Cage Of Bones

Chapter 44: Still More Stars To See

Author's Note: *pokes head out from behind curtain* Sooooo uh...I'm GUESSING the last chapter may have made some of y'all upset...rightfully so!

But I promised a happy ending, and this chapter marks the start of it.

Strap yourselves in guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! Because LEMME tell you...I've been waiting for this chapter for SO GODDAMN LONG!

Hope you enjoy!

Trigger Warning(s): Uncensored language, disassociation leading into a non-verbal episode due to sensory overload and honestly feeling 2x more pain than a normal person should in a situation like this, implied off-screen murder, implied off-screen character death, references to past physical/magical violence against another character, references to past suicidal ideation, references to past trauma, references to past child abuse/endangerment (both physical and emotional), and borderline misuse of medical equipment. Viewer discretion is advised.

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BANG!

Grillbz felt it before he heard it...

The weightless panic that overtook him...

The fast beating of his soul as it pumped adrenaline throughout his system...

The fear...the shock...the outrage...the biting urge to protect, protect, PROTECT...!

...but then his mind and vision went completely white...his chest feeling as if it was exploding from the inside out as it felt like a hole was blown right through it.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Even before the others in the room could properly register what just happened on screen, they ALL heard the blood-curdling scream that exploded from Grillbz's mouth with reckless abandon; the elemental clutching his chest for dear life as he fell forward onto his knees, gasping for breath as he felt every nerve in his body positively WAIL with pain.

"DAD?! DAD ARE YOU OKAY?! DAD!"

Grillbz felt as if all sound left his ears, the sounds of his daughter calling and pleading to him sounding so muted and quiet compared to the cacophony of noise that was sounding in his head. The color in his flaming hair was shifting from black to purple to blue to white so quickly it almost made him look like a strobe light, his voice completely gone as he panted harshly, trying to keep oxygen pumping in and out of his system as his soul seemed to struggle to sustain a body that wasn't even dying to begin with.

There was beeping heard in the distance...so quick and repetitive it almost sounded like one long, high pitched drone of noise; marking the HP leaving Sans' body as his soul struggled to hold itself together.

He could feel hands on him...wrapping around him...trying to pull him to his feet...cupping his face to get his attention...trying to get him to focus on anything but the pain...

But all he could hear was the ringing...the high pitched ringing in his head that throbbed and pulsed with every beat of the soul monitor as it grew faster and faster; drowning out the voices around him so much that in spite of hearing the words spoken to him, it was all meshing together so much he could barely discern the meaning of any of them.

"-Grillbz?! GRILLBZ ARE YOU OKAY?! GRILLBZ-!"

"-Grillby, honey, can you hear us?! Are you there?! Come on honey, look at me! PLEASE-!"

"-Wait, no...that can only mean...oh fuck no he didn't...-"

"-What do you mean? Do you mean he...no. No no no no NO! No it CAN'T be! Sans?! SANS! BROTHER-!"