-UnderSwap #83792-
He was dead, he knew he was dead for all his training, he had never been as magically strong as his brother but he had to try, and all the talking in the world was not enough to stop Papyrus once he got an idea in his head. Maybe if he rushed him, he could distract him enough for the civilians to get away? He was so focused on Papyrus that what happened next caught him completely by surprise.
They examined the stand off. "More of one than we thought." Fresh 404 use their strings to cocoon the Papyrus having already figured out that immobilizing trouble works.
Just like that it was over Papyrus was tied up, but as he looked at the strangers neon blue eyelight, with a tri-colored SOUL in the other socket, he knew this wasn't over this was the beginning and that was terrifying.
"Hello UnderSwap Sans #83792. Do you have a chosen nickname bru?" They watched the Sans flinch when they spoke and quietly signal Muffet to get the others away. "You don't have to worry that we will harm your friends. This AU is not today's project, we are here to talk to you."
"Cerulean, you can call me Cerulean." He watched as the stranger in the rainbow coat squatted and picked Papyrus up.
"Okay then Cerulean let's get your Papyrus home and talk. You both need food and rest." They glanced at Cerulean, he was in rough shape but he had held out damn well. Especially when he had expected a more broken timid Sans. "We are pleased you are in better shape than expected."
De-summoning his attacks he staggered over as the stranger stood. "I wasn't before the broadcast, I was not in the best shape. Knowing that you can do better, be better it makes not standing up for yourself and what you believe almost impossible."
They laugh and start walking letting Cerulean set the pace. "Cobalt had that effect on people." They glanced down at him noting the differences Cerulean was taller four foot three maybe. The piping on his battle body matched his name, the grays were closer to slate. "How much do you know about the Multiverse outside your AU."
"Not as much as I would like. Undyne recorded the broadcast and we studied it. We held meetings. Asgore came out and we put some of it together. There are a lot of universes in the Multiverse too many. There used to be a god of Destruction but the council funked up bad now he is gone and universes are dieing. The council did a short broadcast that a solution had been found but it will take time and they didn't say what it is. The council consists of the judges from the first of each AU type." Cerulean looked down at his gloved hands they were shaking.
"What they found was a teenager made by the creator in the image of the Destroyer with some of the demi-god of negativity's codes. Not really strong enough to take over his mom's job so they fed him to a SOUL parasite that happens to amplify its host's magic and strength. That would be us Fresh 404." Fresh 404 adjusted Papyrus into a fireman's carry. "One problem is we are not adults. The other is 404's magic is more suited to Amendment than Destroying so we can do it but not keep up unless the creator slows way down. Welcome to the Multiverse, it is funked up. You have the basics."
"You said this AU is not today's project, what did you mean?" Cerulean hurried to open the door for him watching as he carried a very quiet Papyrus in.
They set Papyrus down on the couch and turned to face Cerulean. "This AU, is badly glitched, the codes straining and popping, well past our ability to repair even if Inky worked with us. As you said there are too many AU and this one is dying. Probably why your brother went DustTale without the pressure of hundreds of back to back genocide runs." They set down criss cross applesauce facing him.
"Then why have you come?" Cerulean watched, feeling uneasy at why a child god would come to a dying world that he admitted he could do nothing for and was not there to destroy.
"Bru we are here ta recruit ya." They tilted their skull watching him. "Allow me to explain. The council will be reshuffling a bit but yes they consist of representatives from the first of each type of AU. They matter because they are the anchor point that helps stabilize all of that type who come after like yours. Cobalt and what was left of Nightmare's team built a portal generator and used it to leave for another Multiverse." They watch him waiting for it to sink in.
It was Papyrus that cursed or tried to. "Funking haul! The whole AU chain is destabilized."
Cerulean's sockets widened and he set down right there by the door. "You said you came to talk to me. This AU is dying and you need an UnderSwap Sans."
They just nod, "Yes Cerulean exactly I wasn't joking when I said we came looking for a hero. We need a Sans willing to live when his whole world dies. To endure that loss for the sake of others to live knowing it helps to save other AU's."
"How surely it isn't that easy to move us about like swapping out a lego for a lost house in monopoly." Cerulean stared, past them at Papyrus watching his start to try to wiggle out of the strings holding him.
"It isn't first of all only an UnderSwap Sans will have the right codes. Second, they need to be willing. And last we would have to change their AU link code so that the AU will accept them as the Sans of that AU. Not going to lie it is hard, it hurts, and it is irrevocable." They glance at Papyrus. "If you promise to behave we will let you go."
"I propose not to try to kill you this visit or anyone before you leave." Papyrus glared at them.
"Papyrus don't be rude he..." Cerulean looks at them thoughtfully. "They are the only ones who have ever bothered to visit or answer questions."
They snap their fingers and the strings burst into rainbow glitter. Watching him jump up coughing and sneezing. "What the funk!?"
"Papyrus language we have a guest!" Cerulean watches crossing his arms.
"Don't be any more stupid than you have to be he isn't here to be nice or answer questions. He only bothered to show up because he needs something not to help just to take you away." Papyrus glared at Cerulean. "Now go pack before he decides some other Sans will do."
"You are not in charge here Glitter. It is my life and my choice." Cerulean crossed his arms. "What makes you think I am just going to go off and leave you to die? Just because you hate me doesn't make you any less my brother."
"You are going because I will kill you if you don't, now go pack." The newly nicknamed Glitter took an aggressive step forward.
"As entertaining as this sibling spat is, we actually don't have all day. We still have major repairs to do to UnderSwap #0 with Inky whining the whole time." They rubbed their sockets and yawned. "Bru we need fighters, Glitter here seems willing to get dusty. Make a deal."
They both looked at Fresh 404. Glitter shakes his head, "That is kind of creepy when they talk to themselves."
"What kind of deal?" Cerulean gets up and walks over to sets across from them.
"We plan to build a team to help. Like dad did. If an AU is destroyed without dusting everyone anyone left falls into the VOID." They look from Cerulean to Glitter. "This AU is dying; it is going to have to be among the first we take down. If Glitter is the only one alive when we come back he can join our team. If he is still sane that is."
"What do you mean if he is sane?" Cerulean frowns glancing at his brother who was standing there covered in dust and Glitter.
"Gaining EXP, and LOVE too fast can mess with your mind and magic. Dad's team was mostly made up of Sans driven mad by their AU, or lone survivors. Actually I think Cobalt had the least messed up background. Healing them was kind of dad's personal project." They look off at nothing. "Dad built a family out of the lost and broken that everyone else threw away."
"You keep saying dad but you called Error mom. So Nightmare was your dad right. You said you had some of his codes." Cerulean leans forward trying to catch their gaze. "So if Glitter can do it get the AU ready for you and hold on to his sanity. You will let him join you and he will be safe?"
Glitter steps up behind Cerulean, "and you will take Sans with you now he will be safe even if I don't stay sane?"
They glance up at Glitter. "Yes though we are surprised you care when we came here we were expecting someone worse than Stretch."
"Before that broadcast you would have found what you expected. It was a wake-up slap in more ways than one. Learning I could lose my brother if I didn't shape up was quite the shock. We even separated for a while so we could work some things out." Glitter looked away. "This won't be worse than that we will be able to visit. Better than him dying."
"You do realize if you join our team. Our castle, our rules." They stand with a slow stretch. "So Cerulean are you coming or do we need to start looking for someone else."
Cerulean nods slowly. "I will do it. I believe in Glitter and I am not naive enough not to know, you are not offering mercy."
Glitter picks up Cerulean, "You need to pack." He hugs him tight then puts him down.
"You might want to just bring clothing. I don't know what a reset will do to keep sakes. You could pack those and we could pick them up with Glitter.." They tilt their skull thinking. "Yes the castle doesn't reset, we can keep them there."
Nodding Cerulean jumps to his feet and runs to his room.
They watch him go then meet Glitter's eyelights waiting. It didn't take long for his eyelights to go out as he leaned forward trying to intimidate them. "You take him out of here, you are responsible for his safety."
"Cut the crap bruh you where in a battle ta the death when we showed up." They snort looking him up and down. "Not that you would stand a chance if he ever stops holding back."
"He may be awesome but that won't stop me from making your life heck if you let anything happen to him." Even covered in glitter the Swap!Papyrus was doing his best to intimidate.
Unfortunately for Glitter he was nowhere near as scary as their parents. They might be gone but they had made their mark. "You want to keep a socket on how he does survive and stay sane."
Blinking Glitter frowns. "You are very calm about this? You said you're not even adults your kids and you are expected to kill trillions when your magic isn't even suited to it."
"My parents weren't harmless and they looked as dangerous as they were." They lean in pinning him with a look. "We are not calm about any of this; they tortured, and killed my parents. They voted to feed my SOUL to a being that terrifies them. We may get along but that was not what they expected. We were left to face them alone and force them to change. We have to play nice while knowing what the beings we are handling oh so gently did to our family. No we are not calm we are pissed as hell. But that doesn't stop there from being a Multiversal full of people like your brother who didn't even know about any of it. So we have to do the job."
Flinching Glitter staggers back gasping at the sudden pressure in his chest. "Fox damn it you want it don't you. You want to kill until they are all gone and replace them."
They glance up at the stair landing where Cerulean stood with a duffle bag then look Glitter in the eyelights. "We considered it briefly but there is a reason Cobalt left them alive. Why he wanted them alive. They are going to live a very long time with what they did. They are going to wake up in the middle of the night with their SOULS screaming from what they did. They are going to go through their days with innocent blood and dust on their hands even if they are the only ones who see it. They are going to see the disappointment in their brothers eyelights long after it is gone. So we will keep them alive as long as we can."
Cerulean takes a slow shuddering breath and starts walking down the stairs. "That sounds incredibly vengeful and at the same time like a twisted kind of mercy."
They chuckled, "Dad called it broken grace. Just like dusting everyone before destroying an AU is a broken grace. Dad said that Cobalt called it a cruel mercy once but Dust insisted it wasn't cruel if it prevented suffering." They hum, "Maybe it isn't broken grace after all because they will definitely suffer more than if we killed them." They smiled glances from Cerulean to Glitter. "Even the worst person can change. Just as even the strongest can break. I can't afford to forget that or we will end up like mom and dad."
Cerulean swallowed hard, this angry frightened child hiding behind a calm mask was expected to save them all while facing down the adults who robbed him of his family? Well not on his watch he might not be able to do their job but he sure wasn't leaving him to face them alone. "I am ready when you are."
Glitter takes out a cigarillo and frowns, finding it covered in Glitter. "Take care of yourself Sans I will see you in a couple of weeks." He tosses the cigarillo in the trash and scoops Cerulean up in a hug. "Don't worry okay bro I won't be too lazy."
They watched, then opened a swirling rainbow portal. "Next stop UnderSwap #0."
Cerulean gives Glitter a last hug then jumps down and grabs his duffle and walks through with a last look at his brother by the time they meet again they would be very different beings he would be the Sans of UnderSwap #0, a member of the council and marked with a single neon teardrop. And Papyrus would be forever marked by blood, and dust.
They smiled, opened the codes and made a small change before closing them and giving a finger wave to Glitter before following Cerulean leaving the Papyrus on the floor hissing in pain as the glitter fused with his bones.
-UnderSwap #0-
Cerulean looked around as he stepped out of the portal in front of the house of the local Papyrus who was sitting on the steps with a tied up skeleton with a brown scarf setting next to him. He quickly moved to the side.
Stepping through the portal Fresh 404 closed it with a snap then yawned. "How is Swaps?"
Stretch puts out his cigarette blowing smoke out his nasal cavity. "If you mean Frisk we have no idea you and Inky are the only ones who can see or talk to her when it is not a genocide run, remember."
"Bloody funking heck do we have to do everything around here." They throw their hands up with a growl. "No wonder dad had a team. Just no, we refuse to end up with sleep and eating disorders because of over work. We refuse to work other than helping the kiddo until we get lunch and a nap."
"Wow, slow down kid, no one said you couldn't have a break. From what Razz said when he came back you have already put in a full day." Stretch stands and opens the door. "Come on Dream and Razz already have all Dream's stuff packed; they just don't know where he is going. We don't exactly know where Nightmare's base was."
Sighing, they walked up the stairs picking up Inky on the way. "We brought Cerulean. He is smart, hurt him and we will help Glitter make your life heck."
Following them in. Cerulean watched Fresh 404 drop onto the couch and just tip over holding the tied up skeleton like a teddy bear with another big yawn. "Why don't you take a nap while we figure out lunch."
His only answer was a soft snore. "I thought Glitter was the champion at falling asleep. By the way I am Cerulean, I am guessing you are Stretch. The one in the scarf looks like the guy who ran out of the meeting screaming?"
"Ya I am Stretch the tied up guy is Inky he is in timeout for trying to create something without supervision. Hey do you have any idea how to cook without sugar because I don't and 404 has something against junk food. If not I will ask Dream surely with four adults, and Inky we can figure something out right?" Stretch rambles reaching for his cigarettes only to stuff them back in his pocket after glancing at Fresh 404.
Cerulean facepalmed shaking his head, "Fox you are just like Glitter aren't you. You don't have a clue about cooking."
Yawning Inky snuggles against Fresh 404 not minding where he is at all. "Not true, he makes really good cookies."
"Done with the silence treatment Inky?" Stretch watches as Inky yawns and just blinks at him. Before walking to the couch and taking the blanket Cobalt always kept on the back and dropped it over both of them. "Get some rest Inky I have the feeling you are going to be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to the repairs."
Watching them Cerulean decides he can probably get along with this Papyrus. "Where can I put my bag for now?"
Stretch sighed, rubbing his face. "Look, I have known since Cobalt left the Multiverse that a Sans would have to move here to stabilize things. He told me just before he left. I am okay with having a roommate need one in fact. Skeletons don't do well on their own for long periods of time. I just... I have no idea what you want or need."
"Ditto, I have no idea how this should work. I just came because my world is dying but by doing this I can help save others. And the kiddos going to let Glitter onto his team. Sometimes you have to give up on a lost cause and concentrate on doing what you can." Cerulean glanced up the stairs where a door stood open and there was an occasional thump of things being moved. "I can tell you this, that kid saved my life today and gave my brother the chance to save himself. So anyone that hurts him should pray I never catch them."
Stretch watches stunned as Cerulean starts for the stairs. Then glances at Inky when he chuckles. "Dang he sounds like Cobalt back when you were younger. Didn't expect that from an AU that is halfway to being fell."
Fresh 404 yawns and grumbles, "Inky you know it is rude to talk about people like that when they are still in the room. Plus I am napping here so hush."
"Like I care we both know you shouldn't need sleep Error didn't." Inky grumbled, "Why are you holding me anyway you hate me."
"More like, utterly despise you but we both need a nap and someone traumatized my baby sister into refusing to come out of stasis. So shut up and be cuddled." Yawning they hugged Inky tighter. "Mom needed sleep, he just didn't have time. Dad told me he used to guard mom's dreams back when he did sleep."
Standing on the landing Cerulean listened closely, frowning slightly not liking what he was hearing. He turned his head to look through the open door to see two skeletons stacking boxes one of them looked like an edgy verse of himself, the other was wearing a circlet and lots of yellow. They must be Razz and Dream. More people he was going to have to keep a socket on they both had a neon teardrop by their right socket like Stretch and Fresh 404.
Razz never understood what instinct made him glance at the door when he did but the skeleton standing there with a duffle bag and a slight frown that he quickly hid behind a friendly innocent smile nerely gave him a SOUL attack it was like looking at Cobalt before he came out as himself. It was only the realization that they were the same height that let him catch his breath and take a closer look.
Dream glanced over to see what had captured Razz's attention and caught his breath on a shuddering breath. "Blue?"
"Cerulean, I take it I have the look of my counterpart? Where can I put my bag? I need to go make lunch. The kids are trying to nap on the couch." He openly looks them over.
"Right Cobalt is gone... you look a lot like him the way you stand, the blue eyelights all big and round like you just saw something you disapprove of but are about to change the subject." Dream sets a last box in a pile. "Put the bag on the bed so it doesn't get mixed up with my stuff and I will help with lunch. Stretch is an expert in junk food, that might make Fresh happy but 404 not so much."
Nodding Razz sets his box down. "I will help, the kiddos earned it. Fixing, editing, and rebooting, an AU after finding out what was going on in the support system could not have been easy."
After putting his bag on the bed they head downstairs. Dream and Razz introduce themselves going quite as they pass through the living room.
Stretch nodded to them as they got to the kitchen where he was looking through the fridge. "I have no idea what to fix." He shrugs, "it would be easy if they just liked classic or swap diets but it is both." He puts his hands on his hips with a sigh.
"Don't know about any of that but it sounds like Fresh eats like Glitter and 404 eats like me, right? So we make them real food and something sweet for dessert." Cerulean shrugs at them and checks the pantry coming out with dried lentils, an onion, dried meat, a couple potatoes, and seasonings, setting them on the counter he checked the fridge and got tomatoes, and carrots. "Perfect, we have everything we need for lentil soup."
"Wait, you know how to make normal non lethal food?" Dream watches with wide sockets as he takes off his gloves and washes his hands.
"Of course, I do, the nasty stuff is punishment food. Where are the cutting-board and knives?" He glanced up at an odd sound to find Dream and Stretch looking stricken, Razz just looked puzzled.
"I don't get it why feed someone who is being punished?" Taking off his gloves Razz washed his hands and started opening cabinets looking for a pot.
"Not eating weakens people. If you care enough to punish them you want them to survive." Cerulean glances at Razz and smiles. "Or you want to punish them without telling them you are very angry at them."
Stretch sets the cutting-board down with a soft thump. "How do you tell the differences between punishment and someone not being good at cooking?"
Dream unlocks one of the cabinets and gets out the knife block. While Razz sets the pot on the stove.
"The lack of food poisoning is a good indicator it takes skills to make something nasty without it being dangerous." Cerulean washes the vegetables and carefully peels them setting the peels aside. "Razz would you warm a couple of tablespoons of oil in the pot on medium? Let me know when it shimmers"
"So Cobalt pretty much was always angry at us." Dream sighs, taking off his gloves washing his hands and taking the dried meat and shredding it.
Stretch washed his hands and started making cookie dough. "Kind of passive-aggressive but can't say I didn't deserve it. He had to leave me, smack me into a tree, grind me under the weight of my sins then rub in the fact he had a happy life without me. Before I started thinking straight too late to save my relationship with my bro. I can't say I wasn't stupidly stubborn."
Razz hums in thought. "I think you are coping better than Slim. Now that you've had your refusal to believe things you didn't want to, kicked out of you. Or maybe you ran out of things to not believe with Error, Nightmare, and Cobalt gone."
"Slim is having trouble?" Dream gives Razz a concerned look. Then spreads the lentils on a sheet pan to check them.
"The oil is shimmering." Razz takes the cutting-board of chopped vegetables Cerulean passes him and dumped them into the pot before answering. "Well we may be fell monsters but... The meetings were too much too fast. He has been having nightmares every night and puking a lot. It is hard to have your view of yourself ground down by truths like that. It is worse for him because he is the judge."
Stretch actually flinched and walked into the pantry without a word. A moment later there was a thump and a crash.
When Dream would have gone to check on him. Cerulean stepped in his way and shook his head. "I recognize that sound. Give him a minute. Maybe get the first aid kit."
"So yours does that too? I had to install a punching bag in the basement to stop Slim from breaking his hands. The resets keep him from doing permanent damage but it is not convenient having to patch him up." Taking the bowl of shredded meat Razz added it to the pot.
Cerulean takes the bowl and fills it with water passing it back to Razz. "Look Dream I don't know much about AU outside my own but, it sounds like Stretch has his own issues to work out. It is not my place to get in his space when he needs a moment. I am going to have enough trouble keeping a socket on Glitter from a distance."
Dream looks down at his hands then back at the pantry door. "I think I need to check on him. If I had done better maybe Nightmare..."
"No Dream, you can't do that to yourself! You heard Cobalt and Dust, you heard what it said in the journals. Nightmare in no way held you responsible for what the codes kept you blind to." Razz stirred the soup and left it to come up to a simmer. "You want to help, heal his hands when he is ready to face us, then talk to him. I am planning to get Slim and myself into therapy. We made mistakes all of us and if we don't learn to forgive ourselves and those mistakes we will only make things worse."
Putting the vegetable peels in the bowl Cerulean added oil and tossed them before spreading them on a cookie sheet. "Please set the oven to three fifty."
Papyrus came out of the pantry with a bag of chocolate chips. "You know I can hear you through the door."
Setting the oven Razz opened it and took the cookie sheet from Cerulean and slid it into the oven while the other washed his hands. "Yes but none of it is anything we mind you hearing."
Dream immediately checked Stretch's hands and healed a scrape. "Stretch do you need to talk?"
Sighing he nods then glances at the living room. "Later when they are working. We have already put the weight of the Multiverse on them no point weighing them down more. From what we learned about Nightmare he couldn't not help, helping people even if he hated them. We don't know how like his dad they are yet."
Dream takes a deep shuddering breath while Stretch washes his hands and gets back to work on the cookie dough. "You're right of course I should have thought of that."
"So why are we baking vegetable peels?" Razz stirs the soup and adds the lentils now that it is simmering.
"Vege chips I am hoping they will be the right balance between healthy and junk food to make both sides of them happy. Why do you all have a rainbow teardrop? You're not from the same AU so that can't be it." Cerulean starts washing dishes while he talks.
"Contract magic leaves a mark on everyone who is bound by the contract. The Originals Council has a contract with Fresh 404 for his protection and because he wouldn't take the job of Destroyer without it. We are all long time members of the council." Razz watched Cerulean stiffen ever so slightly. "You could say that we bear the mark of our sins."
"I see, if it is to protect Fresh 404 why doesn't Inky have one?" Cerulean carefully takes his hands out of the dish water and rests his clenched fists on the counter.
"They need to make a separate contract because Inky can't, agree to him destroying. Like physically can't. So they are going to repair this AU and maybe others to help Inky sort out his magic then work out their own contract." Razz stirred the soup then shook his head. "I don't get it but the kiddos seemed to expect it and so did Cobalt so it must be something I just don't understand yet. I don't like it but well I am not giving up on figuring it out. Following without thinking about things for ourselves is what got us in this mess."
Taking a deep breath Cerulean finishes the dishes taking his time and doing just that thinking for himself. "They said they can destroy but their magic is more suited to Amendment. They also said they are not going to be able to keep up unless the creator slows way down." He turns to look at them while drying his hands. "Is it possible that being the creator, his magic won't let Inky form a contract that allows destruction? Kind of like life can't do death's job because it is not in their magic. Sorry for not having a better example of what I mean."
Fresh 404 walks in and sets at the table still holding Inky. "Not quite. It is Inky's fate to be the creator and protector of AU. He can no more break Fate's chains than mom could. That protector part means he really can't sign a contract for me to destroy. He would have to at least try to stop me and the consequences of breaking the contract would keep hitting him over and over. No, our contract has to be about him not attacking me outside my work hours, in areas set as safe zones, stuff like that also a schedule, and rules for working together on stuff like repairs." They blink at them sleepily. "Good job on getting so close."
"What are you doing, up? You clearly need rest and it should be half an hour at least before the soup is really." Razz scolds while getting a glass of milk and putting it in front of them having spent enough time with Dream lately to treat the kitchen like his own.
"Can't sleep, need to check on Swaps." They downed the milk setting up a little straighter.
Nodding Razz pulls on his gloves. "Okay I will take us to the runes to check on Swaps, Dream and Stretch can help Cerulean with the soup."
"Good idea we shouldn't be in charge of portals or teleporting right now." Dream and Cerulean traded worried looks, Stretch just nods. When Fresh 404 stood he set Inky down. "Are you done being tied up yet? We know you can get out of those any time you want Inky. I guess mom was right about you liking being tied up."
Razz frowned, "I thought you said he was just a kid, surely that would be too adult..."
"Ewww mind out of Underlust please. No not what we meant. Haven't you noticed how calm and sleepy being tied up makes him like the weirdest security blanket ever." They looked like they were about to gag.
Inky yawns then blinks at them. "Blame Error when I used to try to talk to him he would leave me tied up till I fell asleep. It was always the safest place to nap outside the doodle-sphere."
Dream facepalmed, "Inky, Error not attacking when you are helpless and asleep should have told you he wasn't just a Destroyer."
Inky sighs, "Why do you think it took so long to actually get around to doing anything effective, Dream? Haul I didn't even think it would be effective. I just wanted him to stop destroying so I could snuggle up to him for a nap. Killer was right about his magic. Under all that destruction was serious Toriel vibes."
Cerulean pinched the bridge of his nasal cavity. "Fox that is messed up, you know that right? You basically lead the Multiverse in torturing the person you wanted to adopt you."
"It is not like I had a choice. As long as he was destroying I had to try to stop him." Inky glared at them but it lost most of its effect when he yawned.
Fresh 404 just sighs and picks him up. "Go to sleep Inky there is no point arguing, about that we know that out of everyone you are the only one who didn't have a choice about fighting mom anymore than he had a choice about destroying."
Razz rests a hand on their arm and all three are gone leaving an uncomfortable silence behind.
"Do you think they genuinely forgive Inky?" Dream looks at the spot where they just were, shifting on his feet and looking uncomfortable.
"Not even a bit but he has to work with him and one of them has to act like an adult." Stretch sighs rubbing his face. "Fox Dream what are we going to do? The kid is right from what he said, and what Razz told us he saw the kid is a code surgeon, not a Destroyer at all."
"You are going to have a bit of faith and remember that a scalpel is just as deadly as an axe in the right hands." Cerulean stares hard at both of them. "Because if you doubt him it will make things harder."
Dream nods hugging himself. "I feel so dirty just talking about it. I used to think Error was evil but here we are talking about killing, whole AU's like, like it is taking out the kitchen trash and if a child is strong enough for the chore."
Stretch picked Dream up just holding him close. "I know when I let myself think about what I have done... what I am doing every time they call Error mom, or you uncle I remember that Error adopted Cobalt, that they are my family. That they may not show it but they hate me almost as much as I hate myself. I am the judge but I refuse to look at the evidence I was living with, to see what was happening, to even ask why my bro liked Error."
Cerulean stirred the soup and listened not even pretending not to even as he checked the Vege chips. "Probably, not my place to stay as I have every intention of joining the council and doing my best to look out for Fresh 404 but I think mandatory therapy for everyone on the council would be wise. Not only because of this but the AU's can be stressful I don't think anyone under a lot of strain makes the best choices."
Dream blinks staring at Cerulean. "That is not a bad idea I never even thought about the need for something like that."
"No wonder he wanted us to make the council more inclusive. We need perspective." Stretch sighed, closing his sockets for a moment.
-UnderSwap #0 outside the runes-
Razz knocks on the door glancing at Fresh 404 to see him holding Inky close and looking into a code window. "You okay there kiddos?"
"Yes just checking something the knock sounded off. There is a slight glitch try again six inches to the right." They yawn closing the codes.
"What, not going to mess with the codes?" Inky mutters glaring. "Finally learning to leave fixing things to someone that knows what they are doing?"
"Inky you know full well I am better with codes than you are once an AU is running you can't even access anything past the surface. Are you just cranky because the ropes aren't putting you to sleep?" They set Inky down untying him then with a snap of their fingers he was wrapped in a rainbow cocoon.
"I didn't say that I wanted..." Inky was interrupted by the door slowly opening. They all turn to look at it and Fresh 404 picks Inky up again.
Chara peeking out at them, then just pushes the door open. "Fresh 404 can come in. Dad told me what he did for Frisk."
"May we bring Inky and Razz with us?" They bowed to him, flashing a bright blue smile.
"I well... I suppose, but if they make trouble they will have to leave." He frowns at Inky. "I know how rude that one can be."
They chuckled softly, nodding. "Oh we know and apologize for bringing him but we had the feeling Stretch and Dream needed a break."
"Talk about rude. I am right here." Inky grumbled and tried to wiggle out of his cocoon but stopped when Fresh 404 pretended to drop him then caught him just before he landed face first.
"Inky the consequences of the way you treat people is that they will have no compunction in treating you the same way." Razz bows to Chara with a smile. "Sorry to intrude."
Chara actually blushed. "Well clearly you are from a swap AU. You are far too charming to be anything like Stretch."
Blushing Razz looks away. "Stretch isn't so bad he just needs someone to keep him motivated."
Chara just pushes the door open farther. "Come in out of the snow. Cobalt was a better liar."
Razz put a hand to his chest and gasped dramatically. "You wound me fair prince. I will have you know the maleficent Sans is a master of deception."
Chuckling they walk through the door leaving Razz to his dramatic posing. "Thank you Chara. As you have probably guessed Razz is from SwapFell he probably could be as sneaky as Cobalt if he needed to be."
"Speaking of Cobalt, any idea how to handle that I am not going to be able to put off doing a run or resetting much longer." Chara let the door close after Razz joined them in the hallway.
"That is why we are here to start repairs. A Sans called Cerulean will fill Cobalt's place when we are done. Can you hold on a couple more days? We know this has been hard for you especially with Dream needing to be here for so long." They gave Chara a concerned look.
Smiling up at them Chara nodded. "Thank you for bothering to ask. I can manage a couple more days. It is a relief to know something is being done."
"We hope you know that as a balance keeper you have a right to help when you need it. We know you don't pick the run type any more than Frisk does." They meet Chara's eyes looking serious.
Chara actually hugs them with a relieved sigh. "Thank you. It helps that I can talk to dad, now that I know he remembers."
Watching Razz was stunned. He had seen it a little in the support system but this open concern, and unconditional affection, was so different from the cold calm they gave the council or the annoyed care they gave Inky. This was the kid they had missed out on because they had failed as judges.
"Let's go let your dad know we're here. He is probably so worried about everyone." They shifted Inky in their arms so they had an arm free to put around Chara's shoulders.
Chara nods and leads them through the hall and up the stairs to the house. "Dad, we have guests."
Asgore hurried from the kitchen to greet them. "Oh dear I wasn't expecting guests, I don't have any tea ready..."
"Please do not concern yourself majesty, we just had to check on Frisk before we could possibly get started on work. We are also delighted to meet Chara." Fresh 404's tone was warm but respectful.
Razz bowed staying quiet knowing well enough that he was not good at putting others at ease, but the kiddos who were so good at keeping the council on pins and needles were just as easily charming and relaxing, Chara and Asgore.
"I would be so grateful if you could check on her! When I walked through the portal she was just gone! I went ahead and went through the motions of putting her to bed just in case but we have all been worried and haven't been able to do anything!" Asgore motioned with his hands in big gestures expressing his distress.
"You did just the right thing majesty. You could not have done better if we had been able to tell you what to expect! We never got to thank you and the others for coming so quickly when we needed help with the support system." They adjusted Inky in their arms only for him to let out a small snore.
"Of course we came!" Asgore sighs plucking Inky out of their arms and cradling him easily. "We failed, Error we should have stepped in to stop the fighting or at least educated the judges. But we did nothing because nothing was asked of us. You have no idea how long we have been waiting for the chance to help."
"Everyone has things they wish they had done differently even with all the resets somethings can't be changed sometimes our choices can't be taken back. Dad couldn't go back and escape before the Apple Incident no matter how much he wished for it, mom could not go back and meet uncle Cobalt under better conditions. The ruins keeper's council can't go back and change the decision to wait for a request that mom couldn't make. And I can't go back and get myself and my sister away from Inky while I was thinking clearly. We can only face our consequences and move forward hopefully wiser than before." They met Asgore's sad eyes with conviction.
Razz actually winced, feeling the sting of the too accurate assessment. He looked away only to find Temmie standing in the doorway to another hall. "Hey buddy good to see you made it back here alright."
"Of course Temmie made it home, Temmie is smart." With that it turned its nose up at them all and trotted down the hall.
Chara takes Fresh 404 by the arm and starts following Temmie. "Enough awkward conversation about unpleasant subjects. You said you could check on Frisk."
Asgore chuckles and watches them go then glances at Razz. "You were at the support system helping him."
Razz nods, "he is kind of supposed to have a companion when possible. More so the council can get to know him and not make the same mistakes twice than any other reason. Inky on the other hand needs a keeper, as he doesn't remember to eat, sleep, any of the other little things parents normally think about for their kids. We brought Inky with us because well I don't know because the kiddos picked him up."
Asgore gives a soft hum. "Let's have tea then and not drag them into more awkward conversation while they are checking on Frisk."
Nodding Razz followed him not noticing Inky's eyes open a slit. "I never know what to think of Inky he was strong enough to fight Error and mature enough to make some very interesting and occasionally deadly AUs but at the same time as soon as the fact he is still a child god was pointed out it was so obvious it made me feel stupid for not seeing it before."
"Not surprising I believe he confused Error to and they knew each other longer than most of the Multiverse has existed. Children are adaptable, look at Fresh and 404 other than what he is Fresh has always been an odd but good lad. 404 when he was free before," he sighs. "I saw him once back then he was wild, lost out of control and so so angry. It is one of two times I got to speak to Error. They fought and Error managed to catch him but the poor boy's magic was out of control. The only one it didn't go near was the other child with him. Error had a hard time of it, protecting our little reading club from the child without hurting him until Nightmare showed up to put him to sleep. So different from the calm confident young man he is now. Both of them are very changed but trying to shoulder the responsibilities given to them. I think you will find them to be very much like Inky in time young in body and spirit at times completely lacking in common sense. They will fight, argue, and want to have sleepovers on school nights. They will do all the things kids do... and they will be terribly lonely because though they might achieve many things they will have no peers save Inky here and it will take a very long time to trust him with their history."
Rubbing his face Razz looked away. "You put my hopes and worries into words. I wish there had been any other option that wouldn't have been worse, especially when the kid's magic seems geared towards healing AUs. I don't understand why Inky doesn't like him. You would think he would love having someone around who could make AU last longer."
"Tell me when your brother was little did he like you sliding a block into place here and there to keep a tower he was building from falling or was he angry and frustrated that he couldn't do it himself?" Asgore hums rubbing Inky's back. "I hope you don't hold what happened against Inky too much. For all he knows he doesn't know everything. This all may seem urgent and very tragic to us because it is, but for Inky... he is just learning to be what he is, but has had the weight of the Multiverse on his shoulders just the same as Fresh 404."
"I try to remember that but sometimes I look Inky in the eyelights and find so much emptiness. I just, when he is like that I just want to be far away from him. It is no different with Fresh 404 sometimes that rage you saw peeks out. I am a fell monster. I know what rage can do." Looking down at his hands Razz notices them shaking and clenches them. "I feel like we deserve whatever they decide to do to us and at the same time I want to run from both of them."
"Show me a mortal that wants to stand before the wrath of an angry god and I will show you a crazed fool." Asgore puts the tea kettle on one-handed then gets out a pot and jar of herbs. "I believe that all will resolve itself in time. I just hope it does so in a healthy manner."
Inky woke up as soon as someone took him away from Fresh 404 but stayed limp waiting to find out what was going on. It only took him a moment to realize the one holding him was Asgore but he pretended to sleep because the conversation was interesting. He was a little hurt to hear that Razz feared him but it wasn't like he could argue he did go blank inside sometimes. He had always gone looking for Error when he did in a twisted way he had relied on the Destroyer to protect the Multiverse from him when he was blank. He missed him, he couldn't really sleep anymore, and he couldn't eat without remembering how thin Error's bones had looked during the last few years. He had always known he wasn't a good person but he used to think he wasn't a particularly bad one either. Not until that damn meeting, not until Cobalt had looked him in the eyelights and he had found judgement for the first time. He truly had not known he made so many copies of bad AUs he hadn't ever believed there was such a thing as a bad AU. Not until he looked at the Bad Sanses and didn't find villains but tired, scared, judges that looked at him with anger and grief. Now all he wanted was to find Error and be wrapped up in his magic again to forget this ever happened, but there was no more Error, and no forgetting even when he tried.