#listen I am just fucking with this multiverse timeline thing so y'know

[puttingfingerstokeys]

a friend in need

this one like, makes no sense within the new kontinuity but like, here ya go--fuck it! Pretty much Shao Kahn is invading (as one does), Kronika is absolutely messing with the timelines, and this is definitely like 25 years in the future so you have Dad!Johnny and a Liu Kang who has just flirted with death by Raiden, who is now wielding Shinnok’s shitty amulet, which means Shinnok is also headless, but like fuck that guy amirite? This time, he doesn’t deliver the head to Revenant Kitana and Liu Kang because they aren’t revenants, there was no assault on the netherrealm. OH and as always, uh, tumblr doesn’t preserve italics so if it’s incoherent ... it’s ‘cause I’m a lazy piece of shit and I didn’t wanna go back through and dig ‘em up. 

I have no idea what I’m doing.

Faraday Cage (implied??)

Prevented Timeline

Energy crackled and radiated outward, sparking off pavement, trees, vehicles, people—anything with which it came in contact. Fires had erupted all over and people were fighting them as best they could, but with little hope of relief. At the center was an angry god, grieved at great loss, enraged beyond his own ability to control.

Earthrealm could not be protected by a weak, fatherly deity; Raiden understood that now, and it scared him. His own weakness scared him. His foolishness scared him. The “justice” of the Elder Gods scared him. He would end this fight and all fights, because they, for some reason, were not. He had to do this; there was no other way. Why did no one understand? He was singular in his purpose and not even the chosen of Earthrealm, Liu Kang, could stand in his way.

Raiden had taken his own advice, a frightful echo from a future as yet unknown, an Armageddon which killed them all, himself included. It had taken many trials and many more errors to realize his own, true meaning. 

“He must win.” 

Raiden had finally reached the conclusion that the “he” in question was not Liu Kang, earthrealm’s chosen, but Shao Kahn, the bloodthirsty outworld dictator. Reality shivered under the threat of the merging, however, and still the Elder Gods did not step in. How far would this have to go? Did they know that Shao Kahn’s army was, even now, trampling the tenuous pact between the realms? Did they care?

“Liu, over here!” It was Johnny Cage, older now, a father, and proud of his little girl, but right now, damn near shitting in his britches to see Raiden this way. He offered an arm and pulled Liu Kang to his feet. He and a few others were taking shelter behind a small building which shook with the march of outworld foot soldiers and presently began to flicker with a terrible energy.

Raiden had warned himself, somehow, that the merging of realms must begin, that this was the meaning of victory in his own prophetic words, for the Elder Gods to step in. Shao Kahn had begun his dark work, however, and still nothing moved, nothing in favor of the forces of light and justice, anyway. It seemed the Elder Gods had a different idea of what it meant to maintain balance.

“Your tournament is canceled, puny god! I have rescinded my generous invitation!” Shao Kahn called, raising his great hammer to the sky as Outworld merged with Earthrealm, tearing down buildings and reconstructing them in hideous amalgams. People fled and were trampled; people stood and were gored. He would line the streets with bodies before the day was out and only Raiden stood before him. Raiden, who had fought his own, dear Liu Kang, who had defied him nearly to death.

Had he died? Was Liu Kang dead? Raiden could not see him. He could not see anything past the haze of fury clouding his vision and judgment. I have killed him, again, as it was said I always will, as I always must. The thought was errant, not his own, and be brushed it aside, focusing on Shao Kahn and the present. It was his only choice.

“He… Johnny—you should have seen his eyes,” Liu Kang gasped, slumping to his rear-end near the wall. Jacqui Briggs stooped to examine him, checking for external injuries, and wishing for a better facility in which to check for internal. She was no expert, but godly lightning probably left a different mark.

“I see ‘em from here, Liu, and it’s… this is fucked,” grunted the Hollywood star, handing the binoculars over to his daughter, Cassie. She shook her head.

“He said we had to let Shao Kahn win, or else the Elder Gods would never step in,” gasped Liu Kang between labored breaths. Something was definitely wrong and if it was not treated soon, it could become permanent. “They… aren’t stepping in—I knew they didn’t care about us. I…” He groaned in agony and Jacqui pushed him back down.

“Hold still, Chosen One, your guts’ve been rearranged by a pissed off god—maybe take it easy.”

“If I ‘take it easy’, we all die,” Liu Kang snapped, jaw tight. Jacqui gave him a look that suggested she would take no lip, no matter how damn chosen he was. She could see from the way he held himself, the way his muscles tensed and tightened, that he was going to get much worse before he got better, especially if he pushed. They might not have a choice, soon enough, but while they did, there was no point risking it.

He met her gaze, burning with rage and sadness, with his own. They were matched in this way, both earthrealm natives with everything and more to lose, both people who had fought, tooth and nail, against this very thing. Sitting by idly and wishing things were otherwise was not something to which either Liu Kang or Jacqui Briggs were accustomed. 

“Dad!” They looked up suddenly at Cassie’s shout, pulled from their moment of mutual grief. She was reaching out to an empty space where Johnny had just been standing. Before she could go after him, Jacqui was at her back, grasping her elbow, hard.

“No,” she hissed, “you’ll be fried—we don’t know if Raiden’s friendly anymore… if he ever was.” Cassie jerked her elbow away, but Jacqui held tight and shook her head. “I mean it, Cass. Your dad’s… gunna do what he’s gunna do, just like mine.”

With effort, she pulled Cassie back and away from the violent arcs of red lightning that were even now consuming trees and landscaping, cars, enemy soldiers, anything within the dome of the thunder god’s power—an area that was growing.

Raiden and Shao Kahn met somewhere in the middle, just beyond the portal the Outworld emperor had opened to begin the invasion and merging of Earthrealm to his blasted home. Still, the Elder gods did not stir.

Shao Kahn’s hammer swung mightily and met a fist that moved with swift violence. A thunderclap resounded, flattening the area and then cratering it. Neither hand nor head of hammer shattered, but that was of no consequence to Shao Kahn, who reached out and hauled Raiden forward by his collar.

The thunder god looked into the emperor’s animal eyes and neither hated nor pitied him. Raiden’s rage was beyond petty hatred for the man which had caused his beloved Earthrealm so much grief over the centuries. He would simply destroy Shao Kahn. It had become singularly simple in his eyes. He had been a fool. He would end this once and for all, for everyone, forever.

Perhaps it was the look, the nearly directionless fury which met his eyes that made Shao Kahn drop Raiden. Johnny Cage, who had worked himself much closer than was probably safe, watched from a ways off and still could not pinpoint what it was that had Shao Kahn backing away from the thunder god.

“It is forbidden for you to fight,” Shao Kahn warned, with more authority and sureness in his voice than it seemed he felt. Even his minions began to back away as Raiden’s arced, red lightning crashed violently into them, disintegrating here, vaporizing there, starting fires all over. Raiden’s chest heaved with the effort of either sustaining the onslaught, or holding it back, Johnny wasn’t sure.

On that heaving chest, Shinnok’s awful amulet pulsed with life and light, beckoning and promising strength. Raiden reached for it, but hesitated, seemingly doubting himself for the merest fraction of a second. It was in that span of time that Shao Kahn regained his courage and swung again. This time, he would have caught the god of thunder on the chin, had it not been for the quick footwork of Johnny Cage.

This time, boots met hammer and the clash was not so even. Shao Kahn drove Johnny back into a building. His back hit concrete and he was certain he felt something snap, but if he gave up now, Raiden was absolutely going to do something stupid. He didn’t understand Shinnok’s power, or even who and what Shinnok really was, or had been, as the case was, but he knew an evil piece of jewelry when he saw it.

“Time for a scene change,” he grunted, pushing himself to his feet and spitting blood. The tang of adrenaline was on his tongue and coursed through his veins, making him hyper focus upon this detail or that. Johnny fancied he could hear Cassie screaming somewhere in the distance, but right now, his focus was on the battle before him.

“You are too weak to use that amulet on me, or anyone, thunder god,” Shao Kahn mocked, manufacturing enough bravado to satisfy his immense ego. Raiden grimaced, as if considering whether or not the man was right. He ground his teeth and once more moved to grasp Shinnok’s amulet. Shao Kahn struck again, this time with a boot.

Raiden was forced to block this with a cross before his chest and to step back. He balled one fist and surrounded it with lightning, shaking his head. “You do not know my power,” he growled, “but rest assured, Shao Kahn, you will.” Raiden discharged the lightning at Shao Kahn, who used his hammer as a ground and laughed.

“Pathetic, and weak.” Each descriptor was punctuated with a sharp wag of his finger toward Raiden’s chest and the deadly amulet which sat thereupon.

“I am not weak—I am doing as I have always done. I am protecting Earthrealm.” His hand once more rose to the amulet. “Whatever that takes, I will do it.”

With that, he wound up a massive store of radiant, red energy and hurled it at Shao Kahn. The tyrant was hurled back mightily, taking out a score of his foot soldiers as he flew. Raiden continued forward, his pace slow, but deliberate. The troops of outworld were suddenly cowed by this display, as if their fellows being randomly vaporized had not been enough. Something had shifted, they sensed, and they began to back away. 

“You are forbidden, Raiden!” This time, Shao Kahn’s voice was laced with fear; the confidence he had earlier displayed with his first remark of this kind had evidently deserted him in the face of what Raiden had become. Once more, the deity slowly reached for Shinnok’s amulet. It was as if a very small part of him still fought for his own innocence, whatever might have been left of it.

Meanwhile, Johnny had begun to close the distance between himself and the wrathful god. He could feel his hair standing on end with the force of the red lightning radiating outward from Raiden’s body. He was tense, the actor could see that from where he was, and… Are those tears? He shook off the thought as a stray bolt vaporized a fire hydrant less than a yard from him; it burst into a geyser of city water which soon began raining down upon everyone in the vicinity.

Johnny ducked behind a bike rack, realized that was probably a poor choice of cover, and scuttled along on the ground until he found a trash bin that looked as if it was made of plastic composite, rather than anything that might conduct those wicked red arcs of enraged power. His heart was hammering a thousand miles per hour and for a moment, he wondered if that was the first sign of an electricity-induced heart attack. Maybe he had been struck and did not realize it.Thinking about the ramifications of that hurt his head, so he stopped and decided to do what he did best. 

“Now or never,” he told himself, taking a deep breath and fully expecting to be vaporized like the fire hydrant. It would be guts, however, not water spraying about, if he was lucky. Speaking of the water, too much of it, and Johnny would be zapped for sure; he was already soaked to the bone. Oh like it’s any different than what I’m about to do, he hissed internally, covering his face to keep his sunglasses dry. He needed to be able to see for this one. Johnny simply told himself that god lightning was different than the regular stuff and, in a burst of foolish energy, tossed himself around the trash bin and ran, full tilt, toward Raiden’s position. 

A wayward bolt struck his glasses, tossing them from his face and exploding stars before his eyes. Johnny stumbled and, somewhere in the distance—she sounded thousands of miles away—he thought he could hear Cassie’s voice calling his name. He prayed someone was holding her back, because if this went south, as he was almost sure it would, she would be about to fight a hurricane with a pair of pistols. Raiden was not going to be stopped, but Johnny felt that it was his duty to try. Liu’s shouldered too fuckin’ much already—my turn, he reasoned, forcing himself to keep going, running harder and faster than he had ever done in his life. 

Raiden had stopped his inexorable stride and Shao Kahn looked on in bewilderment as the earthrealm action star closed the gap, running directly into that deadly lightning. He had been so sure Johnny’s miserable back had broken against that building. There was something to be said for the tenacity of a cornered, wounded animal. 

The god turned his head, acknowledging Johnny with eyes as red as his lightning. Sure as shit, Johnny thought, noting that Raiden was, indeed, in tears, though they did not seem to be saline, as a human’s might be—they stood out, even upon his pale flesh, catching light and reflecting it like diamonds—or perhaps rubies, stained by the power of his rage. 

“Stop it, man!” Johnny called, reaching a hand out. Raiden still did not move, but neither did he cease his bombardment. Shao Kahn’s forces were at a standstill, watching, for once uncertain of the correct path. Some were even edging toward the portal, back to outworld and relative safety. “Raiden—you listening to me? You don’t hafta—” 

A bolt struck him square in the chest and he dropped to his knees, eyes wide, staring with pain and fear at the man—the god—who had struck him down. Raiden seemed to shift a little at that and then to turn. Johnny had caught his attention and would have held it but for Shao Kahn’s voice. “An earthrealm fraud has halted your march, Lord Raiden—what sort of god are you?!” He urged his forces forward, but no one stirred. Shao Kahn looked around and once more met Raiden’s eyes, which were again trained upon him. Raiden covered Shinnok’s dark amulet with his hand.

“No more.” 

Cassie continued to scream. Johnny could hear her now. He was coming to, realizing that he was not, in fact, dead, nor even too terribly scorched. At the last moment, evidently, the magic of his strange heritage had leapt up to protect him, but he could feel in his bones that this would not happen again. He had one chance. For Cassie, he thought, all those kids—for Liu and Sonya, for Jax, and Earthrealm. His heart thudded and he started forward, first at a trot, the once more at a leaping gallop. For Raiden. 

Before the god could respond, Johnny Cage had tossed his arms around that broad, pillar-like torso. He had never realized just how big Raiden actually was, and thought perhaps he had allowed himself to retain a human size when dealing directly with them. He had to have been at least seven feet tall and change, but Johnny held tight all the same. He could feel the surge of anger within his own body, as if it belonged to him, originated IN him—and it scared him. 

“Christ,” he grunted, “is this what you’re feeling?” 

It was then that the outworld dictator chose to rush them. With him leading the charge, his hordes felt renewed confidence and vigor and lunged forth as one, howling their triumph over earthrealm. Raiden seemed frozen in place, but only for a moment. He seemed suddenly to come back to himself, as if he had been far away, no longer in control of his limbs or actions—certainly of his lightning. 

He wrapped one powerful arm around Johnny, who still held him, and with the other, lashed a wide, sweeping arc of blue-white lightning across the crowd, thus releasing his hold on the wicked amulet. Shao Kahn’s hammer protected him, but his troops were not so lucky. There was a smell of ozone and charred flesh left hanging in the air when Shao Kahn opened his eyes and straightened. 

“Send your champion to face me, then!” Shao Kahn shouted, beating his chest, his hubris undiminished. His tone was desperate, and he seemed far too eager, too frantic, to regain and retain control over this place. Johnny looked to Raiden, then back to Shao Kahn. He knew what this meant. He’d been at this long enough.

“So you’re declaring Mortal Kombat?” Johnny was going to be absolutely clear on this one, since… god contracts and all that—or something. He wasn’t wholly certain on this point, but it seemed to be the right thing to do. Shao Kahn seemed actually to consider this. His troops were slaughtered or retreating, Raiden was placated for the time being, but who knew how long that could last? His konquest had begun unlawfully, but for the loophole of his not quite initiating a merging of realms. That would be his next step—because if there existed no earthrealm champions to defend her, then who would stop him?

“Yes, earthrealm clown,” Shao Kahn rumbled, slapping the handle of his great hammer on one rough palm.

“Mime, actually,” came another voice from across a few lanes of what would have been traffic. Emerging from the alley where they were taking shelter, Liu Kang led their friends, injured and whole, into the open. He was supported by a grimacing Jacqui Briggs, but it was clear from his expression that no was not an answer he would be hearing today. Raiden’s shoulders sagged a little in relief; he had not killed Liu Kang after all. 

“Thank you, Liu—wait hang on…” Johnny narrowed his eyes at his friend, a younger version of Liu Kang, one he had not seen in years, that was, before all this fuckery came about. The Shaolin fighter did not respond and seemed, for a moment, not to be able to meet Johnny’s eyes. In fact, if Johnny wasn’t tripping completely, he could have sworn that the guy was blushing. Still got it, he thought, grinning. 

Before he could continue, however, Cassie broke into a gait he very much recognized as one that signaled extreme displeasure. Her face held a look of grim determination as she stomped toward her father. Johnny knew he was in for it and backed away, hands up.

“Whoa, whoa, pumpkin, easy, huh?” He looked between Shao Kahn and his daughter and realized he would rather face the outworld tyrant. “C’mon—easy, what was your old man s’posed to do?”

“Not get fried by a pissed off god and leave me a fucking ORPHAN? MAYBE?” Her voice held an edge of hysterical panic he did not like. “Oh. Shit…” she stammered, stopping just as her path crossed Raiden’s. “I’m—sorry… I didn’t mean—”

“You did,” said the god, inclining his head toward her, “but you are not incorrect.”

Cassie was sheepish and mumbled another apology. Raiden seemed to understand her position, however, and addressed it no more. Instead, he turned his attention upon the waiting tyrant.

“When will this foolishness subside so that I can begin the konquest of your filthy realm, Raiden?!” Shao Kahn was growing impatient. “The earthrealmer has declared Mortal Kombat and I accept, on the terms that, when I win, the merge will begin and you, pitiful servant of the Elder Gods, will stand aside and bow to their will as you have always done!”

Johnny’s jaw tightened at this hateful commentary upon Raiden’s character, but for once in his life, he held his tongue. Now was not the time to bandy words with dictators and monsters; now was the time to make them eat those words with a garnish of ball-crushing whoop-ass.

“It is my destiny to fight Shao Kahn,” Liu Kang hissed, eyeing Johnny, his gaze flinty. The hardness in his voice and tone belied the real fear that they were thwarting destiny and tempting a fate no one was equipped to handle. His eyes snapped to Raiden, then, pleading. Raiden shook his head. Jacqui echoed the movement. Even now, protesting this, Liu leaned heavily upon her, in no condition to fight. 

“Guess it’s not, Liu—stand back and watch.” Johnny would hear no more, turning toward his opponent and shouting. “I accept your terms, Shao Kahn—winner take all.” I mean, I’m not gunna take over outworld, but like… it sounds pretty good when I say it out loud, his fevered brain nattered.

He must win. Raiden’s own, incomprehensible words came back to him in a sickening echo he still wondered, even now, to whom his future self had been referring. He had been so sure it was Shao Kahn, but that sureness had nearly killed his chosen champion. He met Liu Kang’s furious gaze.

“By the rules of Mortal Kombat, the challenge must be taken up by the one who declared it. I am sorry, Liu Kang, but this fight indeed belongs to Johnny Cage.”

Johnny heard his name, but no more. He was focused, utterly and completely, upon Shao Kahn, who stood a few yards hence, leaning upon the head of his hammer and observing the company with such arrogance, it turned Johnny’s guts. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his head upon broad shoulders. 

“Okay big guy, you heard the god. Let’s fuckin’ go.” He dropped into a deep stance and beckoned Shao Kahn. The tyrant chuckled, the sound a raspy, hollow thing, mirthless and full of contempt and triumph for a victory he had not yet won.

Johnny made the first move, using his distance to gain speed and launch into a combination of forceful, heavy kicks which utilized his size and the length of his legs. Shao Kahn blocked these with little effort and jabbed in return, hoping to push Johnny off balance. 

The years had made him wily and this was not the Johnny Cage that Shao Kahn remembered, so cocksure and arrogant, his insecurities showing upon his countenance like a glowing sign, pushed by his own self doubt to showboat and make light of his own skill. This Johnny was an old veteran of many ugly fights; he was vicious, clever, and quick. 

Using the tyrant’s momentum against him, Johnny ducked around him and launched into a hard kick to the back of Shao Kahn’s head. This, the tyrant bore with an enraged snarl, a stumble, and a wide, arcing swing of the hammer. That swing, too, Johnny dodged, spitting in his opponent’s direction. “Gunna hafta do better’n that, slugger!”

“So your arrogance has not been tempered,” Shao Kahn commented. “Good, good. That will make your defeat all the more satisfying.” He laughed viciously and swung the hammer down, shaking the ground around them. Johnny found himself out of sorts for a moment, but it was long enough for Shao Kahn to catch him up in one hand, tossing the hammer aside and plying both powerful limbs to their grim task. He lifted Johnny over his head and began to bend. “Do you see your champion, Thunder God?”

Raiden, formerly watching with a mask of impassive disinterest, was suddenly assaulted by visions of Johnny Cage, broken nearly in two, over the shoulders of this selfsame tyrant. He could hear Shao Kahn’s triumphant laugh, the horrified scream of Sonya Blade, the heartbroken, barely-audible moan of Liu Kang. As he blinked, the entire scene flashed behind his eyes and, without thinking, he stretched forth one hand and fired a bolt of pure, blue-white lightning.

With a single shot, Raiden, god of thunder and protector of earthrealm, ended it all. 

Shao Kahn was vapor, dust in the light breeze that had begun to pick up. Johnny picked himself up, heart hammering once more, and looked between the two. Shao Kahn had been mere moments from snapping him in half, powerful hands crushing him wherever they reached, his back beginning to feel the strain of the man’s prodigious strength when, all at once, it was over and he was on the ground. 

Coughing and righting himself, Johnny’s only thought was for the thunder god and he rushed back to where Raiden stood, staring, shocked (there was a pun here someplace), at his own hand, as if he had never before seen it. The amulet, curiously, remained upon his chest, unused, bearing no mark of having been harnessed.

“I…” Raiden stammered as Johnny reached him. The others now turned their attention upon Johnny Cage and Raiden, who had sunk to the ground together, Johnny’s rough hands finding either side of Raiden’s face. They were murmuring—mostly Johnny, in point of fact—and no one was sure if they should get close. Liu Kang directed them away and gestured that they ought to start dealing with the portal, which was still open and the merging, which was, indeed, continuing its inexorable work. He hoped, silently, that the Elder Gods actually did decide to step in, because he was no sorcerer, nor was he a god and could not see himself becoming either in the near future.

“Hey,” Johnny hissed, “it’s okay—it’s gunna be fine… You finished it, y’know? It’s—”

“It is not over, Johnny Cage,” responded the god, eyes downcast. “I have upset the balance; the Elder Gods will be furious. The consequences—”

“Seriously,” Johnny interrupted, “fuck the Elder Gods—what’ve they done for us, huh?” Raiden’s eyes opened wide at these words of blasphemy and he reached out to grasp the lapels of Johnny’s vest.

“You know not of what you speak, Johnny Cage,” warned Raiden. Johnny hated that fearful look on Raiden’s face. It was foreign and wrong and did not belong there. Johnny scowled deeply.

“I know a thing or three about shit parents… Listen, this whole… fatherhood thing, y’know, it blows sometimes—no offense Cass; I love ya pumpkin—and it’s… like a never-ending cavalcade of horseshit, nonsense, and doubt.” He shook his head. “I had ONE. I can’t imagine being the… like, dad of a whole-ass world…realm… thingy.” Pursing his lips, Johnny searched for his next words, choosing them carefully. “We spend our whole damn lives worrying and wondering if we did all we could—if we fucked up somewhere along the way and if that… y’know, if it caused more pain than it should’ve, or… more than we knew at the time, or could ever know.” He sighed. “And yeah, it’s gunna do that—it will do that. You’re going to hurt your kids and sometimes meaning well isn’t the be-all, end-all… the ends don’t always justify the means and all that shit… But the bottom line here is that a good parent does THAT, y’know, looks back and… worries… about the process. Getting there ain’t always half the fun, big guy—and frankly, whoever-the-fuck got you here, where you are right now? They’re not the good kind. Just sayin’.”

Raiden looked as if he had never been told that the Elder Gods were poor parents. He looked as if he had never considered them parents at all, which Johnny supposed made sense, since they weren’t exactly physical beings or whatever, but sometimes, one had to wonder at the “my ways are higher than your ways” explanation. He, still holding either side of Raiden’s face, pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “We’re gunna be all right, man—I promise. I… we… no one’s gunna let anything happen to you—y’know or earthrealm, or whatever.” He had clearly run out of words, for the time being.

“Thank you, Johnny Cage,” whispered Raiden solemnly. “Your faith and fair words mean more to me than you can know.”

“Ah, one more thing, though.” Evidently, Johnny was not completely out of words. “Just… Just Johnny, please? Whenever I hear the whole thing, I kinda assume I’m in deep shit—y’know and y’really don’t wanna go there with a god—‘specially not the kind who can do… y’know, what you just did.”

Raiden regarded what he had just done very carefully, then regarded Johnny. This, he supposed, was a request he could grant, but it felt strange, not addressing him that way.

“If I am correct, then we are, all of us, in ‘deep shit’.”

“Lord Raiden,” Liu Kang called, hobbling toward them. “Forgive me, but that portal isn’t closing itself and I…”

Raiden shook his head and stood, grasping Johnny’s hands and pulling the man with him. “I will make this right,” he promised, stepping away from the mortals and lifting into the air. Once more, energy crackled all around, but it bore the tranquil, blue-white glow that they were accustomed to seeing. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that.

Cassie approached her father slowly. He seemed dazed. She could have slapped him, but she wasn’t sure that wouldn't trigger some kind of heart attack. Johnny’s eyes were wide, fixed on the hovering thunder deity. 

“You ah… okay, dad?”

“I don’t… I dunno, kid. I’m not sure. But he is… and right now, that’s kinda what we need.”

#CC #CW #Faraday Cage #mortal kombat #listen I am just fucking with this multiverse timeline thing so y'know #go wild

[proxylynn]

UNDERFELL: FILE NAME NOT EDGY ENOUGH part #6

Chapter 6: Door

WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^

It's been a week since the incident with Toriel. I have trained nonstop, practiced my magic, sat through Toriel's teachings, and even took some personal time to meditate on the chaos of my mind. I have done enough work to go up another stat level. I am now at HP 32, ATK 19, and DEF 13. Flowey tells me the next time my stats increase, I should get a point for more defense. I have done so much over so long...And yet after all that...All the things I've been distracting myself with...I've found myself standing at the fated door she fears. I know she says it leads to doom but I sense no danger about it. It just seems to be a normal exit. I'm just staring at it contemplating the idea of opening it over not bothering to. Why? Why am I compelled to be here so damn much? Why do I keep doing this? I could be doing something else, anything else for that matter. I could be reading, sleeping, thinking up new food plans, or even help Toriel with her snail hunts. So why...What's so god damn special about this fucking door?!

"Are you going to stare at it all day or open it?"

I don't even flinch at Flowey's voice, mostly because I'm the one that let him loose down here.

"I'm contemplating a Schrödinger's cat scenario."

"A what?"

"Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment, sometimes described as a paradox. The scenario presents a cat that may be simultaneously both alive and dead, a state known as a quantum superposition, as a result of being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur."

"Uh..."

"Let's say this...A cat, a flask of poison, and a radioactive source are placed in a sealed box. If an internal monitor, such as a Geiger counter, detects radioactivity, such as a single atom decaying, the flask is shattered and releases the poison, which kills the cat. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics implies that after a while, the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. Yet, when one looks in the box, one sees the cat either alive or dead not both alive and dead. This poses the question of when exactly quantum superposition ends and reality collapses into one possibility or the other. It's at that point the whole multiverse theory of things happen wherein one universe's timeline I open the door and in another I don't. Basically, this would be a hypothetical group of multiple separate universes. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, the physical laws and the constants that describe them. The different universes within the multiverse are called the 'parallel universes', 'other universes' or 'alternative universes'. But that's another barrel of fish I don't want to waste my bullets on shooting."

I look at Flowey and confusion paints his face. I can literally see the gears in his head trying to turn but are stuck from the info dump I took on him.

"In essence, I have at this moment both opened and not opened the door. Only when I make a choice does the timeline split. Thus creating universes that are similar up to the point the choice was made but differ on the path that reflects what I did. If I open it, that world doesn't. If I don't open it, that world does. That make sense?"

"...What the hell is Toriel teaching you?!"

"Oh, none of that. This is the sort of thing I'd look up for fun or out of boredom when I was on the surface."

"Wait, hold up...So you're telling me that you are actually smart?"

"Never said I wasn't. What gave you any indication that I was missing brain cells?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the lack of listening to reason and the idea of hugging the homicidal monsters that try to kill you! That ring any crazy bells for you?"

"To be fair, there is a fine line between genius and madness because they share the same places in the mind. Psychologists have discovered that creative people have a gene in common which is also linked to psychosis and depression. So who knows? Genius and madness have something in common. Both live in a world that is different from that which exists for everyone else. So maybe I am nuts. Or maybe I'm just seeing things others can't. There's a fine line between brilliance and insanity, my flower friend. And I have erased this line from my life in my own subtle way. Hehehe..."

"The creepy giggle tells me different."

I sigh through my nose and turn on my heels.

"I guess this is a world where I..."

[You hear a faint clicking sound.]

I pause and listen.

"Well?"

"Shhh..."

[You hear it again.]

"Looks like the cat lives!"

I spin around and kick the door hard, parting it open.

"Geez! You know you could've pushed it open, right?"

"Now where's the fun in that?"

[knock, knock]

"Sounds like an opportunity. Best not keep it waiting too long."

"You are so corny sometimes."

I smirk, letting my curiosity get to me and follow the sound. With the door open, the dark path before us is cast in enough light so we can see. I bet Toriel uses her fire to see down here. Flowey dives into the ground and I wander down an extremely long corridor. And I do mean very long. Light no longer reaches the point where I am so I feel along the wall for guidance.

"Yo, flower-boy, you out there?"

"Just a bit further...You should be able to see me soon."

"Why's that?"

"There's a small hole in the ceiling that light shines in from."

"...For real?"

I get distracted and slam my face into a brick entry frame.

"Son of a bitch!"

"You okay?"

"I don't know...hoping my nose isn't broken."

I crawl into the room and meet up with Flowey who has sprouted on a small patch of grass growing in the sunlight that managed to pierce the mountain.

"Here, let me see the damage."

"Is it bad?"

He puts his leafs on my nose and wiggles it a litter, earning a little wince from me.

"Hmmm...I don't think it's broken. But no guarantees about getting black eyes."

"Great. Like that'll help these raccoon eyes."

[knock, knock]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Flowey held my full attention so much so that I didn't hear the knocks coming from the exit door across from us. This door, it's archway holding the Delta Rune like the last door.

"Do you know who is doing that?"

Flowey shakes his head.

"I know a lot of things, but that one I don't. I learned not to go beyond that door the first time I tried."

"Oh...Well, here's hoping curiosity doesn't kill this cat."

He groans as I move over to the door that's a good 20 or 30 feet away.

[knock, knock]

"Who's there?"

There's silence.

"I said...Who's there?"

"...doughnut."

No...Did I really just get set up for a joke? Fuck it. Might as well play along.

"Doughnut who?"

"i doughnut recognize your voice. ya must be new."

Clever. Very clever. Not very funny, but clever. Okay mystery monster, two can play at this game.

[Knock, knock]

"...who's there?"

"Avenue."

"avenue who?"

"Avenue ever knocked on this door before?"

It's both a joke and a real question. First, there's snickering, but it doesn't last long and they sigh as composure is regained.

"heh...yeah, i do knock here often. but normally the old lady is the one who responds. where is she?"

Why do I feel like being a jerk right now?

"You mean Toriel? Oh, I killed her..."

"you what?!"

"With kindness. And if you're not careful, I just might slay you with sweetness too, buddy."

There's silence on his end.

"Oh come on. It was a joke. Like I'd really hurt the lady that took me in and calls me daughter. That would be the biggest bitch move in history."

"...that wasn't funny."

"Yeah...It left a bad taste in my mouth."

"best wash your mouth out with soap."

I sigh and lean my back against the door.

"So you chat with mom often?"

"we talk sometimes. she's mentioned you a little bit."

"Anything interesting?"

"nothing much...just...the two of ya got into a fight not too long ago."

I rub my face.

"Of course she'd bust that out to someone she'd figure I'd never meet."

"can i ask why?"

"Why what?"

"why'd ya fight?"

"She thought I was leaving her."

"...were you?"

"*scoff* No! Why would I leave? I have her, fucking mom of the millennium. What moron walks out on someone that gives a shit over someone so pathetic? The humans that fell before me were dumb shits to want to leave."

I kick the dirt in annoyance.

"You okay over there?"

"I'm fine, Flowey! Thanks for asking!"

He's paying attention to me only because it's what Toriel wants. He's sort of became her little spy.

"flowey? the fuck is flowey?"

"Talking flower that's been my buddy since I fell down here. He watches out for me. Teaches me how this world works and junk. Not a bad dude for someone with a weak sense of humor."

"ya fell down here, huh? so you really are a human."

"Last I check, yes."

"that's funny."

"Why?"

"i'm actually supposed to be on the watch for humans right now."

"You don't say."

"but...y'know...i don't really care about capturing anybody."

"Good to know."

"capturing is too much work. it's way easier just to kill ya."

I tense up a little bit.

"And this went south real quick."

"relax. i'm only fucking with ya."

"Tell that to the other monsters that try to kill me."

"they must suck at doing so, as by law, you should be dead right now."

"Good luck on that happening."

"why ya say that?"

"Because of all the crap I've been through, I can honestly say I can't die. I get hurt, yeah, and pretty damn close to good Sir Death, but never do we meet. Only pass by one another like old friends saying hello before continuing on. *sigh into a groan* The fuck am I saying? Probably creeping you out by getting all deep and shit. Forget I said anything."

There's silence again.

"Yep. Scared you away. Go figure. Great job, Lynsie, ya idiot. No more than two minutes into a conversation and you say stupid crap."

I drop to sit on the floor. I belong in the dirt anyway.

"...wow, kid. that was...heh, ya sound nothing like what the king said you humans were like."

Part of me is glad he didn't leave. The other part is embarrassed because of the shit I said.

"While I can't say I'm like other humans, I'm glad to not be lumped in with such a dumb bunch."

"from what the old lady told me, you've been showing mercy to each and every monster ya come across. that true?"

"You sound as confused by this as everyone else."

"that's because it's not how things work down here."

"I know. Almost every day, someone reminds me that this is a kill or be killed world. But I don't see why. Why is it like that? I don't have to go around killing to become stronger. Nor do I want to end someone's life. Monsters are cool. And while I'm down here, in a place the world doesn't remember, I'd rather make a home than a tomb."

"you actually like it down here?"

"Better than being up there."

"man, how fucked up was your life before if people trying to kill you makes it better by comparison?"

Now is my turn for silence.

"kid? ya still there?"

"...I don't talk about personal shit to people I don't know properly yet."

"fair enough. the name is sans. sans the skeleton."

"Sans? Like Comic Sans the font?"

"you got a problem with my name?"

"Nah, dude, it's cool. I like that font."

"oh..."

"Your name is cooler than mine."

"what's your name?"

"Lynsie. It's an old name that comes from the United Kingdom. There are many different ways of spelling it or pronouncing it. One way is the old Scottish habitational name from Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England. This is first found in the form Lindissi, apparently a derivative of the British name of Lincoln. This was later added to the Old English element 'island' as a reference to the Isle of Linden Trees since the place was virtually cut off by the surrounding fenlands. The surname was taken to Scotland at an early date and is the name of an important and powerful Scottish family. The Irish later adopted it as an equivalent of various Gaelic names."

"damn! ya know a lot about your name."

"That's not the lame part yet."

"huh?"

"Before the mid-twentieth century, it was solely a male's name."

It's quiet for a moment before I hear laughter.

"hahaha...ya got a guy's name!"

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. It's my name and I have to live with it. So enjoy your fun, ya cheeky ass."

"heh...i'm a skeleton, dummy. i don't have an ass."

Hearing that makes me grin evilly.

"Oh really? Huh...Well, that's rather disappointing."

There's a sound like he choked on air and I laugh loudly.

"Oh my god...I so wish I could see your face right now!"

"fuck you!"

"I bet you would, but you probably don't have a dick for that either!"

"*snarls* you cocky lil' shit!"

"*snickering* Sorry...I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself when the joke was presented before me."

"can ya speak up? i can't hear you over the sound of my shattered pride."

"Ah man...Don't be that way. Tell ya what...Take a free shot at me. I promise not to counter it."

He gets quiet in thought and I wait for what punches he'll throw my way.

"how old are ya?"

"Huh?"

"i said, how old are ya? i wanna know so i don't weird out some kid and piss off mommy."

"Smart move. I'm twenty-eight."

He goes quiet and for some reason, it feels unsettling.

"okay...i think i got something."

"Hit me with your best shot, bone-boy."

"alright...are you an archaeologist?"

"Why do you ask?"

"heh, because i've got a bone for you to examine."

I bite my tongue and he laughs.

"hehehe...yeah, that's what i thought. my jokes are too powerful for ya. try to remember that before ya step up to me again, kid."

I smirk to myself.

"Is that a challenge?"

He snorts.

"ya really want to pick a fight with me?"

"A fight, no. I'd rather pick your bones. Starting with your funny bone. I hear that one can be rather humerus."

There's a pause that becomes a chuckle.

"girl's got jokes...i like that about a woman."

"This explains where Nanny gets her jokes from. But it seems you hold out on her when it comes to the hard stuff."

"is that a good or bad thing?"

"A good thing. I find her humor cute when she does it right. You, however, are on a whole other level. I'd say god tier of jokes."

"flattery will get ya nowhere, kid. still nice to hear it though. it's also nice to hear someone else that likes sans-ational jokes."

"Heh...There might be a door between us, but you're the adorable one here, buddy."

He pauses for a moment.

"not sure you'd be saying that if ya ever saw me."

"Why?"

"well...i'm a skeleton."

"...So?"

"...ya do realize it kinda sounds like you're flirting with me, right?"

"Really? I thought I was just being cute."

Was I really flirting? It didn't feel like it. Wouldn't I know if I was? One man's flirt is another girl's compliment I guess.

"are all humans as weird as you?"

"I like to think I'm one of a kind. But being realistic, there are probably others like me out there. The universe is a pretty infinite place. Who's to say such things such as multiple 'me's wouldn't be a thing?"

"getting nerdy on me now?"

"I'll be nerdy if you geek out with me, bone-boy. That is...If you can get on my level."

"kid, ya got no idea what you're asking for."

"I don't know about that. We seem to have some great chemistry going on here."

"don't say i didn't warn ya."

"You didn't."

"...okay, now i won't feel bad about this."

"Bring it on!"

"fine...since ya brought up the whole infinite universe thing, then i take it ya know about multiverse theory."

"Funny enough, I was just talking about it earlier."

"then you understand the possibilities don't just extend to two worlds being made by a single choice, correct? any and every possibility that can or could happen makes a world. so there's this world where we're having this conversation, but another world where we aren't. a world where you didn't fall down here and someone else did. a world where you fell but died. a world where ya got killed by the first monster you met. even a world where you kill every monster ya see. anything, any little change or subtle difference here and there, makes up a whole other world. so if you think about it, one universe can have thousands upon millions of alternate timelines made up of varying changes."

"Dude...And here I thought I was the deep one."

"s-shut up!

"You're right though. All of that is a possibility. Like a hair with split ends, each branching path is different but still part of that same universe it originated from. It's fascinating to think of the crazy things that could be. Like, can you imagine a world where this was reversed? Where humans were forced underground and monsters ruled the surface?"

"hmmm...sounds nice."

"Or a world where humans and monsters switched race."

"me as a human? i bet i'd be hot as fuck."

"Or a world where this was all just a story someone made up for a video game or fanfiction."

"oh my god, could you imagine the shit that would make? random weirdos shipping people left and right regardless of lore, relationship status, or even blood. what a bunch of freaks."

"Dude...You guys know what shipping is down here?"

"uh...let's just say a lot of human trash ends up down here. some of it may or may not be things called anime and manga."

"...Got a favorite?"

"...maybe?"

"*snickers* Nice. Oh! Or a world where we swap roles with relatives/spouses."

"nah. screw that one. i like being the older brother."

"You have a brother?"

"just one. and you?"

"Human or monster?"

"um...both?"

"On the surface, I got an older bro and a younger sis. Down here, I consider Flowey like a bro. Not sure how old he is. Oh! Do ghosts count? 'Cause I got this spooky little kid that talks to me sometimes too."

"uh...what?"

"Eh, but enough about me. I've been prattling on for too long as it is. I wanna hear about you. This bro of yours got a name or am I digging too deep for my own good down here?"

"heh, i don't mind. a guy as epic as my bro needs his reputation to precede him."

"He's that cool?"

"the coolest."

"Nice."

"his name is papyrus..."

"Like the font?"

"it's a skeleton thing. tradition if you wanna call it that."

"It's cute."

"*gruff* anyway...my brother, papyrus...he's a human-hunting FANATIC."

"Sounds like I'm in trouble if he sees me."

"damn right. he isn't second in command of the royal guard for nothing."

"Most impressive. You must be proud."

"hell yeah, i'm proud. my bro is the best. no one messes with him unless they're looking to die."

"Awesome. That must mean as the older bro, you're a badass too."

There's a pause.

"y-yeah...i...i'm a real tough customer."

"You don't sound like you really buy what you're selling."

"i don't want to talk about it."

"Very well. I'll only say this...If the world beyond this door is as dark a place as everyone tells me, then I must admit to being envious of your ability to not only survive in such a world but to be able to share life with a sibling no less...That alone tells me you are far stronger than you know."

There is no sound for a long time after that. I want to think this skeleton named Sans is thinking over my words. In a world where people kill to gain strength, sometimes a little pep talk goes a long way.

[knock, knock]

Guessing we're back to this. That's fine. We can joke if you want us to.

"Who's there?"

"sans."

"Sans who?"

"are ya freaking kidding me? how did you forget me so fast?"

"*giggles* Never, bone-boy. I'd never forget someone so punny."

"heh. glad to hear that, kid. if ya really like my jokes, then be ready for more. i've got a skele-ton of them."

I smile to myself, finding peace in this moment.

"Sans..."

"yeah?"

"This is nice."

"eh, not a bad way to kill time on my end either."

"If it's okay with you...I wouldn't mind this being a thing. Not trying to make this weird or anything. I just...I feel comfortable talking with you."

"ya know...you seem rather trusting of monsters you don't know."

"I like to think showing some kindness can be a nice way to open more doors than being a huge cunt."

"are you sure that's a smart idea? being nice around here isn't a good thing. it's seen as a weakness. and weakness is seen as a big ass target for others to off ya. like, you could literally open your front door and witness a monster get killed because it was justified on the grounds of the dead one being 'too weak'. and that's something ya gotta live with. knowing that everyone's always watching ya. wanting ya dead and waiting, just waiting, for the first sign of weakness so they can kill ya."

"I know. But it's just how I want to be."

"so you know that one of these days, your 'kindness' is going to get ya killed."

"Heh...I have no doubt that you're right. But...I think I'd be okay with that."

Where the heck is this coming from? Why am I opening up like this?

"I'm being weird again, aren't I?"

"just a little."

"Sorry about that. But if you think I don't have my guard up, then you're the one that's too relaxed right now. I'm on my toes each time I leave the house. I've had to convince many monsters in here that I'm not worth the EXP. So many encounters, so many repeated actions and words. But it's not like I'm not learning from all this."

"what does that mean?"

"For a while now, Nanny's been teaching me how to do soul magic. I know only a few basics, mostly because humans can't do magic like we used to. Yet one of these tricks is to sense or see souls and reading its feelings."

I close my eyes, concentrate, then open them slowly. Looking at the door, I see a faint upside down heart come into view, a bit blurry due to being on the other side of these huge doors, but there all the same.

"I can see you, bone-boy. Your soul feels confused, much like anyone else down here that I've met so far. So, I can't really say you're a good guy or a bad guy. You're like on this strange middle level I can't pinpoint. This is why it seems like I'm not on my guard. I don't see you as dangerous...for now anyway."

"you can see me huh? then what am i doing right now?"

"I see your soul, not your body. There's still a door in the way, dingus, and I don't have x-ray vision. But if I had to guess, you probably just flipped me off. Am I right?"

"clever bitch...but x-ray vision would be a pretty cool power to have. though you wouldn't need it when it comes to me or my bro."

"Why? You boys naked or something?"

I hear what sounds like a scuffle then pounding on the door. That must have got him pretty good.

"no, we're not naked! why would ya even ask that? are ya some kind of freak?"

"Been called that most my life. So, maybe?"

"look, i'm just...nah. ya know what? forget it. i ain't gonna spoil it for you."

"Oh? You make it sound like we'll be seeing each other soon."

"maybe we will, maybe we won't. but that's up to you really. the doors to the ruins can't be opened from the outside."

"Dumb design flaw."

"so if ya do decide to show yourself out here, i guess that means you'll have to fight the old lady again."

"I doubt that. There might be some yelling or other shit like that, but we learned from what happened last time. That isn't happening again. I am not fighting her. I barely made it as is."

"oh yeah? what's your LV level? had to be pretty high to withstand her attacks."

"One."

I hear what sounds like a spit-take. Guess he was drinking something.

"one?! you're only a level one and you survived a fight with the old lady?!"

"Yep."

"how?!"

"The power of plot armor."

"no, seriously! how did you not die?!"

"I told you. Friendship. They say it's magic."

"you...you have to be bullshitting me. no one gets in a fight here and both people get out alive. at the very least, someone's badly hurt and forced into submission. but..."

"Hmmm?"

"but...the old lady...she told me what you did."

"And that was?"

"ya tried to talk to her...ya tried to be nice...she said at one point...you snapped..."

I feel my heart falter and not start up again after a couple seconds.

"ya tried to kill her...didn't ya? was that a lie?"

I pull my legs up to my chest.

"...Something happened at that moment. I don't know what it was. I felt...I felt this deeply seeded despair suddenly raise from the depths with such force and it consumed me. I was blinded by this feeling. I was in so much pain...I wanted her to feel it...Feel the hurt that I was experiencing...But I stopped myself before I did something I'd regret. That's not me. I'm not a killer. It's not who I am."

"but for a moment...it was."

I hold my breath.

"even if it was a moment of weakness...the intent was there. you were going to kill her."

"...Stop it."

"don't think of it as a bad thing. ya wanted her to listen to ya and she wasn't. what better way to get her attention than to come at her with a knife?"

"Stop it!"

"oh, i'm so sorry. am i hurting your feelings? is the big bad human gonna cry? or are ya gonna try to kill me too?"

"I҉ ̶Ş̨A̛̛I̡D̀ ̡̀͜S̛T̕͜O̷҉P̸͟!͜"

I hear gasping, both from him and Flowey, as I try to keep myself in control.

"Stop it! I'm not a killer! I don't want to hurt anyone! Stop saying I'm bad! I'm not like that! I'm not! I'm not! I'm not...*whimpering* I'm not a bad girl...Please...Just...Stop..."

My chest hurts.

"h-hey...settle down. look, i shouldn't have said that shit. just...don't go getting all teary-eyed over it."

It feels like there's a vice on my soul. Shit, this is bad.

"Fuck...Getting worse...Flowey! Go get Toriel!"

"What? Why?"

"J̶u̷st ̸d͡o̵ it̷!̕"

Flowey dives into the ground and I slam my head back against the door.

"A̕rg҉h!"

"human? what's going on? hey! talk to me, damn it!"

I grip my chest in one hand and claw the ground in the other. The pain is breaking past my tolerance.

"kid? ya there? what's happening? say something!"

"*roar* M͏҉a̴m̵a̛͞!"

The loud thunder of Toriel's running stampede can be felt before I actually hear it. I'm a wincing mess by the time she comes into view. Her expression is one I was expecting, overprotective concern.

"Child? What is happening?"

I don't think I can talk without making noises of pain, so I opt for a different way of communication. I show to tell. Meaning, I pop my soul out and now we both can see the damage. The small green heart is dulling to faint swirls of black that are creeping in.

"*gasp* Oh no...Not again...Do not fear, my child. I shall help you however I can."

"M̡ak͠e̷ įt͟ s̸t͞o͠p...M͝ake i͞t̶ st͘o̵p͟ ̴be͟f̛ore ͜I ̢d͘o͢ so̴m̴et͜h͠i͢ng͞ ͞b҉àd..͠.I̶ d̶on̕'t ̵w͠a͝n̨t̛ t͘o̡ do ͝a̴nýt̴hi̛ng̶ ͢ba̡d͢.͡.."

She terrified. I can see it in her eyes. She has no clue what to do. But I can tell there's an idea in her head and she scared from it. Now I'm the one that's worried. I'm worried because...I'm wanting her to do the idea she has. I want her to do something, anything if it'll keep this darkness from spreading out and taking over again. Forgive me Toriel...I trust you...But I'm scared too...So don't hate me.

"W̡h͢a̷t͝ ̡arȩ ͜y̶o͡u̡ doinģ? ͡H̴e͢l͝p̶ me̕.̀.̨.Do͡n'̷t͟ just͞ ͟s̡tar͡e at̕ m͟e li̢ke ̡I̛'͟m som̴é ̨s͢ìde͟sh̕ow͏ ̸fre̡àk..͘.Do̕ so̴m͢ęthi̧ng b̷e͟fòre I d͞o!̵"

The darkness is gathering more, removing color from the soul. Knowing what happened last time, when that black soul formed, she reacts in desperation.

"Forgive me, my child!"

Her hands go around my throat and start squeezing. Naturally, instinct has me trying to stop this. My fingers claw for her hands, my legs kick out, my body overall thrashes in its desperate need to breathe so it can live. All this made even harder against the door. Most likely scaring the shit out of Sans. If he's still there that is.

"Shhhhh...Hush child...It will be okay. Do not fight this. I am helping you as you wanted me to. Now settle down and go to sleep. All will be better when you wake up. You will see. I promise. Things will be better. *crying* So just do as I say and sleep!"

I can normally hold my breath for around three and a half minutes underwater, with that only being about two minutes on land. This is minute four and my lungs are burning with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns! Air isn't the only thing cut off in this choke. The blood supply to my brain is also being cut off. I...I can't move...Getting hared to form thoughts...Sight fading...Please stop at making me pass out and not strangle me to death or break my neck...okay mom?

"*weak* T҉hank̡ ̛yo͞u̴.̨...nanny...."

My limbs fall motionless and my head lolls back like a rag doll. The last thing I see before everything disappears when my eyes go looking at the back of my skull is her sad face and all those tears.

Toriel on her end gives it a few more seconds before releasing the human's throat from her grip. There is no life in the body now and the soul flickers faintly as the black ebbs from it before slowly sinking back into its host.

"*whimper* What have I done? How could I..."

"holy shit! did ya just kill the human?!"

Sans's sudden voice startles her.

"Sans?! W-What are you...How long have you...?"

"been here quite a while really. been chatting with your 'daughter'. is she...ya know...dead?"

Good question. Toriel wasn't trying to kill but as a Boss Monster, her strength can be immense even when controlled. Slowly, with trembling fingers, she reached out and felt the human's neck. It took a bit of searching, the small beating was very hard to find, but it was there none the less...a pulse. Toriel heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness...She is still alive."

"geez...well, that's some good news."

"Are you not a sentry that hunts humans?"

"yeah?"

"Would it not please you knowing of her death?"

"and have to do my job? fuck that. it's too much crap and paperwork. not like anyone will believe me if i show up with a human soul. fuckers will think pap did it and i'm just the errand boy making his delivery. believe me, i like it better when no humans fall. that way, i can just nap the day away."

That made her smile. Sans had been a friend of sorts over the years. They met by random timing when she was walking around and he knocked on the door. One thing leads to another and a small bond was made over bad jokes. Sometimes he'd bring her books and read them to her, or play silly word games. But she enjoyed the company that he was, even if it was short lived. He can't be at this door 24/7. He has a home and a brother to tend to. A family...Much like the human had now become to her.

"so...mind if i ask what happened?"

She pulled the unconscious human into her arms.

"Her soul...It does something I have never seen before."

"like what?"

"It changes color."

"...really?"

"And moments ago, it tried to become another color. The bad one I told you of before."

"ya mean the black soul?"

"Correct."

"never heard of a black soul before. i don't even think it's in the official books."

"I have not seen one either till this child. Only in rumors during the war did whispers of black souls reach my ears. Relentless humans of power that were like the berserkers of myth. This child...I have been caring for her a long time now...She is not like those beasts I heard of."

"but her soul turns black, right? that's when she...snaps?"

"I do not understand why or what makes her flip like that. There is so much she does not tell me about her past. So much pain she keeps hidden to herself. I...I think it comes from her suffering."

"...then...what are ya gonna do?"

Her hold on the human tightens.

"I will do my best to quell the demons of her past and keep her soul pure. She is not a violent human by nature. It is not in her to do harm."

"but what if she does? what if one day, ya can't fix her and she goes nuts? do ya really think ya got it in ya to kill another kid? and one ya call family no less?"

She goes quiet.

"tori? you okay?"

"Sans...If the human ever comes through this door...Could you please, please promise me something?"

"...tori, ya know how i feel about making promises."

"Please!"

She trembles, clutching the human in her motherly embrace.

"Please...*sniffling* Please...As long as she remains the good girl that she is...Do not harm her or turn her into the Royal Guard...Show her the mercy that she has shown others."

"you're asking me to keep a very big promise."

"I'm not finished..."

She bites her lip in knowing of the next words to leave her.

"But...But if she changes...If her LV ever increases or she loses herself to the darkness of the Black Soul...I need you to spare her from becoming that which is feared...Please...If she ever stops being my child...Do not let her remain in such misery. Can you do that for me, Sans? Can you be strong for me?"

"tori..."

"I beg of you as a friend and not order you as your Queen. I...I cannot bring myself to do harm to humans anymore. I cannot allow my husband to collect another soul and bring about more pain. I just...I cannot do this for much longer if I know nothing is going to change. This child...She is the first ray of light to come to this hellish world in so long...If her light goes out, then I cannot see myself going any further..."

"hey! don't say shit like that! ya can't throw in the towel over some stupid human!"

"This human is my daughter! My only living child! She is all I have left in this world of the family I have lost! And I will not live with knowing I was still too weak to save even a single life that I hold dear!"

There's silence for some time as she calms down.

"Forgive me...I am not as strong as I once was. I should not have to burden others with my problems."

She stands up and turns away from the door.

"tori..."

She pauses.

"i...*sigh* i promise."

"You...You will?"

"i ain't gonna like it. but i can try to keep a socket on her if she ever does leave the ruins. it is my job, after all, to look out for humans."

She smiles softly.

"Thank you, Sans."

"don't thank me, tori. i ain't doing this because ya want to put your hopes and dreams into the kid. i'm doing it because i don't want ya to beat yourself up over some stupid shit and end up dusting yourself. we monsters died enough in the war and die enough now that it's over. don't go hurting yourself over a human or i'm gonna bust in there and beat the crap out of the both of ya! ya got that, old lady?!"

She can't help the giggle that escapes her.

"You are a good friend, Sans. I hope you can be as good a friend to her as you are with me."

"*scoff* whatever. i gotta get going anyway. papyrus will be stopping by my station soon and i don't feel like being yelled at for the next hour or two. so...chat with ya later, tori."

"Take care, Sans."

She listens as he leaves, the crunching of snow fading in the distance.

"Are you still down here, little flower?"

Flowey peeks from the grassy patch.

"Is it safe? Is she okay?"

"For now, she rests. You were with her when this happened, yes?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Tell me, do you know what caused her to shift?"

"I...I couldn't hear everything. I was here and she was at the door, talking to him. It looked like they were having a good time. Then...She...It looked like she was getting sad. Then she was shouting that she wasn't bad and refused to kill. It looked like she was fighting the change but wasn't sure she could. So she had me get you."

"Hmmm..."

She thinks as she begins to head back to the house stairs.

"Come, little flower. We must make sure she is well before she wakes."

Flowey nods and sinks into the ground to return to his pot at the base of the stairs. Toriel soon follows, picking up his pot while heading upstairs and bring them to the child bedroom. Here is where the three remain. Toriel and Flowey monitor the human, making sure she's okay until she wakes up. Although for Toriel, the waiting wasn't the hardest part. In fact, waiting made it worst. The more time passed, the more her neck began to show the bruising of her hands. The guilt weighed heavily in her stomach.

~~~~~~

The world is dark again, cast into the shadows of an unending emptiness. I must be about to dream of that voice again, the jerk. How many times have I had this dream already? Eight? Nine? Maybe ten times now? Who the friggidy fraggle knows. But something feels a bit off. The cold isn't so bone-chilling as it normally is. This is different. I can move. I can see my body. I am more than able to experience this place in thought alone. This world isn't just all nothingness. There is a single gray door.

Curiosity compels me to open this door without even thinking. It was like the odd call to go down to Toriel's basement. A strange force pulls me inside, causing the door to shut and disappear as though it never was. There's a sudden flash that blinds me for a moment and when my sight returns, I find myself in a gray room...but not alone.

There's a much taller than me figure at the back of the room facing a wall with its back to me. Its body is shrouded in black with the only color I can see being the bleach white of its head. Vaguely the faintest hint of red around collarbone of its neck, a sweater maybe? I know better than to alert this figure to my presence. I concentrate and try to read its soul, but I can't find it. There's a spot where it should be yet no heart appears in my vision. Is it damaged or something? What the hell is this thing?

Suddenly it perks up, turning its head to look my way. Yep, called it on the red being part of a turtleneck sweater, but that's the only part there is as everything else is coated in blackness. It gives me a twisted smile and its eyes light up red, all of which is even freakier looking due to the cracks on its eye sockets, one going down from his left eye the other going up from his right eye.

Nope! So much nope right now! Fuck this! Fuck this dream! Fuck this guy! Fuck my life! Fuck everything!

I attempt to move, only to discover I can't. The familiar chills of death run down my spine as this thing turns completely to face me.

"💧⚐ 🕈☜ ☞✋☠✌☹☹✡ 💣☜☜❄ ☞✌👍☜ ❄⚐ ☞✌👍☜📪 ☹✋❄❄☹☜ ⚐☠☜📬" (SO WE FINALLY MEET FACE TO FACE, LITTLE ONE.)

Don't show any weakness to this fucker. All he does is mess with you. Send all power reserves to the deflector shields! God, I'm a nerd even when I'm giving myself a pep-talk!

"☟💣💣💣📬📬📬❄☟✌❄ ☜✠🏱☼☜💧💧✋⚐☠📬📬📬❄☟✌❄🕯💧 ❄☟☜ ☞✌👍☜ ⚐☞ 💧⚐💣☜⚐☠☜ ❄☼✡✋☠☝ ☠⚐❄ ❄⚐ 💧☟⚐🕈 ✌☠✡ ☞☜✌☼📬" (HMMM...THAT EXPRESSION...THAT'S THE FACE OF SOMEONE TRYING NOT TO SHOW ANY FEAR.)

God dingus damn it!

"❄⚐ 🏱🕆❄ ✡⚐🕆 ✌❄ ☜✌💧☜📪 ✌☹☹⚐🕈 💣☜ ❄⚐ 👍☹✌☼✋☞✡ ❄☟✌❄📪 ✋☠👎☜☜👎📪 ✡⚐🕆 💧⚐🕆☠👎 👌☜ ✌☞☼✌✋👎📬 👌☜ ✞☜☼✡ ✌☞☼✌✋👎📬" (TO PUT YOU AT EASE, ALLOW ME TO CLARIFY THAT, INDEED, YOU SOUND BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID.)

Don't ask stupid questions! For the love of God, resist the urge to ask...

"Why? And how is that suppose to put me at ease?"

You fucking idiot!

"⚐☟📪 👎✋👎 ✋ 💧✌✡ 🏱🕆❄ ✡⚐🕆 ✌❄ ☜✌💧☜✍ 💧✋☹☹✡ 💣☜📪 ❄⚐ ☟✌✞☜ 💧🕆👍☟ ✌ 💧☹✋🏱 ⚐☞ ❄☟☜ ❄⚐🕆☠☝☜ ☹✋😐☜ ❄☟✌❄📬 ☟☜☟📬📬📬🕈☟✌❄ ✋ 💣☜✌☠❄ ❄⚐ 💧✌✡ 🕈✌💧📬📬📬" (OH, DID I SAY PUT YOU AT EASE? SILLY ME, TO HAVE SUCH A SLIP OF THE TOUNGE LIKE THAT. HEH...WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS...)

He rushes at me so fast I'm not even sure I saw actual movement. All I know is now I'm pinned to a wall that he's holding me to.

"✋ ✌💣 ☝⚐✋☠☝ ❄⚐ 🏱🕆☹☹ ✡⚐🕆 ✌🏱✌☼❄ ✋☠❄⚐ ☠⚐❄☟✋☠☝ 💣⚐☼☜ ❄☟✌☠ 🏱✋☜👍☜💧 💧⚐ 👌☼⚐😐☜☠ ❄☟✌❄ ☠⚐ ⚐☠☜ 🕈✋☹☹ ☜✞☜☼ 👌☜ ✌👌☹☜ ❄⚐ 🏱🕆❄ 👌✌👍😐 ❄⚐☝☜❄☟☜☼✏" (I AM GOING TO PULL YOU APART INTO NOTHING MORE THAN PIECES SO BROKEN THAT NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO PUT BACK TOGETHER!)

HOLY FUCKING ASS CRACKERS!!

"🖂💧❄✋☞☹☜👎 💧☠✋👍😐☜☼✋☠☝🖂" (*STIFLED SNICKERING*)

Wait...Did he just...

"☟☜☟☜☟☜📬📬📬☞⚐☼☝✋✞☜ 💣☜📬 ✋❄ ☟✌💧 👌☜☜☠ 💧🕆👍☟ ✌ ☹⚐☠☝ ❄✋💣☜ 💧✋☠👍☜ ✋ 🕈✌💧 ✌👌☹☜ ❄⚐ ✋☠❄☜☼✌👍❄ 🕈✋❄☟ 💧⚐💣☜⚐☠☜📬 ✋ 👍⚐🕆☹👎☠🕯❄ ☼☜💧✋💧❄ 👌☜✋☠☝ ✌👌☹☜ ❄⚐ 💧👍✌☼☜ ✡⚐🕆 💧☜☠💧☜☹☜💧💧📬" (HEHEHE...FORGIVE ME. IT HAS BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME SINCE I WAS ABLE TO INTERACT WITH SOMEONE. I COULDN'T RESIST BEING ABLE TO SCARE YOU SENSELESS.)

He puts me down and my knees give out much to his interest.

"💧☜☜💣💧 ✋ 💣✌✡ ☟✌✞☜ ⚐✞☜☼ 👎✋👎 💣✡💧☜☹☞📬 🕈✌💧 ❄☟✌❄ ❄⚐⚐ 💣🕆👍☟ ☞⚐☼ ✡⚐🕆✍" (SEEMS I MAY HAVE OVER DID MYSELF. WAS THAT TOO MUCH FOR YOU?)

"I think I just shit out my heart..."

"☟💣💣💣📬📬📬💧🕆👌☺☜👍❄ ✋💧 ☜✠❄☼☜💣☜☹✡ 💧🕆👌👎🕆☜👎 🕈☟☜☠ 🕆☠👎☜☼ ✋☠❄☜☠💧☜ 👎🕆☼☜💧💧📬 ✋🕯☹☹ 💣✌😐☜ ✌ 💣☜☠❄✌☹ ☠⚐❄☜ ⚐☞ ❄☟✌❄ ❄⚐ 🏱☼☜✞☜☠❄ ☞🕆☼❄☟☜☼ ✋☠👍✋👎☜☠❄💧 ✋☠ ⚐🕆☼ ☞🕆❄🕆☼☜ ☜☠👍⚐🕆☠❄☜☼💧📬" (HMMM...SUBJECT IS EXTREMELY SUBDUED WHEN UNDER INTENSE DURESS. I'LL MAKE A MENTAL NOTE OF THAT TO PREVENT FURTHER INCIDENTS IN OUR FUTURE ENCOUNTERS.)

He offers me his hand while I get my breathing back under control. Dear lord, he fucking almost scared me to death. He went from zero to Satan in nothing flat. I better keep my cool around him for the sake of my health and sanity. When I'm able to stop shaking, I cautiously give him my hand and I notice something odd about him. Well, more than usual I guess. The parts of him that are white appear to be like bone yet different. There are also holes in the palms of both hands like something's missing or was taken out. He jerks me off the floor with ease. The guy is strong for looking like a stiff.

"☜✞☜☼ ❄☟☜ ⚐👌💧☜☼✞✌☠❄ ⚐☠☜📪 ✌☼☜☠🕯❄ ✡⚐🕆✍ ☜✡☜💧 ✌☹🕈✌✡💧 ⚐☠ 💧⚐💣☜❄☟✋☠☝📬 ❄☟✌❄🕯💧 ☝⚐⚐👎📬 ✋❄ 💣☜✌☠💧 ✡⚐🕆☼ 💣✋☠👎 ✋💧 ✌☹🕈✌✡💧 ✌👍❄✋✞☜📬 ✋❄ 💧🏱☜✌😐💧 ❄⚐ ✡⚐🕆☼ ✋☠❄☜☹☹✋☝☜☠👍☜📬 ✋ ☹✋😐☜ ❄☟✌❄📬 ✋ 👍✌☠🕯❄ 💧❄✌☠👎 ❄✌☹😐✋☠☝ 🕈✋❄☟ ❄☟☜ ✋☝☠⚐☼✌☠❄ 🕆☠👎☜☼👎☜✞☜☹⚐🏱☜👎 💧👍🕆💣📬" (EVER THE OBSERVANT ONE, AREN'T YOU? EYES ALWAYS ON SOMETHING. THAT'S GOOD. IT MEANS YOUR MIND IS ALWAYS ACTIVE. IT SPEAKS TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE. I LIKE THAT. I CAN'T STAND TALKING WITH THE IGNORANT UNDERDEVELOPED SCUM.)

"Thanks, I guess? Not really sure what's going on here. But quick question...Are you...?"

"✌ 💧😐☜☹☜❄⚐☠✍ ✡☜💧📬 ✋ 🕈✌💧 👌☜☝✋☠☠✋☠☝ ❄⚐ ❄☟✋☠😐 ✡⚐🕆 🕈☜☼☜☠🕯❄ ☝⚐✋☠☝ ❄⚐ ✌💧😐📬" (A SKELETON? YES. I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK YOU WEREN'T GOING TO ASK.)

"How do you figure that?"

"✋ 👍✌☠ 💧☜☜ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜ ☞✋✠✌❄✋☠☝ ✡⚐🕆☼ ☝✌☪☜ ⚐☠ 🏱✌☼❄💧 ⚐☞ 💣✡ 💧😐🕆☹☹ 🕈☟✋☹☜ ✡⚐🕆☼ ☟✌☠👎📪 🕈☟✋👍☟ ✋💧 💧❄✋☹☹ ✋☠ 💣✋☠☜ 👌✡ ❄☟☜ 🕈✌✡📪 ✋💧 ☞☜☜☹✋☠☝ ✌☼⚐🕆☠👎 ❄☟☜ 👌⚐☠☜ ✈🕆✋❄☜ ✋☠❄☜☠❄☹✡📬" (I CAN SEE YOU ARE FIXATING YOUR GAZE ON PARTS OF MY SKULL WHILE YOUR HAND, WHICH IS STILL IN MINE BY THE WAY, IS FEELING AROUND THE BONE QUITE INTENTLY.)

I blush and yank my hand back, which makes him smirk.

"💧🕆👍☟ ✌ ☠✌🕆☝☟❄✡ ☝✋☼☹ ❄⚐ ☞☜☜☹ 💣☜ ☹✋😐☜ ❄☟✌❄📬 ✌☠👎 ✋🕯💣 ✌ 💧❄☼✌☠☝☜☼ ☠⚐ ☹☜💧💧📬 🕈☟✡📬📬📬🕈☟✌❄ 🕈⚐🕆☹👎 ✡⚐🕆☼ 💣⚐❄☟☜☼ 💧✌✡ ✋☞ 💧☟☜ 😐☠☜🕈✍" (SUCH A NAUGHTY GIRL TO FEEL ME LIKE THAT. AND I'M A STRANGER NO LESS. WHY...WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTHER SAY IF SHE KNEW?)

I'm getting too flustered for this shit.

"Buddy, I am so close to slapping you that it ain't even funny."

"☠⚐ ☠☜☜👎 ☞⚐☼ 💧🕆👍☟ ☼☜❄✌☹✋✌❄✋⚐☠📬 ☠⚐❄ ☹✋😐☜ ✡⚐🕆🕯👎 ☟✌☼💣 💣☜ ☜✞☜☠ ✋☞ ✡⚐🕆 ❄☼✋☜👎📬" (NO NEED FOR SUCH RETALIATION. NOT LIKE YOU'D HARM ME EVEN IF YOU TRIED.)

"Are you implying that I'm weak?"

"☠⚐❄ ☜✞☜☠ 👍☹⚐💧☜📬 ❄☟✋💧 ✋💧 ❄☟☜ ✞⚐✋👎📬 ✌ 🏱☹✌👍☜ 👌☜❄🕈☜☜☠ ❄✋💣☜ ✌☠👎 💧🏱✌👍☜📬 ❄☟✋☠☝💧 ☹✋😐☜ 💧❄☼☜☠☝❄☟ 👎⚐ ☠⚐❄ 💣✌❄❄☜☼ ☟☜☼☜📬 ☠⚐❄☟✋☠☝ 💣✌❄❄☜☼💧 ☟☜☼☜📬" (NOT EVEN CLOSE. THIS IS THE VOID. A PLACE BETWEEN TIME AND SPACE. THINGS LIKE STRENGTH DO NOT MATTER HERE. NOTHING MATTERS HERE.)

Joke detected. Proceed with being a dork.

"You're wrong."

"☟💣💣💣✍" (HMMM?)

"Everything is matter!"

I laugh nervously as he blinks at me a few times. Wow...My lameness has hit new lows. This is around the time Flowey or Chara would mock me for it. I sigh in defeat, only to perk up when I hear him slap a hand over his mouth. He's trying not to chuckle but the hole in his hand doesn't really help.

"❄☟✌❄📬📬📬❄☟✌❄ 🕈✌💧 ✌🕈☞🕆☹📪 ☟🕆💣✌☠📬" (THAT...THAT WAS AWFUL, HUMAN.)

"Then why are you laughing, sir?"

"✋❄🕯💧 ✌ 🏱✋❄✡ ☹✌🕆☝☟📬" (IT'S A PITY LAUGH.)

"Heh. If you say so. Figured all skeletons had easily tickled funny bones. At least, that's the impression I got from Sans anyway."

He flinches upon hearing that name.

"Judging by that reaction, I seem to have struck a nerve. Rather interesting considering, as a skeleton, you don't have the guts for such things."

A small amount of red dusts his cheekbones and he groans at my increasingly bad puns.

"❄☟✌❄ 👌⚐☠☜☟☜✌👎📬📬📬✌☹☹ ✋❄ ❄⚐⚐😐 🕈✌💧 ⚐☠☜ ✋☠❄☜☼✌👍❄✋⚐☠ ✌☠👎 ☟☜ 👍⚐☼☼🕆🏱❄☜👎 ✡⚐🕆 🕈✋❄☟ ☟✋💧 ❄☜☼☼✋👌☹☜ 💧☜☠💧☜ ⚐☞ ☟🕆💣⚐☼📬" (THAT BONEHEAD...ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE INTERACTION AND HE CORRUPTED YOU WITH HIS TERRIBLE SENSE OF HUMOR.)

"So you do know him? Cool. Does he randomly get pulled into weird doors in his dreams too?"

"☠⚐📬 ✡⚐🕆 🕈✋☹☹ ☠⚐❄ 👌☜ 💧☜☜✋☠☝ 💧✌☠💧 ☟☜☼☜📬 ❄☟✋💧 ✋💧 ✌ 🏱☹✌👍☜ 🕈☟☜☼☜ ⚐☠☹✡ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☠👎 ✋ 🕈✋☹☹ 👍⚐☠✞☜☼☝☜ ❄⚐ 💣☜☜❄📬" (NO. YOU WILL NOT BE SEEING SANS HERE. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE ONLY YOU AND I WILL CONVERGE TO MEET.)

"So...This is going to be a thing with us then? Me randomly popping in and saying hi?"

"✌ ❄☟⚐🕆💧✌☠👎 🏱✌☼👎⚐☠💧 ✋☞ ✋🕯💣 ☠⚐❄ 💣☜☜❄✋☠☝ ✡⚐🕆☼ ☟✋☝☟ 💧❄✌☠👎✌☼👎💧 ☞⚐☼ 👍⚐💣🏱✌☠✡📬" (A THOUSAND PARDONS IF I'M NOT MEETING YOUR HIGH STANDARDS FOR COMPANY.)

"That's not what I meant. Don't take it the wrong way, I'm just confused by this...whatever this is. I recall each of these moments. Each time we chat. I'm not even sure these are dreams anymore based on I'm able to vividly remember all this. So finally meeting the owner of the voice that comes into my head is throwing me off a little. I'm not very good at making the best first impressions."

"✋ 😐☠⚐🕈📬 ✡⚐🕆 👍✌☹☹☜👎 💣☜ ✌ ☼✌👍✋💧❄ ☞🕆👍😐📪 ☼☜💣☜💣👌☜☼✍" (I KNOW. YOU CALLED ME A RACIST FUCK, REMEMBER?)

"*nervous giggles* Oh yeah...heh...I...I forgot about that. My bad?"

He sneers a little before regaining composure.

"❄⚐ 👌☜ ☞✌✋☼📪 ✋ 🕈✌💧 ☹☜💧💧 ❄☟✌☠ 🏱☹☜✌💧✌☠❄ ✋☠ ❄☟✌❄ ✋☠❄☜☼✌👍❄✋⚐☠ ✌💧 🕈☜☹☹📬 💧⚐ ✋🕯💣 🕈✋☹☹✋☠☝ ❄⚐ ⚐✞☜☼☹⚐⚐😐 ❄☟✌❄ 💣⚐💣☜☠❄ ✌☠👎 👍✌☹☹ 🕆💧 ☜✞☜☠📬 👌🕆❄ 💣✌✡👌☜ ✡⚐🕆 💣✌😐☜ ✌ 🏱⚐✋☠❄ ✌👌⚐🕆❄ ☞✋☼💧❄ ✋💣🏱☼☜💧💧✋⚐☠💧📬 💧👍✌☼✋☠☝ ✡⚐🕆 ☟✌☹☞ ❄⚐ 👎☜✌❄☟📪 🕈☟✋☹☜ ☜☠❄☜☼❄✌✋☠✋☠☝📪 ✋💧☠🕯❄ ❄☟☜ 👌☜💧❄ 🕈✌✡ ⚐☞ ☝☼☜☜❄✋☠☝ ✌ ☠☜🕈 ☞✌👍☜📬" (TO BE FAIR, I WAS LESS THAN PLEASANT IN THAT INTERACTION AS WELL. SO I'M WILLING TO OVERLOOK THAT MOMENT AND CALL US EVEN. BUT MAYBE YOU MAKE A POINT ABOUT FIRST IMPRESSIONS. SCARING YOU HALF TO DEATH, WHILE ENTERTAINING, ISN'T THE BEST WAY OF GREETING A NEW FACE.)

I guess if he's willing to forgive and forget, I can be a big girl about this too.

"Then allow me to introduce myself. Greetings good sir, I am Lynsie. Might I be so bold as to ask who you might be? Since this will be a reoccurring and continuing thing."

"✋ 😐☠⚐🕈 ✞☜☼✡ 🕈☜☹☹ 🕈☟⚐ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜📪 ☟🕆💣✌☠📬 ✋🕯✞☜ 👌☜☜☠ 💣⚐☠✋❄⚐☼✋☠☝ ✡⚐🕆 💧✋☠👍☜ ✡⚐🕆 ☞☜☹☹📬 🕈☟✋👍☟📪 ✈🕆✋❄☜ ☞☼✌☠😐☹✡ ✋ ☟✌✞☜ ❄⚐ 💧✌✡📪 ✋🕯💣 ✌ ☹✋❄❄☹☜ 👎✋💧✌🏱🏱⚐✋☠❄☜👎📬" (I KNOW VERY WELL WHO YOU ARE, HUMAN. I'VE BEEN MONITORING YOU SINCE YOU FELL. WHICH, QUITE FRANKLY I HAVE TO SAY, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED.)

"You've been watching me? Wait...I'm disappointing? What? How? Why?"

"✡⚐🕆🕯☼☜ 😐✋☠👎 ⚐☞ 👌⚐☼✋☠☝📬" (YOU'RE KIND OF BORING.)

"I'm boring? How the hell am I boring? Did you not see any of the crap I've been through?! Did you not see Toriel need to strangle me?! How the fuck is that boring?!"

A cheeky smirk plays on his face...that cocky son of a bone!

"☟☜☟📬 ✋ ☟✌👎 ✌ ☞☜☜☹✋☠☝ ❄☟✌❄ 🕈⚐🕆☹👎 👎☼✌☝ ✌☠ ✌💣🕆💧✋☠☝ ☼☜✌👍❄✋⚐☠ ⚐🕆❄ ⚐☞ ✡⚐🕆📬" (HEH. I HAD A FEELING THAT WOULD DRAG AN AMUSING REACTION OUT OF YOU.)

My eye twitches.

"I'm just a toy to you, aren't I?"

His expression changes to a more serious one.

"☞✌☼ ☞☼⚐💣 ✋❄📬 ✌☹☹ ☟🕆💣⚐☼ ✌💧✋👎☜📪 ✋ ☞✋☠👎 ✡⚐🕆 ☼✌❄☟☜☼ ✋☠❄☜☼☜💧❄✋☠☝📬 ❄☟✋💧 ☼⚐⚐💣 ✋💧 💧☜🏱✌☼✌❄☜ ☞☼⚐💣 ❄☟☜ 🕈⚐☼☹👎 ✡⚐🕆 😐☠⚐🕈 🕈☟☜☠ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜ 👍⚐☠💧👍✋⚐🕆💧📬 ☠⚐ ⚐☠☜ ✌☠👎 ☠⚐ ❄☟✋☠☝ ☟✌💧 ☜✞☜☼ 👌☜☜☠ ✌👌☹☜ ❄⚐ ☼☜✌👍☟ ☟☜☼☜ ☠✌❄🕆☼✌☹☹✡📬📬📬❄☟✌❄ ✋💧📪 ⚐☞ 👍⚐🕆☼💧☜📪 🕆☠❄✋☹ ✡⚐🕆 ☞☜☹☹📬" (FAR FROM IT. ALL HUMOR ASIDE, I FIND YOU RATHER INTERESTING. THIS ROOM IS SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE CONSCIOUS. NO ONE AND NO THING HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO REACH HERE NATURALLY...THAT IS, OF COURSE, UNTIL YOU FELL.)

"You're suggesting that this place is a dimensional rift or pocket dimension that solely consists of this room and only this room."

The grin he gets is creepy.

"✋ 😐☠☜🕈 ✡⚐🕆 🕈☜☼☜ 👍☹☜✞☜☼📬 ✡⚐🕆☼ 🕆☠👎☜☼💧❄✌☠👎✋☠☝ ⚐☞ 💣🕆☹❄✋✞☜☼💧☜ ❄☟☜⚐☼✡ 🕈✌💧 ✞☜☼✡ ☜☠☹✋☝☟❄☜☠✋☠☝📬" (I KNEW YOU WERE CLEVER. YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF MULTIVERSE THEORY WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING.)

"I have a basic understanding in most scientific studies. It's amazing the kind of stuff I end up looking up when I'm bored. My most recent studies being string theory and multiverse theory."

"❄☟☜☠ ✡⚐🕆 👍✌☠ ☝☼✌💧🏱 ☟⚐🕈 ❄☟✋💧 ✋💧 🏱⚐💧💧✋👌☹☜📬 ❄☟✋💧 ☼⚐⚐💣 💧❄✋☹☹ ☜✠✋💧❄ ⚐☠ ❄☟☜ 💧✌💣☜ 🏱⚐✋☠❄ ✌💧 ❄☟☜ 💣✌✋☠ 👎✋💣☜☠💧✋⚐☠ 🏱☹✌☠☜📪 👌🕆❄ ✋💧 ☠⚐❄ ✈🕆✋☜❄ ⚐☠ ❄☟☜ 💧✌💣☜ ☹☜✞☜☹📬" (THEN YOU CAN GRASP HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE. THIS ROOM STILL EXIST ON THE SAME POINT AS THE MAIN DIMENSION PLANE, BUT IS NOT QUIET ON THE SAME LEVEL.)

"Hmmm...Like a weak rip in the fabric of the blanket of time. This room is still connected by the loose threads but isn't fully patched in, if you mind such phrasing."

"☜✠✌👍❄☹✡📬 ✞☜☼✡ ☠✋👍☜ ✌☠✌☹⚐☝✡ 👌✡ ❄☟☜ 🕈✌✡📬 💧✋💣🏱☹☜ ✌☠👎 ☜☞☞☜👍❄✋✞☜📬" (EXACTLY. VERY NICE ANALOGY BY THE WAY. SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE.)

"I try. But I do believe we are missing a very important part of this equation."

"✌☠👎 🕈☟✌❄ 💣✋☝☟❄ ❄☟✌❄ 👌☜✍" (AND WHAT MIGHT THAT BE?)

"How the heck am I here? I'm just a mere human with the weakest amount of magic you can possibly imagine. How could I possibly be capable of inter-dimensional travel?"

An inquisitive look falls to him, his pinprick eyes close in thought. It's not a bad look on him. Kind of charming actually. Very natural looking. Did I stump you, mystery man?

"✌ 🏱⚐💧💧✋👌☹☜ ☜✠🏱☹✌☠✌❄✋⚐☠ 👍⚐🕆☹👎 👌☜ ✌💧❄☼✌☹ 🏱☼⚐☺☜👍❄✋⚐☠📬 ❄☟☜ ☞✌☹☹ 👍⚐🕆☹👎 ☟✌✞☜ ❄☼✋☝☝☜☼☜👎 ✡⚐🕆☼ 💧⚐🕆☹ ❄⚐ ❄☼✡ 🏱☼⚐❄☜👍❄✋☠☝ ✡⚐🕆📬 ✌❄ ❄☟☜ ☼✋💧😐 ⚐☞ ✡⚐🕆☼ 👌⚐👎✡ ☹✋😐☜☹✡ 👌☜✋☠☝ ☼☜☠👎☜☼☜👎 🕆💧☜☹☜💧💧📪 ✡⚐🕆☼ 💧⚐🕆☹ 💣✋☝☟❄ ☟✌✞☜ ❄☼✋☜👎 ❄⚐ 💧✌✞☜ ✡⚐🕆☼ ☜💧💧☜☠👍☜ ☞⚐☼ ☼☜💧☜❄❄✋☠☝ 🏱🕆☼🏱⚐💧☜💧📬" (A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION COULD BE ASTRAL PROJECTION. THE FALL COULD HAVE TRIGGERED YOUR SOUL TO TRY PROTECTING YOU. AT THE RISK OF YOUR BODY LIKELY BEING RENDERED USELESS, YOUR SOUL MIGHT HAVE TRIED TO SAVE YOUR ESSENCE FOR RESETTING PURPOSES.)

Now I'm the one confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"✡⚐🕆 🕈✋☹☹ ☞✋☠👎 ❄☟✌❄ ⚐🕆❄ ✋☠ 👎🕆☜ ❄✋💣☜📬 ✋🕯💣 💧🕆☼☜ ✌ 👍🕆☼✋⚐🕆💧 💣✋☠👎📪 💧🕆👍☟ ✌💧 ✡⚐🕆☼💧☜☹☞📪 🕈⚐🕆☹👎 ☜☠☺⚐✡ 👎✋💧👍⚐✞☜☼✋☠☝ 💧🕆👍☟ 🕈⚐☠👎☜☼💧 ⚐☠ ✡⚐🕆☼ ⚐🕈☠📬" (YOU WILL FIND THAT OUT IN DUE TIME. I'M SURE A CURIOUS MIND, SUCH AS YOURSELF, WOULD ENJOY DISCOVERING SUCH WONDERS ON YOUR OWN.)

Wait, what does he mean by this? The why is he speaking in like some vague character in a game?

"I...I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. Can you be a tad more specific?"

"✌💧 ✋ 💧✌✋👎📪 ✡⚐🕆 🕈✋☹☹ ✋☠ ❄✋💣☜📬 👌🕆❄ ☞⚐☼ ☠⚐🕈📪 ⚐🕆☼ ❄✋💣☜ ✋💧 ☠☜✌☼✋☠☝ ✋❄🕯💧 ☜☠👎📬 ⚐🕆☼ 💣☜☜❄✋☠☝💧 ☠☜✞☜☼ 💧☜☜💣 ❄⚐ ☹✌💧❄ ☹⚐☠☝ ☜☠⚐🕆☝☟ ☞⚐☼ 👎☜👍☜☠❄ 👍⚐☠✞☜☼💧✌❄✋⚐☠📬 ✌❄ ☹☜✌💧❄📪 ☞⚐☼ ☠⚐🕈 ✌☠✡🕈✌✡📬" (AS I SAID, YOU WILL IN TIME. BUT FOR NOW, OUR TIME IS NEARING IT'S END. OUR MEETINGS NEVER SEEM TO LAST LONG ENOUGH FOR DECENT CONVERSATION. AT LEAST, FOR NOW ANYWAY.)

I can feel it happening. I'm regaining consciousness.

"Wait! You never told me who you are and why you're here? I have so many questions!"

He gives me a crooked smile and pats my head like an elder sibling would.

"❄☟✌❄📪 ☹✋❄❄☹☜ ⚐☠☜📪 ✋💧 ✌ ❄✌☹☜ ☞⚐☼ ✌☠⚐❄☟☜☼ ❄✋💣☜📬 👌🕆❄ ✋ 🕈✋☹☹ ✌☠💧🕈☜☼ ⚐☠☜ ⚐☞ ✡⚐🕆☼ ✈🕆☜💧❄✋⚐☠💧📬" (THAT, LITTLE ONE, IS A TALE FOR ANOTHER TIME. BUT I WILL ANSWER ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS.)

He leans down and we lock eyes, my heart stops in mid-beat as I forget how to breathe.

"✡⚐🕆 💣✌✡ 👍✌☹☹ 💣☜📬📬📬☝✌💧❄☜☼📬" (YOU MAY CALL ME...GASTER.)

His eyes flash and I'm consumed in the light.

#undertale #underfell #Anomaly #Lynsie #Sans #Gaster #Papyrus #Grillby #Napstablook #Mettaton #Flowey #Asriel #Asgore #Toriel #Undyne #Alphys #grandpa semi #Chara #Frisk