This is a side story to Howlingtale. Go check that out if you haven't read it.

Welcome.

Trigger warning- heavy cursing, depression, abuse, underage drinking and smoking, slight mention to suicide, blood, violence, overall disturbing content, lots of feels. Also, as this is an AU, it differs from the cannon of Undertale. This is no way meant to be cannon to the actual series, only the Howlingtale AU. I own the AU and all designs. Toby Fox owns Undertale. Howlingtale has many mature themes and is not for the faint hearted, though it's not Underlust or anything like that. Howlingtale is not for those who can't handle werewolf characters. If you want to call me furry trash go somewhere else.

Forgive spelling errors and such. I broke my glasses, have an appointment in 2 months. Sue me.

Now that I got that outta the way let's get started!

Make sure to slam a review if you enjoyed, it really helps!

Sans wasn't the most attuned to a social environment.

The air was cold, but he was used to that. Nothing was warm. However, it was windy cold. Being underground and inside most of his life, he wasn't used to the wind. How was there wind underground?

Blizzardland was hell for him. He hated passing through it. He stuck to the long buried under snow path, up on a ledge where the dogs rarely attacked. For the most part, he was safe. They never came out at this time of day, anyways.

It still set him with a constant anxiety, however. He remembered the snarling dogs in that chamber and shuddered, remembering the taste of blood.

Those were bad days, those.

However, something changed.

Gaster had made something, an artificial child. From the DNA of his long gone mother and Gaster's own. By all standards, a normal child, except a lab chamber was his womb. A little skeleton, just like Sans.

Except, so very different.

The little skeleton was named Papyrus, which sounded like their apparent mothers name. Paprika. As far as Sans was concerned, he didn't care.

Papyrus was everything he wasn't. Sans never considered himself like his father, especially after all the horrible things he did. But, Papyrus was certainly nothing of their father and everything of their mother. Loud, happy and carefree. Full of himself. Annoying, snotty brat in Sans's eyes.

It unlocked something in Gaster. He changed.

He could actually love again.

Except, not him. Gaster couldn't love Sans, no.

Gaster loved Papyrus. That stupid brat, the one who could never shut up and couldn't even write his own name.

Sans couldn't stand it. What did he do wrong?

It wasn't only Gaster, either.

Sans had been forced to go to school. Now that he wasn't in the lab, he was expected to live like a "normal" child.

But he wasn't a normal child.

He was rather small for his age, and he was a skeleton. He had large eyes and overgrown fangs that poked from his mouth. He ate far more than the other monster children. He growled often. He carried what he considered his only friend around, a plush dog named Ruff. Apparently, that was Taboo at the age of 9.

Sans was very intelligent as well. Much more advanced than the other children. But his social skills were far lacking, and he rarely spoke. Thus, he was either feared or shunned by the other kids. Even the teachers whispered about him, saying things like "Moon-Blood". They didn't understand Sans's hearing was sharp and he could hear every word.

Sans was so confused by all this. Why was he so different? So what if he was dog like? There was other dog monsters. Was he not supposed to be dog like?

Sans couldn't stop thinking of this as he walked home.

He had Ruff clutched to his chest in one arm, a broken MP3 player in the other. He had found it in the garbage dump. It was an only grayish tan color, all the buttons faded and the screen cracked. However, it played music, and this was what he wanted it for. He didn't exactly know his preference yet, but more often than not found himself liking the more somber rock songs or, oddly, the calming classical ones. The assortment of beautifully matched strange instruments was oddly soothing.

The wind picked up again, blowing a spray of snow into his face. Sans hated how it got into his nose hole and eye sockets. The cold stung the inside of his skull as he sneezed.

Unfortunately, an unwelcome gravely voice spoke out behind him.

"Hey look, the little bone bag can sneeze!"

"Maybe he is just a dead dog!"

Sans grumbled a little. He pulled his headphones off of his head.

Sans could already tell who it was. It was a horned monster named Mal. He was rather large, with glasses and harsh grayish tinted fur. He resembled a bull, in some aspects. It was rumored he had a tough dad back at home that made him help with construction work often, but as far as Sans was concerned he knew nothing about hard times.

He was accompanied by a taller but slimmer red monster who resembled a devil. This monster was known simply as Red, unsurprisingly. He was pessimistic, taking out his frustrations on others.

The last one was smaller, bigger eared monster with shifty eyes. He was usually the quietest. Sans wondered if he just tagged along with the other two for security.

Sans usually just ignored them, as he didn't know how to respond to this harassment. Sometimes he wanted to bare his fangs and burry them in their throats like he did those dogs…but that was horrible. He couldn't understand how he could have done that, how could he kill something so brutally? However, something deep in his soul still stirred with the desire.

Sans just huffed and kept trudging through the snow.

"Hey, I thought he was supposed to have dog hearing or something? Or maybe he's got the intelligence of one!"

Sure, considering my grades are straight A and you probably have an F- in everything but lunchtime. Sans was developing a bit of a mind attitude… he honestly found himself amusing and snorted to himself.

Also, he didn't get the dog insults considering that there were plenty of monster dogs.

"So, ya gonna start biting everyone? Go werewolf and kill everyone? No one trusts you, dog." Mal sneered.

Sans froze up.

…trust?

No one?

The lab room flashed before his eyes, countless nights spent fearing those vicious snarling dogs he was pitted against.

Was… he really that bad? Did everyone really think he would hurt them?

Everyone?

"Awww, he doesn't like that. Does he?" Red added.

Sans pulled his dog plush closer to his chest.

His eye socket twitched.

Your wrong, Ruff trusts me. Right Ruff? Sans looked down into the dogs button eyes.

"He even carries a teddy bear around like a baby. Awwww, he has to have his little teddy to protect him from the big mean monsters."

Sans was brushed up a wall by the last comment about trust, and opened his mouth for once in his life.

"It's. A. Dog." His voice sounded so weak and pathetic… considering the tiny puppy growl that accompanied it.

They burst out laughing.

"Awwww, he sounds so cuuuute!"

"So ferocious, oooooooo~"

Sans gritted his fangs together.

"Like you should talk."

They fell silent as Sans immediately began to walk away.

Just like humans, stupid. He thought.

However, something grabbed his sweater from behind, preventing his progression.

Sans's soul skipped.

Oh no.

Mal didn't sound happy.

"Oh, so you, the tiny dog fucker, doubt me? Do you know what you're getting into?" He snarled.

Sans took a breath.

"Better than you do with your solid IQ of 4."

Something collided with his head and sent him rolling down the side of the ledge. He had blacked out for a few seconds, the next moment finding himself on the ground at the bottom, body shaking. His head screamed and his whole body hurt from the fall.

Everything was blurry and disorienting. He heard muffled talking from a decent ways away and then crunching.

Sans whimpered and looked up, closing one of his eye sockets. The snow in front of his face was red, and something hot was smeared on his face. Wonderful.

They were making their way down the hill. The smaller monster looked uncomfortable. Even Red seemed to disagree… but Mal had the smugness smirk imaginable.

When they reached the bottom, Mal huffed, sending a puff of fog into the cold air.

"Wanna say that again, little punk? Or maybe I smacked some submission into ya." He approached, and Sans felt cold with dread. He couldn't help but growl like a tiny puppy over a scrap of food.

Fortunately, Mal didn't seem to hear. He bent down and picked something up.

Sans's soul dropped when he saw it was Ruff.

"P-put it down!" Sans snapped, despite the fact he was bleeding from the face and wasn't sure he could stand up.

Mel raised an eyebrow.

"Guess I didn't, huh. Maybe I'll just have to make it so the dogs can finish you off, eh?"

"H-hey, I think we bothered him enough." The little monster squeaked.

Mel turned.

"Shaddup you pussy. Better we take care of the little hazard before he attacks anyone else, eh? Make it look like the dogs got em, no one will even notice he's gone anyways." Mel smiled and turned back to him.

He gripped the plush dog by the head, one hand on its lower body.

"Wanna see what they'll do to ya?"

Sans opened his mouth to protest, but was too late as the bull pulled and ripped the plush dog in two.

He then dropped the two pieces, fuzz spilling out from it.

Sans eyes went wide as he fought off the tears in his eyes.

N-no… that was my only friend…

"Awww, look, he's crying. And you had the nerve to say shit to me, punk?" Mel picked his heavy foot up and dig it into the snow, cracking something. Probably the MP3 player.

Sans felt unbearable, hot rage, pulling himself up low to the ground and leaping towards the larger monster, latching onto his arm with his fangs. Sans tasted blood and felt cruel satisfaction.

Mel cried out and grabbed Sans by his own arm, pulling hard. It felt like it would break apart, but Sans wasn't letting go.

At least, until he was slammed into the ground, hearing a sickening crack from his ribs.

Sans let out a wheeze and didn't move, feeling on the verge of passing out from the pain.

It hurt. Worse than the lab. Worse than the dog bites.

"Like I said, he's a little hazard." Mel snarled. "I'm gonna break those little ribs apart and leave him for a chew toy. Serves it right."

There was a bark.

Sans felt overwhelming fear.

Dog.

He didn't move. Something in his body gave out and he closed his eyes, tears joining the blood on his face.

I don't wanna see the dogs, please go away, please please go away!

There was a couple cries of pain from Mel and one from Red, as the sounds of shuffling in the snow were heard. Eventually, Sans heard running footsteps as Mel and his gang ran away from the dog.

Sans heard slow footsteps approaching him.

Sans turned over, whining in pain.

"Please leave me alone…"

"…Hey."

A deep voice sounded above him.

Talking dog?

Sans hesitantly opened his eyes.

It was a dog alright, but not a Blizzardland dog. A monster dog.

He was black and white, with icy colored eyes. He had a doggie biscuit hanging from his mouth. His fur was medium length, awkward looking on his young, lean face. His eyes were half lidded, laid back.

"…Taught those kids a lesson, it's alright. Hate those picking on those so much weaker than themselves, cowards."

Sans was silent, still shaking.

The dog was quiet.

"… names Doggo. You?"

"…"

Doggo raised a brow. Then, he extended a paw.

"Cm'ere, I'll help ya."

Sans didn't accept. He pushed himself to his knees with his own hands, trying his damnedest not to cry out.

Doggo huffed.

"Alright, be stubborn about it. So, you're the relatively new kid at school, correct? The skeleton? Moon blood?"

Sans looked away.

There was awkward silence.

"… not one for words, eh? Well, neither am I, usually. I've noticed you haven't had any friends. For real petty reasons, on their part."

"…"

"…your welcome for chasing em away. If you need help home let me know." Doggo grunted and turned around, walking away at a snails pace.

Sans glanced after him.

Something felt…

"…w-wait…"

Doggo tuned his head.

"Hmmm, did I hear speech?"

Sans looked down.

"….I'm Sans…"

Doggo grinned a little bit. Not a happy go lucky grin, but a more smug yet soft one.

"There we are. I was starting to think you were that rude. You ought to learn to take pride in the fact you're a moon blood."

"…what is that?" Sans asked softly.

"…Moon Blood? You don't know?" Doggo blinked.

Sans shook his head.

Doggo's grin widened.

"Welp, guess I should say this first. There's two of em' right here. Guess you found your first friend, eh?"

Poor sansy :,(

But here we have the start of the childhood friendship between Doggo and Sans. Also, you can start to see where some of his current HT character plots had begun to develop. Some of you may be like "BUT COMY OMG WHY DOES HE HATE PAPYRUS THAT'S WRONG?!" And to that I answer there is no such thing as love at first sight. Just keep tuned ;)

Idk if I'll work on this more than HT. Probably a mood thing. This is planned to be five chapters.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy FotW and see ya next time!

From the wolf in the mountains,

Comycat~

(Ps: reviews will be answered. Pliz review. It makes me happu)