Cage Of Bones

Chapter 29: The Sins Of A Corrupted Soul

Author's Note- It's time. Time for Sans to finally tell everyone the truth. The truth that he had told Grillbz and had hidden with Frisk for so long. I've been holding onto this story for awhile now. I didn't want to give it away completely with Grillbz because there are some details specifically left out and put in. It isn't just about Chara. It's a story about Sans and how he's able to remember the resets. And how much of a toll it's taken on him.

Trigger warning(s)- Uncensored language, recounting of past trauma, reference to off screen character death, reference to off screen murder, PTSD, reference to off screen child endangerment, talk of possession, talk of manipulation, and guilt. Please tread lightly

(Updated Edits On 1/1/23)

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Sans felt a slight shudder in his soul as he looked at everyone, his hands clammy as he tried to find the best place to start.

"Well...I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning...with Chara and Asriel..." he finally said, putting shocked looks on Toriel and Flowey's faces.

"My...my children...?" Toriel scarcely breathed.

Flowey gave Sans a careful look, his eyes begging him to choose his words carefully. Sans returned his expression with a nod before continuing.

"When Chara dropped down in the Underground...it was made pretty obvious that they didn't have any intention returning to the Surface. Even if they didn't talk about it, their behavior and demeanor made it evident that they had likely been running away from something that had hurt them. That sort of event, especially with a child, can cause a significant amount of emotional strain; which in turn could have a negative impact on their soul. I found that to be true when you sent them to me and my father's lab for a checkup after they had been Underground for a short time. It was my first time interning to be a consultant for the health, type, and ability of the soul. Before then I had never seen a human soul outside of a text book, much less had the chance to study one up close. Even then...their soul was like nothing I had ever seen. You remember that Tori?" he asked.

Toriel gave a hesitant nod.

"Yes...I remember. You had told me their soul had experienced significant damage. And if those scars never faded...then negative influences could come through the cracks and corrupt them."

Sans nodded.

"Exactly. It was a risk from the start, and we all knew that well. But giving how loving you and your family were to them...I didn't think there was any real danger. And for awhile it looked like I was right. The more time they spent with you all, the better their soul became. For awhile they had the soul of a normal, loved human kid. They were happy, developed interests, was kind to whomever they met, and was genuinely enjoying their new life. The cracks began to heal...they began to get better...but...something went wrong..."

Flowey's expression hardened at those words.

"One day...I don't know how...they began to change. They never showed it in front of you or Asgore Tori...but Chara began exhibiting extremely suspicious behavior. You know about their problems in school and their sudden fixation on magic-based combat...but there were other things too. They began picking fights with other people. Mainly with kids at their school. I know because Asriel used to tell me about it whenever he came to visit me and my father at the lab. I didn't take him that seriously at the time...but I really wish I had. Maybe I could've stopped it from getting worse." he confessed, casting a sorrowful look Flowey's way.

"Before long it became harder and harder to read the kind of person Chara was. It was like they were flipping between two different personalities with the click of a button. Sometimes they'd act the same as they always did, but a lot of the time they were a lot colder and ruder than they were when they fell and began exhibiting even more violent tendencies. They developed a strange fixation on life and death and how it affects your soul. I didn't know why at the time, but I believe it was because of the barrier. I think they were trying to break the barrier. It explains the buttercup incident with Asgore. They wanted to know how much strength a boss monster soul possessed...so they'd know how much it would take to kill a human..."