Draft: Why Listen to Prophecies
Kustard Base Idea: Sans willingly allows an abduction with his brother. He wears a blindfold or a veil to cover his sockets... because of a prophecy. And he's out on a mission outside while protecting relics because of ANOTHER prophecy. He and his brother experience their first abduction and happily converse with their captors, who want to use them as pieces of negotiation tools—but then someone goes to remove Sans' blindfold and Papyrus gasps a warning that is: "WAIT! THE PERSON WHO REMOVES THE BLINDFOLD WILL BE HIS BONDED!"
Of course, this was one of the requirements that their captors considered, and another person goes for it because Edge, the main captor, is scandalized at the idea that he has to marry the skeleton who happily went along with the abduction...
...without any clue that Red, his brother, will be bonded to a god.
———
Humans and Monsters had many kingdoms spread out in the world, their history rife with either peace, conflict, or subjugation.
In the past, humans had the power to destroy monster kingdoms with only a few mages. They would conquer fertile lands and take in monsters as slaves or dust them for power to fuel their magic. It continued for a long time. Monsters became helpless enough to evolve, bringing boss monsters into being with their desperation. Kingdoms waged wars, kingdoms fell and rose, and monsters had to go against their very soul to become increasingly violent as time passed.
Until, one day, The World's Barrier broke, and outer beings descended upon its land, killing most of the humans and harvesting their strong intent. The monsters were barely spared a look, their focus solely pinned on the ones that had long started conflicts with monsters.
When humanity’s numbers had started going down, the humans had begged for monsters’ help. Their shamelessness in the face of pure fear fractured monster kingdoms. Some kingdoms offered their help, and some kingdoms turned them away. Other kingdoms remained neutral, washing their hands off the decision completely by hiding their territories.
But before a true decision could be made, a strange god appeared to provide Sanctuary... for monsters. The strange god brought other gods with them—gods that chose other kingdoms to support. The World’s gods hadn’t cared for humanity at all, but supported monsters that wished to help humanity, or supported monsters that wished to destroy humanity.
In the early beginnings of worship, monsters earned blessings when they prayed, and no harm came to them from human intent. It was pure protection, especially when the gods communed through faithful monsters. It balanced the situation between humanity’s powerful intent and fragile monsters that have low defence. Monsters could finally freely travel and be able to protect themselves from harm.
Soon after, monsters fought the champions of the outer gods and won, bringing The World its first victory. After succeeding in pushing away the outer gods, the strange god helped The World recover its shield. It created lands of Sanctuary, which protected monster kingdoms from harm.
Humanity barely survived the culling.
The World revealed itself to be conscious and announced that the perpetrators for the breaking of its Barrier had been the humans tinkering with magic beyond their understanding. Humanity then waged war with each other, causing their numbers to further dwindle down. The strange god did not interfere, staying silent.
Monsters did not extend their help with their conflict, studying instead the new powers bestowed to them by the gods.
A particular kingdom, one led by a pair of boss monsters, earned the favour of the strange god. They bestowed blessings upon the monsters born after their arrival, gifting them with comforting and encouraging dreams. One nightmare can turn into an adventure; a dream can turn into a prophecy.
A prophecy, when unclear, brought problems instead of solutions.
Queen Toriel cradled her head in her paws. On the other side of the table sat a soothsayer. Beside the soothsayer was a short skeleton, who had his head cushioned in his arms on the table.
“Could you repeat it, please?” Queen Toriel begged for the fourth time.
The elder soothsayer cleared her throat. “The gifted star will be taken—”
King Asgore whimpered into his Sea Tea. Queen Toriel did not elbow her husband this time.
“—darkness will fill the stars and lights will be consumed—”
The short skeleton shifted in his sleep, completely dead to the world.
“—the kingdom will be cast into shadows—”
King Asgore grabbed hold of his wife’s sleeve, shivering. The elderly turtle glared at him.
“King Asgore, please.” The elderly turtle sighed and then turned to Queen Toriel. “The prophecy isn’t going to change any time soon, Queen Toriel. The power bestowed upon me is strong, far more than ordinary monsters.”
“This is because you have good foresight, Lady Porpina,” Queen Toriel praised.
The snoozing skeleton giggled. “...sssight... nnn...”
Queen Toriel’s heavy sigh echoed in the war room.
King Asgore threw the sleeping skeleton a strange look. “Lady Porpina,” he started. “Do you have any insight to share for that prophecy?”
The skeleton made more giggling noises and mumbled words in his sleep. The elderly turtle looked down at him with adoring eyes, perhaps remembering her grandchildren back at her home in Waterfall. Though old, she had many offspring in their kingdom.
Queen Toriel crossed her arms. Tightly. She didn’t clear her throat – no, that was King Asgore, who sat beside her while shivering in fear.
Lady Porpina turned to them. “When the sight of darkness appeared, my vision became cloudy. I couldn’t tell if something important happened, but the kingdom did become shadowed. The symbol of the star became wrapped with tendrils of darkness. But everyone in the kingdom acted as if nothing had happened.”
“Mental manipulation, perhaps?” King Asgore meekly suggested. Queen Toriel nodded in agreement. Humans and monsters had magic, and mental manipulation was no stranger to them. Though banned in most kingdoms, in certain fields or professions, mental manipulation could be used for a good cause.
The elderly turtle shrugged. “I have no idea, Your Majesties. I am no expert, but I suspect that my vision was pushed aside by another god.”
Queen Toriel’s expression turned grim. “Then another kingdom might get involved.”
“Yes, that is my assumption.” The soothsayer placed her wrinkled hands around her cup of tea. “Your Majesties, prophecies can be subjective, so it’s not wise to dwell on it. Letting it simply happen will answer all our questions.”
“But if we can prevent our kingdom from being swallowed by darkness—”
“There is no way to stop it,” the elderly turtle delivered the words heavily. “I’ve attempted to stop it, but it didn’t work. Whoever is involved...” she trailed off.
“Then they might have strong determination.” Queen Toriel leaned back in her chair. “If it is a human, then we can defend ourselves. But if it is another monster kingdom, we will have to fight for our lives.”
King Asgore’s hulking form hunched over the table. “Tori, what if they take the star relic?”
Queen Toriel slowly shook her head. “I hope they don’t take it,” she whispered. “We cannot afford to lose the star relic given to us. Our people’s happiness depends on it.”
“just hide it,” the short skeleton yawned. The monarchs jolted straight, startled, and the table shook in response to King Asgore’s royal knee hitting its underside. Even for a moment, Queen Toriel had forgotten the presence of the skeleton beside Lady Porpina.
“Will that be okay?” The rough, worried voice of the soothsayer made ripples in her tea. The queen and king clasped their hands together, as if sharing their burdens.
The short skeleton lifted his skull, revealing a groggy smile on his face and his blindfolded sockets. Just like those seated on the table, he wore ceremonial clothes that befitted his status.
“yeah, it’s moveable. didn’t you see the pedestal? you can twist it off.”
If there was anyone more suited to being the most observant in their kingdom, it would be... Sans.
King Asgore stared at him, gaping. “We can do that?”
At the skeleton’s nod, King Asgore turned to Queen Toriel, smiling.
“Tori, we should keep it somewhere safe, like the tr—”
“the treasury would be obvious.” The short skeleton slowly sat up, the bones of his spine clicking as he adjusted his posture. “it’s better if you put it somewhere so obvious they’d think it’s a joke.”
Across the table, Queen Toriel covered her mouth and furrowed her furry brows. Beside her, King Asgore mimicked her expression. The elder turtle sniffed at them and swirled the tea in her teacup.
“I do not know what will happen,” the soothsayer admitted. “However, I don’t have the power to move the relic, so it is something that I haven’t tried to do in order to change the future.”
“Lady Porpina, we will need your guidance after we move the relic.”
“I’ll see to it that I get here by then.”
—
Ten days later, Queen Toriel smiled at the people below the dais.
The jovial announcer dramatically flourished his hands and the servants pulled off the sheet that covered the large fountain at the new town square. The crowd of monsters gasped in awe and delight.
“...as a reward for our contributions to the harvest, Our Beloved Queen has bestowed upon us a copy of the star relic from the palace!”
Atop the large fountain, glinting under the bright sunlight, sat a red orb. The star relic.
King Asgore would faint if he saw it.
Queen Toriel giggled behind her paw, looking away from the orb to glance at the trees where the secret forces hid.
An applause started, coming from the trees and spreading throughout the crowd. Monsters cheered and danced, celebrating their new gift.
The star relic looked better out in the sunlight than rotting inside the castle. Queen Toriel understood at once that she had made the right decision to place it outside of the castle.
—
“King Asgore, Queen Toriel!” a member of the council called out, panic laced in her voice. “The gods have bestowed us another star relic!”
Abruptly, King Asgore’s crown dropped to the table and Queen Toriel stood up from her seat.
“Another relic?” King Asgore choked on his royal tea. Queen Toriel sighed and called for her attendants.
“Lead the way,” she ordered as King Asgore scrambled to follow her.
The council member bowed and nodded and darted out of the room. The two monarchs followed the council member out, leaving a bemused skeleton seated on the round table with the rest of the council.
“Should we follow them?”
“Would that be good?”
“It’s better if we come up with plans for the next festival—”
“I’m worried about the treasury—”
“The treasury is fine!”
“King Asgore was found in the treasury, dancing with Queen Toriel and calling Her Majesty all of the names of gems and crystals.”
The council members sighed.
“that’s cute,” the skeleton said to them, causing many monsters to look at him with wide eyes. “how about we make a separate one that showcases the cool-looking ones, so the monarchs use that room instead?”
A scribe that stayed behind swiftly wrote down his words. Since the royals were gone for an emergency, he would be the one to write down the words of the council members.
It was a very important job—
But then Sans had to make puns and jokes between important suggestions, and the scribe nearly lost his head at the idea that the monarchs would have to read his report.
—
The kingdom received eight relics in total, most given to the towns close to it. Some of them were hidden in plain sight, and some were placed inside the place, the temple and other established locations.
The monarchs had disguised every relic related to stars as soon as they got them.
“We’ve given some to the people—”
“What of the Royal Guards?”
“Lady Undyne is watching over the red relic,” Queen Toriel said to King Asgore. “For the coloured forces—” King Asgore trembled “—we have given them the corresponding relic to their name.”
“T-t-then the guardians have some of the relics?”
Queen Toriel nodded. “With the guardians of the coloured relics, we have no fear of darkness falling upon our kingdom.”
Monsters deeply understood that true darkness won’t be good for them. It was an instinct that started from birth, one that kept them safe. An ever-consuming darkness would end them.
“Will that be fine?”
“It will be safer.”
They had protected all the relics, given guards to little towns that held them. The treasury was filled with false relics and copies of star-like insignias in an attempt to divert the prophecy to more innocent items.
Queen Toriel and King Asgore had done their very best to keep their kingdom safe.
So, of course, one of their guardians had to walk into a trap.
Deliberately.
—
The queen sat upon the throne with an expression of horror painting her face. Beside her, King Asgore mirrored her look. At the smallest throne next to theirs, Prince Asriel’ body shook as he covered his maw. He looked terrified.
“They kidnapped the leader of our secret force?” Undyne, the Captain of the Royal Guard questioned the messenger sharply. Before her stood the messenger, whose head bowed further.
“Yes, Lady Undyne.”
Undyne made a face and then turned to the dais. “We have secret forces?” she asked the queen, who nodded at her. “Really?” she muttered under her breath.
“Yes,” the messenger confirmed, a dog monster who was shaking in his boots. “They sent a letter to explain that they wish to negotiate with them.”
“They just want to use them in the negotiations!” Undyne realized.
“They kidnapped the White Guardian,” Queen Toriel repeated, her voice hollow. “They... kidnapped the guardian that holds the white star relic. Asgore—”
King Asgore stood to his full height. “What of the rest?” he demanded. “What happened to the others?”
“They have released the others, Your Majesty. The White Guardian convinced the captors to release them without harm in exchange for their presence.”
Instantly, the monarchs sighed in relief. Undyne sneaked a stumped glance at their reaction.
“One of the White Guards will have the white star relic,” Queen Toriel told the room, enlightening them. “The White S—the White Guardian would have hidden it with one of the returners.”
“But, Your Majesties,” the messenger spoke up again, whimpering this time, “The White Guardian’s Shield stayed behind.”
“Oh, no,” the three goat monsters moaned in unison.
“Wait, why is that bad?” sputtered Undyne. “They need all the help they can get to escape!”
“He won’t help; he would—”
—
“—make things really complicated.”
“PARDON, WHAT WAS THAT?” asked the White Guardian’s Shield.
“oh, it’s just...” The White Star Guardian gestured to the path before them and said, “i think i sensed something that might make things really complicated.”
The White Guards lounging around the campfire abruptly gathered before him. Sans motioned for them to stay quiet. The wind blew gently through the trees, ruffling its leaves. But there were no sounds from animals, nor were there other noises that indicated the appearance of strangers.
“Would it be enemies?” Papyrus lowered his voice.
Sans tilted his head. “...we haven’t made any enemies recently, have we?”
“No, sir,” one of the guards replied beside him, “I haven’t heard of anything from the city about enemies.”
Sans sighed. “we should have brought our group to the south instead.”
“WHY?”
“because we’ve got company surrounding us, and they’re not familiar.”
As if summoned, cloaked figures parted from the trees and encircled their camp. Their robes ragged, and the faces beneath the hoods of the strangers seemed... menacing. In their hands were weapons, sharp, bloody, and dusty.
Sans sent out a signal. The White Guards quickly went to form around Sans and Papyrus.
“Halt!” one of the White Guards shouted. “Friend or foe, reveal your intentions at once!”
A tall, dark-cloaked figure emerged from the crowd. Underneath the hood revealed the face of a sharp-teethed skeleton with fractures near his socket.
“HELLO,” he growled. Menacingly. “WE’VE COME TO ABDUCT YOU.”
“WELL, SINCE YOU ASKED—” Papyrus’ jovial words paused. “WAIT! YOU CANNOT ABDUCT US, THAT’S ILLEGAL!”
The White Guards murmured back the same words, and then the skeleton barked out an evil laugh.
“SINCE WE TRIED BEING NICE, THEN—”
“oh, sure,” Sans cut him off. “i mean, if that was you being nice, i guess you guys aren’t from around here, huh?”
The strangers were stunned.
“THAT’S RIGHT!” Papyrus gasped. “MY APOLOGIES FOR MY LACK OF UNDERSTANDING! I FORGOT THAT WE’RE NOT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE KINGDOM—THE RULES DO NOT APPLY HERE!”
The menacing tall skeleton started sputtering out some words, while the White Guards conversed with each other to convey their agreement with the White Guardian’s Shield.
“That’s right, sorry for misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, you took us by surprise,” one of the White Guards whined. “I mean, you guys are dressed like that!”
“You should wash your weapons,” a guard suggested loudly, “I heard that it could rust if you leave it like that.”
“This is monster steel!” one of the cloaked strangers exclaimed, clearly offended as he hugged his bloody mace close. “Don’t insult my baby!”
“Oh, so it’s his baby,” the guard murmured next to his companion.
“Maybe it’s adopted,” she whispered back.
“I see, so this is what monsters from other places do!”
“Adopting weapons as children...”
“Maybe it’s like the Royal Scientist and her new inventions.”
The White Guards nodded to each other while the strangers stared at them with incredulity.
“so, this abduction,” Sans asked, “who exactly do you want?”
The tall, menacing skeleton straightened up. “ALL OF YOU!”
“THAT WON’T BE POSSIBLE!” Papyrus gasped, placing his hands on the chest of his armour. The stranger stepped forward, but he continued to talk. “MOST OF OUR GUARDS WERE PREPARING TO GO HOME. WE ONLY HAD A FEW MINUTES LEFT BEFORE WE WOULD HEAD TO THE KINGDOM!”
“That’s right,” one of the guards sighed, a bunny monster with green fur. “I promised my wife that I’d come home on time and she’s... pregnant.” He shuddered. A monster from the crowd of strangers flinched in sympathy. “She’s my... pregnant wife, you know? When she gets mad...”
“I told my mom I’d be home for dinner,” a deer monster sighed. “She’ll pull off my antlers if I so much as miss it.”
“Ah, my sister...”
“I have a family gathering...”
“Oh, I’m going to take a long sleep...”
The line of excuses continued until the last guard muttered that he wanted to watch a new play made by Mettaton.
“see?” Sans gestured to the guards reporting their plans. “they have plans. you have to pick.”
The stranger glared hard. “THEN GIVE US YOUR LEADERS!” he yelled.
“OH, THAT WOULD BE ME! AND, OF COURSE, MY BROTHER!” Papyrus gasped happily.
The guards nodded along with Sans, who chuckled.
“TIE THEM UP!” the skeleton ordered, and two short monsters came to them with ropes.
“DO YOU HEAR THAT, BROTHER? WE’RE GOING TO BE ABDUCTED!” his brother exclaimed. “THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’LL EVER EXPERIENCE BEING ABDUCTED. IT’S SO EXCITING!”
“it’s our first abduction,” Sans told the strangers that approached as he and Papyrus left the guards. “so we don’t really know much about it.”
They tied his arms behind his back, firmly and securely. He tested the ropes and murmured that they should use dead knots to make it harder to escape. One of them seemed flustered, but another one dressed in darker clothing swiftly made a complex knot that pulled at the ropes whenever he moved his arms. The shy one went over to his brother, replicating it.
Once the two of them were encircled by the strangers, Sans asked, “the guards are free to go home, right? i mean, it’s not like we’re unwilling to be abducted.”
“STOP SAYING ABDUCTED LIKE IT’S A NORMAL WORD!” the abductor skeleton snapped at them.
“OH, SHOULD WE CALL IT A KIDNAPPING? BUT WE ARE NOT CHILDREN, NOR ARE WE SLEEPING BABY GOATS...”
“i think they’re not sure why we’re happy to be abducted,” Sans told his brother. “maybe no one understood when they said they asked nicely.”
“OH!” Papyrus gasped. Then, he turned his skull to the strangers, emanating his sympathy. “OH, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SAD. DON’T WORRY! MY BROTHER AND I WILL BE PROPER ABDUCTEES AND NOT FIGHT BACK!”
“Why in star’s name are they like this...?” their main abductor muttered. “PUT THEM IN THE CARRIAGE! WE’RE GOING BACK AND... AND...”
The scarred skeleton sighed heavily.
“LEAVE THE GUARDS. MAKE THEM GO HOME… BUT GIVE ONE OF THEM THE LETTERS WITH THE BLACK SEAL.”
—
“So, that’s what happened,” a turtle White Guard reported. “They stayed behind to be invited—erm. Abducted. By the strangers.”
King Asgore whimpered along with Prince Asriel. Queen Toriel groaned into her hands, decorum be damned.
“I suppose we have to wait,” Queen Toriel sighed, slumping into the throne. She glanced at the white orb in the turtle’s arms. “Fortunately, they left the white star relic with you. We won’t have to worry...” she trailed off.
“About the White Star Guardian, Your Majesty?” the turtle added helpfully. “We from the White Guards think it will be fine. The Shield is with him!”
Queen Toriel and King Asgore froze in their throne.
“Oh!” the queen gasped.
“Oh, no,” King Asgore whimpered.
“You just had to remind us,” Prince Asriel moaned, covering his face.
----- Note: Red tied him up, that one little sentence was him. The next parts to be written is: They discuss their request a marriage/bonding between one of their people and Asgore and Toriel's Kingdom, Papyrus gasps and happily volunteers his brother, claiming he and his brother are officials who can officiate this wedding, they only have to state their terms and they'll state theirs and then the chosen spouse will have to remove Sans' blindfold. Someone specific (Red) removes Sans' blindfold to identify him, Papyrus says that he didn't know they were rushing to get married so fast, because removing that blindfold is an instant marriage (due to a prophecy) and Papyrus is a proper WITNESS when the bond forms fast.
...Papyrus is adopted, about to be a new little godling.