Broken Souls

Humanity and Sanity

HORRORTALE!SANS POV

Within a flash I found myself on the front steps to my home. "Wonder if Papyrus' back yet?" I asked no one in particular as I looked down to the broken human girl in my arms. How was I gonna explain this to him? I gave a rather loud exhale, a fog of my own breath swirling in the air visibly before me. Not like the cold bothered me or nothing, even without my hoodie. Heh. Guess I was just 'big boned', perfect for this sort of weather. My eye flashed at the sound of ravenous growls coming from a little distance behind. The Monsters in town must have smelled the fresh blood, too. With a growl of my own I furrowed my brow and pushed the front door open. No way was I lettin' another Monster dig into this one. This was MY human.

Entering my home I was quick to bolt and triple lock the door behind. It wasn't uncommon to have uninvited guests. Especially with a fresh kill involved... so to speak. Looking about the living room and the kitchen, Papyrus was no where to be found. "Heh. Mus' still be out gathering 'ingredients' ..." I grinned to myself, but it soon faltered. The human made a pained noise, her expression was no longer peaceful. That was enough to quickly remind me of her condition. All this moving around must be /killing/ her injuries.

Laying her down on the couch I carefully propped up the injured leg with a pillow, knowing full well that this would have to be temporary. She would need a better set up than this one. Rubbing the back of my skull I could feel beads of sweat trickling down the back to my spine. She was gonna need medical attention... but how would that be possible? Doctor Alphys went missing the moment things went to shit. Seeing Undyne loose her humanity, along with the rest of us.. was too much for her. Rumor has it the last place she was seen was standing at the edge of Waterfall. ... right before she jumped.

I grimaced at the solum thought, shaking my head and rapping my fingers against the wooden table nearest to the couch in which she lay. The hell was I gonna do? The door swung open, breaking every lock and bolt along with it.

"BROTHER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE RETURNED HOME-..."

I slowly turned my head to face my brother, his expression was one of befuddlement. "BROTHER? IS... IS THAT A HUMAN? WHY IS THERE A HUMAN IN OUR HOME? AND WHY IS SHE ALL RED?" He walked towards the unconscious girl until he stood at my side. I could only sigh and shake my head, hanging it low. "It's... a long story, Pap..."

After I explained everything to my younger brother, the situation, the circumstances, the rescue... and my concern for her medical needs, he looked like... like he used to. The old Pap.. the Pap I knew who would never wish harm onto anyone, bad or no. The Pap who believed that there was good in everyone. I watched as he knelt at the girls side, placing his red gloved hand against her cheek, his own eyes filled with tears. "NYOOO... SANS. YOU SAVED THIS HUMAN! YOU... YOU RESCUED HER!" He looked back at me with... admiration? I couldn't remember the last time he looked at me that way.

"Y-yeah... I did, Pap. I saved 'er." I rubbed the back of my skull again, feeling a bit conflicted. "I'M SO HAPPY, BROTHER! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! EVERY TIME YOU... BROUGHT HOME DINNER, I KNEW WHAT IT REALLY WAS. I KNEW THAT YOU WOULD NOT HESITATE TO KILL ANY HUMAN WHO FELL, JUST SO YOU COULD KEEP ME FED. BUT...." Papyrus looked back to the girl, a tender yet melancholy smile on his face. "IN THE BEGINNING, I JUST COULDN'T EAT IT..." He admitted. "NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, HOW HUNGRY I WAS...? I FELT... GUILTY." I watched with widened sockets as he removed his red cape, draping it over the girls small, quivering form.

"I KNEW WE HAD NO CHOICE.. I KNEW FOOD WAS SCARCE! I KNEW... YOU WERE JUST LOOKING OUT FOR ME..." He looked back to me, looking more and more like... how he used to be. "OVER TIME, I, TOO BEGAN TO HUNT FOR HUMANS. BEGAN TO... LOSE MORE OF MYSELF." He examined her injuries, carefully fluffing the pillow, seemingly admiring my handiwork with the Stick-Made brace. "BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK... I THINK THAT THIS HUMAN, THIS GIRL... WILL BE THE GREATEST PUZZLE OF THEM ALL!" I looked at Papyrus with a shocked stare. What did he mean by that? Noticing my expression, Papyrus chuckled and placed his hands on his hips. "NYEH HEH HEH! SANS. WE WILL PROTECT AND NURSE THIS HUMAN BACK TO HEALTH. TOGETHER. AND TOGETHER, WE WILL STOP THIS MADNESS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" He nodded at me with the biggest smile that I had seen him wear in so long. Maybe... just maybe... it wasn't too late for us after all. I could only hope that he was right.

With a nod of my own and a small chuckle, I agreed. We had a lot of work to do.

// A/U: I hope you're all enjoying so far! ;D Thank you so much for reading. It really means a lot. ;~; And don't worry! There's lots more to come~ ❤️ ;3