Branches On A Tree

Too Much Information

Frisk felt warm and safe. In the back of their head was a nice dream, which sadly got interrupted by sudden movement beside them. A strange, soft sound resounded at their side.

They slowly opened their eyes they saw that Sans had woken up. He was sitting up, sobbing silently.

"Sans?" They called while rubbing their sleepy eyes, but he didn't seem to notice them. "Are you okay?"

His breath was shallow and beads of sweat adorned the top of his horned skull. He pressed his clawed hands over his face and his tail was neatly curled around his body.

Frisk tried to get close and put their hand on his back. As they got closer, Sans' eyes widened and he finally seemed to notice the child beside him. His cheekbones were still wet with tears and there was a fluorescent glow in his left eye. A bright, blue light just barely illuminating the darkness of his eye socket.

Frisk had seen that light before. It brought back memories of bad times.

"Are you okay, Sans?" they asked quietly, but there was no reply. The skeleton just stared at them, his mouth hanging open just as widely as his eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked, disjointed. His breath was shallow and he observed them from top to toe, just as if he was looking at them for the first time.

"What?" Frisk exclaimed, exhaling sharply and narrowing their eyes. Maybe he didn't see them in the darkness? Or maybe it was a joke? "It's Frisk..?"

Still the same dazed expression.

"Uh, the stupid doodoo butt? The... legendary fartmaster..?" they tried, with an unsure smile stretched on their lips.

"You're a human," Sans stated, no reaction at all to the secret codewords. "Where did you come from? Crannford? Goodsprings?" his voice got louder as he spoke.

Frisk was not very good at geography and didn't know many towns other than a few. The closest and biggest town to Mt. Ebott was Port Murray, and that's the only town that ever came up in conversation before. Definitely not their hometown Goodsprings, that they knew for sure.

"I'm not supposed to be here..." said Sans half mumbling. His eye lights shrank and his eyes narrowed.

He just looked blankly in front of him.

Frisk didn't know what to say, they just looked at him, befuddled.

"The king... he..." Sans stopped himself and lowered his head slowly while seemingly struggling to keep his eyes open.

Frisk was taken aback when Sans rapidly raised his head. His eyes shot open and frantically scanned the room. He turned to the edge of the operating table and struggled to his feet with irregular movements, but he almost immediately fell over and landed flat on the floor. Frisk gasped got down on the floor themselves, running to Toriel.

They shook her arm and called her name until she woke up. The boss monster yawned loudly and stretched her limbs.

In the meantime, Frisk hurried back to Sans. They grabbed the fabric of his t-shirt and tried to pull him back up on his feet.

"Why do I feel sick? What's going on? This isn't right. This isn't me!" Sans exclaimed loudly and looked at his hands in disbelief, before running them over his body. "This isn't me!" he repeated, his voice as hollow as a mountain.

"My child..?" Toriel groggy called from the bench she was sleeping on. "Oh! You're awake!" She continued when she noticed Sans. It took mere seconds for her to become alert and make her way towards them. At first Sans didn't even seem to notice her, but when she squatted down in front of him he immediately winced and tried to draw back.