An Error's Doll

Chapter 24

Apparently, the Stars also had some teleportation device for their nonportal-making companion, Blue, to use. When your vision refocused and you could see again, you gasped. You looked around in awe at the pristine snow-covered trees around you and the clean snow below you.

The white was almost blinding with its intensity, but the picture it made was picturesque. It was much better than the eery and ruined woods at Nightmare's base, with its decayed trees and wilting foliage. Blue glanced at you with a smile.

"IT IS QUITE BEAUTIFUL, IS IT NOT?" he asked joyfully. You nodded absentmindedly, still observing your surroundings. The sight of another AU, while captivating, filled you with a sort of restless unease.

The last two times you had gone out to an AU, it had not ended well for you or anyone else involved. You just hoped that the "third time's the charm" was an actual thing. Perhaps this time you could really enjoy an AU without any unfortunate situations... or maybe you just jinxed yourself.

You shook the paranoia off. Thinking about it any more would only dampen your mood further. Instead, you concentrated on the new sights and sounds around you.

You could hear the almost overwhelming buzz of insects, the melodic chirps of birds, the faint rushing and gurgling of a stream, the shuffling of animals concealed in overgrown vegetation, and the crunch of snow and crisp crinkle of leaves hidden beneath it as Blue strolled along–he seemed to be appreciating the scenery as much as you were, humming a chipper tune and scanning the forest.

You peeked at his expression. His face held a beaming smile. You wondered how long it had been since he had visited his AU... how long ago he had last seen his Papyrus. You could not imagine any Sans or Papyrus being fine with not seeing the other for extended periods of time. Brimming with curiosity and a touch of concern, you decided to ask.

"Blue?" you called. He tilted his skull toward you to show he was listening, "You said you wanted to visit Paps, but how long has it been since you've been here?" you questioned, watching his reaction closely. Blue stilled for a moment, his smile slightly shrinking, before he grinned brighter and continued on, looking up toward the 'sky'.

"HMM," he tapped his chin thoughtfully, "...I DO NOT REMEMBER," he eventually answered. You gave him an inquisitive look, silently asking him to elaborate. What did he mean he did not remember? Blue did not seem like the type to forget things like that. He chuckled as he caught your stare.

"I AM SURE YOU MAY KNOW THIS BY NOW, BUT THE TIME IN THE DOODLE SPHERE IS... STRANGE," he said. You uttered a quiet "Oh". You honestly forgot about the wonky time difference between places like the Anti-Void and the Doodle Sphere compared to normal AUs. You noticed he appeared to hesitate, before explaining more.

"MY DUTY AS A MEMBER OF THE STAR SANSES HAS ALSO KEPT ME QUITE BUSY, SO I... Often Forget To Visit...," he got quieter towards the end, trailing off with a distant look in his eyelights. You observed him worriedly.

Yikes, he might be more troubled by that than you had thought. He seemed to snap out of it, shaking his head and walking faster with a pep in his step, "BUT THAT DOES NOT MATTER NOW. I FINALLY HAVE SOME TIME TO SEE HIM," he said cheerfully.

You decided not to comment on his momentary lapse of attention. If he wanted to tell you more, he would. Though you made sure to make a mental note to try and get Blue to visit his AU regularly. If you ended up staying with the Stars longer, you did not want to see him so sad.

...

As he approached the Snowdin here, you burrowed into his scarf and hid out of view. The residents may recognize Blue, but you wanted to avoid any questions they would have about you.