Duska

Alphys finally allowed me to leave and go home! The brothers seemed happier then I was when she told us and had immedietly started gathering all my belongings from around the room. They both insisted for me not to move as they packed, I could do nothing but lay and watch. Once they finished Papyrus had asked if I needed a lift to the elevator but I declined as I wanted to stretch my legs, they wobbled at first but I quickly got the hang of walking again. The only problem we had on the way home was that I needed a break near the Snowdin exit of Waterfall, I had suddenly gotten dizzy which Sans noticed quickly. We were right by his watch post so he let me sit on the counter as we all took a rest before heading off, Papyrus talked about how he was going to cook me spaghetti once we got home while Sans slept off his weariness. Other than that the past week has gone by smoothly with constant spaghetti dinners and lots of the MTT channel. But right now i'm thinking about the past week in my bed, I should be asleep but a single thought is keeping me awake.

"Happy Birthday Dus..."

I turned nineteen five minutes ago at one minute past midnight, great time to have a child. I haven't celebrated my birthday since my eighth but it... still seems lonely. I didn't tell anyone that my birthday was the first of December, I didn't really want to bother anyone with it. I hear the door to my room creak open and small footsteps toward my bed.

"hey... hey kid... you awake?"

I open my eyes to see the smiling skeleton look down at me with one of his eyes shining blue across the room, acting like a flashlight in the usual complete darkness.

"Huh? Sans? Why are you still awake?"

"come on, get up dus! i wanna show you something."

I yawn but throw the blanket off me, i'm wearing a short sleeved blue top and black shorts as pajamas. I slowly move out of bed and walk towards my door where Sans is standing, still wearing his usual blue jacket and black shorts. He holds out his hand and I take it without thought, the world distorts in blue light before changing to the view of dark purple walls with the sound of running water nearby.

"Hmm? Waterfall? I've seen everything here."

"heh heh... i can prove that you haven't."

With his hand still in mine he pulls me along a path he seems to have memorised by heart. We walk past several monsters but I pull Sans towards one that attracts my eye.

"Hi! Who are you?"

It's high pitched voice seems to greatly suit it, it looks like a miniature version of a box but with a face and noodly arms. I can't help but to stare at it's cuteness.

"I'm Duska! What's your name?"

"Tim! But  everyone knows me better as Tiny Box Tim!"

"You are adorable!"

"Hehe, thank you!"

"come on kid! leave the poor guy alone."

I sadly say goodbye to the little guy as Sans somewhat forcefully pulls me towards a cracked wall. He moves a few rocks with his free hand and slides himself inside it, dragging me along behind him. Rocks threaten to cut my clothing and skin but they seemed to have all been purposly shaved down not too long ago, shavings of the rock are lying on the ground being shifted by our feet. Sans suddenly stops and turns his head towards me.

"alright now dus, close your eyes."

"Close them? Seriously?"

His expression says 'Yes. Seriously.' and I can do nothing but close them. With everything dark Sans leads me further into the cave with only the sound of a nearby watefall. Sans stops again but tell me to keep my eyes closed, shortly before I hear his feet running off somewhere.

"Sans!?! Really!?!"

I want to see where I am but i'd rather not ruin whatever Sans is planning, it may actually be funny. Something grabs hold of my hand again and leads me forward a few steps.

"alright... open 'em kiddo."

As soon as I do my breath gets caught in my throat and my eyes widen immensly. The usual star-like rocks in the walls and ceiling are a bright blue and star white, clearer then the rocks everywhere else in Waterfall. Their shine illuminates a running waterfall off to the right side of the cavern, its river runs through a hole back into the wall we came from. But the most awe-inspiring thing in the house sized cave were the two small stones in the centre of the room, one was blue as Sans' eye with magic flowing through it and another as orange as Papyrus' magic. They snugly fit into the silver tear shaped necklace they're placed into, they look like their almost mixing colors which each other.

"you like it kid?"

I try and talk but all that comes out is half an 'uh', Sans takes it as a good sign and chuckles. He goes over and picks up the necklace, bring it back to me.

"happy brithday dus."

"You... remembered it? After all these years?"

"'course i did. bit hard to forget birthdays around pap, he had marked off the date in every calendar we ever owned."

He motions me to sit down, I do so as he walks behind me and places the necklace onto my collarbone. I hear a small 'click' and Sans sits down beside me as he looks up at the ceiling.

"anything like the surface stars?"

I can't help but feel sad at the statement but I hide my sadness and lay down onto the rocky floor, it's more comfortable than I had thought it to be. I look up into the lights that shine down onto the room, they look nothing like stars.

"They... look a lot better than the stars..."

After a few seconds Sans lays down beside me and that's all we do, lay down and look at the lights. I never even notice my eyes closing.

Sans

The kid's fallen asleep... well I did make her walk around in the middle of the night. Sighing I stand up and look at her curled up on the rocky ground, she's hiding something. Something close to what I was once hiding, until Frisk 'saved' Chara and we told everyone about the timelines. I easily pick the sleeping girl up in my arms and take a shortcut back home, placing her gently onto her bed so that I don't wake her. After silently closing the door i walk downstairs then outside, walking around to the back of the house. I feel the cold metal in my hand as I turn it and unlock the door, locking it behind me. The light flickers on as I walk down to see the usual tarp and blueprints that i've left collecting dust the day Dus came.

"it was a mistake..."

I yank open the drawer and pull out the notepad, opening it to the last two pages that I had written in.

'D.R-Timeline 1: Entry 22'

'She's going to the Surface. Says that she wants to convince humans that we exist and that she may be able to get our last needed soul if some 'monster hater' falls down.'

'I said that it was a horrible idea and that she may get hurt but she insists.'

'Maybe she does have some Determination in her...'

'Hopefully she doesn't need to use it...'

'D.R-Timeline 1: Entry 23'

'She hasn't come back from the surface. She said that she'd send some sort of message of how she's doing but we haven't gotten anything.' 

'So... I asked a question...'

'Chara... Frisk... Flowey...'

'They've all told me. They all said that they've dreamt of the reset screen. Along with a crying black-haired girl.'

'Every night they say that she's moved closer to the word 'Reset'.'

'I won't let it happen again. I won't let her have to use that button.'

'Next time I find her in a timeline...'

'Duska won't reset.'