The Soulmate AU

Tales of Ash and Dust - Dust's Arrival

Missed. Again.

Killer's knife didn't meet the bull's eye, or as they called it : The body. Leaving Dust to snicker silently at his failure. A classic.

After that hell of a meeting, Nightmare didn't give them a thing to work on at all. So nothing better was left but to find an occupation, and they didn't have a lot aside from killing or pranking. Sadly, the latter was impossible since there were only the two of them.

Horror and Cross, who would either be their victims or partners in crime depending the days, were gone along with the others.

"Why don't'cha try?" Killer smirked, showing him one of the many knives he collectionned. The usual payback when they mocked each other was to force themselves into the activity too, so they could find something to laugh at.

A challenge the dusty skeleton took with amusement, playing with the deadly object like it was mere toy. "Sure." He simply answered, aiming the target lazily. As to be expected, he hit it, although not perfectly.

The attempt didn't miss at all. "Seriously, that's all you can pull?" his friend teased in his own sadistic way. "You're becoming lazy again."

Deep chuckle echoed in the castle at the remark, but Dust wasn't one to take the other seriously. "Says you. When did ya learn throwing like that?"

When they had nothing better to do, looking for a fight was always the most thrilling of idea between them. He could already hear the voice of his brother, giving him some interesting propositions. But one, among all of them, caught his attention more. Igniting along a nagging, devilish idea in his deranged skull.

"Hey, how about we go to that AU and have some fun?"

The mention of the Soulmate AU, hours or days after the reunion, created a heavy silence in the room they were in. The knife dropped out of Killer's hand, meeting the ground with a clear metallic sound as they both looked at the other's crazed eyesockets. Despite the change of atmosphere, Dust didn't bat an eyelash, not that he had one.

"Just wonderin'. After all, these Stars idiots can't control what we do." He mused, letting his mind brew a twisted plan. "We can still have fun outta here. Bet I can get more kills than you without being caught."

This appeared to be enough for his pal's interest to be spiked at the right amount. Skeletal eyebrow raised in curiosity, he pondered for a while before replying. "Aren't'cha sure we won't get that Soulmate thingy? They seemed pretty convinced about it."

To that, Dust just shrugged. Part of him was dreading it as much as he wanted it out of curiosity, the morbid kind. "Who cares? I'd laugh though if you kill yours.~"

He didn't bother keeping the conversation going, the call of bloodlust being too strong for now. So much so he couldn't hide it anymore. It would come along, following this predatory instinct that made him see crimson red instead of all colors. Powerful to make his Soul thrive again with excitement. Upon understanding, Killer left, arguing he would catch up later.

Of course, Dust didn't care about that at the moment.

His friend gone, he instinctively went to get to the Soulmate AU, where he wanted to wreck havoc a little. Following the voice of his brother guide him, he finally got the path to the world.

There he arrived, in a spot considered perfect for hunting : A wide street, full of simple houses, giving off a residential area vibe. Yet the space between each homes were a little narrowed and darker, great to corner possible victims. All that was left for him to do was looking for an easy target, or perhaps look for some challenge?

Too focused on his desires, he barely noticed any other changes, whether be subtle or flagrant. Especially once a perfect profile came near him. It didn't take a lot for the crazed skeleton to hide and wait patiently.

No screams could be heard as he pulled them violently inside the darkened street, becoming his plaything for a time that seemed to last an eternity.

Of all that was left after he was done, the bloodied mess around the body was enough to understand how much 'fun' he partook. An unspeakable atrocity only the maddest of all could consider a piece of art. At least this had the decency to quench his thirst for now, although only for a little.

"What do ya think we can do next bro?" He pondered out loud, to no one in particular, for the streets were now eerily empty in the growing night.

Just him got the chance to hear the reply, the voice of his long lost brother echoing deep inside his skull as its appearance seemed to materialize by his side. A simple floating skull, surrounded by a fading grayish red scarf... But wasn't it supposed to be crimson red, like blood?

The detail caught Dust's attention. He blinked. Once, Twice, looking at the apparition, knowing it was just a figment of his mind. Yet it didn't explain its dullness.

'BROTHER?' the unrealistic ghost of his sibling asked, sounding like his tone while being distorted.

Eyesockets widened as realization strucked him. His brother, Papyrus, was completely gray. The red of his endless scarf gone like the wind. Out of confusion, and slight annoyance, his need for answers made him look all around. Only to witness an unexpected turn of event. Every colors seemed to slowly disappear, leaving nothing but a grey shade of it all.

World became monochrome before his very eyes. The flashbacks of the empty snowy forest he got in return gave him shivers as he believed to feel the cold bite his bones, without being much bothered by it.

Until it dawned on him, the same way a bullet would struck a victim.

This world, the Soulmate AU, they had laughed so much about, was real and working. As odd as it was, this loss of colors was the symbol of a bond he now possessed against his will, the consequence for entering the place carelessly. Shock and disbelief filled his Soul before he could even understand the meaning of this.

How could he know oh-so suddenly was bone chilling. But here he was, with the knowledge this bond would lead him to a Soulmate, living in the same monochrome universe without even knowing what colors looked like, yet still naming them.

This was, until they would get the chance to touch for the very first time.

Whatever time passed, he took a while to recover from the surprise. Unsure about what to feel about it. Madness and a newfound rationality were fighting against each other, creating so many reasons to both run away and stay. But another temptation found its way in his mind... Before he could realize it, he was back in the darkened street of his evil deed, the person still lying without any sign of life.

He took a deep, silent breath, trying not to loose his mind again. A shaky hand reached for the dead corpse, unsure yet going... Then touched it.

The feeling of the slowly cooling body did nothing. And upon close inspection of his brother's scarf, no colors were back.

Still shades of grey, blacks and whites.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped his mouth despite himself. He had taken the joke way too seriously for a little, and luckily, or not, it didn't happen.

Where he was finding that part longing for the chance to have a Soulmate escaped him. Still, a certain excitement took over his Soul now that he knew. It has been so long since he last felt this way, aside from his bloodlust moments. So many ideas passed through his mind without him being able to grasp one, and when his dead brother also added some more, his burning mind came to explode.

Deep, almost silent and deranged laughter echoed in the street, as he made his way out for the second time in a row. Everything was still grey, and would remain as long as he didn't touch his other half.

And he already knew what to do in order to meet with them, while calming his bloodlust altogether. In a way, he was doing himself a favor. "Let's go have some fun bro." He once more spoke at the nothingness. "I'm sure my Soulmate's nearby and waiting.~"

The head of his lost sibling appeared again, words of encouragement and advises reaching his skull for him only to hear.

It would indeed be an interesting change. Who knew?...