Just Cause
An Undertale Fanfiction
Chapter 15: Saved by Fire
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Looking For a Bad Time
Chapter 2: What The Killer Gave Up
Chapter 3: A Dangerous Path
Chapter 4: Fatal Mistakes
Chapter 5: Surrendered Memories
Chapter 6: Revenge?
Chapter 7: The Person I Was
Chapter 8: Leaving Hope Behind
Chapter 9: Seeking the Source
Chapter 10: Uncertain Friendship
Chapter 11: Dating WTF?!
Chapter 12: I Don't Know How to Feel
Chapter 13: Mutual Protection
Chapter 14: Spear of Torment
Chapter 15: Saved by Fire (You are here)
Chapter 16: Welcome to the Show
Chapter 17: Nostalgia
Chapter 18: The Only Two I Thought I Had
Chapter 1: Looking For a Bad Time
Chapter 2: What The Killer Gave Up
Chapter 3: A Dangerous Path
Chapter 4: Fatal Mistakes
Chapter 5: Surrendered Memories
Chapter 6: Revenge?
Chapter 7: The Person I Was
Chapter 8: Leaving Hope Behind
Chapter 9: Seeking the Source
Chapter 10: Uncertain Friendship
Chapter 11: Dating WTF?!
Chapter 12: I Don't Know How to Feel
Chapter 13: Mutual Protection
Chapter 14: Spear of Torment
Chapter 15: Saved by Fire (You are here)
Chapter 16: Welcome to the Show
Chapter 17: Nostalgia
Chapter 18: The Only Two I Thought I Had
A few seconds before his boss was supposed to arrive, Sans teleported to his Hotland sentry station.
The moment he materialized, the sound that greeted him made him almost wish he’d stayed away.
“Come on, is that all you’ve got!?”
As Undyne’s strained, struggling voice drifted through the cavern and washed across him, grim resignation pulled Sans’ eyelids closed.
The kid might actually be killing her.
I’d hoped they were past that.
The frantic ring of spear on spear clawed at his head, and one of Sans’ hands gripped the other. Undyne wasn’t about to go gently, but…
“Your legs are dissolving!” the human’s frantic voice wailed. “You need to stop and heal yourself!”
But it sounded like she was already over the edge. I wonder how long she’ll stay dead before the time traveler wants to play with her again.
The spears continued to clash, while Undyne’s increasingly shaky voice fought to drag itself from her faltering chest. Sans’ fingers tightened around each other, and he knew that if his jaw could move, it would be clenched.
Her attacks are getting slower. It probably won’t be long.
If I tried to heal her now, would it work?
Does it even matter?
“Undyne, stop throwing spears at me and eat something! What about Alphys? And Asgore? And P… Papyrus…”
That last name broke their trembling voice, and the sound sent a spark of bitter hope swirling through Sans’ chest, forming and dissolving like a snowflake dancing through Hell.
So they do care about him. Enough to beg their assailant to survive for his sake.
“They’ll miss you if you die, won’t they? So you have to eat something before your stomach dissolves!”
Too bad they’re probably just another helpless pawn in this sick, endless game. If the timeline was in their hands…
“Fuhuhu… you think I need food to deal with someone like you? Pathetic. Punk, if you want to beat me, you’re going to have to try harder than that!”
The spears had grown painfully slow, and Sans could tell from the sound that not one of them found its mark. Trust Undyne to keep trying this hard when she knows she can’t win.
More words, more spears. More distortion in Undyne’s voice – her torso was probably starting to dissolve.
The sound began to fade from his mind, numbness stealing across his soul as he tried to block the pain. I’ll have to tell people not to tell Papyrus. Poor guy… aside from me, she’s the only close friend he has.
Sure, he has the human, but… even if they decided to stay, I doubt they could make a life for themselves here after killing Undyne.
I wonder how long I’ll have to fight to keep him happy before we suddenly forget that any of this ever happened.
“Had enough yet?” Undyne managed, and the answering voice was a pained, frustrated wail.
“I had enough a bunch of deaths ago!”
Snap.
In an instant, the world grew crystal-clear. Sans’ eyes flew wide open, his pupils shrank, and his breath stalled in his frozen chest.
They died more than once.
AND THEY REMEMBER IT.
The child was crying now, begging Undyne to stop fighting and get food, get help, get something. To do anything other than keep attacking until she died.
“Please, I don’t want you to die, but I don’t want to die again! I just want to leave!”
I see. Understanding formed in the skeleton’s mind, bittersweet and crystal-clear. Either they ARE the time traveler, or they can remember every part of the timeline even if they can’t control it.
Either they’re going back in time themselves, and I’ve finally found the source, or the anomaly is jerking them back and forth, making them relive these terrible experiences over and over.
This timeline’s lasted longer than the other ones…
I wonder if a new time manipulator can take over from a previous one.
And I wonder how long I’ll remember that I learned any of this.
“No… No!” Undyne’s voice rose to a harsh, sharp roar, and a glance to his right seemed to carve the haunting image into the back of Sans’ skull.
The hero of the Underground, his brother’s best friend, was nothing more than a cloud of barely recognizable dust, holding a shattered semblance of a shape through desperate willpower alone.
“Not yet! I won’t die! NGAHHHHHHHH!!!”
The fish’s hoarse, defiant roar clawed at every corner of the chasm, and Sans caught his breath in horror and awe as her dust spread to the edge of oblivion, only for the resolute warrior to drag herself back from the brink, forcing her destroyed body into a perfectly coherent form.
“I WON’T DIE!”
The human child shrank back, still held in place by the grip of their opponent’s magic. Even now, Undyne’s hold was as relentless as the voice that clashed against the stone. “I WON’T DIE!”
What on Earth is… is she…
Melting. Undyne was melting.
Just like his canine coworkers’ eerily fused parents.
“I WON’T DIE!”
Even without injections, her determination is still enough to melt her when her HP is low.
“I WON’T…”
But not enough to save her.
As her faltering form finally scattered, Sans closed his eyes, gathering his magic. I should probably say something to the kid, but… I’m not sure how they’d react if they realized I knew.
Before I try that, I should at least see if I can make a note in my workshop before time goes backward again. Hopefully I can get the note to stick this time.
The world around him faded away, and just as he teleported away from his sentry station, Sans thought he heard the distant beginnings of a traumatized scream.
~*~*~*~
No… oh no… oh no no no no no…
As the wind scattered Undyne’s dust across the unforgiving stone, Frisk’s stomach clenched in a violent convulsion that would have emptied it if it hadn’t already been hollow.
I killed her… I killed her… she’s dead…
The mocking echoes of monster voices whispered through their mind, like ruthless judges bringing their punishment for this latest sin.
“You were stronger than I thought.”
Toriel…
“Be good, won’t you? …My child…”
I didn’t… I wasn’t – I-
Another dry heave brought them to their knees, cutting off the beginnings of a scream. A swirl of wind brought a cloud of Undyne’s dust dancing toward them like a vengeful specter, and the child scrambled to their feet, reeling blindly down the path in their haste to get away.
What happens if her dust gets on me? Will her essence live on in me? Will she be inside me, hating me from the inside out forever?
A sudden mechanical shriek jolted them violently from their thoughts, and Frisk glanced around wildly, their heart hammering at their ribs with renewed desperation.
WHAT IS… oh... my phone.
Frisk groped for the device, keeping a wary eye on the floating dust cloud as the cavern’s chaotic air current drew it away from the path and into the glowing magma below. So this mountain’s a volcano… I guess Undyne would like living on in that.
I hope her essence doesn’t use the volcano to try to kill me.
They brought the phone to their ear, shakily pressed the “talk” button, then stammered, “H-hello?”
“Hey! What’s up!?”
“Oh… hi, Papyrus. I was just...”
And then the nausea was back, cutting off their words as their stomach convulsed. The other end of the line went silent for a moment, as if waiting for them to continue, but…
I don’t know what to say. Should I tell him? I don’t want to.
Breathe, Frisk, just try to breathe…
“So, uh, I was just thinking…” the skeleton began, and Frisk flinched.
He sounds uncomfortable. Can he tell something’s wrong?
“You sound kind of upset, human.”
Oh, no.
“But I know just the thing to cheer you up!”
I don’t think anything could right now, but if you’ve thought of something-
“You, me, and Undyne should all hang out sometime! I think you would make great pals! Let’s meet up at her house later!”
I was riiiiiight!
Their internal whimpering rose to a wail, almost loud enough to drown out the sound of Papyrus starting to run even as he hung up. A sob racked their shuddering chest, and their mind swam with a vision of the skeleton standing by a door, waiting for a friend who was never coming back.
“Is it fun when people’s family members never come home?”
Dash…
Grief shook their soul like an earthquake, carving a whole new chasm for their guilt to fill.
No… I know how that feels. And it’s probably the same with friends. Now Papyrus is going to feel it… because of me.
I can’t…
Their trembling legs carried them to the edge of the path, a reluctant, inexorable trek to the chasm where Undyne’s dust had vanished. The magma glowed up at them, its luminous, undulating maw blazing into their eyes like a grim proclamation: I’m waiting for you.
A final whimper rose in their throat, and as every cell in their shaking body begged them to stop, they stepped over the edge.
~*~*~*~
“EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”
As the world around them blurred into existence, Frisk’s hands reflexively pounded on their arms, flailing in desperation to put out the flames. Phantom heat seared every inch of their trembling form, and it was only as their second scream faded from the air that they finally began to realize they were no longer on fire.
I didn’t sink, why didn’t I sink?! It took so long, and hurt so much… I think the landing broke my legs...
The burning sensation was back, and it took them a moment to realize it was tears instead of fire.
I can’t do it, I can’t do that again…
“That’s right, you’d better scream!”
Their eyes snapped up to the top of the hill, and a shudder ran from their flinching head to their clenching toes as the gold of Undyne’ stare and the red of the cavern behind her burned into their eyes.
It looks like fire… it’s going to hurt. She’s going to hurt me again, and again, and again, forever…
I shouldn’t have brought her back. I shouldn’t have done that to myself! I don’t want to make Papyrus sad, I don’t want to be bad… but I just… I can’t…
A sob shook their small body, and Undyne’s eye narrowed. “Are you crying? Wow. What a grade-A wimp! Not so tough now that you’re up against a real warrior instead of a helpless victim, huh?”
They weren’t helpless, they were killing me! Another sob jolted through them, and Frisk fought to blink away the blurriness in their eyes. I’M the one who feels helpless right now!
I just want to go. I just want to leave. I just want you to stop hurting me. I…
I meant to say that out loud. I don’t think my throat is working right now. Nothing is working, it’s all locked up… I probably can’t even block like this.
“Fuhuhu,” Undyne crowed, “this is gonna be too easy! Well, like I said, prepare for our battle however you want!”
She’s not starting the fight. For a moment, the accumulated pain of far too many deaths faded from their mind, washed away by a comforting surge of something close to gratitude. She’s going to fight me, but not until I’m ready. She’s letting me recover first.
He would never have done that.
“But know that when you step forward, I’ll give you a REAL reason to cry!”
I know. The flash of relief and gratitude faded, like a flame dying into charcoal. But among the sad, resigned ashes, a spark of hope still clung to life. Adults are still horrible, and this world is still cruel. But they aren’t completely merciless. There are still little bits of mercy here and there; there’s something to hold onto.
I can hold onto that, for as long as I have to.
After I take a minute to sit down and figure out how to breathe again.
~*~*~*~
Of all the adjectives Frisk would have expected to apply to Undyne, “patient” would not have been one of them.
And yet, even though it had taken what felt like forever for their heart to stop pounding and their hands to stop shaking enough that they could once again hold a spear, the fish had not begun the fight until they finally forced themselves to their feet and told her they were ready.
Now, sweat was pouring down their face, memories of fiery agony conspiring with the exertion of battle and the all-too-nearby heat of the volcano to send dizziness pounding through their head.
The clinging green of their soul gave way to red, and Frisk reeled down the lava-flanked path, blinking salt from their eyes and squinting at the small, blurry shape that swam on the edge of their vision. Is that… a sentry station?
Another swift series of blinks and the structure blurred into focus, along with a round white head atop a familiar blue hoodie.
Sans.
The name washed across their mind like a wave of cool water, sending a tide of relief flooding through their weary, aching soul. Thank goodness, it’s finally over. He’ll make Undyne stop. I’m Papyrus’ friend, so he wouldn’t let her kill me – I mean, he is…
He’s…
The brown of the sentry station flared in their mind, its meaning finally registering in Frisk’s throbbing head, and a jagged stone lodged itself in their throat and chest.
He’s a sentry.
“SANS!”
The call Frisk had thought of releasing cut through the air, but instead of a child’s cry for help, it was a demanding shout from their tormentor, ordering their friend to join the hunt. “The human’s heading your way! Wake up and turn them blue already!”
No… no, please, no no no no no…
A sob rose in Frisk’s throat, and the backs of their eyes began to burn as if the water inside them had turned into lava. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening! I can’t fight them both at once. They’re too strong, and I’m all by myself, and Sans is my…
The thought died in their mind, along with the flicker of hope the sight of the skeleton had inspired. The half-contained sob finally escaped, and as the sentry station drew near, it was suddenly blurred by a fog of tears.
He can’t be friends with me. It’s his job to capture me, and now his boss is here to make sure he actually does it.
I should probably look at him – I should watch for attacks – but I… I…
Can’t.
The station loomed on their left, and that side of their body prickled in painful anticipation of an assault they couldn’t bring themselves to watch. Their breath caught in a choking sob, and it wasn’t until Undyne’s scream tore at their ears that they realized they’d closed their eyes.
“SAAAANS!”
The human’s eyes flew open, and their heart slammed against their ribs as they realized how close they’d come to falling off the bridge and suffering a second fiery demise. Their head began to turn, but fear of the lethal drop kept their stare glued to the wooden planks as the sleeping skeleton shrank into the distance behind them.
“Get up, you lazy punk!”
OH NO. A flash of fresh terror slammed into Frisk, dragging them to a halt and spinning them around to face Undyne despite the screams of their sense of self-preservation. He didn’t stop me. He didn’t do his job. He didn’t even try.
She’s going to kill him.
“DON’T-” The cry strangled itself in their throat, and for a moment, they could only stare in confusion at the inexplicable scene that was playing out in front of them.
Undyne was still yelling, flailing with one arm while pointing at Frisk with the other, clearly enraged. And yet, Sans hadn’t moved an inch.
His eyes were still closed, his shoulders moving gently up and down with his slow, rhythmic breath, and he showed no signs of responding to the fish’s deafening roar.
He isn’t scared? Does he know she won’t hurt him?
Is he… Warmth flushed through their chest, melting the stone that had lodged in their throat into a tentative trickle of hope. Is he distracting her for me?
UAH!
As if hearing their musings and realizing she’d been tricked, Undyne suddenly snapped her head toward them, then lunged in their wake like a train engine roaring down the tracks. A small scream burst from their throat as Frisk turned to run, and self-recrimination pounded through their mind in time with their flying feet.
I’m stupid, I’m stupid, I stood around waiting when I should have been running, she’s going to catch me now!
The ominous clanging behind them began to slow, and the faltering of Undyne’s ruthless rhythm was all but drowned out by the roar of heat and blood in Frisk’s head.
“Armor… so… hot…”
The fish’s voice continued to murmur dazedly, but the rest of her comment was lost in the distance as Frisk continued to reel down the path. Somewhere behind them, the sound of her footsteps warped into a louder, more chaotic crash, as if a complex metallic structure had fallen on the unforgiving stone, but the child didn’t dare look back again.
It was only when the golden flare of a save point drew near that they finally risked turning around, scanning their surroundings to make sure they weren’t about to save themselves into an inescapable loop of death.
The path they’d just traveled blurred into view behind the river of sweat in their eyes, and a frown of confusion tugged at their brow as they tried to guess what could have caused the sight that met their widening stare.
The path was empty.
Undyne was nowhere to be seen, and the sentry station was vacant.
Oh, no. Fear exploded in their chest, freezing their heaving lungs in place and sending a panicked tremor through their hands. Did she give up on chasing me and go back to hurt Sans? Did she kill him? Is he dead?!
Their stomach turned over, and their breath began to shake. Did I just let him die, just like I let… no… NO… Sickness rose in their stomach, and a new wave of tears began to burn the backs of their eyes. He can’t be dead, I can’t have just… I would have heard something, wouldn’t I?
The metallic crash echoed in their ears, and they frantically searched their memory for any sound that resembled it enough to offer an explanation.
It didn’t sound like any of Undyne’s attacks. It sounded more like something metal falling over.
Is that it? Did Undyne fall over?
Did Sans attack her? Would he do that for me? Hope flickered through their chest, a thread of silver lining that struggled to stay afloat amid the cloud of doubt that instantly rose to swallow it. I don’t think he would – we barely know each other. But maybe he’d do it for Papyrus, so his friend wouldn’t get killed?
COULD he beat Undyne in a fight? She’s really strong, but he’s fast, and it sounded like she was slowing down. Was it because he hit her? Could he get through her armor so fast that… wait… “armor so hot…”
Frisk’s eyes widened, and their breath caught. Maybe that’s it. Maybe the heat made her fall over, and Sans carried her away.
That would mean he was only pretending to sleep. He refused to help her on purpose. He didn’t stop me… although… he also didn’t stop her…
Conflicted emotions churned through their chest, and Frisk’s teeth pressed against their lip as the chaotic tide threatened to overwhelm them. I couldn’t expect him to fight her for me; it’s his job to stop me, and I was bad. If he distracted her on purpose, that’s more than I could have asked for, especially if it got him in trouble.
I hope nothing bad happens to him because he didn’t hurt me. Maybe if Undyne passed out from the heat and he took her somewhere cool, that will make up for it and he’ll be okay.
…
I should call Papyrus just to make sure.
~*~*~*~
Sans hadn’t expected to hear from the human until they reached his hot dog stand. And yet, Papyrus’ phone began ringing only seconds after the taller skeleton stumbled breathlessly into Undyne’s house, just as Sans finished teleporting the overheated fish out of her armor and into the bathtub for a cool soak.
Her mumbled protests against being bathed while she still had her pants and tank top on were drowned out by the hiss of running water, and Sans left the room quickly – partly to allow his boss to disrobe in privacy, and partly because he wanted to catch as much of his brother’s conversation as possible.
“You want to know where my brother is? Wowie… you must worry about him as much as I do. But fear not, human; he is here at Undyne’s house, safe and sound, under the protection of the great Papyrus.
“Oh, Undyne? She, too, is here, also under my protection. Sans called my popular phone hotline to tell me apparently she tipped over near his sentry station, and might be in need of my expert care. So, um… I’m afraid she might not be feeling up to hanging out with us. But never fear; I’ll always be here, on the other end of the phone, being your cool friend!”
Hope and relief flickered through Sans, growing stronger as Papyrus reassured the child that Undyne’s bark was worse than her bite, especially when it came to scolding dogs and lazy skeletons, and Sans would not be harmed for his failure to stop them.
Sounds like they were really worried. And aside from the damage from overheating, Undyne’s still at full health – they didn’t hit her once.
It looks like they honestly care about us, even if they were too scared of Undyne to stop and help her after she fell. Can’t say I blame them for that; it sounded like they were crying a bit as they ran past me.
If they ARE the time traveler, there might be hope yet. And if not… well, at least they won’t make this timeline too miserable while we wait for it to reset.
The moment he materialized, the sound that greeted him made him almost wish he’d stayed away.
“Come on, is that all you’ve got!?”
As Undyne’s strained, struggling voice drifted through the cavern and washed across him, grim resignation pulled Sans’ eyelids closed.
The kid might actually be killing her.
I’d hoped they were past that.
The frantic ring of spear on spear clawed at his head, and one of Sans’ hands gripped the other. Undyne wasn’t about to go gently, but…
“Your legs are dissolving!” the human’s frantic voice wailed. “You need to stop and heal yourself!”
But it sounded like she was already over the edge. I wonder how long she’ll stay dead before the time traveler wants to play with her again.
The spears continued to clash, while Undyne’s increasingly shaky voice fought to drag itself from her faltering chest. Sans’ fingers tightened around each other, and he knew that if his jaw could move, it would be clenched.
Her attacks are getting slower. It probably won’t be long.
If I tried to heal her now, would it work?
Does it even matter?
“Undyne, stop throwing spears at me and eat something! What about Alphys? And Asgore? And P… Papyrus…”
That last name broke their trembling voice, and the sound sent a spark of bitter hope swirling through Sans’ chest, forming and dissolving like a snowflake dancing through Hell.
So they do care about him. Enough to beg their assailant to survive for his sake.
“They’ll miss you if you die, won’t they? So you have to eat something before your stomach dissolves!”
Too bad they’re probably just another helpless pawn in this sick, endless game. If the timeline was in their hands…
“Fuhuhu… you think I need food to deal with someone like you? Pathetic. Punk, if you want to beat me, you’re going to have to try harder than that!”
The spears had grown painfully slow, and Sans could tell from the sound that not one of them found its mark. Trust Undyne to keep trying this hard when she knows she can’t win.
More words, more spears. More distortion in Undyne’s voice – her torso was probably starting to dissolve.
The sound began to fade from his mind, numbness stealing across his soul as he tried to block the pain. I’ll have to tell people not to tell Papyrus. Poor guy… aside from me, she’s the only close friend he has.
Sure, he has the human, but… even if they decided to stay, I doubt they could make a life for themselves here after killing Undyne.
I wonder how long I’ll have to fight to keep him happy before we suddenly forget that any of this ever happened.
“Had enough yet?” Undyne managed, and the answering voice was a pained, frustrated wail.
“I had enough a bunch of deaths ago!”
Snap.
In an instant, the world grew crystal-clear. Sans’ eyes flew wide open, his pupils shrank, and his breath stalled in his frozen chest.
They died more than once.
AND THEY REMEMBER IT.
The child was crying now, begging Undyne to stop fighting and get food, get help, get something. To do anything other than keep attacking until she died.
“Please, I don’t want you to die, but I don’t want to die again! I just want to leave!”
I see. Understanding formed in the skeleton’s mind, bittersweet and crystal-clear. Either they ARE the time traveler, or they can remember every part of the timeline even if they can’t control it.
Either they’re going back in time themselves, and I’ve finally found the source, or the anomaly is jerking them back and forth, making them relive these terrible experiences over and over.
This timeline’s lasted longer than the other ones…
I wonder if a new time manipulator can take over from a previous one.
And I wonder how long I’ll remember that I learned any of this.
“No… No!” Undyne’s voice rose to a harsh, sharp roar, and a glance to his right seemed to carve the haunting image into the back of Sans’ skull.
The hero of the Underground, his brother’s best friend, was nothing more than a cloud of barely recognizable dust, holding a shattered semblance of a shape through desperate willpower alone.
“Not yet! I won’t die! NGAHHHHHHHH!!!”
The fish’s hoarse, defiant roar clawed at every corner of the chasm, and Sans caught his breath in horror and awe as her dust spread to the edge of oblivion, only for the resolute warrior to drag herself back from the brink, forcing her destroyed body into a perfectly coherent form.
“I WON’T DIE!”
The human child shrank back, still held in place by the grip of their opponent’s magic. Even now, Undyne’s hold was as relentless as the voice that clashed against the stone. “I WON’T DIE!”
What on Earth is… is she…
Melting. Undyne was melting.
Just like his canine coworkers’ eerily fused parents.
“I WON’T DIE!”
Even without injections, her determination is still enough to melt her when her HP is low.
“I WON’T…”
But not enough to save her.
As her faltering form finally scattered, Sans closed his eyes, gathering his magic. I should probably say something to the kid, but… I’m not sure how they’d react if they realized I knew.
Before I try that, I should at least see if I can make a note in my workshop before time goes backward again. Hopefully I can get the note to stick this time.
The world around him faded away, and just as he teleported away from his sentry station, Sans thought he heard the distant beginnings of a traumatized scream.
~*~*~*~
No… oh no… oh no no no no no…
As the wind scattered Undyne’s dust across the unforgiving stone, Frisk’s stomach clenched in a violent convulsion that would have emptied it if it hadn’t already been hollow.
I killed her… I killed her… she’s dead…
The mocking echoes of monster voices whispered through their mind, like ruthless judges bringing their punishment for this latest sin.
“You were stronger than I thought.”
Toriel…
“Be good, won’t you? …My child…”
I didn’t… I wasn’t – I-
Another dry heave brought them to their knees, cutting off the beginnings of a scream. A swirl of wind brought a cloud of Undyne’s dust dancing toward them like a vengeful specter, and the child scrambled to their feet, reeling blindly down the path in their haste to get away.
What happens if her dust gets on me? Will her essence live on in me? Will she be inside me, hating me from the inside out forever?
A sudden mechanical shriek jolted them violently from their thoughts, and Frisk glanced around wildly, their heart hammering at their ribs with renewed desperation.
WHAT IS… oh... my phone.
Frisk groped for the device, keeping a wary eye on the floating dust cloud as the cavern’s chaotic air current drew it away from the path and into the glowing magma below. So this mountain’s a volcano… I guess Undyne would like living on in that.
I hope her essence doesn’t use the volcano to try to kill me.
They brought the phone to their ear, shakily pressed the “talk” button, then stammered, “H-hello?”
“Hey! What’s up!?”
“Oh… hi, Papyrus. I was just...”
And then the nausea was back, cutting off their words as their stomach convulsed. The other end of the line went silent for a moment, as if waiting for them to continue, but…
I don’t know what to say. Should I tell him? I don’t want to.
Breathe, Frisk, just try to breathe…
“So, uh, I was just thinking…” the skeleton began, and Frisk flinched.
He sounds uncomfortable. Can he tell something’s wrong?
“You sound kind of upset, human.”
Oh, no.
“But I know just the thing to cheer you up!”
I don’t think anything could right now, but if you’ve thought of something-
“You, me, and Undyne should all hang out sometime! I think you would make great pals! Let’s meet up at her house later!”
I was riiiiiight!
Their internal whimpering rose to a wail, almost loud enough to drown out the sound of Papyrus starting to run even as he hung up. A sob racked their shuddering chest, and their mind swam with a vision of the skeleton standing by a door, waiting for a friend who was never coming back.
“Is it fun when people’s family members never come home?”
Dash…
Grief shook their soul like an earthquake, carving a whole new chasm for their guilt to fill.
No… I know how that feels. And it’s probably the same with friends. Now Papyrus is going to feel it… because of me.
I can’t…
Their trembling legs carried them to the edge of the path, a reluctant, inexorable trek to the chasm where Undyne’s dust had vanished. The magma glowed up at them, its luminous, undulating maw blazing into their eyes like a grim proclamation: I’m waiting for you.
A final whimper rose in their throat, and as every cell in their shaking body begged them to stop, they stepped over the edge.
~*~*~*~
“EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”
As the world around them blurred into existence, Frisk’s hands reflexively pounded on their arms, flailing in desperation to put out the flames. Phantom heat seared every inch of their trembling form, and it was only as their second scream faded from the air that they finally began to realize they were no longer on fire.
I didn’t sink, why didn’t I sink?! It took so long, and hurt so much… I think the landing broke my legs...
The burning sensation was back, and it took them a moment to realize it was tears instead of fire.
I can’t do it, I can’t do that again…
“That’s right, you’d better scream!”
Their eyes snapped up to the top of the hill, and a shudder ran from their flinching head to their clenching toes as the gold of Undyne’ stare and the red of the cavern behind her burned into their eyes.
It looks like fire… it’s going to hurt. She’s going to hurt me again, and again, and again, forever…
I shouldn’t have brought her back. I shouldn’t have done that to myself! I don’t want to make Papyrus sad, I don’t want to be bad… but I just… I can’t…
A sob shook their small body, and Undyne’s eye narrowed. “Are you crying? Wow. What a grade-A wimp! Not so tough now that you’re up against a real warrior instead of a helpless victim, huh?”
They weren’t helpless, they were killing me! Another sob jolted through them, and Frisk fought to blink away the blurriness in their eyes. I’M the one who feels helpless right now!
I just want to go. I just want to leave. I just want you to stop hurting me. I…
I meant to say that out loud. I don’t think my throat is working right now. Nothing is working, it’s all locked up… I probably can’t even block like this.
“Fuhuhu,” Undyne crowed, “this is gonna be too easy! Well, like I said, prepare for our battle however you want!”
She’s not starting the fight. For a moment, the accumulated pain of far too many deaths faded from their mind, washed away by a comforting surge of something close to gratitude. She’s going to fight me, but not until I’m ready. She’s letting me recover first.
He would never have done that.
“But know that when you step forward, I’ll give you a REAL reason to cry!”
I know. The flash of relief and gratitude faded, like a flame dying into charcoal. But among the sad, resigned ashes, a spark of hope still clung to life. Adults are still horrible, and this world is still cruel. But they aren’t completely merciless. There are still little bits of mercy here and there; there’s something to hold onto.
I can hold onto that, for as long as I have to.
After I take a minute to sit down and figure out how to breathe again.
~*~*~*~
Of all the adjectives Frisk would have expected to apply to Undyne, “patient” would not have been one of them.
And yet, even though it had taken what felt like forever for their heart to stop pounding and their hands to stop shaking enough that they could once again hold a spear, the fish had not begun the fight until they finally forced themselves to their feet and told her they were ready.
Now, sweat was pouring down their face, memories of fiery agony conspiring with the exertion of battle and the all-too-nearby heat of the volcano to send dizziness pounding through their head.
The clinging green of their soul gave way to red, and Frisk reeled down the lava-flanked path, blinking salt from their eyes and squinting at the small, blurry shape that swam on the edge of their vision. Is that… a sentry station?
Another swift series of blinks and the structure blurred into focus, along with a round white head atop a familiar blue hoodie.
Sans.
The name washed across their mind like a wave of cool water, sending a tide of relief flooding through their weary, aching soul. Thank goodness, it’s finally over. He’ll make Undyne stop. I’m Papyrus’ friend, so he wouldn’t let her kill me – I mean, he is…
He’s…
The brown of the sentry station flared in their mind, its meaning finally registering in Frisk’s throbbing head, and a jagged stone lodged itself in their throat and chest.
He’s a sentry.
“SANS!”
The call Frisk had thought of releasing cut through the air, but instead of a child’s cry for help, it was a demanding shout from their tormentor, ordering their friend to join the hunt. “The human’s heading your way! Wake up and turn them blue already!”
No… no, please, no no no no no…
A sob rose in Frisk’s throat, and the backs of their eyes began to burn as if the water inside them had turned into lava. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening! I can’t fight them both at once. They’re too strong, and I’m all by myself, and Sans is my…
The thought died in their mind, along with the flicker of hope the sight of the skeleton had inspired. The half-contained sob finally escaped, and as the sentry station drew near, it was suddenly blurred by a fog of tears.
He can’t be friends with me. It’s his job to capture me, and now his boss is here to make sure he actually does it.
I should probably look at him – I should watch for attacks – but I… I…
Can’t.
The station loomed on their left, and that side of their body prickled in painful anticipation of an assault they couldn’t bring themselves to watch. Their breath caught in a choking sob, and it wasn’t until Undyne’s scream tore at their ears that they realized they’d closed their eyes.
“SAAAANS!”
The human’s eyes flew open, and their heart slammed against their ribs as they realized how close they’d come to falling off the bridge and suffering a second fiery demise. Their head began to turn, but fear of the lethal drop kept their stare glued to the wooden planks as the sleeping skeleton shrank into the distance behind them.
“Get up, you lazy punk!”
OH NO. A flash of fresh terror slammed into Frisk, dragging them to a halt and spinning them around to face Undyne despite the screams of their sense of self-preservation. He didn’t stop me. He didn’t do his job. He didn’t even try.
She’s going to kill him.
“DON’T-” The cry strangled itself in their throat, and for a moment, they could only stare in confusion at the inexplicable scene that was playing out in front of them.
Undyne was still yelling, flailing with one arm while pointing at Frisk with the other, clearly enraged. And yet, Sans hadn’t moved an inch.
His eyes were still closed, his shoulders moving gently up and down with his slow, rhythmic breath, and he showed no signs of responding to the fish’s deafening roar.
He isn’t scared? Does he know she won’t hurt him?
Is he… Warmth flushed through their chest, melting the stone that had lodged in their throat into a tentative trickle of hope. Is he distracting her for me?
UAH!
As if hearing their musings and realizing she’d been tricked, Undyne suddenly snapped her head toward them, then lunged in their wake like a train engine roaring down the tracks. A small scream burst from their throat as Frisk turned to run, and self-recrimination pounded through their mind in time with their flying feet.
I’m stupid, I’m stupid, I stood around waiting when I should have been running, she’s going to catch me now!
The ominous clanging behind them began to slow, and the faltering of Undyne’s ruthless rhythm was all but drowned out by the roar of heat and blood in Frisk’s head.
“Armor… so… hot…”
The fish’s voice continued to murmur dazedly, but the rest of her comment was lost in the distance as Frisk continued to reel down the path. Somewhere behind them, the sound of her footsteps warped into a louder, more chaotic crash, as if a complex metallic structure had fallen on the unforgiving stone, but the child didn’t dare look back again.
It was only when the golden flare of a save point drew near that they finally risked turning around, scanning their surroundings to make sure they weren’t about to save themselves into an inescapable loop of death.
The path they’d just traveled blurred into view behind the river of sweat in their eyes, and a frown of confusion tugged at their brow as they tried to guess what could have caused the sight that met their widening stare.
The path was empty.
Undyne was nowhere to be seen, and the sentry station was vacant.
Oh, no. Fear exploded in their chest, freezing their heaving lungs in place and sending a panicked tremor through their hands. Did she give up on chasing me and go back to hurt Sans? Did she kill him? Is he dead?!
Their stomach turned over, and their breath began to shake. Did I just let him die, just like I let… no… NO… Sickness rose in their stomach, and a new wave of tears began to burn the backs of their eyes. He can’t be dead, I can’t have just… I would have heard something, wouldn’t I?
The metallic crash echoed in their ears, and they frantically searched their memory for any sound that resembled it enough to offer an explanation.
It didn’t sound like any of Undyne’s attacks. It sounded more like something metal falling over.
Is that it? Did Undyne fall over?
Did Sans attack her? Would he do that for me? Hope flickered through their chest, a thread of silver lining that struggled to stay afloat amid the cloud of doubt that instantly rose to swallow it. I don’t think he would – we barely know each other. But maybe he’d do it for Papyrus, so his friend wouldn’t get killed?
COULD he beat Undyne in a fight? She’s really strong, but he’s fast, and it sounded like she was slowing down. Was it because he hit her? Could he get through her armor so fast that… wait… “armor so hot…”
Frisk’s eyes widened, and their breath caught. Maybe that’s it. Maybe the heat made her fall over, and Sans carried her away.
That would mean he was only pretending to sleep. He refused to help her on purpose. He didn’t stop me… although… he also didn’t stop her…
Conflicted emotions churned through their chest, and Frisk’s teeth pressed against their lip as the chaotic tide threatened to overwhelm them. I couldn’t expect him to fight her for me; it’s his job to stop me, and I was bad. If he distracted her on purpose, that’s more than I could have asked for, especially if it got him in trouble.
I hope nothing bad happens to him because he didn’t hurt me. Maybe if Undyne passed out from the heat and he took her somewhere cool, that will make up for it and he’ll be okay.
…
I should call Papyrus just to make sure.
~*~*~*~
Sans hadn’t expected to hear from the human until they reached his hot dog stand. And yet, Papyrus’ phone began ringing only seconds after the taller skeleton stumbled breathlessly into Undyne’s house, just as Sans finished teleporting the overheated fish out of her armor and into the bathtub for a cool soak.
Her mumbled protests against being bathed while she still had her pants and tank top on were drowned out by the hiss of running water, and Sans left the room quickly – partly to allow his boss to disrobe in privacy, and partly because he wanted to catch as much of his brother’s conversation as possible.
“You want to know where my brother is? Wowie… you must worry about him as much as I do. But fear not, human; he is here at Undyne’s house, safe and sound, under the protection of the great Papyrus.
“Oh, Undyne? She, too, is here, also under my protection. Sans called my popular phone hotline to tell me apparently she tipped over near his sentry station, and might be in need of my expert care. So, um… I’m afraid she might not be feeling up to hanging out with us. But never fear; I’ll always be here, on the other end of the phone, being your cool friend!”
Hope and relief flickered through Sans, growing stronger as Papyrus reassured the child that Undyne’s bark was worse than her bite, especially when it came to scolding dogs and lazy skeletons, and Sans would not be harmed for his failure to stop them.
Sounds like they were really worried. And aside from the damage from overheating, Undyne’s still at full health – they didn’t hit her once.
It looks like they honestly care about us, even if they were too scared of Undyne to stop and help her after she fell. Can’t say I blame them for that; it sounded like they were crying a bit as they ran past me.
If they ARE the time traveler, there might be hope yet. And if not… well, at least they won’t make this timeline too miserable while we wait for it to reset.
Author's note:
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