Chapter 4
As Sans walked through the dark, the moon illuminating his shape and outline, he let his mind drift. A human physicist and mathematician once said that 'every action has an equal, and opposite reaction.' and while my faith in humanity has diminished over the years, I can't say that guy wasn't a genius.
"Heh." Sans thought, chuckling to himself. I've lived through countless RESETS and if there's one law of nature that I've seen proven, it's that one. Everything we say or do affects the course of time. Everything affects everything else, and there are no exceptions. He thought, walking past tents and monster's conversations. Emerging into the lights of fires for only a moment, then fading back into the shadows of the night. But there's also so far one can stray from the core thread of time. Minor changes can happen, maybe even major ones once in a while, but time always manages to move forward; altered, but the same. So, what happened? Sans asked himself within his skull, walking past Gerson and all the monster children surrounding him. All peacefully sleeping as his shadow loomed over them. This is, new. Sure, there've been timelines when the humans didn't exactly welcome us with open arms, but they've never not let us into the city before. They haven't ever not given us a choice, so what happened. Was it something I did? Something the kid did? Something must've happened, Sans contemplated. Something I missed? Sans finished walking up to the warm light of the fire that lit the faces of Alphys, Papyrus, and Frisk.
"-But I was not deterred! I continued my search through the heavy underbrush, and was rewarded with finding both the human and my-" Papyrus ceased.
"Heya, guys," Sans said, saluting the group.
"BROTHER!" Papyrus exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of his beloved brother.
"O-Oh! Hello, Sans. Would you like some soup? Th-There's still some left." Alphys greeted.
"Nah. Thanks though, Alph. You know that stuff goes right through me." Sans said, sitting down next to Frisk on the log she was sitting on.
"SANS! NO PUNS!" Papyrus scolded.
"W-Well, if you're sure," Alphys responded as Sans looked into the fires' flames, as if deep in thought. "So, how's the research coming?" Sans suddenly asked out of the blue.
"Um, i-it's slow. Really slow. I'm not really having much luck at all to tell you the truth, and it's actually kind of, frustrating." Alphys responded, looking down at the ground nervously. Frisk and Papyrus traded confused looks.
"I did not know you were working on something scientific Doctor Alphys. Is that why you were not at the meeting tonight?" Papyrus asked.
"Well, y-yes." she said.
"She's working on a little problem that's come up Pap, that's all. Nothing to worry abo-"
"Sans." Alphys interrupted sternly. Sans stopped, looking over at her with a worried look.
"Sans, we've kept it from them long enough. They deserve to know." Alphys stated. The humans' strange behavior isn't the only thing that is new, unfortunately. Sans thought.
"Uh..." Sans said, with a nervous look on his face. "Fine. Yeah. Go ahead." He finally gave in. Alphys sighed, getting ready to begin as she drew in a breath.
"R-Right." She started. "O-Okay, where d-do I start? Um, Papyrus, do you remember how when we first arrived on the Surface, we all felt a little dizzy?" She asked.
"Yes, of course, everyone except Frisk," Papyrus recalled.
"E-Exactly. Because what has happened, has only affected us monsters." Alphys said, pressing her hands to her temples. "You s-see, for hundreds of years, we have lived inside a magic Barrier set in place by human m-magicians of old, and, well, it's left some residual e-effects on, on some of us." Alphys introduced, rubbing her neck. "The mountain had been full of concentrated human magic. And, w-well, after so long, monsters began to take in some of it. S-Some kind of environmental adaptation. It was such a small amount, we never noticed. But when the Barrier fell, so did that magic. Now that that magic, which, unknowingly to humans, enabled us to survive those first few generations in the Underground, is gone, we're, we're alright. But some destabilization has shown up in some of us. Weakness that wasn't there before. That's what first got my attention; little symptoms in some of us that pointed to, glitches in their biological and magical composition. When I started looking into it, I came up with the theory I just told you. O-Of course, I could be wrong, b-but I don't think so. There's too much evidence supporting it." She finished, gesturing with her hands as she explained. "Um, does, does that make any s-sense?" The monster asked, biting her nails. Papyrus nodded rapidly, paused for a moment to think.
"No." He admitted pitifully. Sans chuckled at his misunderstanding.
"I think what she's trying to say, bro is that for generations, us monsters have been relying on a small boost of magic that wasn't ours. And now, with that extra boost of magic gone, some health issues are popping up. Monsters aren't all that strong to begin with; in relation to humans, but now we're even weaker than we thought. While that's not a problem for most, for some it is." Sans re-explained.
"But, but I feel fine," Papyrus said, looking down at his hands.
"That's because the slight withdrawal of magic hasn't a-affected you much. And, that's pretty much the n-norm. Within a month or so, there shouldn't even be a problem at all. Except for a few exceptions. The very old and the very young, and the weakest among us are at the most risk. So Gerson and some of the littlest children are in the most danger." Alphys paused. "And then, there is Sans." She added.
"WHAT?!" Papyrus yelped, as Frisk gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes and eye sockets wide with horror.
"Woah, woah, woah, guys, it's ok. I'm fine. It's just because I have such a low HP." Sans soothed, making a pushing motion with his hands in front of him. "It means I feel the absence of magic a little bit more strongly than most." He explained.
"It's okay Papyrus. I've been monitoring all those who have been affected, i-including Sans. They'll be fine. I just have to come up with something to boost their m-magic back up until their systems adapt to the Surface. As long as they d-don't use their magic, their symptoms should stay minimal." Alphys comforted Papyrus, resting her hand on his left shoulder.
Frisk, hands still clasped over her mouth, looked up at Sans with a terrified look still. Sans looked back down at her, confused at first, then realized what she meant.
"Oops." Sans confessed.
"YOU USED YOUR MAGIC?!" Alphys shouted in a panic.
"Uh, I might have used it once today." Sans said nervously.
"ONCE?!"
"Or twice."
"TWICE!?!?" Alphys said with dread.
"I kind just sort of, forgot?" Sans admitted reluctantly.
"Sans, how could you forget? I told you specifically n-not to! Out of everyone, you're the one at the most risk! W-We don't even know if your HP reaches one anymore! I-It could be less! What if you get into a fight with a h-human or something?" Alphys said in a rush, choking on her own words, her hands pressing her temples again. Everyone seemed to share the same worried fear for Sans, it was intense, and suffocating, making everyone choke up with lumps in their throats.
"Don't worry, not gonna happen. We're getting out of here tomorrow." Sans said, trying to convince his family that he was not as weak as he was perceived to be. Expressing their worries ceased to Sans as they sat in surprise as to what he had just said. Silence. Everyone staring at Sans, as he bowed his head down, avoiding eye contact.
"We are?" Papyrus asked, breaking the silence.
"Yep. That's what ol' Fluffybuns decided. We thought it might be a good idea to give the humans some space, y'know? Just until they cool down a bit. In the meantime, we're gonna find someplace safe and peaceful to live. See? No problem." Sans said, rubbing his neck, trying to push the spotlight off of him and ease his family's worries. "Which means we've got some packing to do. We're leaving tomorrow as soon as we can." Sans explained.
"But, but Sans you-" Papyrus began.
"I'll be fine. Feeling a little tired is no big deal for me." Sans ended, straining to terminate his brother's worries, especially his brother's worries. Frisk looked down at the ground glumly, and didn't seem all that roused by the idea.
"That is because you're always tired!" Papyrus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He heaved a big sigh, exhaling all his worries and frustration. "Do the King and Queen know about this? The sickness, I mean." Papyrus asked.
"Yeah, yeah, they know. Well, most of it. There's still a lot we don't understand about it, and getting all worked up over things isn't going help. That's why we waited so long to tell you and the kid." Sans said, looking up at his younger brother.
"Well, I am glad you told me. Are, are you sure you're alright?" Papyrus queried, sounding a little hurt in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm good bro," Sans reassured.
"Nyeh, I am not so sure I believe you, brother. But I will accept that answer for now. That being said," Papyrus said, then trailed off. "SANS!! WHY DON'T YOU EVER GIVE ME ANY WARNINGS ABOUT THINGS?! LIKE US LEAVING!" Papyrus wailed, his bowl of soup falling off his lap. Sans and Frisk jolted up from their seated positions, shocked from his sudden spontaneous words.
"Woah! Pap, I just did!" Sans flinched.
"Well, it wasn't warning enough! Packing is a precise and delicate process, and must be done with care!" Papyrus retorted. "And we've brought everything we've ever owned with us. Except for the house." He said, scratching the back of his skull.
"You know, Pap, we could just throw everything into a bag or someth-"
"NO WE CANNOT!" Papyrus scolded.
"HEY!" A voice shouted from nearby. "Shh! Some of us are trying to sleep over here." The Nicecream Guy shouted from the opening of his tent.
"Sorry," Papyrus apologized. "I will go and start packing. But I expect help brother." Papyrus said, spotting Sans with his arms crossed.
"I'll be right there bro, just got to talk to the kid for a sec." Sans replied.
"Fine, fine, but don't be long. Goodnight human Frisk!" Papyrus shouted a little too loudly. Frisk waved back, smiling.
"I said we are trying to sleep!" Nicecream Guy protested again.
"Sorry!" Papyrus apologized, again, grumbling to himself indistinguishable words.
"See ya later, Pap." Sans called after him.
"I'd b-better go pack too. I've got a lot of s-stuff. Science stuff, a-and some anime, a lot of anime." Alphys confessed, placing her hand on Sans's right shoulder.
"A-and we're not done talking about this Sans. You might be good at distracting Papyrus, but I've got th-this pressing on my mind, constantly. P-Please, Sans, try not to use your magic until I'm certain doing so won't h-hurt you. Alright?" Alphys asked cooly, even though she pleaded him in her eyes to keep himself in check. Sans could sense her will to reach out and shake some sense into him.
"You got it, Alph." Sans encouraged her. He wasn't entirely sure, but Sans could've sworn he felt a pinprick of pain shooting through his neck bones. But as fast as it came, it was gone. He pushed it away though and labeled it as a side effect of his drowning HP.
"A-Alright, Goodnight." Alphys stuttered, lifting her hand from his shoulder as she walked away to start packing, leaving only Frisk and Sans.
"'night Alphys," Sans called after the doctor. Sighing, Sans leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. Frisk looked up at the skeleton and couldn't help but feel her anxiety nagging at her chest. A lump formed in her throat just thinking about how he had stood up for her so effortlessly, how stern and serious he had become when the man had tried taking her away. But most of all, how strong and asphyxiating his magic was, because he was angry, and agitated. She looked over at his hands. His fingers were intertwined together, and were wrapped around his metacarpals. She recalled how many things his hands had touched; her head, her body, his magic festering within his palm, his sweatshirt. She just couldn't believe how sick he really was; for as strong, confident, and sure of himself as he was, it just didn't seem right. Everything about this timeline didn't seem right.