SOULTALE (Sans x Frisk)

3

A FEW YEARS LATER...

Sans placed a white long sleeved sweater and his black track pants on before grabbing his scarf and leaving.

"i'm heading out, pap." He called to his brother as he put on his scarf, making sure it  was on the right way. "Now? But you usually don't leave until after dad gets home." Papyrus reasoned. "yeah, i know, but he's running late and i've got a schedule to keep, y'know?" 

"A schedule? For a walk?"

"of course. don't wanna keep my favorite napping spot waiting."

"Wh- napping!? You mean to tell me you sleep out in the snow!?"

"hey, what can i say? it's snow comfortable!" Sans joked.

"Leave." Papyrus said with a bored look on his face.

"heh. alright, bro, icey you later, then."

"Oh my god." Papyrus exclaimed and Sans reached for the door, but before he could turn the handle, it started rattling. Gaster opened the door and walked through. 

"busy day?" Sans asked.

"You could say that. Papyrus, I've found you a book I think you might enjoy." Gaster took a book out of his jacket. Papyrus ran up to him with curiosity. "Oh!" He exclaimed as he took the book from his father. The title was 'The Puzzle-Makers Guide to Making Puzzles'. "It may even help you score some bonus points for your Royal Guard assessment. Also my apologies for returning home so late." Gaster and Sans watched Papyrus with the same look as he stared at the book in amazement. "All is forgiven. There's leftover spaghetti in the fridge. It should still be warm." Papyrus said as he ran off with his new book.

"heh. reduced to bribery, huh? well i'll have you know i won't be so easily persuaded." Sans turned away from his father and started walking towards the door.

"Even if I told you that I wished to discuss my work with you?"

"wh- really!?" Sans whipped around quickly to look back at his father. Gaster paused for a moment. "May I join you on your walk?" He asked his son. 

"oh! um...er...w-well i..."

"Don't worry, I'm much too tired to walk with you all the way to your...hmm...'favoritre napping spot'."

d-does he know!?  Sans thought.

"I'll keep it brief." 

"o-okay." Gaster opened the door to let sans pass through. "I will return momentarily, Papyrus."

"Okay, bye!" Papyrus said, although he was too caught up in his new book to understand what was really happening. Gaster headed out the door and caught up with Sans. They walked through the cold snow, their footfalls making a crunching noise as they hit the snow. They walked passed the 'WELCOME TO SNOWDIN' sign. 

"so...y-you're really gonna tell me about your work? about...that big project you've been working on all these years?"

"I think so, yes."

"heh. what gives? what made you decide to finally tell me now?

"Well...I believe I may be on the verge of a breakthrough...and I was thinking...if this next experiment I plan to conduct tomorrow proves successful...I'd like you to join me in the lab to assist me further with my research."

Sans stopped dead in his tracks, as did Gaster a few steps ahead of him. 

"you...you mean it?"

"If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have said it." Gaster turned towards Sans and placed a palm on his shoulder. "I feel you are now old enough...And a mind like yours would be an invaluable asset. If...this is something you would be interested in, of course."

"y-yes! yes absolutely!" Gaster placed his hand around Sans' back as they continued their walk. Gaster chuckled. "Very well. Then allow me to fill you in."

***

After Gaster headed home, Sans teleported himself to the old door of the ruins. 

"Sans!" Frisk called to him. 

"heya frisk. sorry i'm late."

"No worries. Mom's out looking for snails, anyway, so she probably wont be back for a while yet."

"perfect. 'cause i got quite a story for you this time. you remember that big project of my dad's i told you about a while back, yeah?"

"You mean the one he won't tell you about?" Sans sat down on the snow, back against the door. 

"that's the one."

"Wait...did he finally tell you? That's why you were late, wasn't it!"

"heh heh. yup."

"Well don't hold out on me! Spill it!"

"hey now, this is very classified information."

"Oh, shut up."

"ok." Sans joked and remained silent for a moment. 

"Wh- Sans!"

"what? you told me to shut up." He continued to joke. 

"You know that's not what I meant! Aagh! You're killing me!"

"heh heh heh...alright, alright. now you know how we need seven human souls to break the barrier, right?"

"O-oh...um...yeah?"

"well...my dad thinks we can do it with just the six we already have...that's what this big secret project has been all about."

"R-really!? That would be possible!?"

"he seems pretty confident about it, so i guess it must be."

Frisk sighed a breath of relief that she'd been holding in. "Haha...That...That's such a relief..."

"relief? heh. didn't know you had such a soft spot for humans." Frisk immediatelt inhaled a sharp breath again. "W-well I just...don't...really like um...killing...you know? If it can be helped..."

"heh. yeah i can get behind that."

"So uh...what made your dad finally tell you about this, anyway?"

"oh, 'cause he wants me to start helping him in the lab."

"Wh-what!?"

"did i forget to mention that part?"

"Um...kinda!? That's amazing, Sans! Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"heh. yeah, i guess so."

"Well, I'm really happy for you. Really, congrats!"

But Sans didn't say thank you, he remained silent for a moment. "you know...when we bust open the barrier, maybe your mom will finally think it's okay to come out of there...i mean...i don't see why she'd wanna stay in there once we're all freed...and then you and i could go see the surface together...if you want to."

Frisk let out a humorless laugh and sniffled. 

"h-hey are...are you okay?"

"Y-yeah I'm...that...that just sounds really nice..."

"heh. well then i guess i better bring my A-game when i start working in the lab, huh?"

Frisk chuckled softly. "I'm counting on it." Sans crossed his arms and legs and looked towards the snowy sky. "hm. things are going to get a lot better for everyone. including you. we'll get you out of those ruins so you can see more of the world...i'm gonna get to be a royal scientist alongside my dad...heh. and my brother will be happy to know the royal guard won't be glorified human bounty hunters anymore. he's not really a fan of killing if it can't be helped, either, you know. things are...really looking up now. everyone's gonna be...full of hope again.

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Hope you enjoyed chapter three!

Word count: 1076