It has been about a week...since the battle of Atlas and Mantle ended.
The group...they had all won the fight, and were able to protect 3 of the Relics: Knowledge, Creation, and Choice. Only Jacque had died, due to Grimm invading the prison..but everyone else survived. But...victory can come at the greatest of costs. The father of Sans and Papyrus...William Daedalus Gaster...he has been killed and was sent to a void yet again...and this time...there is not return from that one in the Evacuation Central Location. Papyrus is sad...but thanks to Winter and May Zedong...he was able to pull through in the end, despite having to witness the death of his father.
Unfortunately...the same cannot be said for Sans, who, for the first time ever, had to witness it. Gaster's been...in Sans' mind...the most important figure that Sans has ever had in his life, as he was a parent that had did all that he can to help his own son, in spite of what he is. But while he heard that his father had died once, which was true, and it had genuinely made him sad...Sans moved on. But seeing him die again... in front of Sans' face this time...it's a whole new level of grief for Sans to have to witness against. Sans...he has no idea how to deal with it. He never knew how to deal with the death of the people that you love immensely...and even worse, does not know how to forget it, once you have seen it. The sight of seeing his father die, as well as his inability to save his own father...it has lead him into a state of depression and PTSD, as well as some symptoms of Survivor's Guilt. Now...he doesn't talk to people as much as he once did, and...everywhere he turns...in the darkest of places...sometimes...he would see only his father's face...dead and dull, which always made him flinch...and would make him shed a single tear, and that makes him a little bit stressed. Even worse...is that he has never seen smiling. He even has some trouble landing on the ground, even though he is usually good at landing on the ground, even at very tall heights.
He still allows people to get close to him...but he now doesn't speak that much to them...except for 4: Cinder...Ruby...Yang...and most important of them all...Blake.
Blake knows what that is like...since the Fall of Beacon, minus the PTSD Symptoms, to be depressed, which is why she pushed her own friends away, so she can protect them. But even she knows when Sans is experiencing the stress disorder. Because of this, she never leaves his side, and always tries to be there for him. And when she sees Sans getting stressed, she would hug him or at least, let Sans lean in next to her, so he does not feel lonely. Sometimes, she would get Sans to touch her ears in order to try and make him feel better. While it has some limited success, Sans would still slowly change back into his usual depressive state. But that does not mean Blake is giving up on him.
Ruby and Yang are also trying whatever they can in order to try and help Sans feel much better, but they have no idea how to cheer him up. But as they have no idea what to really do in order to help him feel better, they had to come up with something to try and help him. Sans' doesn't mind, and in fact, he is actually...slightly glad that...they are at least trying to help him feel better. But...he doesn't want them to go through all of the trouble to make him feel better, and tries to...rarely...stay away from them. But Ruby and Yang aren't letting him do that, and still try the best that they can to comfort. They even once slept in bed with Sans so that he does not feel lonely, and Cinder there had helped.
Speaking of Cinder, she too have done what she had can to try and help Sans. As Sans has been the one to help her when she was a child, used as a slave by Madame in the Unicorn Hotel, Cinder feels like that...since Sans has been the one to cheer her up when he freed her, Cinder wants to return the favor back. So she did the best she can to help him feel better. Once, she even bought sushi for him, which actually did make him feel a little bit better. The Depression went away, but the Stress Disorder and the Survivor's Guilt did not go away. But still...these 4 people...they are still going to do whatever they can to try and help their lover.
Now...back on Atlas...which is snowing...Sans is walking on a trail of some kind.
He has a frown present on his face, which has now always appeared since the day after William died. His scarves are blown by the wind, as he kept on walking down the path, the snow crunching beneath his feet, making a footprint trail. His eyes, while filled with some form of emotion, are now very dull, almost to the point of looking lifeless.
His hands are in his pockets...and...strangely...he is not wearing the gift that his father wanted to give him: the Abyss Crystal. But Sans does not seem to be concerned, and kept on walking...until he finally reached the place that he had wanted to go, which is a field that is covered in both snow...and the corpses of the fallen Grimm.
He sees the bodies of Grimm all over the place, and...seeing a bench next to him, goes and sits there...as he looks down...and thinks about what happened. He closed his eyes...but the instant he did that, he see his father's face, forcing him to open his eyes again. But Sans just shook his head, and just looked down.
"Dad...what am I supposed to do without...without you to guide me?"
He touched the place where the Abyss Crystal was placed...and only touched his shirt, feeling the heart he has, pounding against walls inside him. And this has always been in Sans' mind since Gaster had died. Whenever he sleeps, he would always sees himself...in the mind...that he is sinking down into a deep and bottomless ocean, trying desperately to grab onto the light, and hearing the voices of his brother...and his father...back when Sans was born for the first time. His scarves become transparent, his own Abyss Crystal shining.
He always remembered those words, as he remembered some stuff as a small, little infant. And boy...was he small. He was smaller than the average baby by about 2 inches. Sans shook his head...as he intertwined his own fingers, and thought about what he is supposed to do now. As he kept thinking...he than hears a female voice coming from behind him.
"Sans..."
Sans looked up...and he saw 2 people that he never planned of seeing.
Sans looks...and was not surprised to see Qrow Branwen, and Summer Rose, his 2 adoptive family members that took him. Sans simply looks away, as he doesn't seem to be in a good mood. But Qrow knows why...as he sat down next to Sans, and Summer sat at the opposite end of the beach, and Summer spoke out.
"Listen, Sans. Ruby...Yang...they told me what happened back in that place. It must've been rough on you to see that happen your father, huh?"
Sans doesn't respond, but Qrow seems to understand, as he puts a hand on Sans' shoulder in order to comfort him.
"Hey...kid. I know I cannot relate you experience with mine, as they are not at your level. But...the only good thing is...you at least have a chance to connect with own family. Even with all the bad luck you had as a kid...even by...us...you still were able to remain connected with your family completely. Your good that you do not have a semblance either is based on the concept of Misfortune."
Sans doesn't respond back, and simply looks down at his hands, which he is playing with. Summer than lifts Sans onto her lap, and hugs him as tightly as she could. Sans doesn't hug back, but he does not fight back from it. He just lets it happen to him, as Summer tries to comfort Sans. Although she is well aware what she has done to him back when he was a 9 year old...now...she just wants to help him so she can take back what she had done. Her silver eyes looked down, sad at Sans, as he continues to lack a response. She cupped his face and used her thumb to stroke it, even though he is not crying out his heart right now, and rubs down the back of his head with her hand, which he does not seems to care about.
Qrow than stood up, and spoke out.
"C'mon kiddo. Let's go back with the others."
Summer stood up, carrying Sans like he is a small child, and they than went back to the others that are still back in the city. Sans...even though he wishes to fight back...he can't. He grief is preventing him from moving an inch. Now...he has no idea what to do in the situation that he's in.
As they walked...Papyrus and Winter looked at Sans, who still had the lifeless sad eyes that are on his face. Papyrus than spoke out.
"Sans...why are you not asking us for help?"
He looks down...as he clenched his fist, before letting go. Than...he feels a hand grabbing onto his organic left one. Papyrus turns to see Winter, who looked concerned at Papyrus.
"This is about Sans...is it not?"
Papyrus looked down...and nodded.
"Yeah. I'm...I'm worried for him. He hasn't been the same since..."
Papyrus couldn't get the words out...as he turns away. Clearly not wanting to finish it.
"I understand."
Winter spoke out, as she puts a hand on Papyrus' shoulder.
"But knowing he has a lot of friend with him...I'm sure one of them will help him through this, Papyrus."
Papyrus looks at Winter, and spoke out.
"I hope so."
Winter hugs Papyrus from behind, as Papyrus holds onto her arm, as if worried that she is going to be ripped away from his own life very soon. Papyrus can only do nothing...but pray.
Back with Sans...
A portal opens...and Sans walks out of it...and sees that some of his friends are feeling pretty normal, as they are seen laughing and having fun. Sans understand why, in spite of all that has happened but does not want to get involved in this. So...he sneaks away, not making a sound...and goes into his room in Atlas.
It was pretty much the same size as his normal room, and he took the time to look at his scroll...and go through the photos that he had with his brother, Papyrus, his father, Gaster, and himself, and look back at all the good times that he had with them in the past, before the incident that had happened witness his father. Sans wanted to stop...but he continue...wit the funniest photos, which made him smile, and the more heart melting photos, which made him very sad that it all had to last. And some of them changed, as Cinder is now in them, due to messing with the timeline to fix Cinder's past.
Than...he felt a hand touch his shoulder, and he looked to see Amber has appeared in his room with Cinder, Emerald, and Neo.
"It'll be okay, Sans."
Amber spoke out, as Cinder spoke out.
"You may have lost Gaster, but you did not lose us."
Emerald than went next to Sans and hugged him.
"We'll be with you, to help you deal with it."
Sans than looks at Neo, who is now sitting on his lap, and hugging Sans. Sans has no words, but he does not smile. Good thing he is not crying. Amber, Emerald, and Cinder joined in on the hug, and Sans doesn't move, and...for once...he tried to smile. But...he just cannot smile.
At Night...
It was now nighttime...and this time...Ruby, Yang, Cinder...they did not come this time. But Sans...he didn't care that much.
He cannot help...but look at the starry sky that is shining above his window. The stars twinkled, like they are eyes of the gods looking above to see the citizens of Atlas that are sleeping in order to protect them. He than looks into a corner of the room...and he sees Gaster...skewered...bloodied...dead. Sans' breathing became strained...as he shakes his head, and looks back down at his hands...which are shaking.
Sans looks down at his hands...and he tightened them...and he wants to do something. He wanted to punch a wall to make a home in it, he wanted to kill a Grimm to release his stress, he wanted...he wanted...he does not know what else to want. Sans than began to speak quietly to himself
"I...I don't know...what to do with my father really gone."
His hands began to shake, as he spoke out.
"How...how am I supposed to move on from that. I just...wish I had the answers to these questions I have."
He gripped the bed sheets...as he feels tears threatening to leak down.
Sans began to silently cry again and hold his face...as he now begins to quietly question himself of the recent turn of events that happened, and...if he even still has a place on Remnant. But...as usual...he gets nothing. As he looks down...and his tears fall down to the sheets of the bed he's on, he than hears a door open behind him, and than...he hears footsteps, before he felt arms snaking around him. It was Blake Belladonna once again, seemingly knowing how he's feeling.
"Sans...do not cry."
Blake sounds silent, and yet, sounds so soothing and kind, and as clear as water. Sans simply spoke out.
"Trying not to..."
But Blake knows better. He is not trying to, he is just to sad to bring forth the willpower to stop it, even though he is usually the most enduring person that anyone had ever seen. Blake than sets Sans onto her lap, and cupped his face, before she used her fingers to stroke away the tears that is crawling down his face.
"Sans...please...listen..."
She looks down...and spoke out.
"I admit that...I may not be in shoes to experience the type of discrimination that you had felt in the past, and...I even admit that...I never understood your relationship with your father, and of how much that he had meant to you when you were a child. He must have been a good man, isn't he?"
Sans looks away, as he spoke out.
"He was...more than that."
He looks down...as a new tear fell down, and he spoke out.
"He was...the best father I ever had. He always did his best to help people, regardless of what they are, and...he took special care of me, because of my heritage. He was...the reason I even got this far. Because of this...all I wanted...was to repay him for all the kindness that he has given me, all the times he had helped me, and I...I just wanted to keep what remained of my family safe and sound. And now...I pathetically failed."
Blake than spoke out.
"You're wrong, Sans."
Sans eyes widened, as he looked at Blake, confused. Blake than cupped his face a little firmly, yet, lovingly, as she spoke out.
"Sans...you father...from what I heard from you...you thought of him as special...because he is one of the very few people that has ever accepted you for who you are. But the thing is...you didn't lose everything in your life. Many of us...everyone in the group that you had made, even in my team and team JNPR...they too had to struggle with what they are forced to go through. What happened with your father...it wasn't your fault...nor is it anybody's fault. No one...had a hand on what was about to happen to your father. You may have lost your father...but you did not lose us. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, me...everyone one of your friends. All of us...we're your family now."
Sans' eyes widened at what Blake had said. Sans looked up at Blake, straight into her golden eyes.
"R-really?"
Blake nodded, as she spoke out.
"Yes...really. Did you forget what I once said to you...2 years ago...about how you have the right to live your life, despite what you are, Sans?"
Sans' eyes looked down...as he than remembered what Blake had said to him, back when he first achieved his second Evol-cell form.
Flashback...
"I don't think you are alone in this thing! You have friends and families who love you, who care for you, not matter what they think of you as! Being different is the most precious gift that the gods offered you! I do not want to live a life where the world is always the same! You can have a normal life, regardless of what you are!! You have the right to live your life!!"
Flashback ended...
Sans looks down at his legs...before he chuckled out, making Blake a little concerned. But the concerned is watched away, as Sans spoke out again.
"Heh...how could I have been so stupid? I forgot how much that meant to me when you said it."
Sans looks back up at Blake, his eyes are a little red, but he has now stopped crying completely, and he smiling as if he had not been smile in over a million years, as he spoke out.
"Thanks, Blake. I...I really needed that."
Blake smiled, as she puts her hands on her hips.
"For you...Sans...anytime"
Blake and Sans than hugged each other and Sans hugs her lightly, as he spoke out.
"Sometimes...I kinda wished that I could return the favor to you."
Blake smiled, before grabbing Sans gently by the face, and caressed his cheek, before their faces closed in. Their lips touched together, their mouths fight to se who wins, but neither won, as they are even, but with one of them holding back their true strength, before they than separated slowly, as a small string of liquid is connected between them.
"Mind if I sleep with you?"
Blake spoke out. Sans spoke out.
"Heh...by my guest."
Blake smiled, as was about to pull the covers on top of them both, when suddenly...
Click!!!
The lights went on, and Sans and Blake jolted up.
"Hey, no fair!!! I wanted to go to bed with him, not you!!!"
It was the voice of Ruby Rose, who had turned on the lights in the bedroom that Sans is in.
She turned into a burst of pedals, and went onto the bed, holding Sans tightly by the torso.
"Ruby, what are you doing?"
Sans spoke out, as Ruby tightly held onto Sans. Than...Yang spoke out.
"Than, I guess you won't mind for a few more?"
Sans looks, as he sees Yang, Weiss, Emerald, Neo, Cinder, and Amber in the room, with red faces present on each of them, except Yang, and they have a smile present on their faces.
"Nonononononononono!!!"
Sans spoke out, before he threw his arms up, panicked.
"Wait!!!"
Too late.
CRASH!!!
Unfortunately...everyone jumped onto the bed, and Sans is now crushed underneath.
"...ow."
But Sans...he is actually pretty happy that...what Blake said is true. His friends...they're just as family as much as Papyrus and his Father are.
Sans smiled...as he has one thought in his mind.
"Father...I'm gonna make you proud."
Weiss...than grabbed Sans face, and smiled out to him.
"Glad to see you are back to your normal self, you dunce."
Sans smiled and laughed a little bit.
"Well...I'm just glad that I manage to have someone snap me out of this ridiculous funk I am making."
Weiss smiled, before planting a kiss on his nose, which actually kind of tricked him. Sans smiled, as he used his telekinesis to turn off the lights, and to close the door behind the room
Than...he felt another pair of hands grab his face...and now he is facing Yang.
"It's good to have you back to your usual self, Sans."
Sans smiled, and spoke out.
"Ditto."
Yang than grabbed his face and than quickly closed the distance before Sans could realize what is about to happen to him. Their lips crashed together...but Sans wasn't too off guard. In fact, he kind of expected that to happen. Sans deeper the kissing, and than they separated for air, before Yang hugged Sans' head. Sans smiled, as he allowed this to happen to him, happy with his own big family.
Using his telekinesis, he brought the Abyss Crystal back into his hand, and puts it back onto his chest, and used one of his arms to try and hug Yang.
Unknown Location...
On an unknown land...the land has a tree that has cloud like green, purple and yellow leaves. The gigantic tree sits on top of a cliff surrounded by seemingly regularly sized palm trees. Down the cliff is a beach with yellowish water.
The sandy beach is covered by curvy palm trees, purple bushes, orange plants and features large sea shells.
But lying on the beach itself...lies William Daedalus Gaster.