Jake lifted his monitor at the sound of the door creaking open. Toriel was standing in the doorway, a dish of some sort in her hands. He started to rise when she quickly held a finger to her mouth.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixL8SEqvKG
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fv3ybKcEW
"Shh!"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn4ZPK45bP
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgSJoQ566G
Jake settled down and watched as the Bossun woman approached the sleeping form of Frisk and carefully laid the dish on the floor beside her bed. Jake scanned the object on the dish and identified it as some sort of confection due to the high level of sugars.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpZ38LJRfx
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3VpQd6aKX
Toriel patted Jake on the head before leaving the room silently. Jake remained active, however. Something about the room resonated with the memory files tucked away in his memory. It was a fairly large room, complete with a wardrobe full of clothes, plenty of toys, and a surprisingly number of shoes in different sizes, but there was something else that seemed to stick in Jake's data-banks.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgGKFAYvp5
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwuP0zA6uM
He remembered another room, one with a young boy and a little girl. No matter how much they squabbled, the boy always went over to the girl's bed at night and made sure she was tucked in properly. He called her 'sister', and she in turn called him 'brother'.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjIn61w8m9
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABwYfsyBGS
Brother ... the term seemed important somehow, but Jake's processes couldn't identify why. As the minutes passed, he felt a sudden compulsion to locate the boy; perhaps he could help Jake make some sense of the data.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnpgRg6IRb
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1R5MUbN3X
Jake looked at Frisk. The little girl was sound asleep, her small face peaceful. The goat-woman named Toriel had treated her with kindness that could only be described as motherly. She would keep the little girl safe. While Jake's authority subroutines demanded he stay with her in hopes of finding Glen, his current master, he nevertheless found himself standing up and approaching the door. The old data-files were useful, telling him exactly how to open the door with his front paws without making much noise.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLNqdqhGml
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbrbbJVLQW
He walked through the tidy house softly, ultimately finding Toriel asleep in a chair beside the hearth. He started to activate a fire suppression system to prevent her from injuring herself, only to realize the fire itself was not actually burning; it was merely pleasantly warm, and caused no damage to the log it sat upon.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJQhJisx26
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1yDB3vu9o
Jake considered waking up Toriel to let her know of his departure, but ultimately decided against it. He still couldn't access any kind of verbal communication, and visual communication would take time. He wanted to be gone before Frisk woke up ... before either of them could wake up. He wasn't part of their story.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwSlAOu8pr
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsq8ycQVLC
Jake froze, that final stream of data confusing him. Their story? What did that mean? How did he know he wasn't a part of it? He tried to compute some sort of satisfactory answer, but ultimately came up with nothing. Not even the memory data gave him an answer.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dHGVfiDO8
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPadZizPwM
Shaking his head, he turned around and left Toriel asleep by the fire. Going back wasn't an option, as his scans determined there were no exits that way. Fortunately, he'd already scanned the house and discovered the central staircase led to an underground corridor.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihiI67F6bV
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYQhVDBwmP
Jake walked down the corridor slowly, scanning the air for particulates in hopes of determining where the corridor might lead. The readings didn't match any location he'd visited recently, but he continued (doggedly ... heh heh) scanning.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRTbJVQ8aH
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCTZSh2Jtf
He paused. Where had that thought come from? Finding no answer, he continued walking. The corridor was quite long, eventually turning ninety degrees to the left toward a small chamber with a large door.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrcvoK8H5Y
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0Xy0X1QZb
Scans of the area indicated a definite drop in temperature, as well as particulates indicating vegetative life, namely pine trees or some similar conifer. He hurried to the door and pushed against it with all his might. To his surprise, they opened quite easily. He staggered through, only to stop inches away from a familiar slipper.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy365vNPV6e
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WofOAJYfv
It appeared to be the bio-form known as Sans; the bone structure and the face matched Jake's files on the skeleton, but the colors were wrong. The bones and clothes were black, the sweater beneath the coat was red, and the face looked so strange, Jake was certain the circuits that translated visual data for him were glitching.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Pwh69P9SU
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bERdnafYy
The skeleton who looked like Sans stared at Jake, the larger of his red eyes bearing two irises around a tiny black pupil, the outer yellow and the inner as blue as the real Sans's coat.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCyAz3extZ
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTick8IEGU
"There you are." Error!Sans said, "I've been looking for you, doggy."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MF4r9XTBm
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8FqXwIr7s
Jake began to sense subspace anomalies forming around the skeleton. In a flash, memory files clicked into place. This was the creature that attacked Glen, Sans, and Jake in the middle of what Sans called 'a shortcut'. Already the being was causing Jake's sensor data to overload as it has before. Jake shut off everything but his visual and auditory senses to prevent another overload, but not before the word 'ERROR!' appeared again and again in the corrupted data.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzqzuBIAhA
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XMoIo8qEV
"That's my name." Error!Sans said, grinning all the wider. "Don't wear it out. Oh, that's right; you can't talk."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJ2R0fEwzH
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0DIcGYcB4
Jake let out a growl. He hoped it would intimidate Error!Sans, but once again his information files proved incorrect. Error!Sans simply laughed at Jake and shook his head.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlstxCPPrhv
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZ6QBzWbW8
"I've destroyed hundreds of timelines, mechamutt ... maybe even thousands. What can I say? It's hard to keep count when you're having so much fun!"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4AYC3Dwnf
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJwXhUZ4QR
Error!Sans thrust a hand at Jake. Blue threads shot through the air, wrapping themselves around Jake's limbs and lifting him from the ground. jake tried to open his back panel to use his interior energy buster, but more thick threads wrapped around his back, preventing the panel from opening. Jake yelped, but there was nothing he could do. The threads were surprisingly strong; even a blast of electricity from this front emitters did nothing.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBvfk9f287
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegJG1LmQ7R
Error!Sans slowly approached the floating dog until his face was only inches away from Jake's monitor. "What makes you think you have any chance of stopping me from tearing you apart and taking your ..."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaHn6cqX5F
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFgGpLdrDC
Error!Sans frowned, his corrupted eyes squinting at Jake as though searching for an errant pixil in Jake's monitor. His smile faded, only to be replaced with a look of suspicion.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8rWwLIclE
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2z3X4h8afX
"It's missing." Error!Sans said slowly, as though not believing what he was saying. "I can see inside you, where your soul should be ... but it's not there. What have you done with it?"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9pLpnul2F
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmat22o3fz
Jake barked loudly at Error!Sans, still struggling to free himself from the blue threads.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9oopChHb9
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxmPLwlnZw
"One of the others." Error!Sans said to himself. "The new abomination ... no, that human woman, the one with the green and gray striped shirt. She must have it. Where is she, dog? Tell me, or I'll tear you apart!"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryRFktgEJA
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug36Aec0rI
Jake was at a loss. His weapons were ineffective, his mobility was nonexistent, and the data Error!Sans wanted wasn't in his memory banks. There seemed to be nothing he could do to stop his destruction.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7ueunvFhE
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZURkZihHK
A stick hit Error!Sans right in the face. It didn't do any visible damage, but the shock of it made Error!Sans release his threads from Jake. Jake landed on all four legs, his back panel sliding open and the blaster attachment rising out. He fired at Error!Sans, but the strange skeleton blinked out of existence only to appear a safe distance away.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCTggBGZEA
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cHUUu3LHW
A hand touched Jake's side. Jake turned to see it was little Frisk, her small face a mask of determination.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfAsyY1l7I
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYWzNwbIZT
"Little brat!" Error!Sans said with a scowl. He raised his hand, but this time Jake didn't wait for the threads. Barking may not have worked, but Glen had Jake hooked up to her personal database, which included a directory labelled 'Wrhse13' that contained among many strange and bizarre files a single sound file: 'marsden.mp3'.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmNnnlK1vs
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlN1M8RjzUS
Jake blasted the file as loud as his speakers could handle. The effect was immediate; as the sound reverberated off the stone walls of the corridor, the look of anger on Error!Sans's face became one of bliss. True tears, separate from the strange teartrail-like markings on Error!Sans's face fell down the skeleton's cheekbones. The blue threads fell to the ground and faded from existence as Error!Sans sank to his knees.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6JVy7e106
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAY1MezU7k
Jake nudged Frisk, only to find her in tears as well, a look of pure happiness on her face. He was still at a loss for what to do when his speakers suddenly gave out under the strain.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2Ja3FDicj
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv82nqb2Ox
The music died with a crackle of static. Jake tensed in anticipation of Error!Sans's resumed attacks, but the strange skeleton simply looked at them for a long moment before saying, "What was I doing?"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKll02VK29u
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCMHbQPBcu
Jake waited cautiously as Error!Sans looked around in confusion. After a few moments, he shook his skull and said, "I-I gotta go ..."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SNfyaxCFm
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bqtYIzV4p
With that, Error!Sans was gone. Jake waited a few moments before deciding that he would likely not return for a little while.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ049ZvzVTWR
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ESyfg53Qw
Hearing a sniffle, Jake turned to see Frisk rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. Jake sat on his hind-quarters and put a paw on her shoulders.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfOgz10hzx
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeNzUs4iik
"I'm all right." She signed to him. "What happened? The black skeleton was shooting something at us, and then ... I can't remember."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMLw8Vk5Bk
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78JlJWOMd7
Jake considered his options for response for several moments before tilting his head forty-five degrees and displaying his 'puzzled' face.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GcXlx7L2c
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwYsAbW1FE
Frisk giggled and rubbed his head. "Silly doggy! Come on; we really shouldn't be here. Mom will get mad."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYFmrAdXRh
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZNqbr9hEj
Frisk turned back to the door that led to Toriel's house, only to find the doors closed. There were no handles on their side, and Jake discovered that pushing them had no effect. Whether through magic or mechanics, the doorway was apparently one way only.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08CGHehv6O
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9iElIyZ9W
All trace of happiness left Frisk's face. She tried again and again, banging her fists on the door in desperation to no avail. She even tried calling Toriel's cellphone; while Frisk could not speak, she and Toriel had figured out some simple tapping rhythms that gave her some basic communication: yes, no, help, that sort of thing. Unfortunately (and quite strangely), the phone-line picked up to the sound of another dog barking inquisitively. Jake tried to bark in reply, but found his speakers still non-functional.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNafR0TLMGM
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMkYeZkphD
"It's no good." Said a voice that made Jake growl immediately. "It's a one-way door. Even your dog's blaster won't make a dent. You're stuck out here!"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZE5pSCK66v
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AAGj7nn1F
Flowey was back, having emerged from the small mound of dirt in the middle of the room. Jake moved in front of Frisk and growled, but Flowey lifted his petals in supplication.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfGDyOavY9
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipgsDL2DtO
"Oh, don't mind me; I've learned my lesson ... but have you?" Flowey asked, looking at Frisk. "I've been watching you, making friends with the froggits and the whimsuns, buying donuts from the spiders ... you think you're real clever, aren't you? Befriending all the monsters? Ha! Don't you realize in this world, it's kill or be killed? Well, you'd better realize it soon; you'll soon be out of the Ruins, where the rest of the Underground is waiting to kill you and steal your soul!"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmPhLroL85
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6RUw320Dy
Frisk trembled as the little flower let out a high-pitched evil laugh. "Good luck, Frisk! You're going to need it where you're going!"723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadFZRDc3gx
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SnR8ZBtqG
Flowey laughed again. Jake lunged at the flower, but it dove beneath the dirt and was gone in seconds.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaBlPUIRyg
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUZnV4Khnu
Hearing a sniffle, Jake turned to see Frisk crying. He walked over to her and gave her another pat on the back. As she looked at him with tear-stained eyes, Jake again felt the strange resonance with the data files, this time producing an image; another face, that of the boy who lived in the room with his sister. He was crying too.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyvpPHNSu7
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MMnZSxWvK
Jake's programming told him that he belonged to Glen Adams Soleil, and if not to her, then to some person named Finn Cresste. In that moment, however, he realized his programming allowed for him to name other owners, should the need arise. Looking at the little girl's face, Jake knew the need had arisen.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlDUqAsbIc
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTBSKYFGzh
"New user accepted." Crackled an automated voice from Jake's speakers as his self-repair systems patched them back together. "Frisk is recognized as the owner of this unit."723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoYxkTo6g1
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwknt5onbbT
Frisk put a finger on her chest, a look of surprise on her face as she pointed it at Jake. Letting out an affirmative bark, Jake nudged Frisk's side. She looked confused until he did it again, crouching down on his legs. Realization in her eyes, she smiled and climbed on Jake's back.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTtUvwx9xp
723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCToixnkod
With another bark, Jake ran down the corridor, Frisk giggling as she held him tightly. Toriel would come looking for her sooner or later, and until that time, Jake would keep his little master safe. After all, now it was his story too.723Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkMdEhCmVV