Archive of Our Own ^beta

The Glitch

Long ago, a star was born.
...
It became a god of destruction.
And a dog.
...

"NYEHHHHHHH! COME BACK HERE, LITTLE WHITE DOG!!!"

Sans watches with amusement his brother running after a little white dog, holding a plate of spaghetti in his muzzle.

"DON'T TAKE AWAY MY SPAGHETTI!"
*see ya soon, bro.

And the door closes behind him.
Everybody knows this famous furry animal.

anubis, a god who watches over his world by hiding as a dog, the only one who gave him a name, is Sans, who calls him Fox. (Papyrus thinks he's ridiculous. He's a dog, not a fox).

It's the animal, or monster, who knows, that all the Underground knows, From Ruins to New Home.
A white dog with a cute and adorable appearance who takes advantage of that to play tricks jokes in all the Underground to anyone. (Although most of the time, it is Papyrus who is the victim of these tricks)

"STOP MOVING!"

They both end up in Waterfall.
Undyne looks with surprise at Papyrus running after the excited animal.

"Papyrus?"
"HELP ME CATCH HIM, HE JUST STOLE MY MASTERPIECE!!!"

...he says, pointing to the spaghetti plate.
But Undyne never says no to energetic activity and a chase.

"A theft?! It's a crime punished by our society!"
She invokes spears and runs with Papyrus in pursuit of the poor animal who must narrowly dodge the spears. He looks with shock at the spears coming out of the ground.
Finally, the dog jumps into the void, but the two energetic characters are not afraid of heights either.

"NGAHHHHHHH!!!!!
"NYEEEHHHHHH!!!!"
_ _ _

The lab door drops.Alphys screams, how could the door fall so violently, who forced the entrance?!
She sees that the culprit is a small white dog, trotting at full speed, pursued by the captain of the royal guard and the famous energetic skeleton, professional spaghetti cook.

"U-U-Undyne?!"
"Come on, alph! We are going to take down this criminal!"
"YES!"
"...Wha... Who?"
"HIM!"

Papyrus points to the dog that already went out on the other side.

"...It's a dog."
"IT'S A CRIMINAL!"
"HECK YEAHHHH!"
"N-No! It's just a dog!!"
"HE STOLE MY ULTIMATE PLATE!"
"HECK YEAH!!"

Finally, Allphys ends up under Undyne's arm, carried away against her will.

"...D-Do you really care about spaghetti?"
"I JUST LOVE ACTION!!!!"
"...I'm not even surprised."
"METTATON!!!!"

The robot turns around and sees the groups of three heading straight for him.

"...Oh darlings, are you fans? Sorry, but the conference is already..."
"CATCH THE RASCAL!"
"...The what?"

And the dog jumps on Mettaton as all his lights start flashing in panic.

"What...!"

And continues on his way.

"...HE HAS RESISTED METTATON'S SPELL! WHAT MIGHTY POWER!"
"STOP RIGHT NOW!!!!"
"Undyne! Stop throwing spears at that poor animal!"

They pass in front of Mettaton without stopping.
He remains silent for a few seconds before he ends up rolling or running... towards them.

"Wait for me! Darlings! This is an incredible story! The number of spectators! The audience! Oh, I don't dare to imagine! Wait for meeee!"
_ _ _

All the Underground saw them pass, sometimes jostled, or ending up following the group full of energy.
Asgore even saw the dog pass by, sitting on his throne before finally the group entered the room and ran between their legs, running in the opposite direction.
Asgore ended up being carried away by Undyne, on her shoulders.
The king doesn't even understand what's going on, nor how the captain manages to carry him despite his weight.
Muffet has never been more furious.

"Stop destroying my webs with your spears, you barbarians!!!"

Finally, the Underground finally followed, either by curiosity or by fun like the children.
A real marathon in the caves of the mountain.
Finally, the tiny animal breaks down the impassable door of the Ruins, under the shock of the group that follows him, which we remind it started with a robbery of a plate of spaghetti.

"...What's happening down there?"

Toriel looks with shock at all the Underground that pursues something small and fast?
And she sees Asgore on the shoulders of a monster, quite terrified of the fast race.
And he sees her in return.

"Tori?!"
"Asgore?! What are you..."

Then she remembers this being who's being chased.

"Are you chasing a human?! I swear... Asgore!"
"No! We're not! I... I just saw a dog and then... I don't even know what's happening."

Finally, the already exhausted monsters, some of them not even understanding the event, end up collapsing not far from the end of the caves, where they could see a ray of sunshine.
Even Undyne or Papyrus, are collapsed on the ground and Toriel took with her some of the children from the school.
But, between the sound of breathing, and even snoring for some, a footsteps sound changes from the cacophony.
Slowly, Sans arrives, dragging his feet, and the dog stands on the golden flowers, with a plate placed on top of it, which does not contain much spaghetti anymore.

*hey fox.

When he reaches the small dog he kneels down and strokes his head.

*...ya needed a lil break, don't ya? dat's why you're here again.

The dog barks.

*heh. thank you for the anniversary though. means a lot.

Sans glances at the group of monsters that got dragged into an unintentional and unexpected race.

*...but ya know... you shouldn't be here now. Frisk and I are married, you don’t need to correct jackshit.

He closes his eyes.

*you have other big projects.

The dog doesn't say anything, this time he doesn't move, still enjoying the pets.

*shouldn't waste your time here.

Sans smiles.

*don't worry. no pressure, take all the time you need.

He gets up.
*maybe one day we'll finally wake them up in an original way. maybe one day you'll start a new chapter in your story. and maybe you'll reveal, or create new secrets. we'll see. the only thing i have to say to you, fox...

That was the last time the underground saw Anubis, for a while, at least.

*stay determined.

Eat.

Or be eaten.

        Consume.

            Or be lost.

                Devour.

                    Rend .

                        Conquer .

HuNGer…

... and never be filled .

Far beyond where any monster dare trod, beyond ancient walls strung with vines as thick as school buses and the fallen monument to a once great king… beyond a city awash with flame and blood and agony, a crime against nature, space, and time dwelt.

A tear in the very fabric of the world, created from foolishness and damning them all.

It was nothing and everything, deep as the reaches of the universe and blacker all at once; it hung in the air as a spectre, unmoving, unchanging, and likewise unable to be moved…

Unable to be changed.

In the fell silence of the Barrier Room, where once the souls of humanity resided and the hope of monsterkind fell to fate, the shredded hole belched forth a sinister fog, spilling across the stone floor and out the doorway leading into the caverns beyond.

Darkness, pitch as night and thrice as cold, breathing like a living thing, deep, cloying exhalations of poisonous fume… inhaling all that had once been pure and good, and spewing them back out in ruin.

Shadow consumed, burned and scorched, destroying all in its path, regardless of innocence or youth.

Eternal, shivering blackness, timeless and unseeing, twisting and writhing like a mist, the throes of death in its winding coils.

It had no name. It was void of it, shapeless, formless, unknown to the living and bane to the dead. All feared the slow creeping of it, at the corners of their eyes.... All felt it, pulling at their minds.

It had no qualms, no sentience and no grudge; it did only as it existed to.

It spread. It devoured. It enraptured…

And it never ceased.

The mists permeated all, stone, flower, water, and mind… souring magic and stealing morality, breeding a disease that could not be resisted and had no cure. It gushed from its victims in rivers of blackened misery, turning souls to stone and stomachs to machines, no food or drink consumed enough to satiate the unbearable hunger that dwelt within.

It twisted and deformed, giving new meaning to the word monster… and stole all that the creatures under the mountain had left.

It would curse them to ruin, and never know it.

Dark.

Everything was so dark.

No light could penetrate this imposing darkness, because he had become blind to all those things, sometimes so simple, which made him happy before.

Until this day…

He had to come back. He had to come and ruin everything. Everything was so perfect, everyone was happy.

Now, that happiness no longer existed, drowned under the black tears that flowed from his eye sockets, because he had just realized something else: she was gone...

Yes, that's right... he helped her to escape. He didn’t want her and their future baby to undergo all the transformations that happened so brutally in the Underground. He thought he had done the right thing. No... he was convinced it was the right thing to do !

So why did he feel that horrible feeling that something was going to happen to her ? Unless it has already happened... But he thought it was impossible because he would have felt it. His soul was tied to her, and that bond would only break if one of them died.

Even though he knew she was far away from him, he could still feel her. At first, it was a good sign. Nevertheless, he hoped it was true. He had never felt so confused in his life.

His thoughts were disturbed by footsteps coming from the kitchen. His brother was cooking his famous spaghetti that he loved to eat. He thought he didn’t deserve him, not after what he had tried to do to him... He still couldn’t believe it. He had tried to devour him ! But why ?! In spite of all the reproaches he was making about himself, he couldn’t control himself at that moment. There was something very bad about him. He could feel it in the depths of his soul. This thing ravaged his being slowly, but surely. He couldn’t stay long with his brother. Next time could be fatal.

His empty stare stared at the floor as the tall skeleton sat next to him, noiselessly, displaying a worried look.

"Sans...?" His brother asked gently, handing him the dish. "Do you feel better now ?"

The older brother turned to him, showing a meager smile. He did his best to reassure him, but his expression wasn’t credible.

"yeah... a little better... i guess", Sans says with some hesitation.

He took the dish filled with delicious spaghetti. Nothing but the sight made him want to eat them. And then he remembered what had happened earlier... and he lost his appetite. He lowered the plate while his brother was watching him, still a little shaken by the recent attempted murder. Nevertheless, this didn’t prevent him from showing great concern for Sans. He was still his brother, despite everything.

He came closer to him and rubbed his back in a comforting manner, giving him a sincerely affectionate smile, though a little weak.

"Don’t be mad at yourself Sans. There is something really bad in the Underground now. It's not your fault."

His voice softened at the end of his sentence, his hand slipping on his brother's arm. Despite the guilt, Sans was moved by the kindness his brother showed him.

"i-i don’t know pap ... i could never hurt you, but... i felt i couldn’t hold myself back. as if there was something that had taken control over my mind for a moment. everything is so confusing..."

Despite the huge hole on the right side of his skull that made him almost scary, his face showed a sad expression that split Papyrus's heart. He couldn’t bear to see him so melancholic. After all, he couldn’t understand how his brother felt. He didn’t understand at all what was happening right now. He would never have thought that Flowey, the one he'd considered as a close friend, could be the cause of all this mess. His feelings were more divided than ever, not to mention that he had a grudge against Undyne who had nearly killed Sans. But despite his resentment, he wondered if she was fine, if she was sick too. Nevertheless, he had faith in the strength of his friend. She was able to recover from any kind of situation. He would call her only if something very serious happened to her.

Papyrus placed his big hand in Sans's who automatically squeezed it. Once again, the older skeleton appreciated the compassion shown by his younger brother.

"It is true that I can’t put myself in your place," said the tall skeleton, his sockets fixing their clasped hands. "That it must be horrible to feel this... hunger. But I know one thing : you are strong. You managed to resist the temptation. That's why you didn’t do anything to me."

His thumb slowly brushed Sans's who could barely smile. His eyes were still empty.

"papyrus ... how long had i been in a coma ? did... frisk come back ?"

His brother’s gaze was more saddened.

"It's been three weeks since you were unconscious. You can’t imagine how scared I was. And as for Frisk... she hasn’t come back yet."

He felt his hand shake lightly in his, seeing his blue soul shine faintly through his ribcage. His bones seemed dull now.

"i see…"

He turned his gaze to another direction, looking dejected.

"i miss her a lot."

Papyrus felt his heart tighten. It was so rare to hear Sans using such a sad tone.

"I miss her too", the young skeleton said, staring at the floor. "But I'm sure she'll come back. It takes time to find souls. You just have to be patient. And be determined."

Sans's blue ward appeared in his left orbit, surprising Papyrus a little. He guessed that his magic had changed a lot, as if it had dissociated itself. He didn’t know if he should rejoice or be afraid... Anyway, Sans looked up, as if the words of his brother had animated him. How many times had his wife told him to keep hope ? She was a true source of wisdom. Even though she was no longer there, the warmth of her soul was still there.

In spite of his despair, he was convinced that he shouldn’t give up. As long as he could feel Frisk, he would continue.

"yes... that's right, Sans finally said, looking at Papyrus who looked relieved. i know she's still here. if she doesn’t give up, then i will not give up, even if it will be difficult."

With a warm smile, Papyrus brought his brother's hand to his chest, sharing with him the warmth of his soul.

"Don’t worry Sans. Even if the world changes, I will always be there with you. After all, you are my dear brother. And when Frisk returns, everything will be better. I’m sure of it. And then, you will be healed, like the others."

Sans touching the gaping hole that replaced his right eye. Healed, maybe... but not entirely.

"In the meantime, I’ll try to repair your wound. I can’t restore your face like before, but I can strengthen your skull."

"heh... you truly are the best."

"Of course I am ! I’m the Great Papyrus after all."

They laughed softly before becoming serious again. Sans leaning towards his brother and resting his forehead against his chest, happy to know that he wasn’t alone.

"thanks pap. and... i'm really, really sorry for what happened earlier."

He felt his brother's arms curl around him, squeezing him a little closer to him.

"You don’t have to apologize Sans. Like I said, it's not your fault. Until Frisk comes back, I'll take care of you."

They said nothing more, appreciating the proximity of one and the other. Things were going to be very difficult and they would have to deal with the brutal changes that were going on in the Underground, but they would face it together. As long as they had the belief that Frisk would come back, they would keep hope.

It wasn’t like things could be worse than that, right...?

The dog must fix it.

Flowey’s existence in this world is a fear beyond comprehension. 

This is a statement of fact, for objects and creatures and concepts that can have no definition, purely by their own design. Things too dark to see, even in brightest day. Too complex to know, even with the greatest of minds. Too rotten to ever cure, with all the medicines in science.

They obey only their own basest nature, as a starving animal attacking without provocation, an insect invading another’s body to raise its young… darkness falling in lieu of day. They cannot be called evil, though the mind is given to attempt to name them, to put at ease the fear it cannot understand but knows to be true. 

It could be argued that the creation of what now dwelled in the darkness of its own mind had been evil, that what brought rise to the desecration and destruction of the world of monsters had been hardness of heart and cruelty unbound. Loneliness and fear can turn a heart to stone, after all… bring about acts both unthinking and malicious.

Perhaps it would even be right, to say Flowey had been evil, to desire the conquest and power that he did, to whatever end.

But the creature that remains, all that is left of his foolish lust for control, is not evil. The fiend with a thousand eyes is naught more than another beast clawing for existence in the muck and grime of a world once good and loving and whole. He is a wreckage, devoid of much of the power he once coveted so dearly, and a horror to look upon, all majesty he might have born molded and decayed.

He had hoped to become a god. And with the power of the souls he had stolen, he had ascended… but into an amalgamation of what his twisted desires had made him into, a mind of metal, unfeeling and cold, a pile of vegetation both prickly and vile, an abomination that saw all but learned nothing from it.

As he slowly rotted in the prison of his own making, his form only twisted further. His hunger was unending, and his savagery a monstrosity to behold. Yet the more victims he took, the hungrier he became, and the more he was polluted, the stench of bloated corpses and fetid meat enshrouding his gargantuan, wilting, rusted facade. His mind was just as spoiled as his body, both a temple to his own vile glory and a black hole of self-hatred, perpetuated by both of the people he had once been.

The flower within him screamed unending for vengeance, for the death of the human that took his power in the first place but had escaped him… for the pain of his existence to end at last. The prince cowered and wailed for his mother, for his best friend and for someone, anyone to save him.

but now that the world is crumbling, it doesn’t matter anymore.

All he had wanted was to feel. And now, all he wanted was to never feel again.

His very existence was a crime, an unholy being that persisted despite all reason. His hunger was unfathomable, and defied every attempt to assuage it. His mind was a trap of the worst kind, all knowledge but pain and hatred and starvation and fear escaping it.

He craved the end as fiercely as he clung to life. He hated his existence as ardently as he loved it.

He called for help, in the desperate misery that he had created himself…

And no one came.

even when the sky rippled.

hE rEAllY WaS An iDIot.