AxeTale - The Full Story

River Ride

After walking with Sans for awhile, my feet began to get tired... I still had some of Undynes blood staining my face and jacket... I reached up and wiped my face off as Sans reached a small lake, a man stood there, it was odd... Seeing someone so calm and collected amongst the chaos of it all.....

"S-Sans... W-Who is this guy?...." "To be honest with ya kid... I got no damn clue... But he's a friendly face.... At least... Always has been... Even in the 15 years the hungers infested this hellhole..." Sans said, as he lead me onto the boat... "Tra-La-La... Where too weary travelers?" he asked in a raspy voice, Sans looked at him as he took a seat on the boat... "MoltenLands....." He murmured, grumbling, I could tell Sans wasn't in the best of moods... I didn't say much and just sat beside him...

The pain in my hand... I could feel it withering down my arm.... I was too scared to look at it... My body turning skeletal... I don't have an earthly clue as to why that's happening... But I'm terrified to take my glove off and see it with my own two eyes.... My bodies falling apart... I... I couldn't bear to see it or think about it.....

The River Man's boat undocked and began slowly sailing off to MoltenLands..... We were getting close... Close to the source of all of this... And this whole time sans has had my back... Although from his rough sounding voice, flashing orange eye and behavioral change... I could see... He wasn't feeling all too well.....

"That was a damned foolish move you made Aliza..." he mumbled to me, I looked over at him, "W-What?..." "Trying to talk to Undyne? After I warned you about her when we first entered CrestFall?... What did I tell you about these "people" down here..." Sans said in a cold tone..... "I was trying to help her, I know deep down who she used to be is still there!" I defended myself...

"Oh... Is it?..." Sans was chuckling coldly, his true colors somewhat revealing... Travelling through these places... The Loss of Papyrus and my arrival... It started off happy, Sans was more than happy to be acquaintances with his daughter-figure... But there was a lot of pent up grief and pain in his poor soul...

"Undyne ain't even the worst of monsterkind, kid... You know why we didn't see many monsters in CrestFall? Besides that damned horde huh?.... Because of Undyne... There is no more monsters that inhabit CrestFall" he said in a cold tone...

"What happened to what you said earlier Sans? About you wanting me to run away from them instead..." "It's obvious you ain't gonna run from the threat... After Papyrus... After Undyne... You're gonna fight a useless battle to try and spare them... Kid... Sparing stopped being an option the moment the Hunger Broke out... I'm telling you... It's Kill or Be Killed down here...." He grumbled as the river-man continued sailing........ I put my hands on my legs and sighed softly... "Hell... If I wasn't there to save you from Paps and Undyne... You'd have gotten yourself killed... And I think y'know it..."

Sans was making a point, I looked away and tried not to feel too much disappointment in myself... Trying my best not to lose any of the Hope in my soul... The little bit of it I had remaining from all of the torment I've had to go through so far.......

I had a few cuts and bruises, but Sans jacket was torn up, and soaked in blood... Probably from the Horde... His orange eye died down a bit as he sighed as well... The boat ride being quite long and somewhat strenuous on our patience but... It was the last time I've felt true peace since being in Sans' and Papyrus' house earlier.....

".... I'll fight, Sans... I... I promise... But.... You can't expect me to kill.... Infected or not... These monsters still have sentience... They have emotions... Papyrus and Undyne were broken sure... Very broken... But... I have faith that they can be fixed-..." Sans scoffed, "... Alright Kid... If you say so.... But I'm telling you... When we reach that barrier... Chances are high... That you'll end up exiting through the barrier just like Frisk had too.... He's too strong....." Sans said, Sans' own hope he showed earlier being really nothing more than him happy to see me.... ".... We'll see about that..."

"Father and Daughter Troubles... Remind you of your heritage Sans?"

The river-man spouted off a one liner, and Sans' perked up...... But stayed quiet... "W-Whatever... That crazy bastard doesn't know what he's talking about... We're almost there... Get ready Aliza....." He said, standing up... I stood up as well, taking my last granola bar out and eating it quickly........ As I opened my backpack up... I perked up... Seeing my phone.... I softly grabbed it... and turned it on... The screen was cracked from the falls I've endured probably... But the charge was still around 50%......

I looked at Sans who was moping and I opened a photo on my phone... It was a picture I took of the only photograph I had of mom... Of her holding baby-me in her arms........... "Hey..... I.... I know things aren't looking good right now but.... I think you'd want to see this......... I know you loved her..... And... This is the... The only picture I have of her..." I said, handing my phone to him......

Sans took the phone and looked at the image.... He was quiet for awhile, before the boat stopped in its tracks, "Please come again... Thank you for traveling..." The River Man said... I saw a look of sadness on Sans' face.. Even if he almost always had a smile..... "Heh..... She..... Shes just as beautiful as I remember her" He said softly, handing my phone back to me... "You look just like her y'know.... Act just like her too.... No matter how much I scold you... You ain't gonna heed my advice are you?....." He asked, in a less cruel manner but this time in a more, mildly annoyed manner.... as he stepped off the boat...

"... If it was anything but murder... I would heed your warning... But... But I can't... I still have hope for the monsters... And just because you say they're a lost cause doesn't mean I'll give up on them! I'll save them all!" I stood my ground, Sans sighed, "... Yeah... I know........ Although if you asked for my opinion....... I'd say.... There is no saving us, kid....." he said, softly, before putting his hands in his pockets... "... We got a difference in opinion kid.... I just... I worry for you kid.... The next two sections of the underground... Could be hell for you... And I don't know how strong I'll be to protect you... There'll come a time eventually when... I can't be there for you... To save you... And when that time comes.... You gotta choose where you stand............" Sans said, walking ahead... I followed behind him, putting my phone back in my backpack.....

I really cared for Sans... He was a good father figure... And he cared for me back... But I can't stand behind his views... I know what I saw... In Papyrus... And Undyne... For a moment... I saw Humanity....

As the heat emitting from the MoltenLands washed over our body temperature, we pressed on...... We saw a laboratory entrance from a distance.... And Sans was walking straight ahead towards it so...... It seemed like our next locale was close....

I'm expecting the worst of what Sans said about these upcoming places are true....