Royal Blue

But the Stars Kept Shining (Chapter One)

"And there... you can see Orion's belt," his dad's voice softly spoke, as if afraid his breath could extinguish the flickering candle-light shine of the stars above.

Sans shuffled closer to the telescope, the dewy grass and warm summer air shifting gently around him as the last of the fireflies faded. His dad's strong hands guided his head to the telescope, and sure enough, the constellation shined through.

"I see it dad! I see it!!" Sans cheered, his mom laughed.

"God, you two are such nerds," she slyly grinned.

"Aren't they lil Pappy? Yes they are, yes they are!" His mom cooed at Sans' baby brother, at which his dad laughed.

"Oh? And you aren't?" His dad asked.

"Of course not!" Mom replied, handing baby Pap over to Sans such that she could properly strike a pose.

"I'm only the coolest skeleton on the mountain!!" She exclaimed loudly.

Dad snorted, and Sans held in his giggles.

"What're you snorting at, little mister?" She playfully snapped at her husband, who held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Truth is Pap, Mom and Dad are both total nerds," he whispered it like a secret.

Papyrus smiled the most adorable little smile, as Sans lifted him closer, the baby-bones blathering in total nonsense.

"And soon enough, you'll be turned to the dark side too. Just like I was." Sans smiled at his little brother, and looked up to the stars.

Just then, a small flash of light zoomed past.

"Dad! Dad!! A shooting star!" Sans exclaimed, gasping, pointing out where it was to baby Papyrus, who gurgled and laughed at his brother's excitement.

His Dad ambled over, complaining about how Mom had made him miss it.

Mom kissed his cheek instead of replying, and Sans mimed gagging, which made little Pap giggle his tiny head off.

They lay there, under the stars for a long time, the stars watchful and quiet, quick to be hidden but winking above them, eons old and yet as silly as Mom and Dad.

The clear sky would always be one of Sans' favorite memories.

It felt so safe to be there with his whole family.

Then, Mom and Dad were drafted into the war.

Sans never saw them after that, and somewhere inside of him, as the once beautiful sky was clouded with dark smoke, ash falling around like snow through the ice cold air...

Sans knew he would never feel safe again.

Sans coughed harshly as smoke filtered through him, at the edge of his hearing, he could hear Papyrus sobbing from underneath the red scarf Sans had wrapped around the baby-bones.

Sans' pupils flickered in panic, similar to that of the raging inferno that had engulfed everything they had.

Sans coughed again, but there was a hand on his shoulder. Hot and sharp like it's own contained flame. Sans leapt back, eyes glowing, and-

"Sans," a familiar voice crackled.

Sans blinked, fists grasping against the polished bar-top so tightly he feared it may break beneath his fingers.