Here we are, the final chapter, I believe. Stuff's been distracting me again, two other writing projects among other things. There's a new poll on my profile to help deal with the updating issue. *points* So here it is. I hope it's not terrible and that you like the ending of this first installment.

Chapter Twenty-eight: Past and Present, but What is to Come?

"You what?"

"I destroyed it. Now we have to wait."

"Not if I get more."

"I'll find it and get rid of that too."

The brothers glared at each other from across the table, Frisk poking at her meal with not an ounce of attention for them. Sans had just announced that the plant had been delivered by a terrified lion monster, and that he had immediately burned it. Papyrus was infuriated, of course. The unclean kitchen also bothered him at the moment. What gnawed at his frayed nerves the most was the lack of hesitation his younger sibling showed.

Looks like you won't be able to intimidate him this time. He must really care about his sister.

His attempts were proving futile. Sans met his ireful gaze with one of pure Determination, refusing to back down. Papyrus' anger began to melt. He loathed to admit defeat, but there seemed to be no alternative. He found himself unable to argue any more for an outcome he would secretly dread. So preoccupied with the newest disaster, he barely noticed the odd stirring in his soul at last come to an end.

"Fine. We'll wait. But be on the lookout for those creatures, and Grill-"

His phone showed that Undyne was calling. There wasn't much point in ignoring it. He knew she'd call a thousand times before giving up. Literally. Unless he ended this now, she would continue pestering him. Picking up the annoyingly loud device, he accidentally bumped the fork sitting on his plate of uneaten omelet. The utensil fell to the floor with a metallic clatter. Retrieving it and the plate, he answered on his way to the kitchen.

"Didn't you read it yet? Come on, Papyrus! It's the best story I've written in forever! You gotta read it. You won't get the chance to if we all die and stay that way when you break the barrier."

"We won't be leaving this timeline."

"Did something happen?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Does it matter? We're stuck here until it's taken care of," he responded in a growl-like tone.

His anger made well known, Undyne let the subject drop. "Well, will you at least look at the story? You might like it."

"Not now."

Why not? Do you have other plans you haven't told me about?

Shut up.

OoOoOoOoOo

With footsteps quiet as the night they stalked through, predators hunted weakened prey. The trees had shed their flame colored leaves, their branches appearing like a mass of tangled claws. Shreds of soft light lay wavering among the shadows. Wind could only do so much to cut through the clouds. The starving creatures were nearly upon their next meal.

Their prey slept huddled together beneath stolen pelts. Once allies, hunger now drove one race to hunt the other. The humans' fire now existed as a pile of dying embers. Their guard had given in to exhaustion, making this an easy task.

OoOoOoOoOo

As the day went on, Papyrus grew more and more uneasy. Nothing could distract him from the feeling very long. This strange mixture of anxiety and anticipation refused to leave him. He'd be lost in an interesting scene in a movie or show, reading a mildly entertaining page in a book, or tapping the mouse of Sans' computer trying to win a game. None could protect his worried mind.

But nothing seemed to be amiss. And that's what made this all the more troubling.

It wasn't even noon yet. Snow drifted from the clouds above Snowdin. With one last glare at him, Sans had left for the day. Frisk departed afterward to visit Asriel and Toriel. The solitude he didn't find so unpleasant with the voice to speak with. Yet he hated its presence even more now because of that.

What's wrong?

You know what's wrong. Something's off.

Seems pretty normal to me.

Normal doesn't exist for us.

Sure you're planning to break out, but other than that-

This isn't normal! Something's different.

Are you sure? Different doesn't happen around here too often.

Have you not been paying attention or are you simply trying to be irritating?

It's true that some things have changed, but at the moment-

At the moment there's something else, something entirely new, I just-

What?

I don't know yet.

Then perhaps you should try to find out.

He stood and exited his brother's messy room. The descent to the ground floor was made with an unusual amount of observation. He saw the scrapes in the railing, and knew the story behind each one. He knew exactly which step would squeak, and remembered the stain on the corner of the rug he now left behind.

Oh the countless times he'd woken up to Sans' version of music playing in this very room. He remembered the hole in the couch cushion, and even flipping it over so no one else would see. How many timelines had passed since that day? He glanced toward the dining room on his way to the door, thinking of all the wondrous gourmet foods he once prepared with such glee.

He didn't know exactly where he was going. Papyrus had not a clue as to where he would find the source of this disturbance. Was he somehow being lead? Or was this an aimless walk? Whatever the case, he again saw everything he would not usually bother to notice. This time however, felt different.

Different was happening.

Just as before, he didn't like not knowing what came next.

OoOoOoOoOo

Winter ended. Food became plentiful once again. Centuries would come to pass. The humans would not forget. One day, arrows rained down upon the monster kingdom. It mattered not to the beings that they had eaten one another. They cared not that monsterkind would've faded from history. Most of who they now killed had not yet been been born at the time of Earth's coldest winter.

The humans only knew that these creatures could be dangerous, and what they were unable to control must be destroyed. They had power now. With that power, they would fight. And they would win. Not every monster would be turned to dust. They were sealed underground, beneath the other race's feet.

"You will spend eternity where you belong! Beneath us!"

OoOoOoOoOo

He'd been away for far too long. Papyrus had turned his phone off to end the Temmies' bothersome interruptions. That meant of course that Frisk or Sans if either needed to call, couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to return, not yet. His anxiety had only worsened over the hours.

At last booting up the device, he found that there were fifty-eight missed calls from those deceitful creatures. One text from Undyne. Sitting on a tree stump somewhere in the forest, he reluctantly selected the message.

It's called "A Tale of Insanity"

You'll like it! Go read!

The snow fell heavily now. He heard footsteps in the distance breaking the silence. Why did that simple noise spark fear within his soul? Returning his phone to his pocket, he walked in the opposite direction. He expected the voice to say something. He waited. No comment came. The skeletal monster realized with some degree of annoyance that he wanted the voice to speak up. An eeriness filled the air that made him long for the company of another, and he worried that the creatures had found him.

Could they reach here so soon? Was it true that they'd caught up to him? Their footsteps wouldn't make a sound. Or maybe that's just what they wanted him to think. The ground seemed to shift, causing him to lose his balance as something ran towards him. He readied a magical attack, doing all he could to keep his breathing under control.

Out from behind the steady curtain of white appeared Frisk. She appeared more afraid than he'd ever seen her, dark blue eyes filled with terror. Papyrus renewed his efforts to stay calm, getting to his feet as the human neared him.

"What happened?"

She didn't speak.

"Frisk? What happened? Did something attack you?"

Papyrus felt drained all of a sudden. The human shook her head, one hand in the satchel she rarely used. She'd taken it with her to Toriel's to play a board game with the flower. He wondered in the back of his mind what she was doing here if she was supposed to be in the Ruins. Frisk made several attempts at speech before her voice didn't fail. He mentally questioned what had happened to make her act this way.

"N-no, I just…. I was just looking for y-you. E-everything…. Everything was fine and-and then I…."

Letting the magical swords dissipate, he could only reach one conclusion: his human friend had suffered a panic attack. He noted that she continued concealing her hand in the bag. She must've injured herself, he reasoned, and decided to do something extremely uncharacteristic. He approached Frisk, who reminded him so much of his past self. Her heart was pounding, he knew. He could hear it faintly.

The skeleton knelt and hugged what was declared monsterkind's enemy. He'd learned long ago not to show much emotion. Any but anger was weakness, and after a time, he found life was easier without that. Especially when you had no friends to aid you, no one to come to your defense.

"Everything will be fine. Calm down. In just two more Resets, we'll be out of here."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm going to make sure of it." The words felt hollow.

"But Papyrus…."

A sharp pain exploded throughout his back. His HP began to fall. Papyrus remained still, staring at nothing. He was unable to comprehend what had taken place. It wasn't long though before everything clicked. The uncomfortable feeling in his soul, her strange behavior, and all those calls he refused to answer.

But…. Why? Why, his hysterical thoughts lamented. WHY?

"You can't be sure." Her voice radiated composure.

Inside the satchel, something began to glow red. The light was barely noticed. He let the mental image of an upside-down heart-a representation of his health- shatter into uncountable fragments.

"After all….

.

.

.

.

"Since when were you the one in control?"