Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first thing they felt when leaving the empty void of their home behind was a light tugging on their shared soul. It wasn’t painful, more uncomfortable than anything. It felt like something was being pulled free from their soul, like something was waking up. Cross stumbled, a startled gasp slipping past his teeth while Chara hovered anxiously beside him with a stilted curse. They both grunted as the tugging grew more insistent, emotions that were their own but not sparking like fireworks across their soul. Magic and something else saturated the air, clung to every atom and molecule, condensed in shimmering gold right before their eyes.

In one blink Cross goes from staring at golden dust to steel blue eyes that gaze back from a wolf-like face. Beside the she-wolf stands another wolf with coal glowing red eyes. Both of them are a pristine white and both of them seem to call out to Cross and Chara.

“He’s mine.” Chara says with certainty, spectral body drifting to the red eyed wolf to ghost incorporeal fingers along his ruff. The human turns his gaze to the she-wolf who eyes him with an almost amused tilt to her head. “She’s yours.”

“She’s mine.” Cross agrees, watching as those steel blue eyes quickly lock back with his own white/red eyelights.

“Curious, I’ve never seen anyone with two daemons before.” They’d almost forgotten Nightmare was there, that the God of Negativity had been the one to finally free them from their prison. He stands beside them now, single eyelight glancing between the two wolves and Cross, never once focusing on Chara.

“Don’t correct him.” Chara hissed, pressing close to Cross’ right side along with the red eyed wolf. “Remember what Ink said? Most monsters don’t take kindly to humans, especially Chara’s.”

Cross doesn’t look at his ghostly human half sibling. He does, however, reach out to rest a hand on the red eyed wolf's ruff. The contact pops and buzzes but doesn’t call out with the wrongness it should when touching a daemon that isn’t your own. The she-wolf huffed from his left, her body swaying to lean against his side. 

‘All four of us are connected, share a soul between us. We won’t hurt each other.’ Her voice is gentle like an evening breeze, wrapping around Cross and Chara both. Then, quick as lightning, the two wolves are replaced with two glittering white snakes, one curling up each of Cross’ arms.

Nightmare looked at them, looked at the two daemons curled around one monster and hummed softly. “I won’t pry. You can tell me the why if and when you are ready. For now, allow me to escort you to your new home and introduce you to my other boys.”

“….thank you…sir.” Cross kept his head lowered, his eyes slightly averted as he followed his new Boss towards the grand castle before them.

‘If he or any of the others hurt you, I’ll bite.’ The red-eyed snake promised, forked tongue flicking out to run along the red scar on Cross’ cheek.

‘We won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.’ The blue-eyed snake vowed as Chara moved to curl protectively along his back and shoulders.

“We are strong together.” The human said, see-through fingers resting over the blue-eyed snake's scales.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meeting Nightmare’s henchmen? Employees? Subordinates? Whatever they were, meeting them was interesting. The three of them stood waiting in the entrance hall of the castle, their daemons by their sides. Cross and Chara eyed them warily, taking note of the cracked skull of the largest one, the spinning target soul of the middle one and the waves of thick LV charged magic surrounding the hooded one.

‘Their daemons are interesting.’ The blue-eyed snake whispered by Cross’ left acoustic meatus.

‘Telling, you can learn a lot from what form a daemon takes.’ The red-eyed snaked hissed on his right side.

“What do you see then?” Chara asked, arms draping around Cross’ shoulders as his head hovered over the top of his skull.

‘The large one, his is the hyena.’ Blue eyes states.

‘Scavengers, opportunists, females call the shots in a pack setting.’ Red eyes says before turning to the next daemon. ‘Hooded one belongs to the African Wild Dog.’

‘Highest success rate in hunting. Skilled killers.’ Blue eyes cautioned, curling tighter around Cross’ left arm.

‘That leaves the tabby cat with the crying one.’ Red eyes mused.

‘Cats, known for killing native wildlife, for being independent and instigators.’ Blue eyes finished.

Cross and Chara don’t have time to process the information given before the three skeletons and their daemons are moving to stand before them. All six pairs of eyes are darting between the twin snakes curling protectively around Cross’ arms and all six pairs are wide in confused disbelief.

“You sure know how to pick 'em Night.” The crying skeleton remarked, his cat staring up in a sort of uneasy wonder.

“Never heard of twin daemons before.” The hooded said as the African Dog gave a soft high pitched click of reproach, teeth turning to nip gently at her monster's sleeve.

“Be…nice.” The cracked skulled giant rumbled before turning to face Cross, his hyena stepping forward and inclining her head in greeting to the two snakes. “My name….Horror….and this….is my Antheia.”

“A pleasure.” The hyena, Antheia says before sending a narrowed eyed look towards the other two daemons and their partners.

“Dust and Eira.” Hooded mutters while gesturing vaguely to the African wild dog.

“Killer and Fran.” Crying smirks while his cat, Fran nimbly jumps up to perch on his shoulder to seemingly get a better view of the twin snakes before her.

In the moment, Cross finds he doesn’t need the snakes to tell him their names for he already instinctively knows them. “Cross, and this is Elisha (Blue eyes) and Heshel (Red eyes).”

Like the waves of the ocean ebb and flow, twin snakes shift and change till twin ravens that gleam like polished ivory sit on either shoulder. The three skeletons jump and their daemons perk up at seeing the unsettled daemons before them.

“Didn’t think you were in the business of adopting kids Nighty.” Killer muttered once his shock had worn off.

“I’m not a kid.” Cross snapped, defensive and guarded. On his right, Heshel clacked his beak while on his left, Elisha ruffled her wings.

“I am to assume Cross’ unsettled daemons are a result of him not actually having them until just under an hour ago when I pulled him from his ruined AU.” Nightmare cut in before a possible argument could break out. His words have surprise and curiosity flashing through the trio. Eira sneezed in bewilderment, hackles raising along her back as teeth shined in the torch light.

“An AU without daemons.” Her voice is sharp, uncomfortable.

“You don’t see too many of those.” Fran said, tail tip twitching the only indication of her own unease.

“It’s not right.” Antheia growled.

Elisha and Heshel don’t comment but Cross and Chara can clearly feel their amusement over the whole situation. Thankfully the curious trio and their daemons aren’t given a chance to probe the newcomers with questions as Nightmare insists on finishing the tour. By the time Cross is shown to their room he’s exhausted both physically and mentally and is thankful for some time alone, or as alone as you can be when sharing a soul with your half brother and now having a pair of daemons too.

They sit huddled on the bed now, Cross leaning up against the headboard with Chara curled against his side. Across from them sit a pair of foxes that shine like freshly fallen snow, blue and red eyes dancing with joy and understanding.

“You were always there, weren’t you?” Cross asked after a while of just staring into each other's eyes.

“That man may have buried us deep within the code of your souls, but he couldn’t get rid of us entirely.” Elisha laughed, bright and clear.

“He saw us as imperfect and tried to hide us away but you can’t hide from yourself.” Heshel yipped, wet nose pressing teasingly at Chara who longed to actually feel his fur under his own skin.

“And you both being unsettled?” Chara asked instead of dwelling on his longing even though he knew his brother would feel the echoes of it in their shared soul.

“The Overwrites never allowed you to settle into being your own beings.” Elisha sighed, moving to rest her body against Cross’ left side.

“We’re also still young. Maybe not children, but not adults either. It will take time to grow and settle into who we were always meant to be now that we’re free to be imperfect.” Heshel said from his place on Cross’ right. The words have both brothers tensing, soul warring.

“We can make mistakes now?” Chara is almost giddy at the prospect. Cross not so much.

“I don’t want to make mistakes.” He snipped, knees drawing to his chest defensively. Chara looked ready to argue, to scold but a warning yip from Heshel silenced him. Elisha leaned up, licking at her boys cheek and teeth nipping in soft affection.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But you're also allowed to want things for yourself now. That need for perfection, that was what he wanted. What do you want?” Her voice is gentle, like a warm sun shower that leaves little sparkling rain drops in its wake.

Cross could only whimper, face turning to nuzzle into the soft fur of her body as his body trembled in fear. “I don’t know what I want.”

“That’s okay.” Heshel said as he worked his way onto Cross’ lap.

“We can figure out what we want together.” Chara promised, leaning into his right side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life in the castle is strange. For one thing, Cross isn’t expected to go out on missions until Nightmare deems him back to a healthy weight and that his magic reserves are full and strong. Cross also isn’t expected to train for four hours a day like he was back in X-Tale and he also doesn’t have to earn meal privileges, something that had seemed to greatly upset Horror when asked about it.

“You are always…allowed food…no matter…what.” The lumbering giant had said, Antheia whining softly by his side.

When Cross asked about what kind of punishment to expect when failing to meet expectations, Killer had stared at him like he didn’t just have two daemons but two heads as well.

“Dude, there are no expectations here other than attending every meal and keeping the castle tidy and even if you did skip a meal or two and leave a mess the most that will happen is a scolding.” The teasing and jeering look that seemed permanently etched onto Killer’s face waned in that moment, especially when Cross just stared in shock at being told he’d only be lightly scolded for wrong doings. “What did you expect to happen, that you’d be hit?” 

Cross’ silence speaks far louder than any words could. Fran bristled at Killer’s side, fur standing on end as she looked at the twins in horrified pity. The look is enough to have them melting from silvery white spider-monkeys to glacier white lynxes. 

Dust and Eira are more tactful in their shock and unease when learning things about Cross. They don’t look at them in sadness, their eyes don’t well with pity. Instead they take a quick moment to process the information and then either move on or offer Cross to try something he’s never had the chance to before, like watching TV.

“They are…nice enough I suppose.” Chara conceded after the first week of living with them. He still didn’t fully trust them around his brother, but he no longer felt like they would turn on Cross the first chance they got.

“They confuse me. This whole place confuses me. I hate it.” Cross huffed.

“Sometimes being offered kindness feels like proof that you’ve been ruined.” Heshel said. Elisha clicked warningly at her mirror while Cross and Chara flinched ever so slightly.

“Thats not…” Cross can’t even think of something to say in defense.

“We aren’t ruined, Cross isn’t ruined.” Chara spoke up for him, glaring at his daemon who had the decency to look ashamed by his choice of words.

“Not ruined.” He agreed, head lowered as he slunk towards them, body rippling to be a pearly white ermine that was mirrored by Elisha.

“Perhaps bruised is more fitting.” She offered, Cross scoffing even as his soul ached with defeated agreement.

“Maybe a little broken.” Chara whispered, shameful and angry at a childhood tainted.

“Bruises fade. Broken things can be fixed.” Heshel reminded, hopeful and earnest.

“We’ll figure it out together, and we will heal together.” Cross said, firm and sure.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s kinda creepy how they do that.” Dust couldn’t help but say two months into their stay at the castle. He’s looking at Elisha and Heshel, both of whom just switched from bone white storks to creamy white horses.

“Can you not be different shapes at the same time?” Eira asked, more forward.

They had all been finishing up some group training drills and while Cross was slowly finding his rhythm with the trio he still felt a little bit like an outsider. The reminder of his twin daemons, something that would separate him from any and every monster and human had him growing tense and guarded once more.

The question though has everyone pausing, even Cross and Chara being curious of the answer. Heshel and Elisha blinked at Eira and then at each other, tails swaying in perfect harmony.

“We’ve never thought to be different.” Elisha said honestly, ears pinning back in discomfort.

“Why not try?” Fran pressed only to give a spitting hiss when Antheia gave her a warning shove with her head.

“If they don’t want to then they don’t have to.” The hyena scowled, teeth flashing in warning.

“Be weird too, wouldn’t it? They are both Cross’ daemons meaning when they settle they’ll be the same anyway. You can’t be two different things as yourself after all.” Eira said even though she had asked the original question.

Guilt is quick to fill their shared soul, Elisha and Heshel shrinking down into twin balls of ice white hamsters that sit curled on either side of Cross’ neck. Cross grimaced, Chara scowling at nothing in particular as they quickly excused themselves and all but fled to their room.

“We can try…if you want.” Heshel offered. For some reason, the thought of them not being perfect mirrors sends a wave of nausea and anxiety rolling through Cross and Chara’s shared soul.

“No, you're both perfect just the way you are.” Cross scowled, phalanges running down both their tiny backs.

“Antheia’s right. If you don’t want to be different then you don’t have to.” Chara said.

No one brings up their synchronised changing again other than Killer and Fran jokingly complaining about creepy horror twin cliches from time to time. Deep down, Elisha and Heshel know they will settle as different forms to one another, but for now they are happy and content to be one another’s mirror.

~~~~~~~~~

The first and last time the twins try out the form of a badger is when they learn of the phenomenon known as Post Traumatic Resettling Disorder. They had been playing just before dinner, running around and chasing the other daemons when they went from quick footed rabbits to more robust badgers. All laughter and joy had come to a screeching halt, the emotions nosing diving so quickly and sharply that Nightmare was forced to intervene to prevent injuries from post traumatic flashbacks.

“The three of them aren’t like you. They aren’t from alternative universes. They come from alternative timelines from the original universe.” Nightmare explained after sending the trio to bed early.

Cross and Chara eyed each other for a split second, Heshel and Elisha humming unease from their perches as twin falcons on Cross’ shoulders.

“So their daemons all used to be badgers?” Cross asked, pseudo stomach turning uncomfortably.

“Shared a name too. They forged new names after their daemons resettled due to their trauma.” Nightmare confirmed.

“That…doesn’t sound like a pleasant experience.” Cross said while Heshel and Elisha huddled closer to his neck, body’s trembling in horrified fear.

“It is one of the most painful things anyone can experience. To have something so harrowing happen to you that it literally changes the shape of your soul, changes who you are fundamentally at your core, it’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.” Nightmare sighed, looking every bit his five hundred plus years.

They are quick to promise not to take the form of a badger around any of the others ever again. As they make their way to the study door to head back to their own room though they can help but pause, a question burning on the tip of their tongue.

“Their daemons, what were their names before?” Cross asked, hesitant and convinced he was overstepping a boundary and would be severely punished for asking. Instead, Nightmare just gave him a small sad smile, singular eye filled with a fond melancholy.

“Danita.”

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Gods don’t have daemons. Ink doesn’t have one but he also doesn’t have a soul so he’s not exactly a great example. However, Nightmare and Dream don’t have one and neither does Error. Six months ago this wouldn’t have bothered Cross and Chara in the slightest. Now though, now it always sends a brief surge of fear and wrongness through their shared soul.

“You…get used…to it.” Horror assured after their first meeting with the God of Destruction and Cross had instinctively flinched back at the sight of Error standing alone. They were used to seeing Nightmare with no daemon but to see someone else without one was just so jarring.

“It just seems so wrong to not have them now. I can’t imagine not having them and we’ve only had each other for six months.” Cross shuddered, phalanges digging into the ruffs of twin snow leopards. To his right, Chara floated agitated circles. 

“It’s worse when we have to do missions in daemonless AU’s.” Dust said, Eira growling at his side.

“Gives me the creeps seeing so many monsters and humans walking around without their other half.” Killer shivered.

His words have Cross and Chara thinking of their own AU, of their family who was never allowed to meet their other half. It has a fresh wave of guilt and grief over their world's destruction welling up inside them. 

“You don’t happen to know what they would be?” Cross asked their shared daemons later that night. Elisha and Heshel glanced sadly at one another before shaking their heads.

“We may have always been with you but we were trapped inside your individual codes. We couldn’t see or interact with other daemons.” Heshel explained.

“Oh.” Cross is disheartened. He’d have liked to know what Papyrus’ daemon was like, what form they would have taken and what name they would have carried.

“One day we’ll find a way to bring them back. And when we do we’ll make sure they are all finally together.” Chara vowed, determined to meet Frisk’s daemon one day, to be reunited with all his siblings and their daemons.

~~~~~~~~~ 

It takes them eight months to finally be cleared by Nightmare to start participating in missions. This also means they are allowed to leave the castle grounds to meet some of their allies, meaning the Underfell brothers.

Red is laid back, lazy and doesn’t appear at all assuming at first glance. His daemon tells another story. Vesta is a wolverine, an animal known for their aggression and for standing against foes much larger than they are. She is quick witted with a sharp tongue, a perfect reflection of Red’s true self.

Fell and his Andra don’t hide anything at all. Both stand tall, confident in themselves and their abilities. Andra is a timber wolf, loyal pack animals that defend their own to their last breath. Both brothers and their daemons are strong and dangerous when needed yet both are still caught off guard by Cross and his twin daemons.

“Unnatural.” Andra sneezed, lamp yellow eyes narrowed at the pair of white maned wolves before her.

“Certainly something you don’t see every day.” Vesta mused.

“Be nice, they are one of us.” Antheia scolded, ruff standing on end as she flashed teeth in warning.

The two daemons try to be more polite after that though they do shy away slightly when Heshel and Elisha shift from maned wolves to fast footed tree lizards that sit perched on Cross’ shoulders.

“We are unconventional.” Elisha muttered from his left.

“Makes others uncomfortable when confronted with something that doesn’t fit the mold.” Heshel almost laughed from the right.

Cross doesn’t say anything in return. He’s lived his whole life fighting to fit the mold his father set out for him. He’s always been part of a perfect set, always been exactly what others wanted him to be. Now that he’s not, now that he stands out more than anyone he can’t help but feel his bones itch with anxious fear.

“We’ll work on that.” Chara soothed.

~~~~~~~ 

They meet Blue and Dream nine months into their stay with Nightmare and his strange group that is starting to feel more like a patchwork family than a cohort of employees. Like with Error, the sight of Dream standing alone sends a flash of fear and wrongness through them, has teeth baring in anxious discomfort. Blue helps sooth the discomfort with his German shepherd standing proudly by his side.

“Oh, you're new.” Dream pointed out, golden eyes skittering over Cross’ body before resting on the twin snowy owls sitting like sentinels on his shoulders.

“Two daemons! You must have twice the soul.” Blue called out. 

“Well, he’s almost right.” Chara conceded with a slight twitch of his lips.

The battle is quick but exciting. Cross feels free in a way he hasn’t for months. He was a soldier at heart, a trained and skilled fighter so to finally put those skills back into use had him swelling with pride and purpose. Elisha and Heshel dart around him, somehow knowing exactly where to place themselves, when to shift so they don’t get in the way. It’s a graceful dance, a deadly tango that leaves many on the battlefield field entranced. The distraction allows Heshel to dart forward as a sleek furred jackal to nip at Blue’s German Shepard who yelps at the sting.

“Amina!” 

“I’m fine! Just a scratch!” She’s already rushing forward to try and give her own nip but Heshel flits up into the air as a little robin, Elisha joining him to fly teasing loops around the grounded daemons head. “I want to say cheat but I suppose if you have an advantage you should use it.”

“Spoken like a true soldier.” Elisha sung back just before she dived down to peck at a soft velvet ear.

Dream calls the retreat. Without Ink to back them up they are out matched and don’t really stand a chance now that Cross is part of the team. The golden God calls out a warning, a promise to return and tip the AU they are in back in Positivities favour before ushering his mortal companion through a portal.

“That was awesome! You really showed little Blue who the boss is out there Crossy.” Killer beamed before throwing an arm around Cross’ shoulders. He tensed at the contact and Chara grew still beside them, watching to make sure the other didn’t try to hurt his brother. Heshel and Elisha drop to the ground as little white cats to start a play fight with Fran, completely ignoring the tension coming from their shared skeleton.

“It was really impressive how well you worked with both your daemons considering it’s your first proper fight with them beside you.” Dust added as he sidled up next to them, Eira happily joining the playing daemons alongside Antheia.

“Did well…out there.” Horror smiled.

Cross looked between the three of them, looked at the laughing and playing daemons before sending a quick side look to Chara who had slowly relaxed. The human shrugged, eyes filled with a soft hesitant joy that had a small smile pulling at Cross’ teeth. This, this felt like healing, like acceptance, like a new chapter in a life finally worth living. This felt like coming home, like having colour returned after so long in black and white.