The Time Before (Undertale)

42 ~ Shortcuts

There was nothing.

Nothing around Sans.

He could deal with that. Could fold back into space, just like he had been practicing all yesterday afternoon.

Except he couldn't. The empty nothingness clung to him. Inescapable. It held him there, suffocatingly tight, wordlessly screaming to him that he was going nowhere, that this was what happened when you tampered with things beyond you.

He struggled. Tried to reach out, back for the plane of space.

But it wasn't there. Space wasn't there!!

No, his silent personification of the emptiness said, and it never will be.

But it had to be! It had to be there! He had to reach it, had to get back! He would never fold space again if he could just get back!!

Sans.

He had to get back!

It's far too late for that.

No, no, he didn't believe that! He could get back into space-

"SANS!!"

Sans sat bolt upright, gasping, almost smashing his face into Gaster's.

Gaster grabbed onto Sans' shoulder, holding on tightly, and Sans leaned into his grip.

Sans looked around a little, and saw the clock on his nightstand. It was seven thirty two, a few minutes later than he and Gaster would normally leave to get to the lab-- normally meaning Sans hadn't been planning on going today. Gaster had decided that he got to take another day off.

"Are you okay?" Gaster asked quietly.

Sans nodded and leaned against Gaster, the taller of the two responding in turn to hug Sans. "y-... yeah. i-... it was just a nightmare."

Gaster chuckled dryly. "I had assumed. I came in to check on you before I left, and you were being difficult about waking up."

"difficult?"

"Yeah. I had to shake you quite a bit. What was it about?"

Sans hesitated, recalling the absolute blackness. "i--... uh... there-... i couldn't fold. i- i got lost outside space, and couldn't fold back in."

Gaster let out a small sigh and hugged Sans again. "Sounds pretty bad. Not too surprising, though, considering."

"... yeah..."

"But you don't have to worry, because you can fold space. You're not going to get lost. Yesterday you went from the clearing all the way home in a single fold. I'm absolutely positive you know what you're doing."

"... yeah. still scary to think about, though."

"Heh. Yeah, I guess it is. And I don't even have experience in being outside space." He stood to leave, then paused. "... You're sure you'll be alright?"

Sans laughed a little. "yeah, i'll be fine. it was just a nightmare. those happen."

"Okay. If you're sure."

"bye, dings."

"Goodbye, Sans. I'll see you later."

Gaster left.

Sans laid in bed for a while after that.

Eventually, he did get up. For a moment, he stood at the door to his room. Then he closed his eyes. Rocked on his toes a little.