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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCh3TKoWcKr
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGXvsatkZy
"Shh!"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9j6JGl3zn
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEUHJoVYp1
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmBMrO8H5A
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsBXm2pJHa
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeebhMZ2tP
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LBhTJQZwD
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'.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI86Fdj2msh
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAdg9EQEo9
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AWpAhk8u4
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuDJsp8NmZ
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF00xIzrKOL
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDymbydRey
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL8St8xYex
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6914TaJ3u
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCjAsP5fki
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Qo0t6LVoi
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJaIsZiFQH
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7fu3MGHXD
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9uhVUIb3V
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0SqHNtfEd
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NwEOYaAcV
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNc5wGnr5EB
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TastT0S8O
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IjGe9Kvjv
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6wWvddpIT
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEoMxtT5Vq
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhbDtGk0Zd
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTJd9QM1DK
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoKPwkhCnz
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzxhKCEf8M
"There you are." Error!Sans said, "I've been looking for you, doggy."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lh2ioHSU0
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymjcHhljZ8
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTTrNcy8UV
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqk4Zpwjh7
"That's my name." Error!Sans said, grinning all the wider. "Don't wear it out. Oh, that's right; you can't talk."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBs4D3lrzT
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56h23WURTe
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchh1dd480h
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhw88IiapT
"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!"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEAVHmzaBH
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDH7KU94af
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39powFB7gP
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMQxx9CiM7
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 ..."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7f2hN7hEzv
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEW1kaytDj
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3SQHDObrh
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQUDxTvP9Y
"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?"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AOHYgWROe
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4h6rnl3JEr
Jake barked loudly at Error!Sans, still struggling to free himself from the blue threads.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96nSajl1UI
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeonpsHa5U
"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!"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6J0sCxwHG
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQhQ8Y1bvJ
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg2ROyWzTH
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypxoGGxjKM
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpF3QWwTyq7
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbq2yRb4Wyt
A hand touched Jake's side. Jake turned to see it was little Frisk, her small face a mask of determination.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7XE4rTPWM
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeerOWBsRzj
"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'.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVxQ3leYAd
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNLaNkWg2p
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4ZoLLRQCi
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaL0BuU9zY
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEJrcQxKxO
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwrJbHr9HF
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?"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpKi3WAECx
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdTUG27s1z
Jake waited cautiously as Error!Sans looked around in confusion. After a few moments, he shook his skull and said, "I-I gotta go ..."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAo6DGWEYpI
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DBLz03HyO
With that, Error!Sans was gone. Jake waited a few moments before deciding that he would likely not return for a little while.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpx3OaIIxH
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeOLjgxeNF
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlIs07KmL7
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8QAvn8AbE
"I'm all right." She signed to him. "What happened? The black skeleton was shooting something at us, and then ... I can't remember."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qI5GhFpVx
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yCGJPH39t
Jake considered his options for response for several moments before tilting his head forty-five degrees and displaying his 'puzzled' face.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVjAdLV6Xd
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ401FVGMeci
Frisk giggled and rubbed his head. "Silly doggy! Come on; we really shouldn't be here. Mom will get mad."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPQ5LcFF5b
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzM4xVleZm
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYJ6LbkQfA
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjEBXzApGq
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gaE3Py3mg
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFgN8SQNRX
"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!"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QXjI3iJPz
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxGHCd5TLN
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBC375Mlpm
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55Uje7b8RB
"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!"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZo3UEE52z
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvRZrXVEGR
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!"855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBU3zKMqsc
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NEMChuIoc
Flowey laughed again. Jake lunged at the flower, but it dove beneath the dirt and was gone in seconds.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF3iqgs20B
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ6VGRUyG1
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpXN7GxeZl
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgFcStqnZb
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAswdcn3Fq
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g6K0wD3FO
"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."855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTGW6UQRAe
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJvKYlfDqQ
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalOt4JVOOW
855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYoALluNTu
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.855Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCH3sF0fhr