Chapter Text
When Sans wasn't at Grillby's to pick him up after school, Avallon immediately sensed that something was wrong.
He stood on the steps outside the Grillby's, frowning as he adjusted the hood of his cloak higher over his head. The familiar weight of his Crysalith shifted against his chest with the motion. The air felt colder than usual, not the kind that settled on your bones in Snowdin, but the kind that pressed against your soul like a warning.
Still, trying to shake off the unease, Avallon set off toward the forested path leading out of town, the shortcut road that Sans and Papyrus usually patrolled together.
He hadn't gone far when a familiar bark rang out through the trees, followed by a blur of white fur that collided with him at full speed.
"Buddy!" Avallon laughed as he toppled backward into the snow, arms full of squirming fluff. "H-hey! Watch it, that tickles—!"
Annoying Dog yipped excitedly, licking his cheek as the young monster giggled and gave him a nuzzle in return.
"I'm looking f-for Sans and Papyrus," Avallon said between giggles. "Do you know w-where they are?"
The white dog barked once in affirmation, tail wagging furiously.
With a small, excited hop, the dog wriggled out of Avallon's arms and looked back at him with a doggy grin, clearly beckoning him to follow.
"Okay, okay, I'm c-coming!" Avallon laughed again, his earlier worries starting to melt away in the dog's infectious energy.
Together, the two white-colored companions raced through the snow, taking wide leaps to see who could jump farther. Along the way, Avallon offered greetings and pats to Dogamy and Dogaressa, who passed by murmuring something about strange-smelling puppies and dogs petting other dogs. He built a snowdog with Lesser Dog, rolled around with Greater Dog, and even handed a few dog biscuits from his school bag to a panicked-looking Doggo who dashed past muttering something about "seeing things."
Annoying Dog pouted dramatically until Avallon gave him a biscuit too, which earned him another round of happy barks.
But the cheerful tone didn't last.
Suddenly, Annoying Dog darted ahead, barking excitedly. Then—
A sharp, frustrated scream echoed through the forest, tearing through the snow-laden silence like a blade.
Avallon froze for just a heartbeat before breaking into a sprint.
He burst out of the trees and skidded to a halt at the edge of a long bridge, the one connecting Snowdin to the path toward the Ruins.
The sight before him was both familiar and strange.
Papyrus stood near the center of the bridge, one leg raised awkwardly as he tried (and failed) to shake Annoying Dog off his calf. The tiny white menace had attached himself like a living sock, tail wagging wildly as Papyrus flailed.
Off to the side, Sans was doubled over in laughter, his usual bottle of ketchup lying forgotten in the snow beside him.
Relief bloomed in Avallon's chest.
"Sans! Papyrus!" he called out, waving with both hands. "W-what are you—"
But the words died in his throat.
Because someone else was on the bridge.
Just beyond the brothers stood a child, about his age, maybe slightly older, wearing a long-sleeved, oversized blue sweater with purple stripes. Their brown hair fell just past their shoulders, the top half tied back with a faded ribbon. Their skin was pale, their expression unreadable, and their heavy-lidded brown eyes locked onto Avallon's the moment he appeared.
Avallon felt a chill roll down his spine that had nothing to do with the wind.
"...A h-human?" he whispered.
They didn't move. Didn't speak.
Just watched.
The human merely stood in place, silent and motionless. Their expression hadn't changed once since they arrived on the bridge. Those empty, lidded brown eyes never wavered from Sans, like they were watching, waiting, calculating.
And though the grinning skeleton's face remained unchanged to the casual observer, Avallon knew better.
That grin?
It was forced.
"...are you just gonna stare at me, or...?" Sans finally said, trying to keep his usual casual tone. But Avallon could hear the strain in it. That faint hitch. That tightness.
The human didn't answer. They just... shrugged, and then, without a word, turned and began walking in the direction of Snowdin.
Avallon tensed, fists clenched at his sides. He was ready to call out, but Sans's voice cut in again, just a little louder.
"well, I'll be straight-forward with you. my brother'd really like to see a human... and no, I'm not talking about you, 'Val."
Avallon, who doesn't phased that his oldest brother know that he's near, rolled his glowing eye lights and groaned softly. "I h-hope you aren't, you n-numbskull."
That earned him a brief chuckle, and Sans's smile, while still tight, softened just enough to be real again.
"so, y'know, it'd really help me out... if you kept pretending to be one."
That line was clearly for the human's benefit, but Sans was already turning, motioning for Avallon to follow him. The boy hesitated, eyeing the human one last time.
He didn't like this. Not one bit.
But he followed.
They walked in silence until the human was out of sight, and the trees closed in again. Then, without warning, Sans reached out and yanked Avallon off the path, pulling them into the shadows of a thick snow-covered pine.
"W-what the-?!" Avallon snapped, stumbling slightly. "w-what was t-that for?!"
"shh." Sans peered back toward the trail, making sure they weren't being followed. Then he finally let go.
Avallon glared up at his older brother, his breath coming in short, uneven puffs that rattled like a faulty bellows. His bony fingers twisted and tugged at the sleeve of his forest-green turtleneck with its uneven purple stripes, the fabric already fraying from the habit. His voice came low, sharp as a snapped bone.
“D-do you r-really trust that… th-that h-human?!”
Sans didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink.
“nope.”
The blunt answer only made Avallon’s magic churn hotter in his chest. He pressed on, his voice rising, wobbling between fear and fury.
“I m-mean, s-something’s wrong w-with th-them, Sans! Y-you can feel it too, can’t you?! It’s… it’s twisted! A-an’ it-it really, really unsettling me!”
“yep.”
Avallon’s sockets flared. “Sans!”
“I know.”
“Th-then how c-can y-you just stand there! J-joke with th-them like-like it’s normal?! Smile at them like-like—”
Sans finally exhaled, long and quiet, like he was letting the weight of a mountain slip off his shoulders. His grin didn’t change, but the words beneath it landed heavy.
“because if I don’t, they’ll move faster.”
The sentence hit like a bone club to the chest.
Avallon froze, staring at his brother as though he’d just spoken another language. “…Wh-what?”
For the first time, Sans turned fully toward him. The lazy grin was gone. No smirk, no shrug, no familiar shield of humor. Just hollow exhaustion, threaded with grief so old and so deep it had worn into his bones like water carving stone.
“you think I’m okay with this?” Sans asked softly. “you think I want to let an anomaly walk through our home like it belongs here?” His voice cracked, faint but sharp. “’Val… if I thought we had even a sliver of a shot, I’d do it. I’d throw every bone, every knifes, every blaster, every ounce of magic I got. I’d burn my soul to ash if it meant stoppin’ them.”
Avallon’s sockets stung, heat pricking behind his lights. “…S-so we j-just let them go?!”
“no.” The word cut like a blade.
Sans’s voice hardened, sharp as his blasters. “we stall. we warn the town. we buy every second of time we can for evac. and if the worst comes…” He hesitated, his hand tightening in his pocket. “then we make damn sure they don’t make it out the other side.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. The kind of silence that made the air itself taste of dust.
Avallon swallowed, his voice trembling. “…Th-they’re g-gonna g-go after Papyrus.”
Sans’s jaw twitched, but he nodded once. “they will.”
Avallon’s chest cracked with panic, his words spilling fast. “A-and you’re j-just, you’re just gonna let that h-happen?!”
“You think I want that?!” Sans snapped, his voice shattering with rawness Avallon rarely heard. The sound of it silenced the younger skeleton instantly. Sans turned his head away, shoulders stiff, shoving his hands deeper into his jacket like he could bury his emotions there too. “I’d trade my soul a hundred times over if it kept him safe. If it kept both of you safe. But this… this is worse than anything I’ve ever seen.”
Avallon’s voice slipped out barely above a whisper. “…I w-wanna protect him.”
“I know.” Sans finally looked back, meeting his brother’s eyesockets. His voice softened, but it didn’t lose its edge. “but you can’t lose your head over this, ’Val. you’re still a kid. you gotta let me and Papyrus handle it.”
Avallon’s fingers curled into fists, his sleeve crumpling in his grip. He straightened, eye lights sparking with something fierce and cold.
“I-I’m not l-leaving him alone,” he said, each word steadier than the last. “I d-don’t care what y-you say.”
The fire in his voice surprised even himself. Bright, cold fire, stubborn as bone.
Sans studied him for a long, heavy moment. The older skeleton’s sockets narrowed, his breath huffing out in something between resignation and reluctant admiration. Finally, he sighed.
“…you’re just like him, y’know that?”
Avallon’s mouth quirked, a grim smile tugging at the corner.
“Good.”
"AVALLON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS FAR AWAY FROM THE HOUSE?!" Papyrus called out the moment he spotted the youngest skeleton.
Despite the passage of time, Papyrus hadn't changed much in terms of personality. He was still loud, dramatic, and full of heart. However, he had upgraded his wardrobe, sort of. He now wore a uniform for the Royal Guardsman's recruits, proudly donning it every day as if he already held the official title.
Avallon gave a sheepish shrug. "I w-was with Sans e-earlier. Y-you didn't s-see me?"
Papyrus's expression scrunched into a comical frown, hands on his hips. "IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I HAD BEEN TOO OVERCOME WITH EXCITEMENT AT SANS ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING TO NOTICE YOU."
He turned toward their older brother. "SPEAKING OF WHICH, SANS! WHEN IS THE HUMAN GOING TO SHOW UP? I WANT TO LOOK MY SUNDAY BEST... OR AT LEAST MY TUESDAY PRETTY-GOOD."
"don't you only have one outfit?" Sans deadpanned, arms tucked lazily behind his head.
"YEAH, BUT I COULD STYLE MY HAIR!"
He have hairs? Avallon's thought was cut off when Sans quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, as if he knows what he thinks at that moment.
"oh. right. good idea," Sans said quickly, before glancing to the side. "hey, uh... why don't you look over there for a sec?"
Avallon's eyes followed his brother's line of sight and immediately narrowed. Just past the trees, near the path leading into Snowdin, stood the human. Still. Silent. Watching.
Avallon tensed, already pulling Sans's hand off his mouth. "...W-what."
Before he could say more, Papyrus excitedly grabbed both brothers and yanked them into a dramatic spinning huddle.
"OH MY GOD, SANS!" Papyrus shouted, twirling like a blender set to 'frenzy.' A second later, he wobbled to a stop, eyes unfocused. "I'M DIZZY. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?"
Sans, his grin as wide as ever, pointed toward the approaching figure. "behold."
Papyrus squinted, then tilted his head. "OH MY GOD!" His excitement deflated into blank confusion. "WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME TO LOOK AT A ROCK."
Avallon blinked. Then snorted.
Sure enough, a very average-looking rock sat a few feet behind the human.
"hey, what's that in front of the rock?" Sans asked, gesturing with mock curiosity.
Papyrus gasped. "OH MY GOD! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS."
"well, it's not a rock," Sans added unhelpfully.
"And it's n-not a s-skeleton," Avallon muttered under his breath, discomfort tightening his voice as he subtly shifted closer to Sans.
Papyrus's eyes widened with theatrical realization. "NOT A ROCK OR A SKELETON...?" He gasped dramatically. "OH NO! BY PROCESS ELIMINATION THAT CAN ONLY MEANS IT'S A HUMAN!"
The tall skeleton cleared his throat, straightening his posture proudly as if preparing for a royal address.
"HUMAN! PREPARE YOURSELF!" he declared. "FOR HIJINKS! FOR LOW JINKS! FOR DANGERS! PUZZLES! CAPERS! JAPERS! BEING CAPTURED! AND OTHER SORTS OF FUN-FILLED ACTIVITIES!"
Avallon groaned quietly, but couldn't hide his small smile.
"B-because a g-game of 'capture the human' is a-always fun," Avallon said with mock wisdom, nodding solemnly like a tiny sage.
Papyrus pointed dramatically into the human. "REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED... IF YOU DARE!" he bellowed with theatrical flair, then took off running, his scarf fluttering behind him as his laughter echoed through the trees.
Sans sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. "...and you don't even bat an eye, huh?" he muttered, glancing down at Avallon with a lopsided grin.
Without another word, he reached out and took Avallon's hand, the gesture casual but familiar, and gently tugged him forward. The younger skeleton stumbled a bit, but quickly matched pace as Sans led him along the snowy path, following the sound of Papyrus's fading voice.
Snow crunched beneath their feet. The woods felt a little warmer somehow, even with the cold wind biting at their scarves. Avallon looked up at his older brother, smiling faintly.
"Papyrus!" Avallon called as he and Sans finally caught up to their taller, dramatically gesturing brother.
"hey, bro," Sans added lazily, giving a casual wave.
Papyrus spun on his heel, hands flaring in exaggerated exasperation. "WHY DID IT TAKE YOU TWO SO LONG TO GET HERE?! YOU'RE BOTH LAZY! SANS, YOU'RE A TERRIBLE INFLUENCE ON OUR BABY BROTHER!"
Sans only shrugged, unfazed. "c'mon, kids love me."
Papyrus narrowed his glowing eye sockets suspiciously. "YOU BOTH WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"
"I think that's called...sleeping," Sans replied with a straight face.
Avallon nodded mock wisely beside him. "U-usually, it involves l-lying in bed, doing n-nothing, waiting for the c-crushing fatigue to finally w-win."
Papyrus blinked, thrown off for just a moment. "SEE?! AVALLON UNDERSTANDS!"
"A-actually," Avallon added quietly, "I-I love sleeping. I-it just takes f-forever to arrive."
"EXCUSES, EXCUSES!" Papyrus declared, throwing his arms in the air with a theatrical sigh.
Before anyone could argue further, the crunch of approaching footsteps cut through the snow-blanketed silence. All three skeletons immediately turned toward the sound, eye sockets wide, expressions shifting.
There, stepping calmly into the clearing, was the human.
"OH-HO!" Papyrus shouted gleefully, practically vibrating with excitement. "THE HUMAN ARRIVES! IN ORDER TO STOP YOU... MY BROTHERS AND I HAVE CREATED A SERIES OF CUNNING PUZZLES!" He struck a pose, arms crossed dramatically. "I THINK YOU'LL FIND THIS ONE... QUITE SHOCKING!"
Sans gave a small, amused snort, but didn't interrupt.
Avallon, however, didn't laugh. His expression shifted the moment the human stepped into the center of the puzzle area. His eye lights narrowed, focused, not with curiosity, but with cold suspicion. Without even realizing it, he moved a step forward, positioning himself slightly in front of Papyrus, as if shielding him.
A quiet tension settled in his stance. His small hands clenched at his sides, just enough for his sleeves to twitch. He didn't say anything, not yet, but the unease in his magic was palpable to anyone who knew how to read it.
Sans noticed.
He didn't comment.
Papyrus, oblivious, simply smiled brighter. "NOW THEN, HUMAN! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE MIND-BENDING GENIUS OF THE PUZZLES AHEAD!"
Avallon's eye sockets narrowed, his eye lights thinning slightly as he watched the human step confidently into the center of Papyrus's so-called puzzle zone. Something about the way they moved, so calm, so casual, made his soul itch.
Without thinking, the youngest skeleton took a small but purposeful step forward, placing himself protectively in front of Papyrus. His posture was tense, shoulders tight, one hand subtly twitching at his side.
Papyrus, ever the dramatic showman, was unfazed, at first.
"FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS... THE INVISIBLE... UHHHHHH...?" His booming voice wavered as his eye lights flicked around the area, searching for the punchline he clearly hadn't planned for. "HMMM... YOU MUST BE HAVING... CULTURE SHOCK!"
Avallon glanced over at Sans, his skull tilted slightly in question. The older skeleton merely shrugged. Avallon mimicked the motion a beat later, both of them silently acknowledging that they had no clue what Papyrus was doing.
Papyrus, undeterred, continued with renewed, if confused, enthusiasm.
"YOU SEE, WHERE I COME FROM, IT'S A LOVING TRADITION TO SUFFER THROUGH HORRIBLE PUZZLES FOR NO REASON!" he declared proudly, arms spread wide as though explaining a deeply sacred rite.
The human, unfazed, simply walked forward, right up to Avallon.
The younger skeleton flinched as they approached, shoulders hitching as a nervous twitch rippled through him. His soul fluttered with unease. His body stiffened, and he held his ground, but his feet shuffled instinctively backward.
"SO, UH..." Papyrus continued, now sounding unsure of his own stage directions, "JUST WALK BACK THERE, AND... UH..." He trailed off, watching as the human ignored the invisible electric maze entirely. His shoulders drooped in defeat. "WHY COULDN'T WE GET A HUMAN THAT LIKES PUZZLES?"
With a dramatic sigh and a slump of his shoulders, Papyrus turned and trudged off, his scarf fluttering sadly behind him.
The moment he was gone, Avallon took several steps back, trying to put as much space between himself and the human as possible. But they followed, their expression unreadable, their stare intense. They stopped in front of him, head tilted slightly, waiting, expecting something.
Avallon's fingers curled into trembling fists. After a long, tense pause, he finally spoke.
"J-just for the r-record... I don't t-t-trust you."
His voice came out softer than he intended, laced with anxiety and guarded resolve, before Avallon running away to catch up with his brother.
The human stared at his retreating form, then simply shrugged.
With no reaction, they turned and approached Sans instead.
Sans didn't move, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. His sockets darkened subtly, the shadows shifting in a way that suggested his attention was sharper than usual.
"it would make my brother happy if you played along," he said, tone flat but with a hint of warning buried beneath the words.
The human tilted their head, gave another shrug, and walked off, calm as ever, not really acknowledging what Sans said.
"I JUST DON'T GET WHY THIS HUMAN DOESN'T SEEM TO LIKE MY PUZZLES..." Papyrus sighed dramatically, his arms crossed as he stared intently down the snowy path, eyes fixed on the direction he knew the human would be approaching from. His voice was tinged with frustration and just a hint of dejection.
Avallon cleared his nonexistent throat quietly, shuffling a little closer. "W-well, I think your puzzle was p-plenty fun, Papy," he offered, his voice soft but sincere. His eye lights flicked upward toward his older brother, hoping the words might lift Papyrus's mood even a little.
Papyrus blinked, glancing down at the youngest skeleton with surprised fondness, but before he could say anything, Sans chimed in.
"c'mon, maybe they'll like mine," Sans said casually, hands tucked deep into his hoodie pockets.
Papyrus straightened instantly, hope blooming once again. "YOU'RE RIGHT! MAYBE IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PREFERENCE!" He pumped a fist into the air as if he were preparing to unveil a masterclass in puzzle design.
Avallon, who had returned his attention to the path ahead, suddenly stiffened. His eye lights blinked out for a split second, his body instinctively tensing. "...H-human's here," he muttered, voice low.
"HUMAN!" Papyrus called out without hesitation, striking a dramatic pose. "I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR..." His confident tone faltered the moment he looked ahead. His gaze scanned the open patch of ground expectantly, but there was nothing there.
His smile dropped.
"...SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE?!"
Sans didn't even glance up. "it's right there," he said, gesturing lazily to a section of the snow-covered ground. "on the ground. trust me. there's no way they'll skip this one."
Papyrus squinted. Avallon leaned forward slightly, trying to make sense of the "puzzle." A few odd tiles were embedded in the snow, barely noticeable and entirely unthreatening.
The human approached, their footsteps soft against the snow.
Without so much as slowing down, they stepped right over the tiles and continued walking.
Avallon's body moved before his mind caught up. He stepped in front of Papyrus again, a quiet but protective gesture. His jaw clenched tightly, but he said nothing.
Papyrus gaped.
"...SANS! THAT DID NOTHING!"
"whoops," Sans replied, clearly not sorry in the slightest. His grin widened. "knew i should've gone with junior jumble instead."
Papyrus buried his face in his hands with an exaggerated groan. "MAYBE THIS HUMAN IS JUST...PUZZLE-INEPT!"
Avallon blinked slowly, then muttered, "I d-don't think t-they even looked a-at it."
Papyrus threw his arms up in dramatic dismay. "WELL, I REFUSE TO GIVE UP! THE NEXT PUZZLE SHALL BLOW THEIR HUMAN SOCKS OFF!"
"good thing they don't wear any," Sans muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Avallon to hear.
The youngest skeleton let out a small giggle, relieved, even if only slightly.
"Sans!" Avallon half-yelled, half-sobbed, his voice cracking under the weight of terror. Twin streams of green tears poured from his eye sockets, trailing down his face like glowing rivers of panic. "T-thank stars- I-I didn't t-think I'd get t-to you in t-time!"
He stumbled forward, nearly tripping in his haste, and flung his arms around Sans's middle, clutching him tightly as though the contact alone could anchor him to safety.
Sans blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden embrace. His body tensed under the pressure of Avallon's grip, but his arms instinctively wrapped around the smaller skeleton's back. "whoa, hey, what's wrong, babybones?" he asked gently, his voice a soothing drawl despite the clear note of concern creeping in.
Avallon's breath hitched, and he looked up with hollow sockets. His eye lights were still glowing, but dimmed, trembling with unspeakable fear. "T-they've... the-they're k-kill-lling e-every-everyone," he whispered, voice shaking so badly it barely formed the words.
Sans's grin faltered, slipping into something unreadable.
Avallon tightened his grip. "I-I sa-aw the-them ki-ill S-Snow-Snowdrake- y-you k-know, t-that kid in m-my cl-class wh-who al-always picked fi-fights just s-so he could ha-have a ca-cqptive audi-audience?" His voice cracked again, and a sob caught in his throat. "H-he di-didn't e-even fi-fight back. the-they j-just- they ju-just d-did it, like it me-meant nothing..."
He was trembling now, head pressed against Sans's hoodie, words muffled and wet with tears.
"Sa-Sans... w-we need t-to g-go home. W-we need t-to hide downstairs..." he begged, desperation rising like a tide. "P-please. I'm n-not losing y-you t-two. N-not because o-of that- that soulless hu-husk!"
His voice broke completely at the end, collapsing into a ragged, hiccupping breath. It was a rare thing to see Avallon this unraveled, usually so cautious, so reserved. Now he was just a terrified kid, pleading with the brother he trusted most in the world.
Sans was quiet for a moment, uncharacteristically so. He slowly knelt down to Avallon's level, hands resting gently on his shoulders.
"...you're not gonna lose us, kid," he said softly, but with steel beneath the words. His usual laziness was gone, replaced by a grave seriousness. "I promise."
He pulled Avallon into a proper hug this time, tight and protective.
Papyrus's grin stretched wide with pure relief as he spotted the human approaching the large tile puzzle he had carefully set up across the ground. His chest puffed out with pride. "HEY! IT'S THE HUMAN! YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS PUZZLE!"
The human stepped into the center of the grayscale tile board without hesitation.
"IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT—" Papyrus's enthusiasm cut off mid-sentence as he blinked at the human, who had already walked past half the board. "...ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
Avallon stood just behind him, his shoulders sagging. "Th-there's j-just no reasoning with t-them, Pap..."
"I AGREE!" Papyrus huffed, whirling around dramatically toward their older brother. "SANS! HELP! THEY KEEP WALKING THROUGH MY PUZZLES WITHOUT EVEN LETTING ME EXPLAIN THEM! THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO STAND IN PLACE, LOOK CONFUSED, AND BE BAFFLED BY MY DANGEROUS JAPES!"
Sans, leaning against a nearby post with his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, tilted his skull lazily. "well, maybe they don't like japes."
"EVERYONE LIKES JAPES!" Papyrus declared with absolute certainty.
"N-not if they're d-directed at me..." Avallon muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his skull.
Sans shrugged. "what about undyne? doesn't she hate puzzles?"
"OH, SHE HATES PUZZLES, TRUE," Papyrus replied, waving a hand as if dismissing the very idea of comparing the two. "BUT SHE LOVES JAPES. IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION."
Avallon let out a soft giggle. "That... that actually m-makes sense."
Papyrus spun dramatically back to face the human. "HUMAN! WHAT DO YOU THINK? PUZZLES OR JAPES?!"
Avallon sighed, tugging gently at his scarf. "Th-they're not g-gonna answer, Papyrus."
Still, Papyrus stood with hopeful determination, waiting. One beat passed. Then another. The human stared at him blankly, if they even noticed him at all.
The tall skeleton's shoulders slowly drooped. "THIS IS USUALLY THE PART WHERE YOU EITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE... AND DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWER, WE SAY SOMETHING GREAT IN RESPONSE."
Silence.
Papyrus gave a forced smile, trying to keep his spirits up. "VERY WELL THEN! HERE, WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS PUZZLE YOURSELF?" He plucked a sheet of instructions from behind his back and placed it with exaggerated flair in front of the control box beside the puzzle board.
Without another word, Papyrus turned and began to walk away. As he passed Avallon and Sans, he slowed beside the younger skeleton. "AVALLON, WOULD YOU MIND STAYING WITH ME FOR A WHILE?" His voice was softer, lower than usual, tinged with something fragile. "I FEAR SANS MAY BE CORRUPTING YOU WITH HIS PUNS."
Avallon caught the subtle tremble in Papyrus's smile. It wasn't just frustration. It was fear. Worry. Disappointment. And despite how goofy Papyrus could be, Avallon recognized that look in his brother's eyes.
"Sure, Pap..." he said quietly. "Sans c-can be by h-himself for a b-bit."
Papyrus's face lit up, not with full joy, but with gratitude. He held out a gloved hand. Avallon took it without hesitation, his smaller fingers curling around the offered comfort. They walked off together, Papyrus's stride still full of flair despite his troubled thoughts, and Avallon keeping close to his side, trying to offer silent reassurance.
Behind them, Sans watched quietly, his grin fading just a little as he glanced at the human once more.
"...guess some people just ain't got a sense of humor," he muttered.
The human crossed the long rope bridge without hesitation, their footsteps steady and deliberate. Despite the wind swaying the bridge and the creaking of old wood beneath their feet, they showed no signs of fear or hesitation.
Once they reached the other side, they noticed a piece of paper pinned to one of the support posts with a comically large thumbtack. The paper fluttered slightly in the breeze, the bold, dramatic handwriting unmistakable.
It was a note from Papyrus.
———————————————————————————————————
HUMAN!
I REGRET NOT BEING THERE TO UNVEIL TO YOU MY MOST DANGEROUS PUZZLE: THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR.
BUT MY BROTHERS INSISTED THAT I STAY AWAY, CLAIMING IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS-FOR ME!
SANS SAYS HE WILL BE SHOWING IT TO YOU, BUT I DOUBT THAT LAZYBONES WILL EVEN TRY!
STILL, IF YOU SEE IT... TRY TO LOOK IMPRESSED, OKAY?
NYEH-FULLY YOURS,
THE GREAT PAPYRUS
———————————————————————————————————
The paper crinkled as the human lowered it. Behind them, a familiar voice spoke, quietly, but distinctly.
"say, I've been thinkin'..."
The human turned without surprise, even though Sans hadn't made a sound when he approached. He stood a few paces away, his hands in his jacket pockets, one foot lazily resting atop a cracked rock. His grin was as relaxed as ever, but there was a weight behind it.
"looks like you're gonna fight Papyrus pretty soon." Sans paused, glancing toward the trail ahead. "he's stubborn. always has been. he'll keep trying, even if me and 'Val beg him not to."
The human gave a half-hearted shrug. It was the first real response they'd shown all day.
"here's some friendly advice." Sans's grin didn't fade, but it no longer reached his eye sockets. "if you keep goin' the way you are now..."
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they were no longer glowing with faint, lazy blue lights. Instead, empty darkness stared out, voids without bottom, without end.
"you're gonna have a Bad Time."
For a brief, split second, the world seemed to flicker, like a screen glitching. The air grew heavy. Something in the human's soul quivered, though they didn't flinch.
And then... nothing.
When their vision cleared again, Sans was gone.
No footsteps. No final quip. Just silence.
The wind rustled the note once more behind them, as if Papyrus's childish scrawl tried to echo a warning too.