Waken (UT×MLP) [STC]

Melt

Alphys started to doubt herself.

She paced down the lab, contemplating things.

Did she really think that Sans was a living thing?

He looked like Sans, sure, and he talked like Sans, and he thought like Sans... but Sans died when Sans died.

All he could do was answer questions, smile, frown, shrink away, ask questions, and scream.

He couldn't eat.

He couldn't drink.

And if she showed Sans his brother, who'd know what he'd do?

Sans was dead.

Alphys had to accept that.

It was almost Christmas time now, and Alphys was hoping he'd be better by then.

But of course, he wasn't.

She was realising that six years too late.

Six whole years. It was the longest she'd ever kept a secret like this. Unless you count the Amalgamates, of course, but it wasn't as... morbid.

Sans was like an Amalgamate, in a way. Suffering from extreme DTP after a sudden overflow of DT, losing consciousness often with his mouth falling limp, screeching constantly once provoked...

The only difference was how he was being treated. The Amalgamates were left unnamed, and were allowed to roam freely in the space they were given. Sans, however, was forced into a mould, forced to work, forced to talk, forced to think, for one whole day. And it got to him.

But if she entered him in as an Amalgamate, she'd have to break the news, publish the figures. She'd have to tell them the truth.

She had to bring him back.

He'd died, and Alphys brought him back.

If she failed now, she'd have brought Sans back into a world of suffering rather than let him rest.

She. Couldn't. Fail.

THUMP.

...Looks like someone's awake.

*

Sans curled up into a ball.

What was he forgetting?

He wanted to know.

He needed to know.

...

He screamed, tearing at his face.

It's got to be in here somewhere..!

R-Right?

Sans fell limp.

Too tired.

He felt himself drool again.

At this point, it felt normal.

Normal to melt.

Normal to be loose, and feel yourself slip into a bubbling puddle, a bubbling, blinking, breathing puddle.

He didn't care how messed up that sounded.

Unlike screaming, he wouldn't be hurting anyone.

He would be calm.

...

...He was an Amalgamate, wasn't he?

Sans smirked.

The one thing that always bugged him with Amalgamates is how they like to melt sometimes.

And here he was.

Pondering if he should melt.

...

...Wouldn't Alphys shove him back in a mould?

Sans needed to ask her. Would she?