#silvertale

Silver spread his arms across the door, determined to not let the taller skeleton creature open it. He puffed out his chest in protest, his quills shaking in fright.

“SILVER. THAT WAS VERY RUDE.” proclaimed Papyrus, attempting to shoo him out of the way to no avail. “WE DON’T SLAM DOORS IN A NEW FRIEND’S FACE.”

“nu-uh.” He shut his eyes tightly, trying not to face the other’s confused expression. “you can’t let him in, he’s gonna kill you.”

“DON’T BE SILLY.” With no effort at all, Silver was picked up and held under Papyrus’ arm.

“No! Let me go! Don’t!” Silver flailed about, trying to get free, but the skeleton’s grip was more than secure.

“Papy maybe we should- “ Viner began but Papyrus had already opened the door.

“I AM SORRY FOR THE SLAMMING OF THE DOOR IN YOUR FACE. MY SMALL FRIEND HERE IS A BIT HYSTERICAL.” He offered a handshake of apology to the hedgehog slightly red in the face from the sudden door to his muzzle.

“Its… quite alright…” Shadow took the other’s hand. “I’ve been looking for these two.”

“Mmm...” Silver was near growling, an unaccepting scowl on his face. His hands were glowing blue as he held them out. “Don’t get any closer! I… I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

“SILVER. COME NOW.”

“Papyrus no, put me down he’s gonna-“ He was cut off as Viner pulled him from the other’s arms.

“Shh. It’s alright Hun.” She looked to the darker hedgehog. “Buddy, I hate to break it to ya, but you’re frightening these here fluffs. So I can’t let you just take em. ‘fraid I’m gonna hafta ask ya ta leave.”

“Hmph…” Shadow’s eyes squinted slightly at the she skeleton, giving her a quick look over, as the younger hedgehog hid behind her leg. “What even are you? To be taking responsibilities for children not of your kind.”

“WE ARE SKELETONS, OBVIOUSLY.” Explained Papyrus. But Shadow kept his eyes on Viner.

“She certainly doesn’t look like one.” He scoffed. Viner froze slightly, taking a bit of a step back.

“You shut up!” Yelled Silver, taking a step in front of them, catching everyone off guard. “If she says she’s a skeleton, she is one!

“Now go away! Me an’ Frisk hafta get back to the surface! But I won’t let you hurt innocent monsters!” the boy’s hands and eyes were glowing blue with his intensifying emotions. “Just, GO AWAY!!”

“Gah!” A burst of blue energy burst forward, expelling Shadow from the doorstep, and making a rather big gust of wind in the living room, as the door slammed shut.

Everyone was a little awestruck as they looked down at the panting child. Frisk immediately ran over to their brother, holding his cheeks in their hands and giving a worried expression.

“I… I’m…. okay… I think…” but tears were beginning to unwillingly fall from his eyelids, betraying his answer.

“Mm. (silver, what was that?)” Frisk asked.

“I… don’t know… I’ve never done that before.” He looked up at the skeletons still looking with disbelief and concern. “I…”

“Papy… look.” Viner appeared to be looking at something above the hedgehog, that he could not see. “it... it went up just now.”

“OH DEAR…”

“Wh-what…” Silver was frightened of their looks. He took a step back. “what w-went up…?”

“ERM…” the two looked at each other cautiously.

“Mm. (Its… your L-V, Silver…)” Frisk managed to get out.

“Wh-what?? But that’s… that only goes up when…”

“ah, well, not always to the extreme like that… sometimes when you’re a… uh… really low level…” Viner began to explain.

“IT CAN GO UP BY JUST SHOVING SOMEONE OFF A SWING SET OR SOMETHING.” The other skeleton grinned happily. “NOT THAT ANYONE SHOULD DO THAT. ITS NOT NICE.”

“Papy.” Viner glared slightly.

There was no stopping the tears running down the boy’s cheeks. They were silent, but tears nonetheless, as his face scrunched up he began to sob. He rubbed his eyes, too late for preventing the stains. Frisk continued to comfort their sib, rubbing his back as he rolled into himself.

“Mm. (Silver, it’s okay. It’s still you…)” they assured.

“we should… maybe go see if that guys alright…” Viner looked out the small window in the door, carefully making sure that the child didn’t have another outburst.

“N-NO!” Silver cried, startling Frisk. The she skeleton only looked concerned.

“Silver, please. I will be wary. I won’t get too close…” the taller monster knelt down and took the hedgehogs cheek in her plush gloved hand. “You stay here and if anything happens I can trust you to do something about it.”

These words were both kind, and half-hearted. It was obvious that the boy would only worry no matter what, but Viner had to do what she had to do, in order to protect these kids and her brothers.

“Papy-“ she began.

“NEVER FEAR, I WILL PROTECT THEM.” He inferred she must have been wanting to tell him to look after the kids, despite her being more worried about him instead.

“right.” She nodded, walking out the door.

Silver scrambled to the couch, peeking his nose out of the curtains, as Frisk climbed up beside him. Papyrus also peeked out, wanting to make sure his sister was alright.

Cautiously, Viner took a step forward towards the dark form laying in the snow. Tip toe, tip toe, tip toe. Trying not to wake the seemingly unconscious hedgehog.

“Hello? Are you alright, Hun? … if you can hear me, say something.”  The alert skeleton sighed in relief, as he let out a groan of pain. “good… you aren’t dead… that would’a broken the kid…”

She looked back to the window, her brows furrowing in concern at the three peepers watching her, and gave a thumbs up in response.  Viner looked back down to the one in question. “what to do with you… … Oh! I know.”

_________________________________________________________________________

Shadow felt a force lift him in the air, hearing mumbled words along the way. He tried to force himself awake at this feeling, never liking to be held, but was only able to twitch his body in various places. This must have made whoever was holding him panic, as their speed they were carrying him at increased.

As he regained consciousness, he was met with a harsh light pointed down at him, making it difficult to see anything outside of it. He tried to move, finding he was bound to a recliner with a simple rope. Something he could easily get out of with his knife in his back pock-

“Hey! Where are my pants!” he looked down and noticed he was only in his boxers. Tied up, to a chair, in nothing but his boxer shorts. This was both humiliating and concerning.

“Sorry, I had my Brother undress you.” Said a voice in the dark background surrounding him.

“Why??”

“BECAUSE YOUR CLOTHES WERE SOAKING WET FROM THE SNOW.” Said another voice, loud but not in an angry way.

“… so you’re… drying them?” Shadow looked skeptical, squinting from both that and the bright light.

“Well yeah, we weren’t going to let you get sick in ‘em…” said the first voice. It seemed feminine, and… familiar.

“wait… are you that skeleton looking girl?” He raised a brow in confusion. Had he been captured??

“I AM a skeleton, I don’t just LOOK like one…” she huffed, making him chuckle slightly. He found her buttons that’s for sure.

“Well look, untie me, and we’ll talk things out.” Shadow offered, sincerely meaning it.

“’Fraid we can’t do that.”

“And why not?” he furrowed his brows in a bit of a glare.

“BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST OF THE YOUNG NON-MONSTER AND HIS HUMAN SIBLING.” Said the taller one from before.

“Young non-monster?”

“Mm…” suddenly a small voice of a grunt sounded from behind him, startling him.

“He’s afraid of you, and I wanna know why.” Proclaimed the female, with a sort of authority in her voice.

“PLEASE?” piped in the other.

“Papy… please isn’t intimidating…”

“BUT I STILL WANT TO BE POLITE. HE’S STILL OUR GUEST AFTER ALL.”

“He’s not our guest, until he proves himself not a threat to these two.”

“BUT VINER-“

“Erm… Excuse me?” Shadow couldn’t take it anymore of the constant bickering. “Can you just… ask your questions so we can get this over with or whatever?”

“Uh, right.” The she-skeleton stepped into the light, blocking it from the hedgehog’s gaze, and letting his eyes adjust. “First Question, who are you?”

“Easy. I am Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog.” He stated calmly, with a hint of pride behind it. “Next.”

“Alright… Shadow. What are you doing here?” Shadow could hear scribbling behind him. The other one possibly taking notes.

“I am here to investigate the disappearance of the children on Mount Ebott the past century. And bring back any lost children I find.”  He was a bit more straight faced this time, adjusting in his seat.

“Why have you been killing innocent monsters?” Viner glared. Not happy in the slightest.

“They attacked me first. I’d hardly call that innocent.” He replied coldly. A glimpse of blue light behind him grabbed his attention.

“They didn’t attack you, you big bully! Froggit, and Whimsum, they would never!” yelled a small boy’s voice. “And Loox was probably only looking for comfort from the loss of his friends!”

“Friends?” Shadow questioned, looking back. He saw the faint outline of the silver furred hedgehog that had sent him flying across the street, glowing in a bright blue aura. “Monsters don’t have friends.”

That statement had earned him a small gasp glare combo from the female. “Of course Monsters have friends stupid! Friends are all we got down here!”

“Monsters are murderous beasts that have no self-control. How can they have friends when they don’t have souls?” He glared right back in defiance.

“Don’t have- Oh that’s it… Papy.” She looked behind the chair to her brother, an angry look on her face. “Start a FIGHT for me will you?”

“OH. ALRIGHT IF YOU ARE SURE.” Papyrus was hesitant but did as his sister wished.

Suddenly Shadow turned white. Literally white. His colour scheme was now white with black stripes. He looked all around, confused as hell as to what was going on, and glared at the two skeletons in front of him.

“If it’s a fight you want-“ but he was interrupted by Viner raising her hand to him.

“Hush. Watch.” Her eye lights faded as she began to focus.

“YOU CAN DO IT VINER. I BELIEVE IN YOU.” Cheered her brother.

Shadow’s chest tightened, before a loud pop sounded. Before him now was a heart. Not a real one, but a valentine’s day heart. Only instead of the typical Red colour you would see on the cards, it was a dark green colour, almost a pine green.

“YOU DID IT! YIPEE!” The skeleton was more than ecstatic for her.

“… you see that? That’s your Soul, the very culmination of your being.” She explained, attempting to contain her composure, but still very excited she had done it. “Down here, your soul can get hit, and if you HP goes to 0… you die.”

She looked over to the side of Shadow as if she was reading something on his shoulder. “Your LV is high… even for just… killing… a couple monsters… You’ve been violent for a very long time haven’t you?”

“… I don’t see how my past is any of your business.” He looked away. “What’s this have to do with anything anyhow?”

The hedgehog looked back up to the two showing something in the palms of their hands. Two little hearts that looked like Shadow’s only one was bright green, and one was white.

“… those… are souls as well?” He questioned, receiving a nod in return.

“Yes. And we are monsters.” Instantly the hearts went back to their chests, and they were back in the little living room. “We have Souls, just like you do.”

“… and… those ones in the ruins?” had he been… wrong? He looked down, ashamed as the she skeleton nodded in response. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t…”

He jumped slightly as the human child put their hand on his. Frisk simply looked up and smiled to him, patting his hand slightly in assurance. Their brother was a little hesitant, but he could tell how sorry the older hedgehog was.

“Are you gonna do it again?” Silver said, putting his hand on the other side of Shadow, giving him a rather unsure glare.

“… not intentionally.” Well at least he was honest.

_____________________________________________________

“*I’m not sure this is a good idea…” Hours later, Sans had returned home. He gave a near unnoticeable scowl at the dark hedgehog that was still tied to the recliner, now being forced to watch MTTTV.

“What even is this…” the hedgehog was confused at the sight of a calculator on a single wheel, preforming what seemed like a monster’s version of Shakespeare.

“BROTHER I KNOW THAT YOU DON’T LIKE TALKING ABOUT… THIS TIME TRAVEL BUISNESS… BUT WHY DO YOU AND THE YOUNG NON MONSTER NOT LIKE THIS NEW FELLOW?” Papyrus tried to wrap his skull around it, but just couldn’t see anything but a new friend to be had in the new comer. “HE SEEMS REASONABLE TO ME.”

“*Well he wasn’t last time…” Sans looked away almost regretting he had said that.

“What did he do last time, Brother?” Viner placed her hand on his shoulder, letting him know he could talk to them.

“*… Let’s just say,” He turned around to them, smiling that signature grin. “*He was a real prick.”

“OH MY GOD SANS.”

“Sans I love your puns as much as the next bone-head. But this is serious. Please.”

“*… Tough crowd.” He let out a sigh. “*He… killed Papyrus last timeline.”

“What?”

“THEN WHY DIDN’T HE GET THE CHANCE TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE THIS TIME?”