RECKONING TALE
SEASON FIVE: THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR
Fun Level 74: Original Sans and Frisk
Determination. Frisk tried to concentrate as Sans was trying to teach her to lift stuff with her mind. She apparently had more monster pulled into her because of losing more of her soul. I can do this. This must be done. How do I refind the determination? It must have been easier before. She was running for her and her children's lives. That would definitely put some determination inside of her step.
Frisk remembered how she used to have such a shy soul, and how embarrassing it had felt when she couldn’t get her soul to come out without the Underground. Now, she missed that soul. It was more than just a fleeting feeling of ‘I miss when I had more guts’. It was . . . ‘I miss me.’
Frisk was Frisk. If she had her determination, she’d have the floating down by now. Sans wanted her to be a part of building the castle, but something like a slow hammer wasn’t needed. Her eyes darted toward her left.
Papyrus was laying in a piece of wood securely over the other, and as soon as it was lined up, Undyne threw four small spears at it, sealing it into place. Alphys was on the other side with her little computer, focused on the building area. Probably the infrastructure as a whole, making sure everyone was using their magic where they needed to.
Gaster was walking around, looking toward the sky. Probably figuring out how they would be able to control the area even better, so that no human could ever find them.
Useless. Frisk felt useless.
“You’re losing it again,” Sans said, holding her hand out in front of her. “Just gotta want it. Not hard. Stop paying attention to the distractions around you.”
He was right. Frisk was sabotaging herself. I’ve just got to work. Find a purpose for my determination to need to be there. She tried to lift the wood again. I can do this. Avoid the distraction around you. I am simply raising wood. Once I get the hang of it, I can be like the others. We’ll have a nice place to sleep tonight. Avoid rain. Keeping dry would be a good thing. If I lift this wood, it will lead to keeping dry.
“Frisk,” she heard beside again. “I love ya, but, come on. This isn’t hard.”
“Right.” Frisk stared at the wood. Put it all out of your mind. It’s just me and this wood. Hello wood, nice to meet you. My name is Frisk and I will be your worst nightmare by making you unnaturally float. That didn't sound right. Focus. Focus.
“That’s it?” Abe’s voice disrupted her as she lost focus and dropped the wood. Abe came next to her and laid down a stack of more wood. “Less than an inch, Frisk.”
“Uh, hey? Can the sibling rivalry right now,” Sans insisted as he raised a slab real quick to the house. Holding it’s position, he went ahead and hit it at it’s four corners. “We can try something else. That’ll hold a few minutes.” He sent some nails toward the corners of the wood. “Try and just push them in the wood, okay?”
Amanda laughed in the distance and Frisk rolled her eyes.
Then Sans laughed. “Oh right, yeah. What? I’m a monster, I don’t know no better.”
He couldn't even say that. What else was he going to use for the words though? Literally, she was nailing wood. Push in the wood. That’s it. Great, now she was giggling now. She tried to stop. “Sans, how much more of your monster did you put in me?” Frisk and Sans both chuckled. “I’m serious.”
“I was mediator, but you had two human souls. One complete, one a little. . . and mine,” Sans said. “So, even with my bits, Frisk, you’re still not completely there. But, yeah. You got a little more monster in you.”
She chuckled, and it sounded like Sans. She glowed red and tried to hammer the nails in.
“It’s fine, it’s not like half,” Sans told her. “This is probably about what you are gonna get after the kids are born.”
Huh? “Why?” Frisk asked.
"Cause your laugh is hilarious now.”
“He’s right.” Amanda came toward her with a big grin on her face. “Lucky me. No supernatural ability, just a slow human. Nobody needs me.”
“You could go out and gather wood-” Frisk giggled. “I mean, uh, supplies.”
“I’ve already got a lot of wood gathered around here.” Amanda waved at Gaster, then at Abe, and then at Papyrus. “Only solo girl anyone’s got a shot at within hundreds of miles. I’ve got college guys on one side trapped for a year with me. I’ve got monsters who know I’m the only thing around, human or not, that they could ever try and get with. I’ve got a lot of wood gathered around me.”
“Amanda.” Yet, Frisk laughed again.
“Melikes this, I need to write down this monster percentage in you,” Sans chuckle “Dirty Frisk.”
“I’m not,” Frisk insisted. “I am just unfocused.”
“But you are,” Amanda said, pointing to the smudges of dirt Sans had pointed at just before. “Covered in filth. I was too.”
“Look. Just, don’t get too familiar with Abe?” Frisk asked. “He takes time.”
“Not worried about him. Got Gabe constantly for conversation when he’s not out getting more wood,” Amanda said. “Then a bit ago, I got a sensuous, warm bubbling bath.”
What? “How?”
“Papyrus and Gaster. One heated the water just right and one made bubbles.” She waved at Papyrus, but winced as he lost his concentration. Without getting his wood positioned right, Undyne hit the wood wrong, and it almost split a tree behind them. “Whoops. I made the wood go in the wrong direction.”
“Hey.” Sans moved closer to Amanda. “Let’s just have a no bro rule in general, okay? I don’t need a footloose and fancy-free thing along Papyrus.”
“Excuse me?”
Ooh. What have I started? Frisk really couldn’t concentrate now, and the wood fell off.
“I’m just sayin’, flirt or whatever, that’s fine,” Sans said. “Just, don’t get serious. Okay.”
“What the hell are you sayin’ to me?” Amanda pulled her foot forward and her eyes were completely focused on Sans.
“Sayin’ you date guys who screw Magi. I didn’t forget that.”
“That!” Amanda pointed her finger at him. “That was one time, and I did like him. And. Nobody tells me what I can and cannot do. If I don’t want to flirt, I won’t. If I want to flirt, I will. If I want to straight up start dancing in the middle of the mud with my clothes all off, I will!” She stormed off.
“Oops.” Sans looked toward his bony hands. “I went too far. Guess I was pretty . . . determined?” Sans rubbed his neckbone and looked toward Frisk. “Yeah, okay. Maybe not as much monster afterwards.” He brought out his soul and checked it. It had some purple mixed in, a lot of grey and some red. “Oh no. That red is growing?”
Sans was growing her determination? Sans is getting more determined?
“It’s okay, my grey will always be dominant. I’ll give you this bit.”
“You grew it.”
“Sprang from yours. Come on, the more of the red you got, the better you’ll feel.” He tried to lead her away.
“No, I can’t. You can’t fill in three souls when one was impartial,” Frisk said as she didn’t want to follow. “It is necessary for you to keep that. I don’t know everything about souls, but I know that you’re very intellectual and I’m sure you got the souls parsed out as best you could, so we shouldn’t disrupt the balance.”
“You sound like me,” Abe said as he walked by her. “That’s scary.”
“Knock it off, lameoid,” Frisk uttered beneath her breath.
“You first,” Abe uttered back. “I already did it by the way. I got enough magic to make things float. Bad at pop quiz. Good at magic.” He picked up a pile of wood and breathed into Frisk’s face. “Too bad there’s no garlic today.”
“Abe.” Frisk was trying to keep herself under control. He gave her some of his soul. If anything, it should bring them closer. She watched him walk off. “How’d he concentrate enough to learn his magic?”
“Probably getting a little more . . .”
Determination. Was he growing her soul too? “Great. Everyone can grow determination except me.”
“Whoah, Frisk.” Sans grabbed her hands. “Never say that! Never make it sound like you're rejecting your soul. I know it’s tough, especially with . . . a lot of me in you, but you’ve got to stay positive.”
But. Frisk didn’t feel . . . Frisk isn’t Frisk. I don’t feel like myself.
“Come on, it’ll be fine. If I grew this red, then that means it wasn’t part of the original soul I was breaking up. So, let’s not worry about proportions.” Sans moved her away to a small corner. “Let’s see that soul of yours too. Maybe you’ve grown some?” Frisk wasn’t surprised with Sans’ look. “Uh. Yeah, so, let’s let you have some of mine,” Sans said. “We’ll just go to a private area away from everyone for a bit. Not a bad idea.” As they went further away, Frisk could see where Amanda probably took her bath. It wasn’t huge, about the size of a medium pond. Sans sat next to her near it.
Like he did in a different time, she watched as her soul appeared above her. Blue. Grey. The red though. It was doing something. Like, sparkling. She looked toward Sans and saw his soul. Red, grey and bits of purple. His red was also sparkling. He was making a bridge to hers easily and she closed her eyes.
In a few minutes, he reached toward her and told her they were done.
“You’re going to get better,” Sans promised her. “You did before, I’m sure of it. And if I can actually accomplish something, then I’m sure you can too.”
Frisk looked up toward her soul. There was some red, but Night and Day’s red was much stronger.
“Can’t blame them. Not like they can control what’s naturally happening.” Sans lifted her to her feet. “Stay positive. We’ll be okay.”
“What about the end of dimensions?” Frisk asked. “Does anything even matter if everything ends?”
“Ah. Well? I’m going to help out with that,” Sans said, “after the kids. Like, in two years or so. Just me, talking to another self. No big deal. No worries.”
No big deal? He wasn’t even going to tell her, was he? I’m just swiss cheese now. My soul is just holey and I stink.
“Hey, hey there. I gave you more red so you did less of that.” Sans looked toward her, judging her of course. Worried about her.
Worried. They were once going to put their lives on the line to save the Underground. They were each essentially saying ‘I will sacrifice myself for the Underground’s freedom’. She could have died. He could have died. And now? He was worried about her. Always worried. The kids and her always worried him.
Frisk didn’t feel like Frisk. She didn’t act like herself. Would Sans really want to be with her after the kids were born still, or was there union going to be more about duty now? She hadn’t been able to accomplish anything.
She got pregnant. She didn’t mean to do that.
They ran away to escape having to touch the barrier because their child would have died. Never came to pass.
They ran away to escape preeminent death to touch the barrier again, but planned on going back. Even split their child’s soul into two. But, it never came to pass.
They stayed with Toriel and Asgore until the leader could see their little 50/50 monsters. When they found out the leader they wanted wouldn’t be able to help, she followed Sans lead and left. Their use never came to pass.
Frisk was pregnant for no reason. Sans had been stuck beside her, for absolutely no reason that mattered anymore. What did she ever accomplish? What did that determination ever do? She was stuck, in the wilds somewhere, and her own brother was able to get farther than she could. What purpose did she even have anymore?
I could help save a dimension. But, Sans already covered that, and putting her children on the line just to feel useful again? It was wrong. She had to put her children first.
“Frisk!?” Frisk snapped out of it and saw Amanda in front of her, snapping her fingers. “Sans been trying forever to get you to pick up that piece of wood and keep trying,” she said.
Frisk looked around herself, then toward Sans. “We left the pond area?”
“Yeah, Frisk,” he said lightly. “Like, ten minutes ago.”
She took a look around, and even noticed Abe taking notice.
“You okay?” Abe uttered. “You haven’t been doing so hot today.”
“Just, some soul adjustment,” Sans said to everyone. “Go about your business, we are totally fine. Frisk is great, just great.” He looked toward her. “You great?”
“Ye,” she said softly, barely able to keep her eyes open. “Just a real humdinger of a day, I guess.”
“Frisk doesn’t sound right,” Abe said, looking toward Sans himself. “Why does she sound even more like you?”
“Just, uh.” Sans gestured toward her. “Red doesn’t always flow through the best.”
“This problem again? It’s her own soul, why is it rejecting her?”
My own soul? Rejecting me?
“I said not to say that in front of her!”
“She’s pretty out of it. I doubt she heard. She might have heard. I should have waited to say that.”
“Ya think? Cripes, too much determination in you.”
My soul is rejecting me? Why is my soul rejecting me? Frisk looked toward her hands. What happened . . . to all the determination she once felt inside of herself? And why wouldn't it come back?”
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fun level 66 Missing Frisk
Frisk groaned with determination as she struggled to get her block at the top.
“Frisk, honey, don’t hurt yourself.”
“I can do it!” Frisk insisted as she tried to stand on her tippy toes . . .
then she fell over.
“Frisk!” Her mother ran over and helped her back up. “Are you okay? You landed right on the blocks.”
Frisk didn’t care about that. Her legs were probably scraped, but she was used to that. I didn’t make it. I gotta make it! “I’m fine. I just gotta try again is all.” She heard her mom moan at her insistence, but Frisk bit her lip and started to stack her blocks again. I got to do it. I got to do it. I got to do it. I got to do it!
Frisk heard a ring at the front door, but that didn’t concern her. That was going to be for her momma. Nobody visited a four-year-old.
“Hi Marty,” she heard behind her. “How are you?”
Aw, it was Marty again. Frisk held a red block and looked at it. She missed her daddy. He left them a long time ago, and her doctor seemed to try to make good friends with her mom. Which was awful. She’d rather have her daddy than this man.
“Hi there, Frisk.”
“Frisk Abernackie,” Frisk said to him. "Doctor.”
"Frisk,” her mommy said to her. “Be nice.”
Frisk tried to put her doctor out of her mind. He’d probably stop her blocks soon to try and talk to her, but she wasn’t letting him unless her momma said she had to.
“How are you feeling?”
Frisk didn’t answered.
“How’s she been, Jeanine?” Marty asked her.
“Oh. She’s just full of energy. Like every other kid,” Jeanine chuckled.
“Scale of 1-10?”
“Well, she’s been trying to stack all of her blocks for three hours straight.”
“Okay, okay.”
Frisk stopped a moment, hearing the familiar sound of her doctor’s small bag hitting the floor. Great, just great.
“I need your little hand, Frisk.”
“I refuse,” Frisk said as she stacked more blocks. The first and middle ones were easy.
“Frisk,” her doctor warned her. “Your hand. Be a good girl.”
Determination or good girl. Determination or good girl. “I gotta do this. Bill me.”
“Frisk!”
“That’s what daddy said once,” Frisk said as she concentrated on her blocks again.
“No, that’s okay,” Doctor Marty assured Frisk. “Determination, sometimes it’s better to be determined to get something done, and not think so much if you’re being a good girl or not.”
“Mister Scheiber,” Frisk’s mom interrupted. “That’s not exactly true.”
“Well, maybe it came out wrong?” Doctor Marty said. Frisk continued to stack blocks as he talked to her mom. “What do you think about all that?” he asked her.
Frisk had no idea about all the garble he just said. She was almost ready to get to the top block. If she could just get a small chair, then she could do it. She could get the last block up on the stack, she knew that.
“I still don’t like that teaching, Dr. Scheiber," Frisk's momma said.
“Momma still doesn’t like that teaching, Doctor Shybert,” Frisk said. If she could just get both of them out of the room, she could get her little chair and get it on top. Her mom watched her really well though, so all day she had to try and reach with her tiptoes. I am getting this block on there.
“It’s *Marty Scheibert,” the doctor told her. “Remember, Frisk? That's why you don’t have to try and say my last name.”
Yeah. Neither did momma. If he was supposed to be so professional, why was he so casual with them? Frisk didn’t need a doctor anyway, not to her. What was wrong with so much determination? Even the doctor just said determination was better than being a good girl. Her doctor tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away.
“Now, Frisk. This won’t take long. It doesn’t even hurt,” he assured her. “Come on. This will make you and your mom feel so much better. You’ll forget about these blocks, and watch some TV or something. Maybe I have a special candy bar for you?”
Frisk liked cookies. That was one good thing about her doctor. He always had bananas and candy bars in his pockets. It made him a little silly. But. She wanted to stack her blocks first. She felt something pinch her hand though, and the thought of a candy bar filled her mind.
“How about a chocolate and caramel one, Frisk?” Marty handed her a candy bar. “Why don’t you be a good girl and go watch some T.V now?”
“Uh, hello?”
Someone was by the screen door, knocking on it. It was a tall and lanky man. Her momma went towards the screen door.
"I'm, uh, new to the neighborhood. I moved into the red house next to yours.” he insisted, gesturing down another house. “I came to see you to say hello. So hello!”
“The old Mackenzie's home?” Frisk’s mom opened the door. “Oh. Welcome to the neighborhood."
"Yes. Thank you.” He waved toward Frisk.
Frisk was used to that. A lot of grownups tended to notice her, saying she was cute. She didn’t mind that until they asked if she was a boy or a girl.
“My name is Papyrus,” the man said. “What’s yours, little girl?”
“Frisk,” Frisk answered. She wouldn’t talk too long, but at least he knew she was a little girl. Although, her blocks were becoming more unappealing, and T.V. was starting to sound better.
“A neighbor.” Doctor Marty moved away from Frisk. Frisk got the feeling from how stiff he got that he didn’t like the new neighbor. “A neighbor named Papyrus. Strange name. Sorry, but we don’t really know you that well. I’m sure we could visit you at your house instead?”
“That’s a little edgy.” Frisk’s mother went toward Frisk and picked her up. “He is my new neighbor. Why are you treating him that way?”
“Just, sometimes it’s best to be precautious.” Frisk’s doctor was still looking at Papyrus meanly. “Just making sure he is the neighbor, and not someone meddling in matters that don't concern him.”
“Yes,” Papyrus said. “I’m a neighbor.” His voice sounded strange. Like he might not like Frisk’s doctor much back. “She seems like a healthy girl. What exactly are you a doctor of? I happen to be a doctor as well.”
“That would be a little unbelievable,” Doctor Marty said meanly to the poor lanky new neighbor. Besides Frisk and her mom, her doctor was never that nice to people. It was why even with the bananas and candy bars, and sometimes funny humor, she just couldn't like him.
“That would be wonderful,” Frisk’s mother said. “Having another doctor nearby. What is your specialty?”
“I assure you, not the same as mine.” Doctor Marty said to him. He said it in a real snotty way. He sure was being mean to the new neighbor.
“Soul specialty?”
Ooh. He was the same. Frisk had a better feeling with him. “I have too much determination in my soul,” she said. “Can you help me?”
“Too much determination in your soul?” The tall, lanky man asked her. “A soul contains a certain amount, child. Can you please explain better?”
“See?” Doctor Marty almost shoved the new neighbor. “Nothing doing Jeanine, if he were a real doctor, he would not ask that question.”
“Oh. Well, let’s try this!” the neighbor said. He smiled nicely at Frisk. He had really big teeth that he looked like he took good care of. “Do you feel better with or without lots of determination?”
“With.”
“That’s not a question for such a young child to know or understand!” Doctor Marty was getting really mean now. “I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
“I think you’ve overstayed your welcome,” Frisk’s mother answered. “He is a new neighbor, and he just wants to get to know us. He is coming over just to say hi, he was not coming over expecting such rudeness. Honestly, if he has credentials and an office, I may just switch Frisk to him. She is getting along better, and I do not appreciate how you have acted.”
“True, true.” Doctor Marty backed off. “I am sorry, Jeanine. I’ve just seen several things in my time. I’m sure Papyrus . . .” He gestured toward him. “Oh, well, I’m sure he has a last name. And credentials. An office. Go ahead, please. Share, Doctor.”
“I just moved here,” the neighbor man said. “I’m not established yet, but I don’t mind a new client at all.” He smiled toward Frisk and her mother. “Not at all! I am happy to help.I should be able to help you hold your determination much better, and not let it get out of control.”
“Without siphoning it?” Momma asked him. Frisk watched the neighbor’s face. It seemed to crinkle.
“Yes. Without.” The neighbor man looked toward Doctor Marty. “Siphoning. I’ll stop by again next week if you like. I’ll have my lab office all set up.” He didn’t take his eyes off of Doctor Marty. “I will see everyone later.” He waved and left.
What in the world had just happened?! Papyrus had only stopped by to check up on Sans’ Frisk. He had told the other Sans that he would try to get them together, because it was the right thing to do. It would be a bit though.
Papyrus hadn’t been prepared the first time he found Frisk Abernackie. He was expecting her to be at least a decent age, but she was not even in school yet. Four or five, not very old at all. How was that even possible? If they all restarted, she would at least start at eight. Right?
Then, he was keeping his eye out for hunters. The other Sans he visited had mentioned them, but there were no hunters. Instead, there was a strange ‘doctor’ taking care of her. Taking care of her determination.
Papyrus had been eavesdropping at the window when he heard what that strange doctor said to Frisk. ‘Determination was more important than being a good girl.’ Yet, he was supposed to be treating her for excess determination?
Which didn’t make sense. A soul only had so much room for a quality. It didn’t get excessively big. A soul lived in harmony with the body. Its goal was not to hurt it.
And that doctor. The way he looked at Papyrus as soon as he mentioned his name. Perhaps he was a hunter, under the disguise of a different name? He certainly knew something that was going on.
Hmm. If I get myself somehow established up here, then I can see what’s going on better. I have a feeling that young Frisk holds some kind of answer. But, Sans wasn’t going to like it. He always stayed with Papyrus. Yet, if Sans was supposed to be with Frisk one day, seeing her as a chubby wubby cheeked preschooler might not make the situation better.
Besides, Frisk having kids to help was out of the question. They’d never make it in time, and she wasn’t just far away from puberty, she probably barely attended school. Much, much too young. Not to mention, the other Sans he could connect with said he’d help in a couple of years. That shouldn’t be an issue.
Papyrus’ curiosity was heightened immensely though. Reason or not, something moved Frisk. Something had the power equivalent to stop a restart Underground for her, and a restart above . . . the surface?
Someone . . . someone had the surface on restart too. Why? How?! Only Gaster could have done that, but that man was nowhere near Gaster! So who was he?
One more visit to the other Sans who would help. Maybe he knew who Marty Scheiber had been? Papyrus held a vial in his hand and looked at it. Before the doctor left, he used a teeny bit of magic to quickly lift it from it's pocket.
Excess determination. Removed. From a little girl who kept making too much.
And the other Sans, was working hard to keep his Frisk’s determination. It was disappearing. Almost like in a rejection of her.
Papyrus continued to think as he flipped the vial, but as he tossed it casually in the air, he realized just what he was doing to something that could be a very big key, and he almost dropped it. He quickly cast magic on it and made it float, saving it from shattering on the ground.
Oops. He picked it up from the air quickly before anyone saw him. He also hid for a second, afraid that the strange doctor he was tailing would turn and see him.
But, he had not. Instead, he disappeared into a blue light.
—————-———
Fun Level 74: Original Sans and Frisk.
“I.” Caleb tapped the wall next to him. “Am.” He touched the wall again. “Hungry, dad.”
“I know.” Kenneth looked around their cage. Gaster had kidnapped them, and had put them away. Not just anyplace. In his own home. And not just with any old cage. There were laser bars all around them. To keep it interesting, they could do anything. Kenneth knew that Gaster had been learning about transformations, so with his need to keep them locked up, and his love of learning new things, he made sure his son and him stayed far away from them. They stayed on the floor mostly, next to a solid wall.
“We usually get fed by now,” Caleb said toward his dad. “Do you think he’s forgotten about us again?”
“I don’t know,” Kenneth told his son. He couldn’t say much more. Caleb and him were being held hostage, and Gaster didn’t believe either of them that they knew nothing about any stolen technology. Caleb barely catered to Herbert as a little watchdog over his daughter. Although, that didn’t turn out so well since his son started to like that girl.
Kenneth? He was minding his own business, saw Gaster teleport in and teleport him away to where he was now.
Some. Friend. Gaster was intelligent too, but sometimes that intelligence got in the way. If Kenneth and Caleb didn’t find a way out, there was a good chance Gaster might forget to feed them. He’d already forgot twice.
It’s like they didn’t even matter! Like Gaster didn’t care much whether they lived or died. Maybe that was his plan. To slowly just let them pass on.
“Hey there, need a hand?”
Oh, thank goodness! Kenneth rushed up, but quickly moved back when he realized he almost touched the lasers. “Marty! Can you get us out?” His old friend though, Marty, he just sort of lingered on him.
“Why is Papyrus involved in my world?” he asked. “He should be here with Sans.”
Kenneth had no idea what Marty had been talking about. “Pardon?”
“Nevermind.” Marty looked around the panel that was on the opposite side of the room, far away from the lasers. “I’ll get you and your son free. Gaster won’t be coming back. He probably forgot about you altogether. Still.” He started to mess with the panel. “No one needs to pointlessly die.”
“No one needs to pointlessly die?” Kenneth asked him.
“Nevermind. You and Caleb stand back. Never know what messing with Gaster’s stuff will trigger. Believe me.” Marty turned off the lasers. Caleb stood up and so did Kenneth. “There you go. Go ahead and get out.”
“Thanks, Marty.” Kenneth looked toward Caleb. “Son, we are getting the hell out of here. Screw whatever you had with that girl. We need to go someplace Gaster will never find us.”
“Yeah. She’s moved on anyway.” Caleb nodded toward Marty. “Thank you.”
“Don't thank me. I haven't always been the nicest guy to you,” Marty insisted. He reached into his coat jacket, and cursed when he couldn’t find his vial of determination. “Shoot." Papyrus.
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fun level 66 Missing Frisk
“Papyrus, whatcha doin’?”
“Work, Sans.” Papyrus was testing drops of determination across many of Gaster’s old inventions he had left behind. “Extra work for Undyne. You are more than welcome to help with the work.” That should keep him away.
Frisk’s determination seemed to act like normal. It wasn’t doing anything excessive. It was passing determination tests with ease. Nothing strange at all. Test after test, drop after drop of determination. He saw nothing strange about it. That doctor must hold the answer. “I’ll be back, Sans.”
“Where ya goin’ now?”
“Out. I’ll be back.” Papyrus left before he could ask again. He teleported to the hole and past it. He checked the monster net and found details about Marty Scheiber’s lab. It wasn’t far from Frisk.
Convenient. When Papyrus snuck into his office, he looked through several papers until he found some interesting notes about Frisk.
Little Frisk’s determination is completely out of whack! I am trying to take her determination and spread it around to her other versions, but this is getting more dangerous. This shouldn’t be happening. I've replaced Frisk so many times, I don't understand this.
Replaced Frisk? Was this still not Sans’ Frisk? Papyrus dug deeper. While Marty Scheiber had some other patients, Frisk held most of his attention. She had a number of soul tests and several entries about her. He kept referring to her as replaced though. Then, he found some more interesting notes.
Gaster seized Caleb and Kenneth Hunter, believing them to be the one who stole his tech. How absurd! Like humans could manage to do what I’ve done with that? Still, Frisk’s tests are not improving. I was hoping for this to be a success, but the transplanting is not working. I don’t understand. It should work! It’s just another divided Frisk.
Divided Frisk? Gaster? Papyrus continued to read but stopped when he heard someone at the door.
“Don’t mind if you stop by at all, dad. Go ahead. Take the client I worked my lifetime on.”
Papyrus looked toward the skeleton just over by the door. Not Sans. Not Gaster. “D-did you call me dad?”
He didn’t answer back as he closed up his notes. “Those are my private things. Just, what do you want?” he asked. “You already found a Frisk here. Doesn’t that make you happy? Can you just go?”
Papyrus grabbed at his head. A son. One of his little monsters. Well, not so little anymore. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Hell.” He set his notes down. “Everything’s been on the cuff of ending for a long time. Traveling back and forth across parallels. It’s had nasty effects. Then, when Asriel made that stupid wish in one of the multiples, there was no stopping it.”
“Oh, yes there is!” Papyrus insisted. “A 50/50 human-monster. I mean, if such one exists.” He tried to watch himself.
Marty already seemed to know that. “Something this big. It wouldn’t work. Besides, you can’t create a dimensional entrance to anywhere but here and one other Sans. Remember?”
Oh. No. “I forgot!” Papyrus shouted. There was really nothing they could do? But, how did he know that fact?
“What else is new?” Marty’s voice sounded on edge. “Sorry. I mean. Look.” He groaned. “You’ve been Underground for so long. There isn’t a single memory in your head about me or anyone else. So, just leave, and go back to your quaint little Underground.”
“Wait.” Papyrus couldn’t leave. “Are you really . . . a son of mine?”
Marty scratched his shoulder bone.
“My notes. My journals, they don't say much,” Papyrus said. "**But it was at least a hundred years before the barrier when I lost my family. So. How could you possibly be my son?”
“Time to dimensions isn’t the same,” he said. “You’ve traveled enough to notice that, haven’t you?”
He had a point. The times and the years. The events and when they happened. It was different, for some reason. “Look, if you are? Then you sound like you know what’s going on!” Papyrus pleaded. “Please!”
“It won’t do you any good knowing. You’d be better off not knowing. Just go home, and stay away from my Jeanine and Frisk.”
“I only have a little bit of time left. Who knows how much time we have left!” Papyrus begged. “Son or not, please! I need to know what’s going on.”
Marty was quiet for a minute. “You are my dad, and you are not my dad. I’m your son, but I am not your son.”
“Parallel son?” Papyrus asked.
“If it helps to think of it that way, fine.”
“Okay. Well, then! Um? Can you explain what is going on? Son?”
“I took Gaster’s tech,” Marty said. “I was trying to fix it. I am still trying to fix it.”
“What?”
“By having Frisk destroy all the monsters in the Underground.”
“What?! Impossible!” Papyrus shook his head, he couldn’t believe it. “Any son of mine would never do such a thing.”
“Fine. Papyrus,” Marty said mockingly. “If you think you can solve the problem, you are welcome to. Go ahead.”
“Okay then!” That was a start of progress. “There is always a better way than wiping out everything! What is the problem?”
“No one ever created a ‘restart’.”
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End of Chapter
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*Marty Scheiber was mentioned in Revelations Part 1, as Gaster's other friend.
**Mentioned in 'A Talk Between Brothers'
Multiverses: When a multiverse is revealed, I will share info about it below. Until then, only the key letter remains. Some are important, and a couple only show up a bit.
fun level 74 Original MC Sans and Frisk
fun level 72 Doggy Sans and Female Kitty Papyrus. (Completed)Doomed by the wrong Gaster invention, Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk had been turned into cats and dogs when they escaped their dimension for fun level 74. They went to fun level 66 and made a wish that hopefully worked.
Fun Level 75 King Sans: (Completed) With the royalty wiped out and him being Frisk's husband, Sans took the throne. He found a paradise to begin anew in. He lost Papyrus in the process, so he tends to be more lonely. However, without fun level 72's Sans and Pap, he would have lost Frisk. So he tries to make the next Sans (fun level 74) life a little bit better. It backfired.
Fun level 73 18 Years and a Month Wish Granted: (Completed) This dimension is the one Original Sans was taken to. Similar to his own, except Amanda's wish actually came true. Frisk isn't being manipulated by magic, she has actually been down there for eighteen years and is Princess Frisk.
fun level 65 Magi is here (Completed): This dimension doesn't seem to include Frisk, but Sans has gone on with life with Magi, at Asgore's request. Magi has no feeling for Sans and only shows up in his life sparingly because of their son. Sans and his son are actually okay together, when he actually gets to see him.
fun level 66 Missing Frisk: Gaster is alive and well, and works with Sans and Papyrus. It contains a machine that increases the strength of a soul heart. Sans took Alphys to a new world that was safe after her life was in danger, and left her behind. Sans and Papyrus traveled until the dimensional machine stopped working. While Gaster tried to fix it, he disappeared for good (to fun level 71). Only travel between fun level 66 and fun level 75 is possible now. However, the Missing Frisk might have been found. Or maybe not.
fun level 71 Morning and Night: (Completed) The puppies inside of Bonnie Frisk Pup. The dog and cat versions original world was fun level 72, but they were then trapped in fun level 74 with Original MC Sans and Frisk.Their Uncle Gaster (who is actually a future version of Gaster from fun level 66) already knew what would happen, and what they would have to do. He was prepared for the day thing's started to go nutty because Morning and Night needed to fulfill their time obligation: Going back to bring the doggy Sans, Doggy Frisk, and Cat Papyrus to fun level 71. The best way was to make sure they did it unknowingly though, since their Uncle Gaster remembered they were doing things from their memories anyhow. Following what he could remember, he also had them take care of Flowey, making sure he got them to follow their exact tracks as possible.