Chapter Text
Chapter 1
The cold and snow whipped furiously like the wrath of King Winter himself, the snow under the crimson boot crunched and cracked as the tall lanky skeletalman made his way back home. Papyrus is of a blessed few who yearn for the finer things when it comes to cooking; he treated each dish as a master peace in the making. So, when he found out he was out of his favorite seasoning was out, it wasn’t a surprise that he rushed out to harvest his secret herbs of enlightenment. But what was a surprise when the storm that wrecked against his thin but armored form. The blizzard like storm roared and howled, the once clear path between the Ruins to Snowdin was now covered in nothing but pure vast white. Such hindrance, this is nothing to the Great Papyrus for he was born and grown in such harsh conditions… but…er, witch way…. Witch way back home?
A ‘nyeh’ huffed its way through his clenched teeth, clutched within his gloved hands were his special cooking herbs, does he regret braving the storm for such simple complements to his famous dish; no, he doesn’t since the result was praises from his favorite brother in the world. His armored chest heaved as he marched his way through the forceful storm. Such wind, such icy cold; it was as if death himself were breathing down the necks of any whom dare tread in such a storm. The great Papyrus was too strong, brave and not to mention handsome to fold towards death and it’s dank chilled breath! No! He would keep moving making his way back home; to his kitchen, to his spaghetti, to his brother.
It was a small dim glimmer; surely, if it was anyone it would have been missed. It was this desperate twinkle that caused the young royal guard in training to stop his fight against the affronting winds and changes paths. His sockets narrowed; puzzled but yet curious. Slowly Papyrus approached the dying glimmer, seeming as if he forgot the icy winds that whirled mercilessly around him. His long arms reached out and plucked from the snow…. A soul….
“N-NYEH?” Papyrus stumbled back a little as he took a good look at the heart shaped object.
It was a sickly pale color, it seems to shiver against the cold, along with that it plus weakly as if dying right there within his palm. The skeleton sockets held a worried gazed as he watched the soul beat, its rhythm growing slowly and softer, it seemed almost desperate to keep from shattering but yet it seem so weak… so tired. Just as it seem to get a nice timed rhythm of pulsing it would slow down even more as if giving up.
Papyrus was eager to shout an encouraging speech to the dying soul until he noticed something. This soul wasn’t shaped like a normal monster soul and if this soul were indeed in fact a monster’s soul…. It wouldn’t be out and about the monster’s body like this. No, as soon as a monster’s soul leaves its body; the body turns to dust and the soul soon shatters within seconds… so if this soul is out and about and in this bad of weather it… must… be…
“A…a human’s.” Papyrus muse thoughtfully, coming to the conclusions out loud. He slightly gasp as he saw the soul’s pale light flicker.
“N-NO, D-DON’T WORRY LITTLE ONE,” Papyrus held the soul close, hoping maybe the heat from his body and soul would at least give the lost soul a fighting chance, “K-KEEP FIGHTING, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL FIND YOUR BODY AND SAVE YOU!”
He ‘Nyeh’ with determination allowing his sockets and head to swivel about the blizzard landscape; so much snow and so much wind, it would be near impossible to find a body. The snow would have swallowed it up by now, but the skeleton couldn’t bring himself to give up; blame it on his nature.
Though skeleton knew he was saving a human, a being he was order to capture no matter what, he couldn’t help himself. Seeing such a weak soul trying to clutch to life even within such a deathly cold storm. Well, he wouldn’t be so great if he didn’t jump into action… at least that’s what Papyrus thought. His strikes against the offensive winds with grand strides as he grit his teeth and locked his eyes on snow drifts passing by, all while holding the poor fading soul so close.
No.
Not there.
Where?
Oh dear Asgore, where could the body be?
Papyrus search became frantic as he felt the soul shrink in size, the sound of something slowly cracking could be heard. No…no, so close he could feel it in his bone. Sweat built-up on his skull as he rushed through the storm, please just hold on… just a little longer, for me… for a dear friend.
“TH-THAT’S RIGHT, IF FOUND AND SAVED, WE WILL BE THE BEST OF FRIEND, SO PLEASE… HANG ON.” Papyrus encourage the cracking soul. It’s funny but the soul seem to nuzzle closer to his word. The tall skeleton glanced down at the soul in his arms and smiled, only to fall face first into a snow drift… he tripped over something.
Gloved hand digging through the snow, long forgetting the herbs he once held so dearly, he had dropped the soul; it had to be nearby, his covered digits dug and shifted through the white thick powder, until his fingers touched something solid.
“LITTLE SOUL, I FOUND-OH!” His victory was cut off when he pulled up a hand.
“IT’S THE HUMAN BODY!” He nearly screeched as he pulled the hand towards himself, drawing out the body attached.
The human was cold to the touch; body limp and lifeless, lips blue and chest ever so still, this was it this was the soul’s body but… where’s the soul?
Papyrus held the body close to him as his free hand dug through the snow, a nervous sweat trickle down his spine as desperation sets in. He was so close to saving this human, no this couldn’t be it, and he was going to make a good friend, a best friend that he would save. Yeah, he would have to turn them into King but afterwards, FRIENDSHIP HIJINKS WILL OCCUR.
“PLEASE, LITTLE SOUL, WHERE ARE YOU?”
As if answering his call, there was a weak plus behind him; barley able to be felt by anyone… but he felt it. Skull whipping around towards the back of him, he spotted the pale dying soul within the snow. A breath of relief left him as he reached out and tenderly took hold of the cracking soul.
Papyrus’ actions must be quick and swift if he wished to save this dying human. Papyrus knelt as he placed the human body before him; flat on their back. The skeleton held out the soul and rest it on the chest of the human; there was a crackle of energy within the already tumbling air, it was as if the body was refusing the take the soul back. The sound of the soul cracking was soft but heard by Papyrus.
The skeleton chewed on his gloved hand as he saw this… why, why was the human rejecting there soul??? W…was this the wrong body?! No, NO, this has to be the right body; humans don’t just fall down here every day!
Humans are supposed to have determination, why was this one giving up???
“NO, PLEASE DON’T GIVE UP.” Papyrus’ please ended with a slight crack in his voice as if he was close to tearing up.
There was silence, the only sound was that of the whirling and whipping snow storm around this scene. The sound of the wind howling seem to bring a shiver through Papyrus’ body; his bone rattling reminding him of the icy chill in the air as snow flew and fling here and there. He lowered his gaze; not wishing to watch a soul shatter before him, but just as he was losing the last big of hope the sound of your breath suddenly rushing within your lungs caused him to look up and smile.
You gasped desperately, coughing and wheezing as you were heaved back to life; your body ached and your lung burns, why the fuck does it hurt so much to live?
Never the less you were too tired, too cold, to move or even open your eyes. You curled into yourself slowly as your body shiver and shuddered against the wind that assault you as if making you regret living again.
You let out a pathetic quivering whimper as you uselessly pulled your arms to hug your ice cold form, why… why were you alive again, you felt yourself slip away, why are you awake now…so tired, so tired of everything. Just as you were contemplating on letting hypothermia take you again, you felt arms around you; long and lanky… boney?
You felt them lift you up, with great ease. Witch was surprising to you, since you were… well, you were bigger than normal humans; you were on the chubby side. You felt them hold you against an iced metal piece; Christ it was cold, but hell at least someone came by… maybe they were going to take you to a warmer place… some place safe….
Or maybe you really did die and this the death’s embrace.
You welcomed either, if it meant no more cold.
Either way, you allowed yourself to slip into the darkness of your mind as you were carried, only allowing soft breaths to past through your ice blue lips; exhaustion finally taking you into a deep sleep.