? No... I-I don't deserve him... not when I...
...
Ceroba: Ah, forget it. The point is, I'm not going to sit by while Clover's SOUL is going to be used as a tool for someone's selfish ends. Which is why I'm coming along with you... and Undyne of course.
Papyrus: WELL SAID!
...
"It's the least I can do..."
Elevator's bell chimed, they're here!
Though it appears Undyne got to the throne room first, while Papyrus and Ceroba arrived last.
Undyne: Damn it! Asgore's not here?! He must be at the barrier!
Papyrus: UNDYNE, WE'RE HERE! AND I BROUGHT ALONG A FRIEND!
Undyne: Who... oh, Ms. Ketsukane? Why are you here?
Ceroba: Well, personal stuff. But don't worry, I'm no stranger to combat.
Undyne: Huh... well then! We can take all the help we can get-
A loud cosmic shattering sound booms and echos in the entirety of the Underground. Undyne and Ceroba shield their ears while Papyrus startled and cowered in panic.
...
Ceroba: Was... that...?
Undyne: Papyrus, stay here.
Papyrus: AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!
The girls see that the barrier is fully destroyed, with the only thing they can see is the light...
Ceroba: By the angel... the barrier is... gone?
Undyne: Maybe... maybe is Asgore was given the SOUL?
They're finally at the surface and they see Asgore, staring at something. Ceroba saw glimpse of tears on Asgore...
Asgore: Undyne? Ceroba?
Ceroba: Your majesty!
Undyne: You did it?! You opened the barrier?
...
Asgore: No... I did not.
Undyne: Then who...
The thing that Asgore was staring fully rises, Undyne only sees the big radiant light and the seven SOULs. But what Asgore and Ceroba see, is the addition of six wings.
Undyne: I... I don't know who or what you are. But...
Undyne summons motherload of spears at her disposal, against the rogue god-among-monsters.
Undyne: YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE BACK THOSE SOULS!
Undyne begins her assault!
Undyne: Show yourself!
...
Undyne: Who do you think you are? It's the job of Royal Guards and Sentries to get the human SOUL! Why would you steal for yourself?!
...
Undyne: Ngah! START TALKING ALREADY!
...
"it's okay undyne... i'm right here..."
...That voice...
"but, i've definitely been in a better shape though."
It's Sans.
...
Seraphim Sans.