Derivations of L.O.V.E.

New Encounters

<Swaptale V 1.0>

Everyone had always pitied Blue.

Even before the human had fallen from the outside world, even before his brother distanced himself in the bad sense of the word, they pitied him. He could always feel their gazes upon his back, condescending in equal portions. The feeling only grew sharper as he took it upon himself to become a royal guard, barging on Alphys's door at dead o'clock in the morning- or the night, not that he could really care. Training every day, eyes filled with stars belying his frail 1 HP. All the monsters in the underground knew of it, and all were convinced that he would never make it. Alphys too, though she at least had the decency to say it to his face when he had first approached her. But, but, but, someone must remain positive!

One of the training days, a small droplet of a bunny approached him. A bit abnormal, since people tend to avoid him. It vibrated for a second, seeming to gather up its courage, before speaking out, "I really like your armor, is that what they give to monsters training for the royal guard?"

Blueberry blinked, his normal grin becoming even wider. "No, but isn't it awesome? I crafted it myself, it has a hero's look and everything! Alphys told me that royal guards get real steel and iron armor. So until then, this outfit will be a badge of honor!" He gave the bunny drop a dramatic salute, his neck kerchief flying in the wind.

The droplet nodded enthusiastically. "You must really love the suit if you want to wear it for such a long time." Blue's smile fell a little. "I do love this hero outfit, but I might not wear it for that much longer." The child, unaware of Blue's changing expression, remained undeterred. "But sis said that you will not be a true guard for a long looooonnnng time, cause you are stupid to think you can be strong." The droplet turned back toward him. "Is that true? It's not true, right?"

Blue faltered slightly, grin freezing in place. "Aah..."

"Oh nonono, sorry about everything! My cute little Bun-bun has no idea what he is saying!" A young rabbit lady hurried over and scooped away the droplet, giving him a sheepish look. "But I am sure you can find it in your heart to forgive my little brother. Just look at my little Bun-bun, isn't he simply adorable? Teehee!" She proceeded to stretch the bunny droplet's cheeks in a way that seemed blatantly painful, before quickly retreating.

Blue stood there for a few seconds, then walked to the edge of the treeline where he wouldn't be seen. He sat behind the undergrowth, putting his head in his arms, and scoffed quietly. "At least the kid told you the truth, that counts for something, right?" 

Yet despite all of their knowledge of his hopelessness of becoming a royal guard, no one seemed to reflect on why Alphys had finally agreed to train him. It takes more than just persistent effort to convince the uniformly accepted "most determined monster in New Home" to accept their demands. He had to be cunning enough, skilled enough, that his health would no longer be everyone's liability. But still, after all he had practiced, Alphys had not seen his worth.

Until one weekend, more than a year after the start of their "light exercises", He could comfortably move at the same rate as Alphys. Yet despite the fact that his speed rivaled that of the head of the royal guard (and his ability to dodge far surpassed her), she still refused to so much as proceed onto actual battle training. And in one of the greatest mistakes of his life, Blue ground his teeth in frustration and refused to comply. He challenged her to a fight, which she accepted, in order to ground some humility into him. He fell into stance, and both of them danced around an increasing assortment of shrieking axes and rising bones. The dance grew in tempo, both of them twisting and dodging each other's attacks, a step right, a step left, twirl around twice to avoid the array of axes, hop high enough not to get caught in his own attack patterns,  but its fine after all he practiced every day in secret, jump once, jump twice, ju-

squuueeeeelch

Multiple sharp bones stabbed out from Alphys's arms and legs, and one specific bone had jut out  from behind, piercing one of her lungs. She squirmed for a few seconds, unable to fall to her knees due to the bone impaling her body. She settled for a weak noise of faint disbelief.

Blue took one look at his handiwork and screamed. "Cut that out." Alphys spat harshly, "someone will come looking if you do." Blue stopped screaming instantly. "Uh um uu-I'll-go-get-you-some-monster-food-now!" Practically crying, he ran to the shop, which was thankfully empty, grabbed half the monster food and dropped all his money on the floor, He ran back to Alphys and attempted to pull out the bones. She snarled "Don't touch that, I'll dust out if it's removed, you at least have to kno- she broke away coughing, clumps of dust and blood in her spit. Blue shoved a cinnabun in her mouth, sobbing messily. For the next several hours, Blue force fed Alphys food, as she slowly removed the bones once the rest of her body was not on the very edge of dusting. At least Alphys lived in a relatively isolated sector of Waterfall.

Once fully healed, she left him and locked herself inside her house. He stood watch outside, wanting to ask but too scared both of and for her. The next day, she poked her head out of the triangle windows of her house, which looked like a dragon and often had a tendency to be flooded because she leaves on the bathtub. "From this day forward, you will be receiving standardized royal guard training. Consider yourself lucky, brat." Blue glanced at her, not a little shocked. "Really?" She gave an affirmative grunt. "That's awesome!" Blue beamed at her brightly. "Battle training begins tomorrow at six. Don't be late or else." She retracted her head from the window, like a dragon from its cave of riches. Neither of them ever brought up his incident ever again.

Blue waited until she was definitely gone, and pumped his fist. "Yes!", he cried, "I've finally completed the first step." He danced around her doorway happily, whooping in joy at the fruits of a year's labor.

But the truth was not so easy to swallow. Blue noticed it immediately, the first few times they fought afterward. Alphys was watching him, not just from a critical guide's perspective, but almost fanatically every time he looked the other way. Studying him, he realized. She thinks I am a danger, and only set out her offer of training so she can watch me, and decide what to do with me. The thought of her eyes boring into him gave him shivers. What could she do, if she decides it is not worth training him anymore?

He would rather be feared than overlooked, what did that say about him?

He placed his face into his hands and burrowed further into the undergrowth. It would not do for anyone to see him right now, including his brother. Especially his brother.

His brother was overbearing and condescending, always mocking his choices, his hobbies, his decisions to become a royal guard under a thin veneer of jokes. But unlike the usual controlling family member, he never corrected or directly discouraged his choices. Honeycomb, in fact, would snip and snarl at anyone who makes fun of him, and Blue genuinely understood that Honey loved him dearly.  But at the first hint of darkness or deprecation, he would freak out, simultaneously consoling him and threatening whoever had expressed such horrid sentiments around his darling brother, because "How could you say that brother, you can't do that, it's unlike you, Blue."

He was not some stupid doll that only existed for his brother to pin his hopes and dreams on! He should have just as much right to feelings as everyone else! He was Blueberry Sans!

Not even to mention the fact of Honey's jealousy, he swears-

"Heya partner, whats the sullen face for?"

Blue looked up, just about ready to throw snow at the person who interrupted his sulk, and looked at the person's face. The skeleton's face. He reigned in a gasp. Other than him and his brother AnD GasTEr  there were no skeletons left in the underground! Who was this stranger- Blue took a quick look behind him, and there was a god damn portal- and where was he from?!

"My name is Ink by the way, thanks for asking."

Two mismatched eyes peered at him, one eye light framed by a glowing star. He was splattered in paint and pastels, and a long brown scarf dragged in the snow. Despite his scruffy appearance, there was a clear aura of undeniable power wafting in his presence. Blueberry felt numb, like he was in the center of a hurricane, everything shocked into stillness. This was important.

Ink reached his hand out to pull him up, and Blue took it without a stray thought.