𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐘

Chapter Seventeen: Thanatophobia

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than·​a·to·​pho·​bia | /ˌθænətəˈfoʊbiə/

(n.) an irrational or disproportionate fear of death, especially one's own
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The faint strains of music, catchy synth music that I felt that I should recognize, began to play from somewhere in the distance as fear overtook my soul. I took a step back, standing in front of Ballora.

"Sans, w-we don't have to do this!" I exclaimed. "Look, Ballora's not a criminal! She's not- she didn't do anything wrong! She's not even working for Quackity anymore, just let her go!"

Sans chuckled lowly, the blue flame in his eyes burning brighter. A weird glow, the same color as his eyes, began to envelop me. I tried to take a step back, but found that I could not move at all. My body was being held in place by whatever magic Sans was using on me.

"What the fuck?!" I shouted, unable to conceal the terror in my voice. "What are you-"

My feet suddenly left the ground, and I was lifted up into the air. Sans's arm was pointed at me, hand open as he used whatever powers he had to bring me farther off of the ground. There was nothing I could do to fight back. Ballora took a step back, looking just as frightened as I felt.

Before I could shout at Sans to let me go, I was suddenly thrown at the nearest wall. My body exploded in pain as it slammed against the wall, and I crumpled to the floor as Sans's magic let me go.

"Shit...!" I muttered as I tried to ignore the throbbing pain coursing though my body.

A small circle of blue light began to glow directly beneath me. Not knowing what was about to happen, I quickly moved away from it, and not a moment too soon. A massive bone, about the size of my forearm, shot up out of the floor where the circle of light had been, nearly impaling me through the chest, and I shrieked.

"You're insane!" I shouted at Sans, trying to stand up once more. "You're a maniac!"

Sans chuckled lowly. "Look, I gave up trying to go back a long time ago," he told me as he reached out toward Ballora, enveloping her in his blue magic. Panic and fear filled her eyes as she began to struggle against him, to no avail. I tried to move forward, reaching out to her, but a rush of pain shot up my knee and I nearly collapsed to the ground again. "After my brother died, there was no way I could stop hunting criminals."

"Let- Let me go!" Ballora exclaimed, her voice trembling as she looked from Sans to me. "I'm not a criminal, p-please let me go!"

Sans didn't look fazed. "The dying man would say anything to spare his life," he said, lifting Ballora up into the air, watching as she began to shake with fear, her breathing quickening. "Besides, the mayor's a trustworthy guy. I thought you two were too, until today."

His eye sockets glowed even brighter, and I attempted to step forward again.

"Sans-"

He reached towards me with his other hand, throwing me back against the wall again. Thick, curved bones grew out of the wall, curling around me and trapping me there; a rib cage. Even when fighting us, Sans had to make some sort of pun, didn't he?