Chapter 28: And Terrible
They repeated his sentences, as if agreeing with him on everything he said.
They called him ‘Great’ and gave him his well-deserved praise, for his strength, his intelligence and skills.
They smiled as if they were genuinely happy for a chance to fight him.
This was all an act, he knew that.
But where was the evil intent? Why their smile didn’t betray anything more than amusement and hope?
~*~
Red bones, they were sure they’ve never seen red being used against them before. What did red mean?
“Now, that’s what I call impressive!” said with no idea of where to run, he had materialized two rows of white and red bones at the sides of the snowy path “Those bones are twice my size!”
There would be no chance of jumping if the bones were thrown against them. And half of them were red. They knew they had seen red before, the when was blurry and the shapes spoke of a hard earned ability, but since they didn’t have a clear image of it, they had no idea what it actually did to an enemy, or how to proceed.
Avoid it.
Yep, they knew that much, but it didn’t help.
Just avoid it.
They were trying to, but something told them they would find out real soon whether they intended it or not.
“FLATTERY WON’T SAVE YOU, HUMAN” he spat the last word, like an insult. It probably was and insult down here, just like ‘monster’ was an insult up there.
The old war was forgotten, along with monsters and magic, but the language kept alive part of a culture they rather had been forgotten.
And just like then, human and monster were face to face once again...
Actually, face to rib bones, they were under no false impression about their own height.
Papyrus stood tall on the other side of the battlefield, black polished armor, red cape flying with the strong wind, with a flurry of his hand, all the bones were thrown in their direction.
They dodged as they could, and when they had to choose between being squished by a white and a red bone, they chose the white.
The magic vanished on the impact, causing them another 6 of damage, that was almost the rest of their life, but hey, thanks to the hit they phased through the last few bones without taking any damage.
“What are the red ones supposed do?” they asked while he summoned more bones, albeit in a much more jumpable size.
Although, it was much too soon to sound so happy. The way the bones were flying over his head, sharp side pointing at them, they bet those wouldn’t be for jumping.
“KILL YOU” he wasn’t much for a conversation today.
“Instantly?!” they asked alarmed, he had no reaction “Or like, damage me until they kill me?” but at least he was holding up and allowing them to talk in between his attacks “I thought that was what the white ones did”
“THEY ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO KILL YOU” he hadn’t spoken much before the battle either, just proclaiming he would kill them and going straight to the point.
The bones flew down on them, sharp and fast, white and red’s alike. If he wasn’t going to answer them, and they had no more HP to keep getting answers from him, they might as well find out for themselves.
Dodging a white one, they let themselves be hit by a red bone.
Big mistake.
Their chest was pierced, they couldn’t breathe.
They fell to their knees, not realizing all the other bones vanished, all but the one buried between their ribs.
They should have dodged that.
But curiosity killed the cat.
The next gulp of air sounded wrong, with each new stretch of their attempt breathing pulling the damaged area. They grabbed it, but the bone wouldn’t vanish, and their hands had no strength to pull it off.
They saw red boots approaching on the snow, without a word he summoned more bones, directly under them, and everything went dark.
Reset Continue 162932:17 Timeline 82 end.
With ragged breaths they looked at the star in front of them.
Flowey had just been gone, then they took advantage of a saving star they found on the path, and here they were.
They hadn’t been naïve to think they would survive the first try, they knew it was a lost battle, maybe because of it they taunted Papyrus a bit more than necessary.
He got mad when they didn’t took the fight seriously, summoning the red bones after a particular bad pun…
The red bones.
Unlike the normal ones, didn’t dissipate when they hit, they seemed to have more matter in them, and they hurt more than the white ones too.
It didn’t cost them their HP, since their soul hadn’t shattered immediately, but did actual damage directly to their body, what was a lot worse in a fight… specially for a human…
They had to avoid them at all costs.
…
Not much of an improvement from the knowledge they had in the first attempt, but they would have to make do with this bit of information.
The second attempt, they took it seriously.
They talked about how they viewed underground, and Snowdin, how they found people there that could be trusted and that only needed a little bit of kindness to be better.
They talked about how Monster Kid only wanted someone to talk to. How generous the Innkeeper had been when they first arrived. And the Shopkeeper that made them promise that if they ever were targeted by any adult, they would talk to the guard.
They talked about how they could have hope, of being better, how monsters deserved to live in a world where you could trust each other, where you could live peacefully.
Of how, the only way to teach them this, was by example.
They talked, and talked, and died and talked some more.
“So I will not fight you” said as they jumped more white bones.
He always let them talk between his turns, but in the last 15 attempts hadn’t said anything in return.
“I will keep sparing you until you give up” They knew the attack patterns by now, it was the only reason why they still had enough wind to talk.
But unlike the first try, he never once listened.
“Even if you hit me, even if I bleed” they speed through orange attacks.
He kept his frown and his head down, letting them catch their breath and spend what would be their short turn talking.
“Because I know you are still in there, Pap” they barely said the nickname before once again, was his turn to attack.
He summoned rows and rows of bones, they didn’t falter.
“I believe in you, I know you can do better”
White and orange bones. Tall, sharp and fast.
“I know that there is still good in you”
He turned their soul blue, it was tiring, but they kept moving, kept talking to him.
“I know you just want to do the right thing”
But even if he killed them, it was different from the first timeline they fought. In the ones were they talked what their soul was full of, he hadn’t summoned a single of his red bones.
This had to mean something.
He was listening.
They could get through him.
“I know that in another place, another time I might have been, we might have been... friends… and as much as you don’t believe it now, we still can!”
“ENOUGH!” his shout snapped through the air with so much anger that the ripple of intent alone shut them up.
All his bones vanished, his posture changed, and he summoned a single red bone, a some sort of rapier, he grabbed it so tight they could hear cracking noises.
Their soul constricted painfully in their chest, but not because of the blue magic, no, that had been dispelled with the rest of his bones.
It was the sight of their proud friend, hunched over himself, baring his teeth like a wounded animal.
They wanted nothing more than run in his direction and hug him. But just like a wild animal, his sight alone caused a primitive kind of fear to crawl down their spine.
They were glad they didn’t move closer, because not a second later, for the first time in all of their journey through the underground, they experienced what true killing intent felt like.
“WHAT KIND OF FOOL DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?!” he growled, right eyelight glowing a threatening red “PREACHING MERCY TO OTHER MONSTERS? TRYING TO SEDUCE ME WITH FRIENDSHIP?” he puffed his chest, taller than ever, presence suffocating “WELL I HAVE ONE LESSON FOR YOU, HUMAN” he charged his magic, their ears rang, goose bumps warned them of the danger that permeated the air “IN THIS WORLD... IT’S KILL” numerous bones arose around them “OR BE KILLED...” all of them red.
They couldn’t say a single word now, it was his turn.
“SHOW SOFTNESS AND YOU ARE WEAK”
It was like he was struggling to talk, like the words had been memorized and repeated to exhaustion.
“BE KIND AND YOU BECOME A TARGET”
Even if they came out smoothly, every sentence carried pain and hurt and misery of a whole lifespan.
“PLEDGE FOR MERCY AND YOU ARE AS GOOD AS DUST!”
Of a soul beaten up times and times again, until it hardened.
“SPARE...” he closed his eyes, a bit longer, he opened them with a cold and unreadable expression “AND YOU WILL BE BEATEN TO DEATH WHILE FORCED TO WATCH YOUR LOVED ONES SUFFER FROM A WORSE FATE THAN YOURS”
They could sense something materializing above them, but they couldn’t take their eyes from the desperate monster in front of them, their whole body was trembling, eyes watering from the sheer emotion on his magic.
“SO DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND MERCY!” the words were coated with spite and malice, their soul shuddered “I REFUSE TO LOWER MY DEFENSES LISTENING TO ANY OF YOUR LIES! SO SHUT UP AND DIE ALREADY!”
That... they couldn’t start to imagine what he’s been thought, what both brothers been through, nor did they had the time.
Papyrus was vicious, ready to attack with more bones than they could even see, and a familiar charging humming sound had started, one that send another shiver down their spine, they closed their eyes and with all the Determination they could muster, shouting from the deep within their soul.
The only thought on their mind, the only wish in their heart.
“I will not give up on you!”
They felt the golden energy wash over them fixating this point in time, then their arms were pierced and a hot agonizing pain ate all their lower torso and legs, it quickly faded to numbness and a black screen where a golden light reflected on bright red eyes.
Reset Continue 162940:14 Timeline 98 end.
Brown eyes shining a golden light shot open the moment the world shifted back, only to be greeted with the vision of two giant skulls and a myriad of sharp bones.
Reset Continue 162940:14 Timeline 99 end.
Brown eyes shining red and gold shot open, paralyzed with the fear of the massive mandibles charging a wave of raw magic.
Reset Continue 162940:14 Timeline 100 end.
Shining brown and red eyes shot open seeing a golden hall and giant skulls, shut them quickly trying to regain the control of their mind.
Reset Continue 162940:14 Timeline 101 end.
Shining red eyes shot open, keeping the focus on the ground and testing a step to the side, too slow.
Reset Continue 162940:15 Timeline 103 end.
In their head the feet moved even before the world shifted back, first step, second step, pierced in the stomach by two bones then another through the neck, they could do this.
Reset Continue 162940:18 Timeline 108 end.
Dodging all the attacks they were ready to act, they would convince him this time.
They barely caught a breath to speak, another wave of bones rose from the ground, piercing them.
Reset Continue 162941:48 Timeline 159 end.
They had no time to say anything else.
They couldn’t fail.
Repeating the same hard learnt pattern, they dodged the attacks, to Papyrus’ surprise, taking minimal damage to their body in the process.
This was it.
They couldn’t fail!
When he summoned the last wave of bones they closed the distance, using every technique they’ve learned in training, they dodged the attacks, rolling on the ground, using the impulse to get up and past him, using the momentum to kick the back of his knee, and grabbing his arms behind his back, in a jump kneeling his torso, using all their weight to throwing him face first into the ground.
He trashed as expected, but they quickly pressed his spine with their thighs, using their feet to stop his legs from regaining balance. They applied every ounce of weight they had in securing his arms, bending them as far they would go and then a little further, they could not waste this chance!
A grunt of frustration was muffled by the snow that now filled his mouth, he had failed trying to get away, therefore, lost a turn trashing.
And that’s what they were waiting for. He on the ground, at their mercy, they felt victorious. Proudly choosing the options.
*MERCY
*Spare
*The human is sparing you.
There was a calm moment... before a wave of bones formed, shooting aimlessly over them.
“Stop that!” angrily shout at Papyrus, but he made no mention of calling the attack off “I’m sparing you!”
Another wave, closer, a piercing pain shoot through their leg, one of the red bones for sure, while fresh blood painted the snow, they watched helpless as one of the bones hit, centimeters from their eyes, cracking his own humerus, the broken bone leaked red marrow making Papyrus grunt in pain.
“Stop! You are hurting yourself!” They pleaded, and when another bone hit them on their side they refused to feel the pain! Working hard to hold him while disconnecting their mind from the bone causing them pain. And that’s when they heard... something…
‘you gotta block the magic flow, bro’ echoed the memory of water, shadows and light ‘being filled by a constant stream of raw energy on your magic lines is natural for monsters, like the oxygen filling the lungs is for humans’ whispered quietly ‘LIKE THIS, BROTHER?’ ‘NGAHHH!!!’ a gloved thumbs up ‘yep, you got it bro’
They faded back to reality. Below them his arm was broken, above them the rumble of a blaster. Determination.
Their left hand was now free, they held his neck, grabbing it with enough force to lift his face from the ground, one single thought in mind.
Suffocate.
The buzzing sound faded as the gagging sound rose, the attacks called off.
Skeletons didn’t need to breathe, thankfully.
‘Immobilize’ was their intent, and with all that determination and physical matter pressing his bones, their intent made itself clear to his magic. They took a deep breath.
“It’s over Papyrus, you don’t need to fight anymore”
*The human is sparing you.
With that arm around his neck, his magic was not answering to his call anymore, and with his only free arm broken, it was impossible to attack.
“NEVER!”
So he acted.
Struggled, grunted and tried to bite, moving his legs, making it too hard to keep holding, his broken arm flailed uselessly on the ground, nicking at his HP at each move, they couldn’t let go of his neck to grab it, or he would certainly be able to kill both of them with aimless bones.
His marrow covered the snow, their blood covered the snow, they were scared his HP would get to zero so they held his other hand tighter, putting more pressure in his back.
*The human is sparing you.
Hot pain, cold snow, their muscles ached at each move of the skeleton, but they refused to let him go.
*Papyrus is struggling.
“STOP SPARING ME!” His HP kept dropping at each struggle.
*The human is sparing you.
*Papyrus is struggling.
“Why?” whispered hugging him tight, hiding their head on his hard bones, harsh movements bruising their cheeks.
*The human is sparing you.
*Papyrus is struggling.
“Why don’t you accept mercy?”
*The human is sparing you.
*Papyrus is struggling.
“What this world did to you?!”
They screamed angrily against his back, making him flinch and stop struggling.
“Where is the one who believe that everyone could be good? Where is the one who would offer his trust with open arms?”
They couldn’t help but burst into tears, frustration and loss gripping at their very soul.
“Where is that sweet skeleton that would try his best to help everyone, that would do everything he could to care for his friends? What did this corrupted world did to the brightest soul?”
Their grip faltered, body shaking with each shed tear.
“That would forgive even the most... terrible of crimes?”
They could not control their breathing anymore.
“That would care for... for the evilest being if they were ready... ready to change...”
They laid limp, rocked only by sobs and by Papyrus rising to his feet, he made no move of attacking, accessing the damage on his arm instead.
From teary eyes they looked up at the blur that was their friend, red scarf blowing in the wind “Why?”
And the world faded black.
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