Thorns & Bones: Dunk Alliance

Sans had long lost count.

One could only see bloody and beaten corpse of a human child so many times, before the shock, guilt and revulsion dulled to a small, but nevertheless endlessly painful pang. Part of him kept on hoping against hope, that this would be the last time they met, yet soon after he would hear the familiar footsteps echo across the corridor. For now, the little body was lying face down, motionless. Burn marks and bone fragments were telltale signs their death was once more as violent as the last.

The skeleton sighed deeply. He reached up to wipe his head with the sleeve of his jacket, sweating all over from the exertion. He was not built for prolonged combat, he knew that for certain. His only solace was that every time the human appeared the delay kept increasing, signaling their frustration, unwillingness to continue, or perhaps both. Eventually, they might just get the message and leave, opening up the gate for another RESET. Sans would have welcomed that option.

His steadily shaking hand betrayed continued to trample over this feeble resolve though. With every encounter, the child got smarter and more evasive, forcing him to pull more and more tricks from his sleeve. He also knew better than to attribute all of his dodges to skill. At one point or another, his luck was going to run out and at that very second, the human would end them.

Taking another deep breath, Sans considered his options. He needed a rest, preferably very soon. The human could return any minute and without him to stand guard, they would have a clear path to Asgore. As to what would happen there, not even his admittedly vast knowledge of timelines and probabilities could tell.

And that is admittedly what frightened him the most.

"Hey, Smiley!"

The first voices in several minutes echoed across the corridor, startling the skeleton. He did not expect anyone else to venture here, and this certainly wasn't Asgore's voice. He turned around and scanned the area, the blue glint of magic faintly buzzing in his eye socket.

"Down here, idiot."

The voice was now positively familiar, though Sans seriously had to dig through his memories to attach a face to it. He obliged and lowered his gaze, only to find a flower facing him, of all things. The flower popped out from under one of the broken floor tiles, its golden petals taking in the soft light emanating through the ornate windows. The light fell upon Sans as well, but it did little more than darken his visage towards the unexpected visitor.

A flower with a face. A very animated, grinning face.

"Howdy! I'm Flo-"

Flowey immediately leaned right as much as his stem would allow, narrowly dodging a stray bone accidentally aimed right at him. The bone embedded itself into the tile next to him. The force behind it was substantial though, as it sunk several inches deep into the ground below.

"Alright, I see we can skip the formalities." Flowey said. He dropped the grin and adopted a much more contemplative, but still annoyed look.

"sorry." Sans said. His grin was there as always, but even the flower could tell the humor behind it was a little forced this time around. "dang pollen allergy gives me the worst sneezes."

"Riiiight."

Flowey peeked out from behind Sans, noticing the bloody corpse in the distance. A cavalcade of feelings swirled around within him, but unlike that one fleeting emotion he desired to taste, most of it was fear and apprehension. "Are they-"

"yes."

The flower hunched over in a nod. The silence between them was tense and unnatural, but that was to be expected. They both have faced each other like this before, at different times and under difference circumstances. There was no kind familiarity in their gaze, however.

"They won't stop."

"i know."

Flowey frowned, his sap steadily boiling. "They'll come back."

"i know." Sans still seemed to just humor him for now, which infuriated Flowey. This happened every single time, and they both had better things to do than waste time being evasive.

"They'll kill you, eventually."

"I know."

Flowey swallowed his next sentence. Sans was glaring down at him, both eye sockets like the yawning abyss. While he could still say many things about that, Sans' power and endurance, they were negligible in the grand scheme of things. Another tense few minutes passed, both of them breaking character only when glancing back to see if the body was still there. For Flowey, this was mere precaution, but for Sans, it was rather interesting to see the flower hold some stake in this.

"I'm here... because there's nowhere else I can turn to." Flowey restarted the conversation. "Asgore can't stop them, not without the human souls, and he won't ever do that."

"so that leaves me?" Sans' grin grew just a bit in size.

"...yes." the flower growled. How and why this bit of boney trash managed to joke at a time like this was beyond his understanding, but was also not the point right now. "I need your help."

Laughter echoed across the corridor for the first time in many-many years.

Sans could barely hold himself together, his skeletal body rattling from the overpowering laughter. Flowey fumed and growled loudly, even as he nearly doubled over. Truthfully, the situation itself would have amused him any day, but combined with everything that had happened until now, it was just too absurd to stand.

"Laugh it up, bonehead..." Flowey grumbled, his petals involuntarily adopted a brief shade of red. He didn't show the true extent of his frustration though. The scary faces would work on children, but they were a wasted effort on this sorry bag of bones.

"okay. thanks, i really needed that." Sans sighed, once he was able to calm himself down for the most part. He still got momentary chuckles, but for the first time all day, his bones were aching from a different, more welcome pain. "and here i thought i was the comedian around here."

"An insufferable idiot, that's what you are!"

They paused and peeked around, confirming once again that the humans has not returned yet. They still had time, but no telling how much.

"i'd really hate to be a thorn in your side." Sans mused, further annoying the plant. "but i'm not sure i follow. what could i possibly help you with?"

For the first time in a while, it was Flowey's turn to allow a brief smirk. It was as humorless as his, but at this point the unspoken agreement of shared terrible jokes was signed and put into effect. "You're very good at giving people a bad time."

"and you know this from-" Sans trailed off, lightly flicking his hand in Flowey's direction. Realization had clicked the moment he had first seen the flower's face and that was more than enough reason to be cautious. His left eye briefly flashed blue, as he summoned the familiar power he had perfected with Papyrus over many years.

But nothing happened.

"Experience, among other things." the smirk on Flowey's face for once matched the worst Sans could offer. It was an expression of not just malice, but satisfaction. "Otherwise you'd remember not to try this. No soul to toss around."

"But thanks for confirming what I always suspected." he added, for once having some measure of power available. His plantlike body shifted just enough to show his more vicious expression, as well a couple of thorns along his leaves. "You can't remember everything after a RESET, am I right? Do you ever recall things beyond your own death? The names of who lived and who died, maybe? How much can you really recall?"

"enough." Sans decidedly lost some of his newly found amusement. He raised a hand, palm open towards Flowey. "i remember enough to know how these meetings usually go."

"Then you also know it's a waste of time." Flowey summoned a score of his well-known 'friendship pellets' just to circle around and protect his otherwise fragile body.

"i might not be able to turn you BLUE, but i still have plenty of ways to lo-botanize you." the skeleton warned, the base outline of his arcane blasters forming behind him. "and plenty of reasons to do it right now..."

They glared at each other for a short while, both of them ready to cut lose in a heartbeat. Sans had a number of reasons to despise Flowey, though most of those were shrouded in a familiar veil that protected his mind from all the RESETs. Rapid timeline jumps were stressful to the mind and this was a major reason why he had not just gone insane yet.

The noise of shoes quickly tapping against the tiles of the Final Corridor echoed from front to end, signaling another arrival. Neither of them bothered to look, far too focused on the intense stare-down. As the noise got closer and closer, the two seemed to nod ever so slightly in the other's direction. It seemed like a simple acknowledgement, if anything at all.

At once, they turned to the side and let everything loose. The human was surprised to find brand-new unexpected projectiles join in the fun. Their angle trapped them in a small circle, slamming into the frail body in time with a precise Gaster Blaster shot. A single, breathy scream left their throat as they collapsed into a bloody heap, once again halted in their hateful tracks. Flowey flashed a brief and victorious smirk, while Sans tiredly added another notch to the imaginary tally.

"As I was saying..." Flowey continued, as if the brief interlude was merely them grabbing a cup of tea. "Fighting each other is a waste of time, when we've got much bigger problems at hand."

Seeing as the plant did not summon any more of his own projectiles, Sans let the Blaster fade away as well. If Flowey wanted to kill him and help the human, this would have been the perfect opportunity to do so. This did not mean he could trust the soulless monster, but at least it confirmed they were on the same footing.

"alright then, let's assume we don't kill each other for now." he mused. They were once again on the timer, though hopefully the surprise attack left the human angry enough to either quit, or allow them a lengthier solace. "i'll ask again: why do you need my help? why would you even care?"

Flowey lowered his head for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts. Up until they reached New Home, he was fully on board with everything Chara intended to do. They could kill every single monster with that borrowed body and he wouldn't have cared less. But then there was that look. When he finished explaining himself, just when he thought the bonds could be rekindled, they gave him that look, the one they could always laugh off in the past as just being creepy for the sake of it.

There was no humor in it this time. At least, not to him.

"I... can't tell you everything." he said, circling around the topic. "But I know that you're the last real obstacle in their way. Asgore is a pushover, and once he's dead, they're free to do anything. You know what that means, don't you?"

Sans knew. Every timeline before left a little bit of an imprint on him, not clear memories, just fleeting emotions and the ability to read the human like an open book. He had no idea what would follow after this.

"it's all dark after this." he admitted.

Flowey once again made a nodding motion. "I've taken a great risk by coming here." he said. "They... they want to kill me too."

"there goes the noble cause."

"You act like you're surprised." he flicked a leaf at him in a dismissive fashion. "I lack a soul, not survival instincts."

Sans slightly sharpened his gaze at the plant. "i'm not doing this to survive."

"Because you're an idiot, but that's none of my concern." Flowey's stem trembled, imitating a shrugging motion. "But you've seen that this isn't... them. Not really. And you know this as well, you must have seen it."

The flower's suggestion brought about doubts Sans has had since the beginning. Ever since they left the gate to the Ruins, he had kept his eyes on the human, only to find them indiscriminately murdering every single monster they came across. And yet, even with the behavior they've shown, there was a small, but very insistent part of him that kept waiting for them to stop. He wasn't sure if it was hope, or a distant image from a timeline long forgotten, but he knew. He knew deep in his bones, they this was not how things were supposed to happen and that the brief happy feelings he had upon gazing at the human's face, were not just desperate wishes.

He groaned and mashed his palm against his face, rubbing the oncoming fatigue from his skeletal eyes. "maybe. i feel like this isn't how they should be."

Flowey nodded. If Sans could tell something was off, that was enough. They had enough troubles right now without him having to go into the can of worms Chara's existence signified.

"So this is where we're at right now." he listed, moving his leaves like hands for emphasis. "You can put up a good fight and you're light on your feet. However, you're a one-hit-wonder, and you're getting tired."

"dead tired." Sans said, a remark Flowey chose to ignore.

"I'm not much tougher and my shapeshifting is pretty limited here. I also lack a soul, so I have no soul-changing special attacks. Fortunately, what I don't lack..." his features briefly twisted into dark amusement. "is the will to kill."

Sans watched him with a very visible lack of amusement in his eyes. "not being very reassuring there, buddy."

"Like you'd believe sincerity from me." the soulless monster spat. "But it doesn't matter. I can give you the energy you need to keep going. The power to kill them over and over again, until they finally get tired and RESET."

"and after that?"

"Back to square one, I dunno." he admitted. "If they win, it's all over, anyway. If we win, they RESET and we get another chance."

"so we might still kill each other in the next timeline." Sans finished his thoughts. This was an expected conclusion, though perhaps not the most ideal.

"I guess we might." Flowey grumbled. He wasn't comfortable with this line of discussion, fearing Sans might just cancel their plans altogether. "I couldn't care less what happens to you, or anyone else."

"that's what i expected." Sans seemed surprisingly comfortable with this line of thinking. He was still an enigma to Flowey in many regards, but even in all of his arrogance, the plant knew better than to dismiss his importance. "i still think you're hiding something."

Flowey kept looking firmly at the ground, unwilling to give Sans the chance to read him. This wasn't the first time or last time he'd seen the human, though the skeleton seemed either unaware on unwilling to mention how many RESETs they've been through already. While he had been ecstatic to see Chara again, their presence was a distraction. No, the real enigma here was still that stoic, dumb little runt that decided to spare him after he killed them untold number of times. He couldn't understand their decision and it drove him mad.

Chara's reaction to the world was to be expected. The returned as they had left, in bloodshed. But the other human, the face Chara wore right now, that SOUL they had in their firm grasp, was something mysterious and inexplicable. Dumb beyond all measure and yet there was something to it that drove Flowey closer. Was it their defiance? Their unwavering positivity? Their DETERMINATION?

He couldn't tell. And that's why he needed to see them again.

"whatever it is, hold onto it." Sans' voice brought him back to reality. "if we can force a RESET, i'll ask you again in the next timeline. i don't expect gratitude or friendship, but if we're doing this now, i expect you to be honest."

It was a tenuous compromise. Flowey had every reason and every inclination to lie. He also had every inclination to tell the truth, just to see if it would result in a markedly different result once again. Now that the RESETs were out of his hand, every world had new possibilities.

Sans' glare sharpened, as he noticed the body was missing. The human would arrive any second now, seeking another round.

"i'll regret this so much, but..." the skeleton reached out, his hand just within the flower's reach. "you're up, petals."

Flowey sighed and reached out with his leaves. They grew in size and thickens, till he could comfortably snake up Sans' arm. He felt a keen sense of vulnerability as his roots left the ground, but a brief glance told him the skeleton was just as uncomfortable with the situation. The feelings would pass quickly though. They had a job to do.

"ready, partner?" Flowey's presence would take some time getting used to, but Sans could already tell he wasn't kidding. The plant monster had vast energy reserves, all of which were opened up for him to tap into at will.

"Please, don't call me that..." Flowey's voice was trembling a bit, for the first time since this encounter. He crawled up all the way to the left of Sans' skull, coiling under his shoulders for support. Extending his roots to the actual bones would have been more secure, but he was pretty sure the skeleton would heavily object to that.

Footsteps began to echo across the corridor once again.

"buddy? comrade? ally? root-mate?" Sans listed, his grin channeling just the right amount of smug. He dropped his hands into his pockets, his cheery look becoming ominous and unreadable. "...friend?"

The clap of child shoes got closer and closer. In the far end of the corridor, they could already see the familiar striped sweater.

Flowey could tell he was just trying to cool his own nerves, but strangely enough, the gesture made him smile ever-so-slightly.

"'Ally' will do for now." he said, earning a nod from the skeleton. This was a most fragile alliance, but in some way, it was a variable Flowey had never experienced before. It was a strange, but not wholly unwelcome feeling.

The human finally appeared before the two, looking very tired and annoyed of the whole situation. The knife in their hand glinted with malice, promising nothing but death. Their clothes were noticeably dusty, bringing telltale signs of the bloody path they've cut through the Underground. They raised their head and as soon as they noticed the duo, sharing a common and very amused grin. The kid's expression contorted into one of intense, seething hatred for the two.

The look filled them with DETERMINATION.

"Golly, you look pretty frustrated about something!"