Wanderlust AU (Undertale)

An AU where Sans splits into two entities and the adventures of one as he seeks to find his place in the multiverse.

[wandering-skeleton-php-blog]

Chapter 3: Around the world in 80 days

Frisk kept their promise, there were no more genocides. In fact the time between resets slowly got longer and longer. Everything seemed golden.

Speaking of golden, Sans had been studying the sludge he'd scraped off of the kids soul. He found that he could control it to an extent if he used some of determination extract and some will power.

It could do simple tasks like moving to a certain place, opening a box or attaching itself to his hand. However it couldn't learn, couldn't really think on its own beyond reacting to perceived threats.

All and all this made the stuff relatively harmless. At least when it was by itself. But Sans still remembered the calculated way in which it had struck out against him while he was analyzing it. He couldn't allow the presence he'd felt at these times to control the goop ever again. He also couldn't leave the stuff in his lab as he never knew when a reset would happen and he was afraid if it wasn't on his person when Frisk reset it would just return to being a control mechanism for Frisk's soul.

So far he'd got by just keeping the stuff in a box, but that could be a little risky as it was liable to have the lid just pop off. So he began making a new container that he could permanently seal. Something he could keep on himself without being too obtrusive. Something useful.

So he made it into a journal, sealing the viscous liquid into a gold filigree with hardened blue magic. A gem in the center contained the rest of the determination extract that he'd pilfered. This allowed him to automatically turn to the page he wanted merely by thinking of it.

He could write down all the best jokes and puns he came up with to share with Papyrus later. He twitched, his smile falling a fraction. Papyrus... Although he was safe now, it wasn't like Sans could go to him. He already had his own Sans. There was no place for him there.

So Sans decided to travel. He first he explored the underground learning every nook and cranny, even going into the Ruins for the first time. Then when the monsters left the underground he followed and began to explore the overworld.

It was beautiful and sparkling compared to Underground. There were buildings and people everywhere! But much like the soul that now coated his new journal, it was the beauty of a rotting corpse. Corruption, envy, wrath, deceit. For every good human there were at least 5 other humans filled with these traits.

Despite this however, Sans did enjoy traveling and seeing new places. He began to write about the overworld in his journal, documenting his trips.

Then everything changed when he was traveling through a thick rain forest known as the Amazon. He'd been mapping out the place for a few days and he thought the place was stunning. However it was also dangerous as was apparent when the jaguar leaped at him from the brush claws extended.

Out of instinct he summoned his gaster blaster and blasted it. When it struck the jaguar it didn't damage the cat as it usually would. Instead, with a pop it vanished. Sans froze, blaster still floating above his head. What had just happened? He looked up. Yes the blaster was the same mangled mess as before.  However the feel of the attack he'd just done was different. Rather than a damage attack, it had felt like the magic he used when he was teleporting. The only difference was this felt stronger.

He'd have to test it out to see what happened. It would probably be best to test it out in a more controlled environment, but... it wasn't like he had anything to lose. Without further thought he blasted himself and everything disappeared into darkness.

[wandering-skeleton-php-blog]

Chapter 2: A Change of Heart

After carefully analyzing his souls new composition over the course the various resets Sans had figured some things.

First the only reason he was actually able to exist was because he was acting as a memory receptacle for his double. Sans retained the memories for his double so that he could remember the resets.

Second, since the first genocide run he had become immune to death, in that he could detach himself temporarily from his double. This meant that the static, that sensation of dissolving into nothingness, were gone. He could also watch past his own death to discover what happened next.

Through this he discovered that weed's secret and found something... Else... The hated child that he had killed time after time was nothing more than a puppet for something other.

It manifested itself as another child but Sans could tell that this was just a shell, a reanimated corpse. Knowing this Sans began to formulate a plan.

That thing controlled the kid, but unlike the corpse it inhabited, the kid was still there somewhere. Sans could see it occasionally when they reset. The smile vanishing, the glassy eyes clearing then filling with tears.

Perhaps there was a chance then, to break its hold on them. But how? That was the question. To answer that he would have to know how they were controlling them. Once he knew he found it he could... Well... At least the cycle would end.

That decided he teleported behind a pillar in the judgment hall so that he could observe the child more closely.

Several hours later his double arrived and shortly after the kid stalked in. The kid, as usual kept quiet as the double talked and then the battle began.

It took several restarts until Sans saw it. When San's duplicate offered mercy the kid hesitated and, for a split moment, the heart amulet at their neck began to beat with a dim red light before flickering out again.

Intrigued, Sans began to watch more closely and indeed, every time the heart flickered with light, the kid would falter. So Sans devised a plan and waited for the perfect moment to strike.

It happened when his double decided to spare the kid. The amulet bled red light so fiercely that Sans wondered why he'd never noticed before

The kid froze, hand raised to strike and in an instant Sans was there yanking the amulet away in a sudden burst of strength. The next instant he was gone, behind the pillar with the amulet pulsing in his grip.

Behind him the kid collapsed almost like a puppet with its strings cut. And, Sans realized as he continued to look at the amulet; that was exactly what had happened. What he had thought was an amulet was actually the kid’s soul. It was covered in viscous liquid that mascaraed as gold.

As he touched the ooze it seemed to cling all the tighter, though he could feel it quivering against his phalanges. With some time he would probably be able to pry the stuff off. However to do that he would need the kid alive.

He quickly turned back, afraid that he was too late, only to find his double sleeping on his feet. Sans snorted. Papyrus had been right he really sleep anywhere.

He carefully and quietly pulled the kids body behind a column before teleporting back to his lab with the soul. Wouldn't want his doppel waking up and killing the kid. That would just waste precious time and energy.

As he appeared in his lab the soul began to actually shake, vibrating in his hand as he struggled to keep hold of it. Eventually he was able to force it into his analyzer after administering a mild sedative.

When he got the results he was horrified, but not surprised. The kid’s soul, Frisk soul he reminded himself, was the core and it shone with the fierce light that spoke of determination. However it was overlaid with another soul that twisted and wound itself into every crack and crevice in Frisk's determination. This soul was a decayed mess that seemed almost mindless and mostly acted on impulse. However occasionally it would snatch out, striking at Sans at odd intervals intent on harm. At these points Sans could sense another presence lurking about seeking to continue the route they'd already begun.

So the first thing he did was cut the soul off from any sort of contact by sealing it in a special magic proof box that he had quickly assemble from the spare parts of a failed project. He then carefully began to peel off the other soul, sometimes using some of the extracted determination he'd found in Alphys lab as a way of baiting it out of a particularly difficult crack.

It took what seemed like forever, but eventually Sans had gotten all of the sludge off of Frisk's soul. It lay in heap beside the soul gently quivering. Carefully he extracted Frisk's soul being careful to not expose the rotting soup to whatever magic gave it sentience.

He teleported back to the judgement hall, careful to keep out of sight. Sure enough the kid’s body was still behind the pillar and his double was waiting in the hall. He must have assumed the kid had stopped the battle and was waiting for them to return.

Sans carefully placed the soul on the kid’s body and watched as it sunk into their chest. Then he waited. It only took a couple seconds. Frisk’s eyes fluttered open and Sans had to place a bony palm over their mouth to keep them from shouting in surprise.

He pulled Frisk to their feet and in the space of a second they were seated at Grillbies. Sans then turned to Frisk.

"Well I can see that you've been busy." Frisk paled and quickly signed "It wasn't me!" Sans grinned. "Well I figured that out darling. That's the only reason we're actually able to have this conversation." Frisk relaxed visibly. Sans continued. "Now I know that you weren't the one doing this, it was that parasite latched onto your soul. That was why I removed it." He narrowed his eyes. "However that doesn't mean that I completely trust you. You have to promise me that you will reset and never do this again." He gestured to the empty bar. "Otherwise you know what will happen right?" Frisk nodded emphatically and Sans slapped them on the back good naturedly causing them to flinch. "Good. Whelp I'll see you next reset."

As he walked out of Grillbies reality twisted, time turning back on itself as the world reset itself. When things finally settled he reached into his jacket and withdrew a small box.  

Within sloshed a thick golden liquid. Sans tucked it back into his jacket and whistled a jaunty tune as he walked back to his lab.

[wandering-skeleton-php-blog]

Chapter 1: The Great Divide

It all began with a single slice, a whistle of a blade through the air and the thunk as it hit home. Sans staggered back, blood spurting from the wound on his chest.

Again. Again he'd failed to stop them. Again he spoke to Papyrus even though he knew he was gone. Again he began to turn to dus-

A jerk in reality, a twisting Sans felt to his very core as time reversed its course and then a soft thud as he hit the floor. He pushed himself up expecting to see the comforting walls of his room only to see the golden light that streamed through the stained glass panes of the judgment hall.

He started looking around. Had he been wrong? Had the human not reset? But no there was no dark shadow at the other end of the hall. Puzzled he gathered his energy and teleported to his post near the ruins.

A few minutes later he heard the crunch of snow as someone approached the station and he teleported behind one of the tall snowy trees. Glancing out from behind the trunk he saw the human, stick in hand happily skipping through the snow.

Behind them walked a dark shadow. Sans squinted and had to hold back his surprise. It was him. Sans was the one following the child.

In shock he watched as his doppelganger went through the motion hiding the human, distracting his brother with jokes and then asking the favor of the human before taking off.

Sans slowly walked out from behind the trees after the human had left to face the first of Papyrus' puzzles. How was this possible? Something must have gone wrong. He brought out his soul to check and almost dropped it.

As usual it was gray tinged with blue and yellow. However now half had a more glitched look to it and as he ran his hand over it his vision distorted and he found himself standing beside papyrus as the human crossed the electric puzzle.

Sans drew his hand back and his vision snapped back to his body. With shaky hands he carefully slipped his soul back under his ribs. Something had gone very wrong with the last reset but before he figured out what he would need to check something.

A few moments later he was in the king's castle in front of the mirror. Gathering the rage he'd felt at his brother's death he allowed his eye to glow. With dismay he saw his eye had grown dim. Where it had once been a vibrant blue mixed with yellow it had now faded. The blue was almost gone now just a dull ring around his pupil and the yellow had faded to a murky brown color.

Sans sighed. He'd had an inkling that this had happened. When he'd split in two the clone had gotten most of his magic power. He tried summoning a gaster blaster and, after a little concentration a mangled wreck popped into existence in front of him.

The blaster was practically falling to pieces as he watched. He dispersed it with a flick of his hand. There would be no fighting with THAT. He would just have to wait and see what happened, without interfering.

Sans teleported back to his lab and, through his counterparts eyes he watched as the human proceeded to free all monster kind. A pacifist run. The human reset and did the same thing again and again until finally it happened.

The camera in Snowdin picked it up first, the ruin doors opening in a rush of dust. Then out stepped the human, toy knife in hand.

At the sight Sans nearly lost it and teleported right there. However he managed to restrain himself and watched as the human proceeded to kill everything that moved. Finally the human got to him. It took a couple tries but all too soon his clone was lying on the ground bleeding until he inevitably turned to dust.

As he did so there was a peculiar tug at Sans soul and static filled his ears. He resisted, refusing to diffuse into nothing, until he felt a familiar darkness. A reset.

And in a split second he was back, still in his lab. So he could survive a reset, but what was that weird feeling he'd gotten?

He reached into his rib cage and gently pulled out his soul. The glitched area was going wild images shifting across its surface in quick succession. Even as he watched the images slowed and stopped, his soul fading again to a dusky color.

Sans looked over his soul carefully before concluding that the glitch hadn't progressed. However in order to gather more data on his condition he would have to observe more. He settled into his lab chair. It was gonna be a long night.

[wandering-skeleton-php-blog]

#wanderlustaucomic