So Similar Yet So Different

by Blupani_Lov3r

Summary:

It's been a month since Frisk has reset. Sans can't take it anymore, and decides to do a manual reset, but things don't go as planned. What will Sans do when he finds himself in a different universe? And how will Frisk feel when they reset and Sans is gone?

This is strictly familial! Do not read this as romantic or incestuous! If you can't see this as simply platonic, don't read at all.

https://www.tumblr.com/end-otw-racism/716978822501875712/fandom-against-racism-a-manifesto?source=share

This is a collab with JimmySMASH4dawin!

Chapter 1: Heartbreak

Summary:

This is my first fic on this site. I hope you enjoy! I plan on doing a chapter at least every week, but it's not promised.

Dust…

The air smelled of dust. 

He could remember the times. The times when it smelled of cheer. When it smelled of fresh fries at Grillby’s and laughter from monster children. He remembered the smell of hope. Hope for a better future. But now, all he wanted was his already happy past back. All he wanted was him. 

He remembered the smile. The smile his brother had always worn. The true smile. Much different than his own smile, which was worn not for joy, but more as a mask. A mask to hide behind. A mask he always wore so everyone would assume he was okay because it was easier to pretend to be okay than to try to explain over and over.

In a house which once smelled of burnt spaghetti and cheer. What was now silence was once happy humming and the constant reminder to put his dirty sock away. Oh, what he would give to hear, “Sans, could you please put your sock away,” one more time….

He walked into his brother’s room, the red scarf he used to wear as a cape now wrapped around his neck. If he closed his eyes, he could almost feel Papyrus hugging him, but when he opened them he realized that it wasn’t his brother, but indeed just the scarf. He remembered making that outfit with him. It was for a costume party. Papyrus had been so excited. He remembered the joy on his brother's face the first time he tried that battle body. It made him so happy, that he never took it off, no matter how ridiculous he may have actually looked. In his eyes, his brother was always the coolest. 

Stepping inside the room which was once so lively, it felt empty. He first checked the closet. You know… just in case there were any skeletons in there. Sadly, no luck. It was foolish to even check, yet he looked anyhow. 

But enough wasting time. He had to do what he came in here to do. Even if it didn’t matter how much time he wasted. Time didn’t matter anyhow. It would all just be reset soon, right?

Even so, he finally brought himself to do it.

Sans took off the lid with a trembling hand, taking a small handful of dust from the jar. His eyes brimmed with tears, and he carefully scattered the dust on Papyrus’ bed. Seeing the dust on his own hands as he scattered it almost gave him a sense of guilt. Like it was his fault. Perhaps it was. Perhaps it was his fault because he was powerless to stop it. Why was he powerless to stop it?! Why was the world like this? Why did he have to remember? How cruel is that? Living with the pain the memories brought. It would almost be easier to just forget, and yet at the same time, he loved and cherished all those memories, and never wanted to let go. He was conflicted. One voice told him to run out, to never look at this room again, to forget everything, and never think about him. And, the other voice wanted him to stay in there, reliving the bittersweet moments over and over again, so that it almost feels like he’s still here. 

He then looked over to the table of action figures. The books, the toys, the racecar bed, everything reminded him of the once joyous skeleton who resided within this room. He remembered all of the Giftmas mornings they spent together, the light in his eyes when he saw what “Santa” had brought him put a genuine smile on his face. A small one, and a very pained one, but a smile nevertheless. He remembered reading to Papyrus before bed. The taller skeleton had always loved Peek-a-Boo with Fluffy bunny. Even though he knew how it turned out, the end somehow still always managed to get him. 

Sans took out another scoop of dust and pinched it over the figures. The jar was much lighter now, only holding enough dust for one more pinch. One more opportunity to spread the dust over something Papyrus had loved during life. That was an old monster tradition from whenever monsters fell down. To take their dust and spread it over something they loved.

Sans slowly picked up Papyrus’ battle body from the ground. It had taken quite a hit from the fight with Fr-...it. He laid it down neatly, then took the last of his remains, all that was left of his brother, and spread it thinly across the suit. He was sure that it was what Papyrus would have wanted. It would have made Papyrus happy.

Happy… such a foreign concept now. He highly doubted that he could ever find happy again until the human reset. Which would hopefully be any minute now. It was only a matter of time.

He held the scarf tight, crying silently. Being in this room, this no longer lively, happy room, was almost painful. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready yet to leave. He stood there for what felt like forever, then finally found it in him to teleport to his own room.

The second he was in the privacy of his bedroom, he started bawling. Not that he had anyone to hide from. Yes, not everyone was dead. Just everyone important to him and a few other unfortunate monsters. It didn’t matter who saw him now anyways, but yet he still felt more comfortable being in his own room. 

A week. It’s been a week since the human left the underground. He expected them to reset, so he kept his emotions buried, but now he couldn’t hold it in anymore. Why haven’t they reset? It’s been a week. Surely they must be bored by now. Was it just out of amusement? To laugh as they think of him suffering? Or was this the last reset? 

It couldn’t be the last. They wouldn’t be so cruel as to leave things like this, would they? 

He hiccuped, the tears stopping but the convulsions going strong. 

This couldn’t be it. 

They just found something interesting on the surface, that’s it. They’ll reset soon, like it never happened.

They’ll reset soon…

Any day now, and this nightmare will be over. It’s only a matter of time.

He told himself that every minute of every day, for thirty days before he began to lose hope. Before he stopped believing himself.

Before he finally realized that perhaps… this was all that was left. Perhaps they wouldn’t reset.

Perhaps the human wouldn’t fix this. This was it. This was all that was left. The Human got their happy ending, and they left him in the dust.

No one was going to fix this. He would never see Papyrus again if he didn’t act. He’d never hear that voice again.

He couldn’t just continue to sit here and wait for the solution to present itself.

 So why” Why was he hesitating? 

He just needed to press the button, the button on the machine he had hidden under his house, and he would reset.

…If his calculations were correct. 

He had to do this. He was desperate. If he waited anymore, he was sure he’d lose his mind. 

So, closing his eyes, he hit it, and it all went black.

Notes:

Poor Sans :c he lost everything. If you enjoyed this please leave a kudos and a comment! Your support keeps this work going and keeps me motivated :]

Chapter 2: Unexpected Changes

Summary:

Sans finds himself in a strange situation, getting thrown in with no explanation

Notes:

Hello! Thanks to everyone who commented, your feedback gives me life :) Before this chapter, there’s quite a difference between Frisk and Chara in this fanfiction then my normal interpretation. In this Frisk is their own person, and is interested in this world, and they want to learn more about it, so they try different endings. They feel somewhat attached to the world, so they haven’t done a genocide, but they also haven’t done a pacifist because they don’t want to give this world up, because SAVEs only work in the underground due to the save points, and they can’t reset after this. The reason SAVEs only are in the underground is because when trying to find a way through the surface, they uncovered it, but it led to nowhere since monsters don’t have DETERMINATION they couldn’t save, and it seemed like a dead end. All humans could save because their SOULs had some determination, but they couldn’t RESET because they didn’t have enough, and only people with the DETERMINATION SOUL can. Frisk doesn’t think what they’re doing is wrong, because to them they don’t truly kill or hurt anyone, since it’s all reversible. Chara is very closely tied to Frisk’s DETERMINATION, as it’s the only thing keeping them “alive” because of that, they are very easily influenced by Frisk’s actions, thoughts and feelings, so even though originally Chara didn’t like the plan, they were influenced and agrees with Frisk. Also in this it isn't a game. This is really long so I’ll tell you my usual interpretation at the end!

There was a rushing feeling, then still. Sans' head throbbed. What had happened? Where was he? How long had he been out for? It had been quite a while since he recalled having such a bad headache, and it only got worse as he tried remembering.
The human… they killed a lot of monsters, correct. He could recall that. Did they kill…?
He racked his brain as he thought. They had, hadn’t they. He knew that for certain. That was clear enough.
But what about now? What happened? Did he pass out at Grillby’s?
No… that couldn’t have been right. It didn’t line up with the few things he could indeed recall. Emotions… fear… guilt… determination.
Determination… reset… OH! That was it! He had used the machine! He could remember clearly now. He was tired of waiting, so he finally fixed things himself.
He'd see him again. He’d FINALLY see his brother again. In a fit of excitement, he opened his eyes, only to close them from the harsh light which was much more blinding than he had thought it would be. It almost hurt. He grabbed at the wall of the cave, only to hear some muttering..
".........Nyhehe!...In this…." The voice muttered from afar.
Sans knew that voice. It was the voice he waited for. It was the voice he had spent so long longing to hear. That wonderful, magnificent, great voice. He turned his head to the sound, not having time to question where he was or why the machine had spit him out way over here. He opened his eyes once again, not even caring to allow his eyes to adjust to the light. It didn’t matter.
"Paps?!" He called out, running out to the sound. As he continued running, he found himself moving faster and faster than he thought he could ever run before. He would have used a shortcut, but Papyrus was never a fan of those. He always thought them lazy, so Sans ran.
However, as Sans approached the sound of the sweet voice, coming closer yet closer, it suddenly stopped. This was worrying, so he broke into a full sprint, somehow managing to go faster yet. This was particularly difficult due to the exhausted and weak feeling the machine must have thrust upon up.
That’s when he saw not who he expected. Papyrus was not there. But instead, there was a small, white dog. Was the little guy lost? Perhaps it was messing with Papyrus and stealing his attacks again. But where had Papyrus gone? Why was this dog just sitting here?
Is this who he was talking to? Sans pondered silently in his mind. I guess Paps must've left. But where to? He wondered, when the train of thought was interrupted by movement. Sans blinked in shock as the dog suddenly looked up at him, it’s own eyes going wide.
"S…Sans?” The dog asked in a voice which resembled Paps’ too closely. “Is that really you?"
The dog then squinted, as if having a hard time telling.
Um, what?! Sans exclaimed within the safety of his mind. What was happening? Why did this dog have his brother’s voice?! And how did it know him?
"Um… Bro? Is that you?" Sans asked, skeptical.
Great. He had accidentally turned his brother into a dog. What a genius.
The dog seemed to smile as his eyes lit up upon hearing Sans’ voice. "Oh, Sans! It really is you! How I've missed you! How did you come back though? And why are you the same?" The dog asked, all too quickly, it’s tail wagging.
Sans looked perplexed as he tried to swallow this. This was… odd to say the least. The dog seemed to ignore his confused expression, getting up on all fours and trotting over to him, sitting down closer in front of the skeleton and beaming up at him. "Well, it doesn't matter. Listen, I got a plan. Someone just walked through. I assume they're human, or at least powerful. And the best part? They're naive imbeciles!" The dog exclaimed, his eyes fading to black besides his two white pupils as he finished that sentence. The look in his eyes was remarkably similar to the look Sans would have in his own eyes, all dark sockets with two white pupils, however this seemed much more sinister. The dog’s smile turned from a welcoming one to one with the ends stretching creepily far, with it slightly open revealing four (teeth? He couldn't tell what they were) poking out. His mouth a void.
There was something horribly unsettling about hearing those words used with Papyrus’s voice. Sans could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Wait, Papyrus, W-" he started, when the dog seemed to groan and interrupt him.
"Ugh, Papyrus. I prefer to… distance myself from that name. What an imbecile I was, you can agree. My new name is Doggo!” Papyrus- er, Doggo explained. “Listen, Alphys has 6 human SOULS. From what I saw, I couldn't tell too much about the human or monster that walked by, but they definitely are powerful enough to have their SOUL continue to persist after death for at least a second. And judging by their idiotic manner, they should easily fall for it. Bye Sans! See ya!"
Before Sans could even wrap his head around what had just happened, Doggo had run off into a hole that Sans didn't notice before. Looking at it, he could at least presume that it was most likely dug by Doggo.
“Um… okay?” Sans softly muttered under his breath, knowing that no one could hear.

Notes:

And that’s the end! I hope you enjoyed it :) Thanks for all the support! Now onto my usual interpretation. Frisk is a sweetheart, and wants to help people and refuse to hurt others. They always choose the kind option and genuinely enjoy their friends. That’s why the pacifist ending is the “true ending” it's what Frisk would’ve done. Chara is a jokester and likes puns, with humor. They like Undyne and think of her as cool, as they are your narrator, they are linked by your DETERMINATION, but not as strongly. They aren’t the best, but they do care about their family. They thought they were justified, and it’s also heavily implied they were abused by humans and fell down in the underground as a failed attempt on their life. They only become corrupt in the genocide ending because of how you taught them to kill. They kill Asgore and Sans because that’s what you’ve been doing. They start horrified by your actions, and you kinda traumatize them, and since your DETERMINATION is to kill, which affects them, but not fully changing them. When Flowey begs for mercy, they don’t attack. They don’t want to hurt their brother, but you guide them and force them to kill Flowey. This pushes them over the edge. They offer to erase the world, as there’s no one left. When you refuse, they’re confused, upset. You’ve destroyed this world for power, so why aren’t you destroying? Do you think you are above consequences? It’s too late to back out. They destroy it to show this as everyone is already dead. When you want to get back they are less upset, but almost amused by how you still insist on going back. They offer a deal, give them your SOUL and they’ll bring the world back. If you do another genocide they think of you as disgusting, killing for fun, as they ealized that’s why you did it. You think you do get away from any punishment until the end of Soulless Pacifist, they get your happy ending. They’re corrupted, and nothing will fix that. Death doesn’t phase them, and they’re not the same person, but they are not purely evil. Also for the SAVE thing, whenever someone with a red SOUL, they feel determined enough, it saves. There are very few of them, only 1 or 2 a century or so. Also, only the most determined can reset and reload. Frisk didn't know of their power until they fell. Well! That was long! Sorry

Chapter 3: Clouded Minds

Summary:

Sans tries to gather his thoughts as I try to make the plot actually interesting and not a bore. This is just to show what Undyne looks like and some filler tbh :/

Notes:

I made some VERY minor edits. So much it doesn't affect the fanfiction, just fixing the summaries and notes. So it says edits have been made, you didn't miss anything.

So Storyspin is abandoned so I pretty much made my own version of it. I made the Undyne design, if it seems similar to another Undyne au that is a coincidence. I only came in with the roles they play and Papyrus was a dog, not a flower. Everything is either my idea or my friend's idea, and any similarities are a coincidence. With that out of the way, enjoy and don't forget to comment (sorry for baiting for them so much, I'll stop after this chapter)

 

Sans stood there, speechless as he did his best to gather his thoughts. What on earth was happening? Had the machine really caused…well… ALL of this?! After what felt like eternity pondering what he should do, he decided to go with the only apparent option. He walked over to the hole Doggo had gone through. It was too small for anything bigger than the canine to fit, but inside, it seemed like there was an entire complex system of tunnels and passages, twisting and turning, going in all directions. After another moment, he stood back up.

How did he mess up the machine this badly?! This seemed impossible. No… it WAS impossible! The machine was just meant to go back in time, not to do whatever this is. How exactly did his cheerful, loving brother turn into a power hungry dog? And if Papyrus was different all the sudden, then who else?

He was too busy trying to gather his thoughts and figure out what must have messed up to even notice that he was in the ruins. He scanned the area, having never really been there. For an abandoned place, it seemed really neat. Then again, the lady on the other side of the door probably had a lot of free time on her hands. He wondered how she would be.

Was it just Papyrus who was different, or was it others? He doubted this was the past or future, but he wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps Papyrus was the only person who got messed up. Perhaps if he looked he could find that lady.

However, his thoughts were cut short when he heard a voice talking from afar, but this time it wasn't Papyrus (or Doggo, whatever he went by.)

No… this was familiar. Yet… there was also something that seemed very… wrong about it. It was like a softer version of Undyne's voice. It was almost strange, hearing her like this. He used a shortcut, making sure he was out of sight. He didn't want to be caught until he knew the full story.

Then… he saw them. His breath hitched when he caught a glance. Of course they would be here, just to ruin everything yet again. Interestingly, Frisk had a striped jacket with their hoodie up instead of a plain t-shirt. Next to them was Undyne, nooging them in a friendly way. She acted very similar to the normal Undyne, other than her being overall more tame. She still had that smile, that passion, and the teasing-like personality. However, she wasn't exactly the same. Instead of fighting the human, she held their hand. She didn't declare war or do anything drastic in the name of all monsterkind. She seemed more gentle and understanding, and didn't sound like she was shouting at you all the time.

She wore a dark turquoise robe that stopped 5 inches above her feet. She had some running jeans underneath it with her signature boots. On the chest of her robe was the royal guard symbol, a spear diagonally with a monster soul in front of it and the seven types of human souls around it in a circle.

Sans then inspected the human again, and was relieved there was no dust on their hands. Still, that didn't make them innocent. Knowing humans, they'll make up whatever slaughtering they missed in the ruins when in Snowdin.

He snapped out his thoughts when the human briefly glanced at him. Luckily, he teleported quick enough so that he was gone when they checked again. They stared at the place he used to be for a while, then followed Undyne as if they had seen nothing. He sighed a breath of relief before continuing on his way. He wasn't sure why he was trying to hide, he just had a bad feeling. Partially because the human killed tens of monsters, but also because of something he couldn't put his finger on.

After an adequate amount of time, he continued following them. From what he'd seen, it looked like Undyne must've taken that lady's place. He then pondered who the lady took the place of. Did they switch? Was anyone else switched? Why was his bro a dog (and power obsessed for that matter) when no one else he saw changed like that?

He shook off the thoughts. He'd only seen 3 people, anyway. Perhaps he should stop jumping to conclusions. He didn’t even truly consider the most likely option of all, which was that this all was some sort of messed up dream that would end any moment now. Even though he did feel rather real, that seemed the most likely choice.

Perhaps he’d wake up later and things would all go back to normal!

Or… perhaps he wouldn’t.

 

Notes:

I fixed the end notes! :D Next chapter will be Undertales POV C: thanks for reading! So the thing about Sans: He doesn't know Flowey in this timeline. We can tell because he assumes the Flower Papyrus is talking about is an echo flower. So even though he's known in the past resets, Flowey always eventually reset before he learned about him. That's also why in genocide he thinks Frisk is the anomaly. He's never seen Flowey and you obviously can reset, so to him he assumes you're the anomaly, when in fact you're the second one. Flowey is the anomaly he is thinking about. That's why he thinks Papyrus is just different, not a swap.

Chapter 4: Somethings off...

Summary:

Frisk has reset soon after Sans left. Thing is, they can't seem to find him...

Notes:

Sorry for the wait and thank you for the 200 hits! Enjoy. So thing about the timeline: It's kinda wobbly. Sometimes chapters are right after, sometimes they're days later. The two timelines: Storyspin and Undertale, are not lined up closely, I just switch from POVs and it is meant to be after the last chapter from that timeline, not after all chapters (But it can be, just not required) So it's up to you to interpret it as you like.

Boredom. That’s what it was now. Simply a waiting game. The human had finished their neutral run, made it to the surface, and got the ending they wished for. They were satisfied. They were finished.

But, deep down they knew that soon that itch would come back. The same itch that drove them to reset time and time again. And surely enough, there it was. The little voice in their head telling them to try again. To either be better or worse. It didn’t matter what. They just needed to be different than before.

So, they found themselves finally resetting, to see what would change.

Papyrus woke up as he would any other day. He felt his eye sockets open and his mind sang a happy tune, telling him that today would be a good day, just like every other. A day filled with calibrating puzzles, smiling with friends, and hoping that a human would come so he could successfully capture it and finally become a noble royal guardsman, as he had always dreamt.

He had dreamt of the position for as long as he could remember. As a boy he could see the royal guardsmen protecting monsterkind. He would hear the stories of their noble action. So he too always wanted to be like that. He too wanted to be someone people looked up to and loved.

The tall skeleton sat up and stretched his bones, yawning slightly, then getting up out of bed, changing from his nightwear into his traditional battle body, ready to start the day the same way he always did. He skipped down to the kitchen, and started cooking breakfast, (Spaghetti, of course, with a hint of maple syrup on the side to make it a breakfast meal.)

“SANS! ARE YOU AWAKE? BREAKFAST IS SERVED!” Papyrus called, placing a plate for Sans onto the table in front of the television, which was where Sans usually crashed before he pushed Papyrus’s finely cooked meal away and claimed that he wasn’t hungry, but that he’d save the food for lunch.

But this morning, he didn’t hear his brother groggily roll out of his bed. He usually was met with groans and yawns when he called Sans down for breakfast. But instead… he was met with pure silence.

“...SANS?” Papyrus asked yet again. Not worried, of course. His brother must have been sleeping in even more so than normal.

Again, he was met with silence. Ugh. Must his brother be so lazy?! Papyrus called his name again, walking up to his room and knocking on the door. He was never one to really respect privacy, since it was never something he was quite aware of, so he opened the door after hearing no response yet again.

“SANS? I’VE MADE YOU BREAKF-” Papyrus started, when his sentence came to a sudden halt.

The room was empty. Yes, it was still a mess, but Sans was clearly missing. Had he left? Why so early? Sans always slept in. Papyrus was usually lucky if he could drag him out of bed by noon!

But the taller skeleton didn’t let this get him down. Instead, he shrugged off Sans’ absence and turned off, assuming the obvious. His brother must have crashed at Grillbys last night. This was nothing to worry about.

He shrugged this off and walked out the door. He rarely ate breakfast either. He usually only cooked for others, as it seemed rude to eat his own food. It was a secret of his, but he had actually never even tried his own cooking. He felt that his exquisite culinary masterpieces should be for the mouths of others, not himself. So he placed the meal he made for Sans in the fridge and walked outside, whistling a happy tune. He supposed he would retrieve his brother from Grillby on his way to calibrate the puzzles. Perhaps he could do Sans a favor and drop him off at one of the stations.

He knocked on the door to the restaurant. It wasn’t usually open to customers in the morning, due to the food served being more for lunch and dinner, but that never stopped monsters from going inside and ordering food anyhow. At this point, it was more of an all day restaurant.

Grillby opened the door about thirty-seven seconds later. Papyrus wasn’t sure why he counted, but he did. As soon as the door opened the skeleton could feel the heat emit from inside. It was almost uncomfortably warm for him, but not quite. He wasn’t sure how Sans could handle it all the time.

Papyrus quickly peered around Grillby and asked if Sans was inside, only to be met with the owner shaking his head no, which was somewhat of a shock. He was sure that he would be.

“OH… NO MATTER!” Papyrus assured himself, turning off. Perhaps Sans was at one of his sentry stations. Perhaps he had ACTUALLY woken up early and got to work on time. That would be a first!

He still didn’t feel worried. Why should he, after all?

Only… as soon as he got to his brother’s usual station by the door to the ruins and saw that he wasn’t there, the possibility of something being wrong had entered his mind.

“....Sans?” He asked, upon seeing no one, his voice becoming quieter than normal.

….It’s fine, he told himself. It’s fine. He couldn’t have gone far.

But he wasn’t feeling so sure anymore. He wasn’t feeling as confident as he usually did anymore. Where could Sans have gone? He wasn’t in his room. He wasn’t in his stations. Heck, he wasn’t even at Grillbys!

The tall skeleton nervously stepped backward, then without even thinking he turned and ran. He wasn’t even sure where he was running to until he arrived. He knew she would be on duty at this time and he knew that she took her job very seriously, but that didn’t matter.

She was patrolling waterfall when he found her, wearing her armor as she always did when she worked.

“UNDYNE!” He cried, running up to her as fast as he could with a sense of urgency. It didn’t throw her off however. She simply turned to him, surprised to see him so early, and cocked her head to the side.

“Hey punk. Why are you-”

“Sans. He…he’s gone,” Papyrus whispered, his voice small again.

She stilled. Not because of Papyrus’s words, but his tone. Never did she recall hearing his voice sound so small. She reached for her helmet and took it off, squinting her eyes slightly as she looked at the worried expression on his skull. It wasn’t a good look on him.

“What happened?” She asked.

That was the thing Papyrus loved about Undyne. Yes, she was fierce and he looked up to her, but she also was loving, and she would drop anything for those she cared about.

Notes:

Thank you for reading! Undyne will be a sort of big character since sh's so underrated (I can't point fingers though since I'm one of the people that adore the skelebros too much- but still! She's great

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Summary:

I have no motivation this sucks

Frisk walked out of the ruins, surprisingly no layer of dust covering their hands. This time they’ve planned the run out: Kill 1 random monster and see how Sans reacts. Of course,this will led to an underwhelming run if he doesn't notice. But he seemed to always know  their LOVE. He was interesting that way. Actually, speaking of him, what was he doing? They haven’t heard a branch snap or footsteps yet, which always happened before. They shrugged it off as they reached the bars and turned around instinctively, only to realize Sans hadn't spoken yet.

"This is… strange at the least. Why hasn't he shown up?" Chara chimed in.

Frisk ignored them, waiting until it became pretty obvious he wasn't going to show up. Not bothering to respond, Frisk waited until it was obvious that he wouldn’t show up. Frisk went from confused to upset to interested in a matter of seconds.

“Chara, help me out. What did we do differently this run?”

Chara hummed as they recalled their thoughts.
“We didn’t stray too far, only sparing some monsters, but letting them go after. We did talk to Napstablook more than we usually do, but I doubt they have an effect on it. We went through Mom's house quicker than usual but that’s about it. I don’t think we affected this. Something else must’ve happened. Maybe Az-flowey? He remembers resets, and might’ve changed something”

Frisk thought it over. “I guess, but didn’t he see all the world has to offer?”

“Well, he seems to have grown bored of us. He doesn’t really have a choice, and maybe he just thought of a new plan?”

Chara stated, ending the debate. Frisk continued on, only to find Papyrus missing from his post.
“Papyrus would never miss a day off work… What’s going on? What happened to them?” They wondered.

Floating by them, Chara was a mix of worried and curious as well. “Maybe we should reset? Find out what’s going on?”

Frisk suddenly interrupted their train of thought.
“No, we can do that later. This has never happened before. I think we discovered something new.”

“But we didn’t cause this. What if we can’t undo it?” Chara retorted.

“That’ll never happen. We can go back in time. Nothing will happen if we go back. For now, don’t you want to see more sides of them?” Frisk refuted.

You see, Frisk, like you, thinks they are not hurting anybody. Who cares if they kill someone? No one if they reset. But just like you, they can’t go back anymore.

Frisk trudged on, realizing that Papyrus wasn't around either. Or at least, not patrolling, which was unusual. He strived to be the best and capture humans, but he wasn't near his or Sans' stations. They reached snowdin, fishing out a couple of coins from their pocket and walked in the shop, buying cinnabuns.

"Ask her about Sans and Papyrus" Chara reminded them.

"Have you seen any skeletons? The short one's name is Sans and the tall one's is Papyrus."
Frisk signed.

"Oh, those two? Now that I'm thinking about it, I haven't seen them today. They're probably just watching for humans though. I would check there. Why?"

"We're friends and I just wanted to say hi," They lied(? They were friends in some timelines.) and left, speed walking to their house. They heard the rattling of bones, and knocked and waited. And waited. And waited until it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to open the door, confusing both of them. Papyrus would always be eager to open the door, no matter what.

"Maybe it's Sans?" Frisk wondered. But they didn't really believe that. Why wouldn't he be at the ruins door?

They tried to open it, but to no avail. Giving up, they went to the tree where monster kid hung out.
"Hey dude! You here to see Undyne? It's too bad her patrol got interrupted by some frantic skeleton. We might have to wait tomorrow. Man, isn't she cool?" They rambled.

Frisk tilted their head. "What do you mean?" they signed.

"Oh, she was on her rounds and someone came up to her. I didn't hear what he said, but he sounded panicky, bro." They replied.

Frisk looked at Chara, a confused expression on their face.

"Well, where are they now?"

"I think they're at his house, yo"

Frisk thanked them and went back to his house, knocking louder. As suspected, nothing happened. They put their ear to the door and heard the rattling of bones like last time, but also Undyne's voice. They couldn't exactly hear what she was saying though.

"Maybe try to look in the window? " Chara suggested, floating closer to Frisk's shoulder than usual. Frisk tried to reach, but was too short as they hopped to get glimpses. It look like Papyrus clinging onto Undyne as she had a troubled expression.

Notes:

Sorry it ends so ubruptly. I just cannot find my inspiration and I needed to post a new chapter to make up for the long wait for the last one

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

He placed his hands in his pockets and started walking. Walking instead of using a shortcut, again, because he wanted to give himself more time to think. More time to process.

He was still waiting for the moment he woke up from this mess. The moment his eye sockets would flutter open and tell him that this had all been nothing more than an odd dream. He was waiting to open his eyes and see his messy room.

But this felt far too real to be a normal dream. He felt far to alert. His mind was too awake for this to be a dream. He should know. He knew what dreams felt like. He knew how to differentiate them from reality. After all, he had nightmares all the time. He could almost always tell when they weren’t real.

But this just had to be. It just HAD to be. No way Papyrus was… whatever that was. And NO WAY he’d act like that. It was impossible! Sans was 100% positive that Papyrus didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Yes, sometimes he would be unintentionally rude, but never on purpose like that. He’d never actually try to hurt someone. He’d never actually be… like that. The Papyrus he knew saw the best in literally everyone. He saw the best even in the worst of people.

So what was this? It couldn’t have been Papyrus, that was for sure. Perhaps it was some sort of prank. Or perhaps it was still a dream.

Sans didn’t want to accept the truth. He didn’t want to accept the fact that the machine messed up. He didn’t want to accept that Doggo stood where Papyrus once did. He didn’t want to accept that hard truth.

Walking forward, he found it interesting to be on this side of the ruins. He had always imagined what they would look like, but it wasn't like this. He wasn't underwhelmed or anything. It was just… different than he had always pictured it.

He supposed all he could do was walk through the ruins and find his way home. What else could he do? He couldn't just stay here and ponder what had happened. That wouldn't get him anywhere. So he started forward.

As he walked, he found he couldn't quite escape. For one, Undyne (?) was there, along with the human, (who still thankfully had no dust on their hands. But he didn't expect that to last long,)

The human looked slightly different than he remembered. Yes, they still seemed the silent type, but they held their hands in their pockets, slouching slightly as they walked. They also wore a hoodie over their head as to hide their face. It was hard to recognize them. Not impossible, but hard.

He could safely assume that the door was through there. He could probably use a shortcut fairly easily… but a part of him wanted to see what went down. So… he watched.

He watched the human briefly remove their dustless hands from their pockets, signing that they wanted to go home. What a joke. If they wanted to go back home to the surface, why would they come down here in the first place?

He watched as Undyne shook her head no, time and time again until she realized how determined the child she was dealing with was, and felt the need to take care of this herself. She turned over her shoulder, then headed down a set of stairs.

The human paused, then quickly followed. Sans himself waited until both were long gone, then followed as well, making sure he was far back enough to be out of sight.

Then, he watched as Undyne approached the door, with the intent to destroy. That was more like the Undyne he knew.

But the human wouldn't have it. They continued to silently pester her, standing between Undyne and the door with their arms out, showing that they weren't about to let her do this.

So… she challenged them to a fight, so the human could prove themselves. Again, this was more like the Undyne he knew. Always looking to resolve conflict with actions instead of words.

But this human refused. They didn't FIGHT. They instead would ACT. And when they ran out of ACTs, they would SPARE. SPARE until Undyne got worn down, and let them go.

Funny. Were they really playing this mercy game, or were they just trying to play the part of an innocent, then turn their back and start murdering innocent monsters once again.

With a hug, Undyne let them go, however, as if she didn't see that, which was odd because she always seemed generally untrusting. Especially of Humans.

And the human proceeded, stepping forward into the dark.

And Sans followed, still staying out of sight.

"Clever. How very clever… " His voice teased. Papyrus's voice.

Sans stilled and pressed his back to the wall, then leaned forward slightly, seeing who, but Doggo, speaking with the human.

An itch of fear scratched in the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

"You must think you're SO smart, don't you? Sparing her? Don't you know in this world it's Kill or Be Killed?" Doggo sarcastically snapped.

What's wrong with him? Sans thought silently to himself.

"So what if you were able to spare one measly little fish, Nyeh heh heh…"

Why did he sound so… evil? So mean?

"You didn't kill anyone THIS time… but when you come across a relentless killer and you refuse to fight… you'll DIE AND YOU'LL DIE AND YOU DIE!!" Doggo exclaimed, laughing hysterically. "Until you give in and kill out of frustration… and join me,"

Umm, WHAT?! What the heck was he talking about?!

The human just stood there silently as Doggo waited for a response. But they just stood silent.

“Hmm… not talking? Well don’t worry… I’ll be waiting for the day you give in!”

And just like that, the dog burrowed down into the ground, leaving the human seemingly alone. Sans frowned slightly, pondering what had happened.

Why was Papyrus like this? Did something happen to him?

He didn’t think this was a dream anymore. It felt too real. He had to accept the fact that the machine screwed things up. But why was Papyrus like that now?

Who broke him?

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Notes:

Toriel’s design is basically just this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88b6ZNviyQI
I would link the artist, but I cannot find them. If you know who they are, tell me so I can give them proper credit. Asgore’s design is really lazy, sorry :p

The human hesitated, and walked to where Doggo just was. They had a look on their face, but Sans was too far away to be sure what it was. They straightened their back slightly so they weren’t as hunched over as usual, and continued on their path to Snowdin.

Snowdin… he was supposed to greet the human now, wasn’t he?

But… then again, that wasn’t too high on his list right now, not to mention that in this twisted world he might have had a different role, or be something else entirely.

He closed his eyes and imagined his hotdog station, opening his eyes to see the shortcut he was trying to use hadn’t worked. He tried to envision it clearer with more details, but alas, he found he could not teleport..

Grumbling to himself, he reluctantly sped walked. Why hadn’t his shortcut worked? Sure, it was a bit harder with places he didn’t know much of, but his stations were some of the more familiar ones. It should have been a breeze to teleport to them.

Getting out of his thoughts, he realized that someone else was sneaking up on them. It wasn’t him though. The figure seemed to have horns of some kind, with a yellow jacket and much bigger than he is, about a foot taller. That would explain why he wasn’t able to take a shortcut, since it might be different in this world. Before he could see who he was, he got startled by a voice behind him.

“Howdy Sans!”

He almost jumped out of his skin (heh) seeing Doggo behind him. Doggo’s tail was wagging, clearly excited.

“Hey, bro…?” Sans muttered.

It was more of a question than a statement, Sans not sure what to think of him. He quickly glanced at where the human and figure was, disappointed to see they were gone already.

“Are you soulless?” Doggo asked bluntly.

Sans was caught off guard by the strange question. ”H-What? No! Is that even possible?!" He exclaimed, utterly shocked that Doggo would even bring up something so random.

Doggo chuckled. “Of course silly! How do you think I exist? Honestly, I thought it was impossible unless you stole a soul.”

Sans took a second to process what he said. “But you have to have a soul! That’s where your magic comes from. Your body would turn into dust without magic holding it together. Even humans can’t be soulless, they would have no life force” He argued.

“Yes, but that only applies to living people. Anyway, it’s good you have one, so we won’t have to split the souls. I’ll just absorb yours like last time.”

“I- What?”

Sans couldn’t even begin to question what he had just said.

“Of course! What did you think we’d do with the souls? Just make sure you can have them and survive so we can become a god. I’ll check up on you every once in a while. I have my own plans. See you soon, Sans!” Doggo chimed as he jumped into his burrow (He seemed to do that a lot)

Sans once again was left alone with his thoughts. Whenever Sans thought he wrapped his head around what was happening, something new happened.

From what his understanding was that Papyrus was… dead somehow? Soulless and apparently took his, or at least his counterpart’s soul.

He couldn’t put the pieces together, and it’s becoming increasingly higher on his list to find out. Maybe second, right under going home.

His attention back to the human, he rushed over, to see them hiding behind the lamp. In his and Papyrus' place was someone who looked like Asgore and another goat, although he wasn’t familiar with her.

Asgore(?) had a yellow jacket with a buttercup on the front and some stubble. Not a beard per se like his Asgore. The girl was a few inches shorter than Asgore, with shiny and soft and fluffy looking fur, putting much more effort on her appearance, while he looked like he just woke up.

She wore purple cowboy boots with a floral pattern stitched on, a purple scarf flying in the wind. She had a purple shirt with hearts on it, colored with a different purple, this one more light. She had a long skirt, the same color as the hearts. She looked rather cute, with a little fluffy tail sticking out of her skirt.

She seemed rather annoyed by Sans’ counterpart, Stamping her foot like Papyrus.

“Asgoreeee!” Seems like his guess was right. “You’re not helping at all!”

“Aw, come on, pumpkin. I’m trying my best.” Asgore said in a fake hurt voice. She huffed, but didn’t seem upset anymore.

“Whatever. Laze around as much as you like, I don’t care. I’m going to scout for humans” She said, marching off.

Something about her voice was familiar to him. Sure, it had Papyrus’ energy, but it was more than that. He shrugged it off though.

When she was out of sight Asgore looked back at the lamp. “Alright, you can come out now”

Frisk cautiously left their hiding spot, holding a stick tightly as it was their only lifeline.

Asgore seemed to notice this, eyes softening.

“Hey, don’t worry, she won’t hurt you. She’s a doll. If anything, she’s too protective.” Asgore comforted. Even with aspects of his personality, he did seem almost as sweet as the King.

Taking Frisk’s hand, he walked with them to make them feel safe. After they were gone, Sans dashed out of the woods.

He checked the station, finding it somewhat like his. But instead of ketchup, he had empty horseradish bottles, a half full one on its side. There were some tea bags as well, and buttercups seemed to bloom near it.

The lamp looked practically the same, other than being a bit rounded out at the end. Frisk seemed much different. Their hair wasn’t as fluffy (Although he wouldn’t be able to tell, he barely saw their face) quite possibly because of wearing that hoodie all of the time.

It wasn’t just that though. They seemed unsure and worried, like they haven’t done this many times before. They were shy and quiet, unlike the human, who never shied away from a challenge.

Well, it didn’t matter, He would find his way home, even if he had to go to Alphys’ or take Asgore’s machine. He trudged on his way.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Summary:

Storyspin Frisk POV

They walked through the snow, looking up and feeling the flakes softly fall onto their face as Asgore held their hand. This was always one of their favorite parts of the journey. Back at home it didn’t snow often.

Although… they wouldn’t call it home. The surface… it wasn’t home. It was just the place they used to be. The place that they left behind when they climbed the tallest mountain and fell a long way down. A place they abandoned when they started this journey.

Keeping their hoodie over their face, they stayed hidden. They always felt safer when they hid themselves, even though they knew that in reality, the hoodie didn’t do much. It didn’t truly help them in any way. But, nevertheless, it somehow made them feel safer.

They liked how soft and warm Asgore’s hand was, and how kind his personality seemed. Back home… adults weren’t like this. It was one of the reasons they left. One of the reasons they hid. They didn’t feel safe on the surface. It was almost funny… they felt safer in an underground world of monsters than they did in a world of their own kind.

Asgore walked with them for a while, but later let go to go check on the girl. Toriel, her name was? The puzzle girl!

Meanwhile, while they were alone they kept their head low and their hands in their pockets. Every once in a while they would get the chilling feeling that they were being watched. That something was wrong. But… they could never justify this feeling as there was no one around. Whenever they looked, they would be met with nothing but the safe, fluffy snow.

They wondered if perhaps doggo was following them. It would explain the feeling of being watched, AND it would explain why they couldn’t see him. But… this vibe was different from Doggo’s. It was less… unsettling. The vibe was almost… depressing. It was like the person who was watching felt out of place. It was like they too were lost in a new world.

They almost felt bad for this random force which they weren’t even sure existed. They almost felt pity. They wanted to say that they felt lost too… but that maybe they could find their way together.

But they didn’t. They just continued forward on the clear path that had been set for them.

As they pushed forward, the puzzles were fun. The monsters, even more so. They loved Toriel’s smile and clumsiness as she conducted all the puzzles. They loved the way Asgore stood next to her, giving her a lazy smile and thumbs up as she did her work. They also loved the way that the two of them smelled of butterscotch-cinnamon pie.

They were sure they were going to like it here. When they got to Snowdin, they loved the friendly atmosphere of the town. They loved the shop, the restaurant, the inn, everything! There was a christmas tree in the center of town. It was nice to see that even monsters smiled and celebrated holidays. Even if the holidays had different names down there. It was nice to feel that kind of connection. It was like humans and monsters were almost the same.

Maybe someday… they could be unified once again.

But… deep down they knew that this would never happen. The world wasn’t a fan of Unity. Humans would always end up being selfish. Humans always would end up fighting, causing war, and being cruel to one another. It was almost better that the monsters were down here. It was better, because at least they were safe.

“Are they safe though?” Sans interrupted their thoughts as they trudged through the town.

Sans was a skeleton child, about 12, in a green striped jacket. He seemed as if a ghost, with a huge smile on his face. However, they soon learned that it doesn't mean he's always happy.

“What do you mean?” They thought back.

“Well… you’re here. You have the power. You could kill them all-”

“No,” Frisk cut off. “I can’t.”

“That’s what they all say…”

Frisk waved Sans’s skeptical voice away. They didn’t want to be ridiculed. Just because they had the power to kill, didn’t mean they would. They didn’t want to. And they hoped that they would never want to. No matter how bored they may get, murder should not be the way to curb that boredom. Hurting and torturing others was no way to play a game. And even if it could all be reset… it still would be cruel. Because what if someday someone out there could remember. Then what kind of person would they be remembered as? Would they be remembered as the kind human who acted with mercy, or the cruel soul who once upon a time killed everyone.

No, they weren’t going to kill anyone. Not now, not ever. They weren’t going to taint their character like that.

Maybe in another world, another universe, another life, they would. But not this Frisk. At least not yet. They were still strong-willed. Still determined to stay merciful. They would stay patient with the monsters, they would be brave when confronted with violence, they would persevere through the dark, they would treat all with kindness, they would maintain their sense of justice, they would use their integrity to keep them grounded, and they would stay determined.

With the snow that fell and the fog that obscured their vision, they would use their soul as a flashlight, guiding them forward and keeping them safe. They wouldn’t allow hate to taint their heart, and no matter how rough things may get, they would not kill.

Even if at times killing may seem the easier solution, they would not kill. Because oftentimes the easiest solution was not the correct one.

Yes, it would be easy to just kill everyone and pass through, leaving the Underground empty. But what would it cost? Frisk would lose themself on the way if they did that. They wouldn’t be them anymore. They wouldn’t be the person they wanted to be. They would become just as bad as the family they ran from when they came down here. They would be just like the outside world.

They weren’t going to do that.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Notes:

The anatomy of skeleton's tears were copying ficreader4's (hey ficreader! Comment on this one if you weren't going to so they can check you out :3) I try to make magic balanced but I love the skeletons so much they might be too different. I'm sorry I'll try to not focus on them on my next fic :[

Undyne was sitting down on the couch next to Papyrus, who had his fingers tightly around his skull, thinking about everything he could've done to prevent this. "I shouldn't have been so harsh on him, no wonder he ran away." He whimpered.

"Hey, hey, that's not true." Undyne reassured him. "He loved you. He wouldn't run away, especially not because of you."

Undyne had been tiptoeing around the obvious conclusion, because he would either refuse to believe it or get into a worse state than this. She didn't want to believe it either, but Sans disappearing seems unlike him, and even though she'd never seen him in battle, she knew what would happen. 1 hp, 1 def and 1 atk. Those odds make him the weakest monster, even if he had good moves. Someone could dust him by pure accident.

"If I had just helped him instead of yelling at him, then maybe he would still be around."

Undyne frowned at how he put himself down. The Papyrus she knew believed in everyone, including himself. This was so out of character, it scared her. He was using an inside voice, close to a whisper, whose pose once boastful and proud made him seem so much smaller than he was. He started digging his fingers into his skull, until Undyne forced him to stop.

"We'll get to the bottom of this together, ok? We'll find him, and I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

It wrenched her heart to lie to him, but she was protecting him, just like the royal guard lie. Maybe she was wrong, maybe he'd show up. She has her doubts though. Whether he was dust or not, her hopes were grim.

He wasn't hyperventilating as much. She just wanted to make sure he wouldn't shut down on her. It was already eerie seeing him like this. She doesn't know what she'd do without him.

Undyne sighed and hugged him. She never liked hugs that much, but she knew that Papyrus found them comforting. Papyrus responded with a bone crunching hug, holding onto her as if she was his last lifeline.

"I don't want to lose you too." He said, his voice softer than before.

Everytime she thought he couldn't lower his voice anymore, he did. She would never expect this much change from him, especially in such a short time. It had only been a few hours, if that much.

Lightly patting his back, she was lost in thought, half hearing what he was saying. He was blubbering about things he's done recently, and how it must've been the final straw.

Personally, she highly doubted Sans left because of him. Undyne didn't know why he did, he was his usual lazy self yesterday, and there seemed to be no motivation.

If Papyrus had eyes, they would be bloodshot from crying. He squeezed her tighter, trying to ground himself as his world fell apart.

His eyes fell onto Sans' sock, tearing up again, hiccuping as he tried to stop crying, to no avail.

"Here, if it makes you feel better, the royal guards can scout the underground for him, ok?" Undyne suggested, which Papyrus nodded to.

Undyne stood up. "I'll go round them up, ok?" She couldn't take a step without having something grab at her arm.

"No!" He tightened his grip on Undyne. "Don't leave me, not you too."

She looked down at him, pitying the pathetic sight. His cheeks were stained with orange from his tears, trembling and seemed so small, even though he was well over 6 feet.

"I'm sorry Papyrus, but I'll be right back. Just stay here, ok?" She assured him.

He loosened his grip on Undyne, reluctantly letting her go. She smiled at him, trying to calm him down. She left the house. She saw a blur of purple and blue, but shrugged it off.

When the door shut behind her, Papyrus curled up into a small ball on the couch, hugging himself to calm himself down. He closed his eyes, unable to think of anything but his brother.

Yes, he may be annoying at times, and he sometimes got on his nerves, but he loved him no matter what. Coursing through his mind was every bad outcome could’ve happened.

It's funny, isn't it? How you only realize how much you loved and depended on something when it's gone. He never realized how alone he was. Sure, he knew he didn't have many friends, but he never thought he could lose half of his support system in one day. The only person he had left was Undyne.

Even she left him. She said she'd come back, but he was nervous. Maybe she hated him too, he wouldn't blame her.

Not like she was the first person anyway. Someone would start hanging around him, making him feel important. Then they would leave, because he was too much.

He curled up into a (somehow) smaller ball, his tears tingling his cheeks. When did he start crying again? He wasn't sure.

Skeleton's tears were different from a lot of monster's. They glowed the color of their magic when they were crying out of grief, remorse, or sadness to calm them down quicker. His magic was an orange with a hint of red.

Papyrus opened his eyes, only to shut them tighter. This house had so many memories of him, it was like a cruel joke. The sock in front of him, the quantum physics joke book, everywhere he looked was a reminder of his lazy brother. His door, which almost always had multicolored flames coming out beneath it, was dark and devoid of life. He knew he couldn't even step in Sans' room without having a panic attack.

Everyone left him, lying to him because they thought he was too dumb. His old friends, his current friend, and now even his brother left him. He tried to stay cheery, and usually he was successful. But he couldn't muster any positivity anymore.

After what felt like half an hour, but in fact were a few minutes, he heard creaking as the door opened.

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Notes:

Ho boy can't wait for the hate this chapter gets. *puts on army helmet* well, fire away

Frisk loo trudged through the cold land of Snowdin, and since the first reset, they were playing the role of the pacifist. Occasionally they would grow frustrated with the simple monsters that encountered them and want to kill just out of spite, but they didn’t because then people would know what they were. They could always come back and kill them later anyway, right? They didn’t want to mess up this perfectly unique, new run.

Curiosity pushed them not to mess this run up. They had never seen this before!

“The comedian is usually here…” Chara trailed off in their mind. “Frisk… something’s wrong. Let’s just reset-”

“Oh, come on,” Frisk thought back. “Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to explore this?”

Chara fell silent. They didn’t want to flat out say that they were worried. They didn’t want to suddenly be the weaker of the two. But they honestly were uneasy. This wasn’t normal. It was even more new, which yes, was exciting. But not the same kind of exciting as doing a genocide route or finding a new neutral route, but more so a ‘why the heck is this happening,’ kind of exciting, and they weren’t sure if they liked it.

They had no idea what Frisk did to cause this. Did Frisk even cause this? They couldn’t recall Frisk doing anything THAT drastically different.

No, his disappearance couldn’t have been from something they did. They hadn’t even encountered him, and he has no way of getting into the ruins, so anything Frisk did in there couldn’t possibly lead to Sans’s disappearance.

“Could we maybe at least… I dunno, ASK about him?” Chara pressed.

“Why?” Frisk thought back. “It’ll be more fun to find out on our own. Plus, I don’t wanna mess this up.”

Chara again fell silent. They didn’t want to admit that something felt empty without Sans down in the Underground. The comedic skeleton was one of their favorite monsters, after all. They may have been curious and adventurous if they had known that they caused this… but the thing was, they didn’t know if this was even caused by Frisk! What if Sans was actually gone?? What if when they reset he still wouldn’t be there?

“Well, what if he’s actually gone. What if all the resets were too much for him and he… I dunno, erased himself from existence or something?” Chara pointed out. “Maybe he threw himself in the core. Or maybe-”

“Nah, he wouldn’t do that,” Frisk waved off. “Quit worrying about it.”

Frisk continued walking as Chara thought some more. Their mind was brought back to that one kid. That one kid they saw in that one run. The kid who looked kinda like Monster Kid. Goner Kid, their name was. Chara recalled that Frisk didn’t specifically do anything to trigger their appearance. Goner Kid had just… randomly appeared one run.

Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same… except you don’t exist? Everything functions perfectly fine without you… ha, ha, the thought terrifies me.

That’s what they had said. And then, in the next run, Goner Kid was gone, and everything was exactly the same.

Was that how this would be with Sans? Would everything just continue on without him, acting as if he was never even there?

No… they still had memories. He still existed, even if he had disappeared. Things would be different because people remembered him. Chara was sure Papyrus was out searching or something. Alphys must have checked her cameras. Maybe she even saw where he disappeared to. They would have to remember to make Frisk ask Alphys once they got to Hotland.

… They hoped at least that everyone else had memories. They truly did hope that Sans wasn’t the next Goner Kid. Or any of the other random few monsters Frisk and themself had seen appear with no true meaning. They didn’t want Sans to turn into a random phone call or a mysterious being behind a door that would only appear once in a billion runs. They didn’t want him to be forgotten like all of them.

Chara was almost more afraid of people forgetting him than they were of the skeleton just being missing. After all, if he was just missing, he could surely be found. But if he truly had disappeared and was forgotten, well, then no one would even know to look for him.

“Can we at least just ask someone if they know who he is…?” Chara asked.

“Why? Of course people know who he is. He’s literally a regular in town.” Frisk pointed out, completely missing what Chara was implying could have happened.

“Well… what if he literally got erased from existence? Like Goner Kid? It’s an actual possibility! I mean, think about it. We didn’t change anything about our run that would affect him directly. ” Chara asked, trying to hide their worried tone. But it was hard to hide, because, though they hated to admit it, this reset game would be way more boring without Sans in it.

“Oh, quit worrying. I’m sure he didn’t.” Frisk replied, rolling their eyes now. “Since when were you one to worry?”

“Well, this is just… too different. We’ve reset like, a billion times, and this has NEVER happened,” Chara pointed out.

“Exactly! Which is why we can’t mess this up!” Frisk retorted.

“But-”

“Chara, stop. Who’s in charge here?” Frisk interrupted.

Chara wanted to clench their fists and say that they were. They wanted to say that they themself had always been the one in charge. But, while they like to think that, they really weren’t. Frisk was the one who had the body. Frisk was the one who made the decisions. Chara was just tethered to them now.

Chara liked to believe they were the one with the power in this situation, but they weren’t. Not really. Everything they had relied on Frisk and their actions. If Frisk didn’t want to reset, Chara couldn’t force them. Yes, they could strongly suggest things, but when it came to making Frisk do stuff like kill, they couldn't force anything onto the human.

People often would blame the genocide route on Chara… but it wasn’t Chara who chose that. It was Frisk who decided to kill everyone. It was Frisk who chose that route.

Chara loved monsters. It was humanity that they hated.

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Summary:

So, found out something. I use a google doc to write and just copy and paste. Apparently, that doesn’t save bolds, italics, alignment and possibly size so oops, sorry if that’s confusing

Undyne entered the skeletons’ house again, torn and at a loss what to do. She looked at the pathetic sight of her friend. He needed comfort, and someone to cling on to until either they found Sans or until he returned to normal.

However, while talking to the royal guard, she found out a human was wandering around. The last soul needed, and they were just walking around while she did nothing.

Still, she didn't want to leave the tall skeleton alone. Weighing her options, she sighed. "Good news" she started, causing Papyrus to look at her. "All the guards are looking for him. However, I will have to leave for a while. I promise I'll be right back when it's done."

Papyrus looked down, muttering an 'ok'. He didn't change his expression, but she could tell he was down. She did feel bad, but this was important. She hugged him, and let one again, glancing back at him worriedly.

Shutting the door, Undyne started shivering. With her metal armor being ice cold and her wearing nothing other than her thin t-shirt and thin pants, she was freezing. She never understood how people could live in this climate.

Luckily, the human was in waterfall. The humid climate and the perfect temperature for her. She caught a glance of something on the bridge. Was that…? It was! She summoned an energy spear, her heart pounding. Soon, freedom will ring for all.

She threw one at them, only for the human to perk up and dodge, then run as fast as they could. Summoning more, she blindly threw them in their direction, yet they didn't get hit. They seemed to know what to do, when to dodge, it was almost like they've done this many times before.

She smiled as she cornered them, where they fled into the grass. Slowly, she walked towards their hiding spot, her metal armor clanking every time she took a step. When she was right in front of the figure, she lunged for them, picking them up threateningly.

However, when they were at eye level, she noticed immediately that they were not the one she was chasing. They had a large, roundish head with a yellow shirt and brown stripes, with no arms. They had 3 spikes on their head, with a big smile on their face. She sighed, putting them down.

They were a young kid that followed her around all the time, getting in her way and costing her. This was not an exception, with them causing a distraction. The human could be anywhere by now since she didn’t keep an eye on them. Grumbling to herself, she turned around, walking away to scout Waterfall before continuing her search.

 

Frisk POV

You start on my way, disappointed to see that it seemed to have turned to normal.

“We’re not sure, just because one normal thing happened, doesn’t mean nothing else strange will happen.” Chara chimed in at your thoughts.

“Yo! Dude, did you see that? She touched my face! Man, I’m never washing my face again. If you were just a little bit more left, she would’ve touched you. Man, are you unlucky. Come on! Let’s see her beat up bad guys!” The rambunctious monster rambled, falling on their face as they ran.

You turn away from where they just were, walking to a glowing, yellow, starlike save point.

 

The thought of this new run fills you with DETERMINATION.

 

You knew most attack patterns of the monsters you fought, but it still brought you a feeling of security to save. After all, very rarely, you were able to slightly mess with the world to change it. (Also, you’ll never admit it, but you were mediocre at dodging.)

Chara floated next to you, looking at you with an expression you’ve never seen on their face. You wave it off though, not really worried. They’ve been a stick in the mud this entire run, this must’ve been another one of those times, you’ve concluded.

Sans’ telescope was still in its usual spot, but unlike any other time, it wasn’t painted. He always did that when you got close, to make sure it was still wet. You checked it out, admiring the stones. They really were pretty, you had to give them that. Not as pretty as real stars, though.

In the middle of the ceiling was a big cluster, gleaming in different colors. Interestingly enough, that was where the telescope was pointed. You wonder if he’s done the prank only once on you, or if he just had really washable paint.

You stop your wondering as you continue on your journey. Snowdin was much different without Sans, but Waterfall was close to the same. Waterfall was your favorite part of the underground. The ruins were homely, snowdin was inhabited by some of your favorite monsters, new home has a mournful feeling to it, but Waterfall? Waterfall was beautiful.

With the bluish glow of the crystals and the magical mushrooms, it has a mystical aura. Once you tried twisting the mushrooms. They leaked a bright, glowing aqua liquid. It reminded you of glowstick fluid. It had a nice atmosphere and was one of the most calming places.

Sometimes, you would come here in a run where you felt guilty. It became easier with time, but during the first few runs, you had a panic attack whenever you killed someone. You rarely felt guilty anymore. You could always reset, so if you think about it, was it really killing people?

You decide to stop contemplating about it. It didn’t matter. You bought a nice cream and got a few for the road. Chowing down on it, you read the wrapper.

Are those claws natural?

Even though you didn’t have claws, you appreciated the gesture. No matter what, he seemed to pop up with a big smile and a positive attitude. You wondered how he did it. You don’t think he has a mean bone in his body. In a way, he was the opposite of Burgerpants. You continue on your path, just you, Chara and your thoughts.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Notes:

AAA It's been so long since I've updated qmq sorry!

So this one is in Chara's pov, but a bit before Frisk's pov last chapter. Sorry for the confusing time jumping ^^'

“Frisk…?” Chara asked as the pair finally left the cheerful town of Snowdin, heading into the fog towards where Papyrus should have been. They both were unsure if the usually peppy skeleton would actually be there or not since he wasn’t present at most of his usual locations on this run.

Frisk didn’t reply in any way. They just continued forward, the fog obscuring their vision more and more until they could hardly see two inches in front of their face.

“Come on, don’t ignore me,” Chara complained in their mind.

“I’m not, I’m not,” Frisk thought back. “I’m just tired of replaying the same conversation over and over again. I’m tired of reliving the same world over and over again. Can’t you see? This is special! I’m not resetting.

Chara let out a sigh. “Well, then don’t reset. But can we at least ask SOMEONE?”

“And who do you propose we ask?” Frisk pondered in a slightly sarcastic tone. “I don’t think Temmie or Gerson is gonna know.”

“True…” Chara trailed off, taking a moment to think about who they could ask about Sans and his strange disappearance. Since Frisk technically never met him in this run, it wouldn’t make sense for them to ask anyone about him since if it weren’t for the resets they wouldn’t even know him. No, they couldn’t ask just anyone. They’d have to ask someone who understood.

“... Azzy?” Chara asked. “Why don’t we ask him?”

“You mean Flowey?” Frisk thought back, frowning slightly. “You wanna ask HIM out of all people? But aren’t you upset with him? For… you know, messing your plans up when you were kids or whatever?”

“No,” Chara replied. “What makes you think I’d be mad at him for that? He doesn’t think that… does he?”

“Well, you two had a plan to free all monsters and he couldn’t do it. You essentially died for nothing,” Frisk argued.

“Well, yeah. I suppose the fact that monsters weren’t freed was pretty sad… but asking him to do that was a lot. I don’t blame him. He’s got to know that, right? He was my best friend.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever. If you want me to ask him about Sans, I can. Just to make you feel better,” Frisk thought, marching forward. “I’m not sure how you expect to find him though.”

Chara stayed silent for a moment longer, trying to think over everything Frisk had said.

Asriel knew that they weren’t mad at him, right? Yes, they admit, they weren’t the best person. They easily got mad and had a burning hatred for humanity. After all, while they were on the surface, the humans only presented the worst to them. But Asriel, or Flowey now, knew that they were never mad at him, right? He was everything that they loved about life and monsters.

If anyone should have been sorry about that, it should have been Chara, and they knew it. They were the reason he was a soulless flower now. They were the reason for all of this. They tried so hard to fix everything and break that barrier that they only ended up breaking the world more.

“... he can’t be far. I always kinda feel his familiar presence behind us,” Chara said. “Here, proceed to waterfall where Sans usually pranks us with the telescope, then go down. I think I can recall briefly seeing him there in one of our previous runs.”

Frisk nodded, walking forward. Of course, Papyrus wasn’t present to give his whole speech on how he was going to stop them and become a prestigious royal guardsman and all that. It was almost as if he didn’t exist either.

And surely enough, if they moved fast enough, they could see Flowey, secretly keeping an eye on them. However, before he could dive down into the ground and disappear, Frisk quickly rushed up to him, signing “Wait”

The flower briefly paused, looking up at the human, slightly confused by how they could see him. He was usually fast enough to escape before he was spotted. He, of course, could only see Frisk. Not Chara.

“Hey Human,” He sighed in an annoyed tone. The sass didn’t match the Asriel Chara once knew, but they didn’t blame him.

“Hi Flowey!” Frisk signed. “I have a question.”

“What am I? A help desk?” Flowey asked. “I’m not here to answer your questions. Bye-”

“Do you know where Sans went?” Frisk signed.

This made Flowey pause. Oh? Was the smiley trashbag not where he usually was? He personally hadn’t noticed anything different about this run. He thought that everything was fairly normal. Not that he cared.

“Nope!” Flowey chimed. “Why? Is he missing?”

“Little bit,” Frisk signed.

“Hmmm, well I haven’t seen him! Maybe you should reset! Switch up your game like you always do!” He smiled, laughing his creepy little laugh. “I think you should try that pacifist route again.”

“Nah,” Frisk signed back. “I see what you’re doing. You just want power. I’m not resetting.”

Frisk rolled their eyes. They didn’t like how Chara and Flowey seemed to view resetting as the solution to every single little problem.

“Golly, I’m offended! How dare you assume that about me!” Flowey gasped, holding a leaf up as if he was pretending to be utterly insulted by the truth of Frisk’s statement. Frisk just silently stared at him, squinting their eyes because they knew it was the truth and they knew that he wasn’t REALLY offended.

“Hmm, but the fact that Sans has disappeared IS rather interesting…” Flowey trailed off with a smile. “Did you do anything different?”

“No.” They signed. “He just vanished.”

“Hmm…. interesting…” Flowey mused. “That’s quite the situation… I’ve never heard of this before! A character completely disappearing!”

Frisk nodded, looking around themselves, then back down at Flowey. “Yep, which is why I can’t reset,” They signed.

“You make a fair point. This is new! You cannot mess it up now!” Flowey agreen, causing Chara to roll their eyes. Of course he would take Frisk’s side on this initially. The idea of NEW was always intriguing. He was always craving the idea of new since new offered opportunities for him to feel again. He was curious.

“Well… I can’t wait to see where you go with this then…” Flowey chimed. “I’ll be sure to be watching extra carefully from now on… this run is special. So you better not mess it up.”

Frisk then smirked, looking up at Chara, who had been silent for a while now. “I don’t plan on it,” They signed.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Notes:

And back to Storyspin! So I don’t have a good timeline ^^’ Every time it switches back to Storyspin or Undertale, it varies from being right after to hours after the last time we checked on them. This chapter is really bad. It makes my other chapters look like gold, even though it’s the opposite, sorry. Also the Shopkeeper Rabbit is named Coco in my hcs.

Sans wasn’t sure how long he was walking in the frigid biome until he reached his home town, Snowdin. He absentmindedly went to the shop, but his breath hitched when he saw who was standing in Coco’s place.

With a white turtleneck covered with a long, black coat, the tall shopkeeper noticed Sans and gave him a warm smile, although he didn’t see. Sans didn’t dare to look up, even though he knew exactly what would be waiting for him. A deformed grin with one half closed eye and a wide open one, with cracks in his skull.

“Hello Sir! Do you need anything?” Gaster spoke up. Sans’ eyelights shrunk when hearing his voice. Sans slowly looked up, trying to be polite, but with how hard he was shaking, he couldn’t maintain eye contact.

“N-no, I'm ok D- um, Mister. I was just browsing." Gaster still wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? You look rattled."

Sans didn't know what to do. He wanted to hug him, to cry, to treasure the few moments he'll have of him again.

But, as much as it looks like him, and no matter how hard he wants him to be him, Sans knew this wasn't his Gaster. The Gaster he knew was long gone, not only dead, but erased from existence.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I'll be going now, thank you." He rushed out of the store before Gaster could ask any questions.

Catching his breath and calming himself down, he continued on his way. Snowdrake was next to the Giftmas tree.

‘He must've switched with Monster Kid’ Sans muses. Other than the jarring meet up with his dead father, Snowdin was relatively normal. Still, Sans missed his old world. This place hadn't had the human slaughter everything, (yet) that's true, but he felt like an outcast here. He missed his friends.

If only he wasn't so stupid, then the machine would've worked. He mentally kicked himself for that. Then he would be home, happy, with all his friends.

The lady would come back, and his brother would be alive again, without this twisted, messed up ideology he has.

He wished that he could go back to fix it. But he was sure it didn't come with him. If only it transported to this world. If only…

Suddenly, he had an epiphany. This world, other than a few details, was just a shift of their personalities right? That means the machine might be on this world. He could figure out what he did wrong, and go home.

He already knew how to fix the machine, he already did it. The only thing keeping him away was a door and his own moral compass, telling him not to trespass.

Still, the thought of his old happy life was enough to outweigh all cons. Asgore's home was fairly similar to his and Papyrus' house, so he tried to teleport in there. It proved fruitless though, as Sans could only teleport to places he's been or has seen.

That meant that he would have to break and enter to get the key. He was less comfortable with that idea, but he decided to start looking for weak places. He didn't want to do any damage or alert anyone, so breaking the windows was out of the picture.

The only time their door was unlocked was whenever they expected guests, which was rare. The only time they had guests over was when the human would have a date with Papyrus since the loops started. Sometimes Undyne came over, but that was only when her house burnt down.

He really didn’t want to be found by the human. Even though they seemed different in this world, he won’t make the same mistake. They start off, pretending to be your friend. They’ll be so promising, the future. But, after a few resets, you realize they’re not trying to get a better ending for people. You realize they’re just playing around. Then they start killing people for no reason other than curiosity. It was sick.

However, it was the most convenient way. They had to be somewhere around, he was only slightly behind them. Probably fighting the goat lady.

He hopes they won't hurt her. She was sweet and not only reminded him of Papyrus, but someone else. He wasn't sure who though, even though it felt like it was on the tip of his tongue.

Looking around, Sans decided the best place to hide was near the shed, in the shadows. It wasn’t the best spot, but it was close enough to hear when they came near.

Still, his curiosity got the better of him. He snuck closer to where they were fighting. Not too close, just enough to see them.

The lady was yelling at a yellow blob for eating her pie, which apparently was going to be part of her “special attack” Squinting, he saw that the yellow blob was a buttercup. Even though he had no memory of it, he felt on end. It wasn’t a monster, just some pet thing. It meant no harm. But he felt like he had to get rid of it, or protect someone from it.

Oh well, that’s the side effects of resets. He teleported back near the shed when he saw they were heading back, breathing as softly as he could. She held their hand while talking, giggling sweetly.

‘That’s just like the old lady’s laugh…’ Sans realized. Looking at her, she looked much different then he thought she would, although that may just be due to this wonky world. He wondered if the real one was a goat monster as well. Although they definitely exist, they were rare, as most of them were killed in the war. He honestly thought King Asgore was the only one left.

He waited outside until he was sure that they were on their ‘date.’ Thank goodness she adopted Papyrus’ loud nature, or it would have been hard to tell.

Opening the door, his soul pounded. No matter how much he told himself that it was ok, it had to be done, and it was kinda his house, he still felt like a horrible person. He opened Asgore’s door, took the key from the desk, and ran out of the house.

Catching his breath, he noted how even in the chilling town of Snowdin, he felt like his face was on fire. Clutching the key like his last lifeline, his snowsteps crunched as he walked. He held the key gingerly, his hands shaking as he opened the door to the lab. He could barely believe it. He’ll be able to go home. It just takes a few days and adding onto fixing his earlier mistake, but other than that, victory was just in his grasp.

When he entered the lab, he shut the door behind him quickly to conserve the warmth. He practically skipped to the machine, giddy. His good mood dropped like a boulder when he pushed away the curtains, though. Although at first glance it looked the same, it was different. Much different.

It used parts he’s never seen before and an entirely different build. He cursed under his breath. It still had some parts like his back at home, but he was no engineer. This would take a while to repair. Just when he thought his luck couldn’t get worse, the light turned on.

“Well, what do we got here?”

Notes:

So I’m just going to outright tell you this since I probably won’t waste too much time on it, but I made all the shopkeepers scrambled. Gerson is replaced by Catty, Bratty takes the role of the Inn Keeper, Temmie is in the spot of burgerpants, Muffet is in the place of Tems and the Inn keeper is in Nice Cream’s place. Gerson is in the place of Grillby, and the Shopkeeper is in Muffet’s place. Burgerpants and Nicecream guy replace Catty and Bratty. Grillby is Gaster as well. Originally Catty and Bratty were going to be in the rabbit sister’s place, but I thought Gaster would be fun for Sans’ trauma. (He doesn’t put in too much of an impact though, sorry) I actually switched a lot of minor characters like monster kid and Snowdrake but they’ll probably never show up qmq. And yes, I do refer to different monsters as races, even though in the beginning it refers to monsters as their own race. I was going to name the races until I remembered I’m super unoriginal TT. Also, sorry that for a while it switches between “Sans remembers” and “Sans doesn’t” I know Sans doesn’t remember, and I usually keep it that way (other than deja vu and moments of memories, but that happens to everyone. Sans just knows it’s important.) But the person I am collaborating with seems to like Sans remembering, so it’s kinda wonky. I just decided to roll with it since it makes plot points easier. So, here’s an idea to justify my sloppy story:

Sans can remember resets, yes. But only a handful. Usually the ones that were impactful for him are remembered better. A lot of runs are only remembered with deja vu and slight flashbacks. Others he can’t remember at all. Some he remembers a lot more, but it’s not fully comprehensible. Almost never are the runs fully clear. They’re like dreams, they were so clear when you were in it, you were sure something happened, and you remember emotions and key parts, but the rest is hazy. The main idea is there, but nothing else. Just like dreams, sometimes his mind adds on part in between to make sense of it. The reason he remembered so clearly of the last run is because it wasn’t really a reset. He fucked up and traveled through multiverses, not time. Just, if you ever think “doesn’t sans remember this or this” think of it like a dream. He’s gone through thousands (maybe even closer to the millions, we don’t know.) of resets from Flowey, and a couple dozen to a couple hundred from Frisk. He has memories, but they aren’t perfectly clear. A few runs that brought strong emotions stay much clearer, and he can remember an impressive amount of runs. Yes, most just have pieces and bits of memories, but not the full one, or some have the main idea and is really hazy after that, but he still remembers. After all, think of a handful of dreams you had. Can you accurately describe all of them? Yes, maybe one or two is really clear, but most is not. So Sans is bound to forget some stuff. I have so many headcanons but I’m probably boring you so have a nice day and stay hydrated!

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Notes:

Sorry for the delay, both of us authors are having a really bad time. Jimmy had had something traumatic happen to them a while ago, and I've bit off more then I can swallow, overwhelming and burning me out :(

“Well, what do we got here?” Asgore mused, crossing his arms and looking down at the skeleton who had somehow snuck his way into his secret room. His secret room that not even Toriel knew about, his secret room that he could specifically remember locking, and only owning one key to.

The fact that he only owned one key to this must-have meant that this skeleton, this short little skeleton, must have snuck into his house and stolen it, then somehow found the exact door it unlocked, which had to mean he knew what he was looking for.

Sans stood there, his eyesockets seeming to widen as he wondered what Asgore would do. What would HE do if he were in that position? What would he do if in his own world he found that someone broke into this room? Now that he thought about it, he’d probably just try to kick them out before something went wrong.

Asgore took a small sip from what looked to be some iced tea, then nodded at Sans. “Are ya lost?” He asked, seeming to raise an eyebrow.

This reaction threw Sans off slightly. “Um, I suppose…” the skeleton replied.

“Hmm, well that’s too bad. Iced tea?” Asgore asked, holding the cold drink out to Sans. The skeleton looked at it for a moment, seeing the ice cubes floating inside and wondering why Asgore would want a cold drink when they were literally located in Snowdin. Most people, at least at the Snowdin Sans knew, would purchase much warmer drinks and food. It was partially why the nice cream guy hardly even made any sales before relocating.

“No thanks,” Sans muttered, keeping his hands in his pockets and awkwardly staring at the kind.

“Hmm, your loss,” Asgore shrugged, taking another sip, then closing the door behind him, stopping the cool air from flowing inside. Sans winced slightly as the door shut, seeing as the easiest escape was being eliminated. He could have used a shortcut to get out, but he wasn’t quite sure how Asgore would react to it.

Sans silently waited, simply listening to the sound of Asgore sipping his tea. He wasn’t quite sure what to stay or do, so he just waited.

“I don’t remember you,” Asgore finally pointed out. “Which is odd, because I remember everyone. I remember someone LIKE you, but I don’t remember you. And I definitely don’t remember you coming here, specifically.”

Sans felt himself tense up ever so slightly, taking a step back, even though he knew that small step wouldn’t do anything or protect him in any way. It was funny how space seemed to offer a sense of false security, not that he was worried. If this Asgore was anything like the Asgore he knew then he would be fine! Probably…

“Well… there’s nothing of value you’ll find in here,” Asgore pointed out, smiling and shrugging, looking around the small lab. “It’s all just old junk.”

They both knew this was a lie, but Sans wasn’t about to explain why. So, he simply nodded, looking down and muttering a soft, “Okay.”

Asgore then held his hand out. Sans let out a sigh, fingering the key he was holding in his pocket. He then pulled it out, taking a look at it. It looked remarkably similar to the key he had back home, but it was also different. This one looked newer. It looked slightly nicer.

Sans then placed it in Asgore’s hand, saying goodbye to the potential key to his escape. Not that this was a huge loss. He was sure he could find a way to steal it back later if Asgore were to put it back in the same spot…

But then again, what were the odds that he’d do that? With the way things were going now, it seemed Asgore was already suspicious of him and knew something was up.

Asgore opened the door, and let him go, watching as the skeleton slowly trudged away, his head slightly bowed. Once he was out of sight, Asgore closed the door once again, letting out a small sigh and placing his iced tea on a counter. He then turned, taking a step towards that machine. He stepped up to it and placed a gentle hand on it, just checking and looking it over to make sure nothing was harmed or damaged.

“Who are you…?” He wondered quietly to himself, thinking of Sans.

It was clear something was off. It was clear something wasn’t right, because he had memories of reset after reset, and he never remembered anything like this. When he dreamed, he never got any dreams about this.

Something was up, and he was going to figure out what.

How did this guy find his key, how did he know exactly where to look and what door to unlock? How did he know?! Who was he?

He wasn’t sure what to feel about this new situation. Worried, maybe. Confused, definitely. He wasn’t sure if this would lead to something good, or something disastrous. He’d have to keep an eye on Toriel, just to keep her safe. But he also didn’t want to tell her anything, since he didn’t want her worrying. That was partially why he never told her much anyway. She was always so happy, and there was nothing anyone could really do to change the outcomes of certain events, so why worry her about something that couldn’t be changed? It was hard to stay silent, but it was worth it because it meant she could continue to be herself.

For now, he’d be cautious. He’d be on the lookout, but he wouldn’t tell anyone that something was off. It wasn’t like anyone would believe him if he said something anyways. No one ever did.

And, even though the fact that this wasn’t normal should have scared him… something told him that he wasn’t the one who should be afraid. Something told him that this wasn’t an enemy he was facing, but instead a lost monster in need of help.

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Summary:

I'm SO sorry for the wobbly timeline. So it goes in this order: Chapter 12, Chapter 11, and then Chapter 15. Then the timeline will stop switching, and be one continuous line (at least, for this universe) Undyne was just checking up on Papyrus before her next move. Also this is so short qmq I know the quality has decreased, I'm so sorry :(( but the simple thing is I have so much to write. For my next chapter, I'll wait a few days so I can proof read it and have my best writer friends review it, alright? I'm very proud of this story and I refuse to let it go in the waste. So, The Crooked Count and So Similar, Yet So Different will be updated often, and after both of them, I'll work on more long undertale stories after I finish the prompt challenge (starts on June 20) ok? Sorry :(

Flowey had a big grin plastered on his face, but of course, who wouldn't? He just found out that they've succeeded in removing Sans from the equation, something that he's never dreamed of.

 

And he thought that they didn't even scratch the surface of the fun you can have with resets. He wondered if they did anything else that he couldn't. 

 

Of course, he would go to his favorite friend to see how he would feel. He was Sans' brother, after all. He wondered how Sans affected Papyrus. He usually complained about him and how lazy he was, but Flowey could tell he really cared about the trashbag. 

 

Popping out of the dirt at Papyrus' station, the once prince was confused to find no one. Sure, his brother disappeared, but it had only been a few hours since this reset started. He was a workaholic, and it was common for Sans to not be at his post. 

 

Shrugging it off, he burrowed down, making his way to Papyrus' house. He started at the door about to knock. 

 

Oh right. I don't have hands anymore. 

 

How could he forget? Throughout centuries of resets, he should've gotten used to his new form, and he was! Most of the time. 

 

Flowey was strange, and he knew that. He was dead, but yet in an alive body. He preferred to think of himself as a new monster, that Asriel was the dead one, and he was alive. He learned from the foolish mistakes Asriel made. 

 

Asriel was naive and weak, he was not. Asriel thought everyone was good, he wasn't blind as the prince was. In a way, his reincarnation was a chance to redeem himself, to learn the true nature. 

 

He wondered if Chara was proud of him. He wasn't sure yet , but he had a hunch the human was his old sibling. 

 

Forcing himself out of his thoughts of before, he furrowed his (non-existent) brow. He decided that the only thing he could do was shout.

 

"Howdy! Papyrus! It's me, your best friend!" He put on the friendliest smile, and waited as he heard shuffling.

 

The door slammed open, and instead of the tall skeleton he was expecting, a taller and menacing figure was in his place.

 

He froze. Undyne didn't see him yet, due to being just a few inches tall. However, if he dug into the earth, it would call attention to him. Instead, he morphed his face into an empty one, like a normal flower, and drooped down.

 

Grumbling at the dingdong ditch, Undyne was about to close the door when the buttercup caught her attention. 

 

'That was sweet of them, to give him a flower. Wonder who it was, though.' She thought, and tried to pick it up, growing confused when it didn't budge, and she could've sworn she heard something. 

 

She yanked it, to find that it was rooted in and clinging tightly to the dirt. She was beyond baffled, as there was no flower, and suddenly there was. She shrugged it off, and told herself his friend is really weird.

 

"Hey Papyrus, someone left you a flower." He turned his head, and slightly lit up when he saw what Undyne was carrying.

 

He took the golden flower and got a pot, putting him in and grabbing some more soil. 

 

"Next time, can you not hold him by the stem? I don't think he likes it."

 

"What do you mean? It's a flower."

 

"Yeah, this is Flowey! I told you about him, right? He usually has a face, I'm not sure why he doesn't, but this is definitely him. No other flower like him in Snowdin, after all."

 

Undyne sighed. She knew all about his imaginary friend, but he hasn't talked about him for a few days, so she had hoped he had grown out of it. He was too old for it, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Anyway, maybe this was a blessing, since he enjoyed 'Flowey' a lot, which could help him out of his slump. 

 

"Well, I'll leave you two to do… whatever you do. I have to ki- capture the human." Undyne caught herself. Papyrus didn't like killing, so it was best for her to tiptoe around the word. She wasn't even sure if he knew how they got the souls, but she was certainly not going to ask. He'd either freak out and feel guilty, maybe even worse, or get offended, believing that she thought of him as dumb.

 

The second the door slammed shut, Flowey's face reformed.

 

"Hi, Flowey. What happened to your face? I didn't know you could do that."

 

"Oh right. I was… sleeping! That's it. You know, plants need photosynthesis for energy, and there's no natural light down here, so I get tired easily." He fibbed. Yes, part of that was true, but he could eat real food for energy too.

 

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. But don't worry! Freedom is close, and you'll have more sunlight then you could ever want." That wasn't true. With Chara running around, there was no way to get the seventh human soul, plus he had no plan of going to the surface.

 

"Anyway, how are you?" Papyrus' face dropped when he asked. "Well, not that great. Something happened."

 

His smile widened. "Really? Tell me more."

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Sans walked out from his strange encounter with Asgore, not quite sure what to make of it. On the one hand, he was nervous that Asgore might be onto him. 

 

No, no. He was DEFINITELY on to him. Sans just wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was important not to mess anything up and make things worse, but it also could be nice to have an ally who understood his situation-

 

“Sans?”

 

The smiling skeleton jumped slightly, looking down at the fuzzy dog, sitting on the ground and looking up at him with wide eyes. Doggo cocked his head to the side, almost as if confused or curious. 

 

“Sans! What in the WORLD are you doing?!” Doggo exclaimed, his eyes narrowing slightly as if frustrated. The tone didn’t match Papyrus’s usually joyful, peppy attitude. It still sounded very wrong. Sans shrugged, then sat down on the snow, smiling and closing his eye sockets. “Just resting. My dogs are barking.”

 

Doggo was not amused by the terrible pun. In fact, this seemed one of the few things that this Papyrus and the Papyrus Sans knew and loved had in common.

 

“Oh my GOD, Sans! Are you serious?!” Doggo exclaimed, looking more like an angry lapdog now. 

 

“What? I’m just BONE-tired,” Sans mused, seeming to make the little guy angrier and angrier. 

 

This moment was by far his favorite part of this entire world because it was the only moment that felt almost normal. If he closed his eyes he could almost feel at home again.

 

“ENOUGH WITH THE STALLING!” Doggo yelled, clearly not humored by the puns and jokes. “I WANT TO KNOW WHY I SAW YOU LEAVING THE BACK OF ASGORE’S HOUSE! YOU’RE NOT HIDING THINGS AGAIN, ARE YOU?!”

 

Again? What was that supposed to mean?

 

Sans paused for a moment, not quite sure how he would explain what exactly he was doing in Asgore’s house. “I… I’ll explain later,” He eventually muttered, knowing he couldn’t form the right words together yet.

 

“No. You’ll explain now.” Doggo demanded in a slightly lower voice, which seemed almost ominous. 

 

“Pap- Doggo, just leave it be. I’ll explain it eventually,” Sans retorted, opening his eyesockets and looking at the little dog.

 

“NO! QUIT LEAVING ME IN THE DARK!” Doggo exclaimed.

 

“Leaving you in the dark?!” Sans asked. “When have I EVER done that?!”

 

“YOU NEVER TELL ME ANYTHING!” Doggo cried, clearly riled up now. “FOR ALL OUR LIVES, YOU ALWAYS WOULD KEEP ME IN THE DARK BECAUSE I WAS THE SENSITIVE ONE! YOU NEVER THOUGHT I COULD HANDLE THE TRUTH! UGH! DO YOU KNOW HOW INFURIATING YOU CAN BE SOMETIMES?! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM!”

 

“I- Papyrus, what are you talking about?!” Sans begged. He didn’t leave Papyrus in the dark here…. Did he?

 

Well, now that he thought about it… he often would leave Papyrus in the dark in his own world. Whenever he had nightmares and Papyrus asked him about them, he’d always brush them off and say they were nothing. He’d always withhold secrets from his brother in fear that Papyrus wouldn’t be able to handle them, like how Undyne would likely never let him into the Royal Guard. He never told his brother about the resets or the machine, heck! He never even spoke about Gaster. Whenever the human would kill their friends, he would always just tell Papyrus that they weren’t really gone. Just on vacation.

 

“Don’t. Call. Me. That.” Doggo warned. “And you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about! Don’t pretend you don’t! Just tell me why you were in there!”

 

“I…can’t,” Sans replied.

 

“Why not?!”

 

“You wouldn’t understand!”

 

“You ALWAYS say that! Try me! I’m not as dumb or sensitive as everyone thinks!” Doggo begged.

 

“I never said you were, but-”

 

“JUST SAY IT!”

 

“I’M TRYING TO LEAVE!” Sans yelled, standing up. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to say that. Perhaps it was just the heat of the moment. However, he regretted it as soon as the words slipped out. 

 

Doggo drew back, at first looking confused. Then, he looked more hurt. 

 

Sans immediately felt a flood of regret wash over him as he reached down for the little dog, but Doggo drew back.

 

His hurt expression shifted to anger. “Of COURSE you are,” Doggo hissed with a sharp, cruel tone that cut through the cold, brisk air of Snowdin.

 

“Pap, I didn’t mean-”

 

“Don’t call me that!” Doggo snapped, turning away as if he couldn’t even look at Sans. “I just don’t get it. I try to understand, but I simply can’t! Why do you keep leaving?! All our plans, all our hard work… why do you keep leaving and throwing them all away?!”

 

“What are you talking about-” Sans asked.

 

“You ALWAYS do this!” Doggo interrupted. “This is JUST like last time! When are you finally just going to let me in?! I try SO HARD to be good enough for you, and it’s NEVER enough! NEVER EVER EVER ENOUGH!” He cried, getting louder and louder. “We make plans, then you just GO OFF AND DO THINGS ON YOUR OWN! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ACTUALLY START TO TREAT ME LIKE A BROTHER AND NOT SOME CHILD YOU HAVE TO PUSH ASIDE AND PROTECT?!”

 

Sans drew back. Even though Doggo was talking about something completely different… there really was a lot of truth to his words. 

 

However, he never EVER kept secrets from Papyrus because he wasn’t good enough. He only ever kept secrets to protect his brother. To keep him happy. Was there really any harm in that? 

 

“Doggo, I know it’s hard, but you need to calm down and let me explain-”

 

“NO! NO NO NO NO NO! Don’t tell ME to calm down!” Doggo yelled. “YOU’RE THE ONE WHO KEEPS LEAVING ME BEHIND! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO KEEPS THROWING EVERYTHING AWAY! AND NOW YOU’RE ACTING ALL WEIRD! IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU’RE….you’re…”

 

The dog slowly frowned, getting quieter and quieter. He turned around, finally looking at Sans again as if he was studying each and every detail. It was as if he was taking a bunch of clues and trying to solve a riddle, the answer on the tip of his tongue.

 

“... You’re not my Sans… are you?”

 

Chapter 17

Notes:

Yes that was a reference to Gravity Falls, yes I've never watched it. Also, SP Sans does not think that. He adores his Papyrus and has guilt over his last words. He was mad, but he loves Papyrus like he was. He also hasn't connected the dots, since this is their first time :) They did die, but not a full reset. Doggo is just frustrated because he took those last words to heart, and wanted to make him proud. He thinks Sans thinks like that, but he doesn't.

 

A
Doggo is kind of leaning on Sans as his Sans. He does know now they aren't the same, but they're similar enough and Doggo really misses his brother, so he clings onto him because he's the closest he got. His brother wasn't resurrected (at least, not to his knowledge) and this is a different type of him. He doesn't want to lose him again.

"Wh- how did you… what makes you think that?!" Sans stumbled across his words, surprised by how he knew. He wouldn't have thought Papyrus would be aware of the multiverse, much less realize so soon, if at all.

 

Doggo had a scowl on his face and stiff posture, ears pinned back and hair on ends, trying to make him look bigger than he was. 

 

He would be threatening, if he wasn't a puffball trying to look intimidating. 

 

"That's the problem with you… Sanses! You think I'm just some naive, gullible baby!" As he said the last sentence, his face changed shape to become a reflection of Sans' brother, only a bit different with a happy and airheaded expression on him.

 

"Well news flash for you, buddy !" He spat the last word like poison. "I know lots of things." 

 

His head tilted to the side, a slight twitch, as his eyes became black with white pin pricks as eyelights, mouth wide open with sharp teeth poking out. The next sentence he uttered no longer had that slightly distorted Papyrus voice that wasn't as squeaky. No, it was low and deep, like nothing the skeleton in blue heard. His paws melted slightly, claws forming as he turned from cute little dog into an armed abomination. 

 

"Lots of things"

 

Then, he turned back into a small white dog, as quickly as he changed before. He still looked pissed, however. 

 

"Why did you trick me? Pretending to be him? Did you think it would be fun? Did you think of me as a little toy? As just a play thing for you to throw away?"

 

Doggo knew he was being a hypocrite, but it was different with Sans. He wasn't his Sans, but he was a Sans. 

 

It didn't matter. He didn't need anyone. Especially not one of him.

 

"I-N-no! I didn't want this, you just assumed! How was I supposed to respond? You pushed it on me!"

 

Doggo frowned, considering his point, until snapping out of it.

 

"No! You could've told me this entire time! Why did you come here if you wanted to leave? Wishy washy much? You're all the same!"

 

Doggo now had tears in his eyes, but he tried to wipe them off, not wanting to look weak.

 

"I didn't- what do you mean?"

 

"You ALWAYS change your mind! 'Oh Papyrus, do this! Oh Papyrus, never mind. Oh Papyrus, why didn't you do that? Why aren't you good enough? Why?' You're no exception! You decided to come here, then you want to back out! You made your choice, live with it!"

 

"I DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE! You think I wanted this? No! I just wanted to see my friends and brother again, but I was stuck in this twisted world, with a psycho dog!"

 

Doggo had a hurt look in his eyes, and Sans covered his mouth, but it was too late. He couldn't take it back. 

 

The plushy's face morphed from hurt to betrayed to angry. He wasn't playing around anymore. Was it just him or did the pomeranian become slightly bigger? 

 

"You're all the same! All of you Sanses! I'm never enough for you, huh? Always got to leave me! I do everything for you guys. I followed your stupid plan! I became what you wanted! I did everything you asked, and it's still not enough for y- him! And you . I'm not good enough for you either, huh? I was helping you get power! We were going to do it together! But your stupid friends and your stupid other brother is better than me, aren't they? When will I be enough?!!"

 

Doggo completely lost his composure, voice shaky and cracking. He was crying, hard, looking down to hide it. He was shaking, and Sans couldn't tell if it was from rage or crying. 

 

Sans cautiously approached him. "I'm sure that's not true. It's not that you're not enough, it's just…" He trailed off, unsure what to say. 

 

"It's what? I'm not like him, huh? You just think of me as lesser, is that it?" He snapped, not looking up. His ears were now drooped, and anyone could tell he was sad. Sans stayed quiet, contemplating something. After a bit of thought, he stretched his hand forward, petting his head. 

 

Doggo recoiled, snarling. "What are you doing? You trick me, make me think of you as him, then tell me I'm not good enough, and then you pet me? The audacity! What do you think will happen, I would just forget? News for you, pal , I'm not as gullible as I used to be!"

 

Doggo glared at him, until an idea popped in the canine's head. 

 

"Oh, that's it, right? I'm not good enough because you think I'm soft. I'm not as hating and dust thirsty as your me, is that it? If so, you're dead wrong! I was just like that because you tricked me into thinking you were Sans! I'm vicious, I promise. I've killed more people then your Papyrus could ever think of!" Doggo spat out your Papyrus like venom. "You don't have to go back to that dweeb, I've done it all. I've burned, killed, manipulated, everything! So just stop trying to leave me!"

 

Sans froze up. Kill? Manipulate? Papyrus wouldn't do that. He's bluffing, surely! He wouldn't, right? He tried to convince himself, to no avail. He backed away, eyelights becoming smaller and looking around. Maybe if he teleports, he can hide and run from Doggo. 

 

The pup's grin grew. "Now you have to stay with me, right? We can be together. You don't need him."

 

Eventually, Sans spoke, shook and afraid. "Y-you're lying. You wouldn't."

 

"Oh, but I did. I've reset this useless world thousands, maybe millions of times. I've done things you couldn't imagine. I've done worse than who you're fleeing to."

 

That last part certainly was true. But, reset? He thought only the anomaly could reset. Frisk was the anomaly, so what did he mean? The skeleton just wanted for him to laugh and admit this was a sick prank.

 

"Papyrus would never do that. You're, you can't be him. Y-you're disgusting. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He…" Sans had tears in his eyes. This couldn't be his brother. His brother would never. Doggo tilted his head. He didn't understand, frustrated.

 

"What do you WANT? I'm too soft, but when I toughen up, like you WANTED, then I'm sick? What do you want me to do??!"

 

"I never wanted you to toughen up! I don't understand why you'd think that!"

 

"He wanted it, you wanted it, tomato tamoto. I'm never good enough for you guys!"

 

Sans stopped. His counterpart would never want this, right? He hoped not. 

 

"You're getting emotional, let's just calm down so we don't do anyt-"

 

"NO! Don't pull that card on me! You're all stupid! I hate you! You're s-s-sh-sh crap!"

 

Huh. Sure, Papyrus rarely cussed, he had no reason to, but if he wanted to, he wasn't hesitant unless a child was around. 

 

In fact, he only acted like that when he was a…

 

Oh.

 

Was this a child he was talking to?

 

Sans snapped out of it. It didn't matter, right? He's still bad. Sans continued to back up, but this time Doggo noticed it. 

 

His tail drooped, and quietly whined.

 

"You're not afraid of me, are you?"

 

"N-no! Of course not!"

 

"Don't lie to me!"

 

Out of pure luck for the skeleton, Frisk had hit zero hp.

Continue? 

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Notes:

AN: Hey guys! Jims (aka, Jimmy Smash.) here. I wanna say sorry for taking so incredibly long to update my chapter. My life has basically been turned upside down and inside out! XD Anywho, I REALLY hope the long wait didn’t scare anyone off and I really wanna thank everyone who stuck around!

 

 

                ~Storyspin Flashback~

 

Once apon a time, there were two young princes of the Underground. Many years ago, it was beleived that these two children would one day help unite the monsters of the Underground with the humans of the surface.

 

One of them, Sans, was smart, clever, funny, and loved by many. It was clear from the beginning he had what it took to one day help unite the two lands and abolish this division war between humans and monsters of all kinds.

 

His younger brother, on the other hand, was more sweet. Papyrus, the younger prince, while not as smart on the surface, was still rather thoughtful. He often saw things not as they were, but rather as they could be, looking for and only seeing the best in everything.

 

Now, though they were princes, there was still much pressure on the two children. After all, the fate of the worlds rested on their shoulders. Everyone was counting on them to one day be the leaders. To inspire everyone and push forward.

 

That was a lot of pressure for two young children, who still hadn’t complete school. Not that Sans minded. He knew that everyone counted on him, yet he thrived under the pressure all monsterkind offered. It gave him a sense of value, a sense of importance. The world made it clear that they all beleived in him, Papyrus beleived in him, so he had no doubts that someday he’d unite monsterkind with humankind.

 

His brother, on the other hand, didn’t do as well under all the pressure. Many monsters saw Papyrus as… smaller. He was younger and seen as more naive. Sometimes when monsters talked, they spoke of how high their hopes for Sans were… but they’d hardly ever mention his crybaby brother.

 

Not that the brothers minded. Sans made sure to always lift his brother up high and pretend the words other monsters said meant nothing. He always ignored any critisism of his little brother. Papyrus was sweet and noble. He did his absolute best at everything and put his heart and soul into his work, whether that was trying to create small puzzles just for fun or talking to his stuffed animals, which he treated as best friends.

 

“Don’t listen to them,” Sans would always say whenever the brothers heard those unkind whispers which came oh-so often. “Someday, WE will get everyone out of here. Together.”

 

“Then what?” Papyrus would always ask, not sounding hurt by the other monster’s disbeleif in him. To be brutally honest, he never truly cared what the other monsters had to say about him. The only opinion that really mattered to him was his older brother’s. Everyone else could think whatever they wanted, but as long as his older brother still saw him as someone capable and worthy, he’d be just fine.

 

“Well,” Sans would say, smilling and rubbing the smaller skeleton’s head, (papyrus was shorter than Sans at this time,) “Then the whole world will be ours. And we’ll be happy at last.”

 

“But aren’t we happy now?” Papyrus questioned, cocking his head to the left ever so slightly and blinking in an innocent manner.

 

“Well, I suppose… but this isn’t true happiness. We’re all trapped down there. Once we’re free, we’ll find REAL happiness.”

 

“But this feels real to me!” Papyrus smiled. “I have you! What else do I need?”

 

Sans simply laughed, then stepped back, patting his little brother’s shoulder. “Maybe when you’re older you’ll start to understand.”

 

Ah yes, the classic excuse that Papyrus heard constantly. Maybe when you’re older you’ll start to understand.

 

What he didn’t understand was why he couldn’t understand now? Yes, he heard about all the amazing things about the surface, (Sans talked about it ALL. THE. TIME. He constantly would read about it to Papyrus,) but that didn’t mean they weren’t happy now. He felt pretty happy.

 

He had a loving brother who would never leave him behind. What more could he need in life?

 

Truth to be told, he didn’t even want more in life. All he wanted was to follow and support Sans. All he wanted was not to be left behind by the one he loved so much. He didn’t care about ruling. He didn’t care about the surface. He just loved his brother.

 

Sans, on the other hand, though he cared about his brother, cared much about the surface as well. After all, all of monsterkind was counting on him and Papyrus. The two of them couldn’t afford to be satisfied with the life they had. They had to be looking to the future. Looking for something better for everyone.

 

Sans always saw the best in his kindhearted, sweet, innocent younger brother. But… sometimes he worried. A part of him always babied Papyrus, and he knew this. He always worked to keep big political issues away from his younger brother because Papyrus had a nice smile, and he wanted that to stay. Sometimes when important meetings came up, he would alltogether exclude the younger skeleton, assuming that Papyrus wouldn’t want to hear anyway.

 

He never doubted that Papyrus would one day do great things. He loved his little brother, after all. But… again, sometimes he would worry. 

 

Whenever Papyrus talked about how happy and satisfied he always was, Sans would worry. He wanted Papyrus to shoot for the stars, not to be content with the hand given to him. He wanted his younger brother to strive for something better than what they were given. 

 

But Papyrus didn’t. Papyrus seemed content with just following Sans around and being a kid in the Underground.

 

That’s what worried Sans.

 

Sometimes he wondered… he wondered if what everyone would say about his brother was true.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Frisk looked at the dehydrated fish flopped in front of them. Darting their eyes between her and the water cooler, they seemed conflicted in what would be the best option for this run. Chara noticed this, and piped in. 

 

"We should give her water." 

 

Frisk looked at their partner, suspicious. Every suggestion of theirs this reset was just to get the world back to the plain old place it once was. "Why?" 

 

Chara paused, thinking about how to get them to agree. Frisk didn't want to get their hands dirty, but they weren't looking to make friends with anyone that wasn't related to Sans somehow. 

 

"Well, being friends with Undyne may make it easier to get in touch with Papyrus?" 

 

Frisk didn't say anything for a bit, making Chara nervous. 

 

Eventually, they replied. "That's a good idea." 

 

Chara sighed out of relief, following Frisk to the water cooler. 

 

They took a cup and filled it up, then just dumped it on her, which somehow worked. She got up and stared at them, then left fuming. 

 

Walking out to Waterfall yet again, they started trotting to Undyne's house. Chara followed along, deep in thought. 

 

Why is it that it just follows their command? That the ghost just had to go with the death of their family, their heros, their favorite species…

 

They liked thinking they had control, but just a few minutes ago it had to make an excuse to spare the life of one. 

 

How did this happen? 

 

"Chara?"

 

They tried to pretend they had been paying attention. "Hm?" 

 

Frisk was standing right in front of Undyne's house. "We need Papyrus to be friends with her."

 

Frisk felt like an utter idiot but tried to look just annoyed. “Well then. We can always befriend Papyrus by ourselves. It shouldn’t be too hard. After all, we haven’t found a way to not be friends with him. Except for killing him, of course."

 

They trudged along the barren world of waterfall, the two children not speaking until they got to Hotland. 

 

Hotland was much nicer, more chipper then Snowdin and Waterfall were. 

 

*Seeing such a strange laboratory in a place like this… it fills you with determination.

 

Walking to the right, they were soon greeted by the riverperson. 

 

"Tralala. Would you care for a ride?" Frisk nodded, hopping on. "Where to?" 

 

'Snowdin, please!'

 

They nodded(? It was rather hard to know with the hood on) as the boat rumbled, legs being revealed as Frisk clutched onto the sides, the boat skipping across the water. 

 

"He's still out there." 

 

'Sorry, what did you say?'

 

The riverperson just hummed in response, and Frisk soon gave up on the question. They dropped them off, and Frisk thanked them, adjusting to the brisk, chilling atmosphere.

 

Frisk didn't know the town could be so depressing without killing a lot, but it seems they were wrong. 

 

Snowdin felt lifeless without the two brothers.

 

The snow crunching beneath their boots,they made a beeline to Papyrus and Sans' house. 

 

Knocking on his door, it took a few beats for the skeleton to answer, but when he did, a familiar flower was in his hands, face blank until he heard Papyrus. 

 

"Oh! The human! Hello!" Papyrus tried to look happy, but his soft, sad eyes betrayed his big smile. Flowey's face morphed back into his usual face, looking slightly surprised to see Frisk. Looking at the striped human, the buttercup had a smug smile on his face. 

 

"Hey buddy."

 

Frisk walked in, signing to the door.

 

'Hey Flowey. Hey Papyrus. My friend here told me you're missing your brother. I think I can help you find him, though.'

 

Papyrus' expression shifted immediately, eyes lighting up and a hopeful look on his face. "R-really? Thank you so much! I owe you my life!"

 

'How has life been treating you?'

 

"Well… not good. But, now that you're here, it'll only get better!"

 

Frisk frowned. They rarely felt guilty anymore, but that was a punch to the gut. He was so believing and trusting, and they just lied to get in. 

 

'Of course.'

 

Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Papyrus sat down, twiddling his skeletal fingers while Frisk walked through his house, inspecting everything they could. They already knew the house and all its qualities, yet they searched anyway. There was something unsatisfying about just passing through. 

 

When they examined the trashcan, Papyrus remained silent. He didn’t run across the room when they entered the kitchen. He simply sat on the couch, waiting for Frisk to come up with some miraculous solution to get his brother back. 

 

The human promised they could get him back, so he had no reason to doubt them. If anyone could do it, it was the human. Because humans were special, right?

 

“So, what now?” Papyrus asked anxiously. “Are there human methods for finding missing people?”

 

Frisk was about to nod but stilled. There was something about the thought of looking for missing people that didn’t sit right.

 

They wondered deep down if anyone on the surface cared that they were gone. They wondered if there was someone like Papyrus up there, searching for them.

 

No, there couldn’t have been. No one cared for them the way Papyrus cared for Sans. They doubted anyone would be looking for them. They doubted anyone cared. They doubted anyone even noticed that they were gone.

 

Maybe people were happy. Maybe, when Frisk didn’t show up the next morning, all the people they knew smiled and thought, “Good.” 

 

The thought of no one noticing was more comfortable than the thought of someone actually caring. At least if no one cared, no one had to feel hurt by their disappearance. 

 

Chara had a similar process, only they KNEW no one cared. They knew that people were happy that they were gone. Chara wasn’t glad that no one cared, however. Sometimes they wished with all their might that just one person from the human world cared. They wished that humanity showed them just a pinch of kindness. They wished there was someone like Papyrus for them up on the surface. If there was, then perhaps everything would have been different. 

 

Chara envied Sans and Papyrus. The relationship they had, and the way they interacted with one another. It reminded them of the kind of relationship they always wanted. It reminded them of their relationship with Asriel.

 

And now Sans was gone, leaving Papyrus broken.

 

Broken just like Asriel was when they left.

 

Chara stilled slightly and looked over at the small buttercup. The flower who used to have a SOUL. The flower who used to be Asriel. Sweet, smiley, crybaby Asriel. 

 

Now he was cruel. He wasn’t Asriel anymore, all because of them.

 

What if that happened to Papyrus? What if Sans and Papyrus were just like Chara and Asriel? What if the roles were being switched? What if Sans and Papyrus were doomed to become the next broken family?!

 

Neither of them deserved that. As much as Chara was for resetting and exploring each path, they didn’t want Sans and Papyrus to become what they and Asriel currently were. 

 

They didn’t want that. They really didn’t want that.

 

And they couldn’t stand the fact that this all could have been somehow caused by THEIR own actions. They had no idea what happened to Sans, but if it was caused by them, then Sans and Papyrus would just be two extra names on the list of people whose lives they’ve permanently ruined. 

 

They didn’t want to ruin lives. Not permanently. Not when Sans and Papyrus didn’t deserve that. 

 

‘There are,’ Frisk signed. ‘But we can’t find him when you’re panicked. The first step is to calm down. That way we don’t let our emotions interfere with the search.’

 

Chara shook their head at Frisk, feeling more and more disgusted with what they were both doing. Papyrus was feeling broken, and they were USING that broken feeling like an item in a game. They were using that broken feeling to befriend him and use his friendship to get through the world. They were using his grief against him, and he didn’t even know it!

 

Papyrus nodded, forcing a smile, though it wasn’t genuine. It was hard not to let his emotions cloud his judgment. Especially now. He was feeling too many things, and turning them all off was impossible. He was sad, lonely, afraid, angry with himself for letting Sans get lost, angry at the rest of the world for not caring as much as he did, and afraid.

 

Afraid he was never going to see Sans again. Afraid that he was never going to be able to yell at Sans to pick his sock up. Afraid that he was never going to drag him away from Grillby’s. Afraid that he’d never get to hear a ridiculous pun from him. 

 

“If you think that’ll help, then I, the great Papyrus, shall try my very best!” Papyrus chimed, doing his best to sound like his usual enthusiastic self. However, his tone was slightly shaky. 

 

‘You can do it. I believe in you,’ Frisk signed with a small smile.

 

“You little-” Chara hissed, crossing their arms. “How dare you use those words against him?!” 

“What are you talking about?” Frisk thought back. “Is there something wrong with what I’m doing? I’m helping him find Sans.”

 

“No, you’re filling him with false hope,” Chara spat back. “You’re utilizing his current emotional state. We both know that Sans isn’t here. He’s just gone! He can’t possibly be in the Underground anymore. If he was, he wouldn’t let his brother feel like this. We both know that you can’t find him just by making Papyrus turn off his emotions.”

 

“So what do you want me to do then?” Frisk thought, slightly annoyed. “You don’t want me just ignoring the fact that he’s gone, but you don’t want me to try to find him. So what DO you want?!”

 

“I–” Chara started, slowly frowning. They let out a small huff, covering their face. “I don’t even know what I want.”

 

They wanted Sans back. They wanted Papyrus to go back to being his usual self. They wanted Sans and Papyrus to NOT become the next Chara and Asriel.

 

That’s what Chara wanted.

 

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

"H…? Di……ll?" 

The child groaned at the booming voice. His ears were ringing, able to process almost none of what was being said. He squeezed his eyesockets closed, the footsteps getting louder until they were right next to him.

 

Sans silently prayed to not be noticed. He just wanted to fall asleep until this feeling left, or maybe just die. That would be nice.

 

Today was not his lucky day, though, as the source of the footprints almost immediately saw him. Although the throbbing pain of his skull didn’t waver, the ringing had become much fainter, allowing him to hear what they said.

 

"Oh no! Are you okay? I heard something so I went to investigate. Are you hurt? Where's your pa-" He spoke faster and faster until pausing in horror, seeing a big crack in the side of the skeleton's skull. 

 

He dropped to Sans' side, trying to pick the taller up, but only succeeding a couple inches off the ground. Sans groaned, displeased at the situation. If the prince noticed his discomfort, he didn’t show it.

 

Sans could now see the person who was talking to him as he was propped against a rock. To his surprise, instead of seeing a human, another skeleton was staring back at him.

 

Maybe he hit his head harder than he thought.

 

Sans’ eyelights shrank when his soul was revealed, and then CHECKed.

 

Sans

1 DEF 2 ATK 3/15 HP

Suspicious of you.

 

"Oh no! How'd you get like this?! You almost fell down! Here, let me help you.”

 

The said skeleton held Sans’ arm, a bit too tightly for Sans’ comfort. He had a focused look on his face, a dim green glow surrounding the younger’s hand. Sans first tried to yank back his hand, afraid of what the other was doing, before noticing the splitting pain in his head was getting weaker to the point where it was rather tolerable.

 

The prince’s energy was running out, the healing glow flickering, but he refused to give up, burning up his excess magic even quicker until his determination failed, leaving him exhausted.

 

Releasing Sans’ arm, he looked at the surface dweller’s skull, disappointed to see the crack still large. 

 

Sans

1 DEF 2 ATK 15/15 HP

He seems to be slightly more comfortable with you.

 

 The child beamed, happy. “Well, at least you’re on full HP! We do need to fix your skull though…” He looked at Sans, who looked at him curiously, but still cautiously, which the prince was unfamiliar with. Usually he was the one that monsters were the least worried about. 

 

Suddenly, it hits him.

 

“Wait, I haven’t introduced myself, have I? I’m Papyrus! What’s your name?” Papyrus had a big grin on his face and an outstretched arm, expecting for him to realize who he was, and that he wasn’t a threat. But even after hearing his name, Sans didn’t seem to have recognized him. Strange.

 

Taking his hand hesitantly, the green striped child muttered “I’m Sans.” quietly, but Papyrus heard him clearly. 

 

“Sans? That’s a good name! Nice to meet you, Sans! Hey, my moms probably can help you! Our house isn’t too far away, then we can find your parents!” 

 

Sans stiffened up at the mention of his parents. He was so preoccupied with the other monster he completely forgot about his parents.

 

His parents were going to be furious if they came to get him, assuming they didn’t turn a blind eye to him being found, trying to look as if they never saw the boy before.

 

They never wanted a freak anyway.

 

Looking up at where he fell, he couldn’t see a clear way out. It almost looked like the only way down was falling. At least there was someone who seemed to know this cave rather well.

 

“Hey Papyrus?” Sans asked.

 

Papyrus was a bit surprised at him talking without prompt, but was happy he was coming out of his shell.

 

“What is it?”

 

“How do you get out of here, anyway?” 

 

Papyrus cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean, ‘out’?”

 

“You know, out.” Sans gestured vaguely to the surroundings.

 

“Oh, it’s really simple to get out of the ruins. If you keep on going there’s an empty house, and in the basement there’s a door. Are you telling me you’ve never seen the rest of the underground? If so, we need to fix that! It’s a really nice place. Much less small too.”

 

“I mean, how do you get home? Are there stairs or boulders to climb?” 

 

“I usually use the boat.”

 

Sans was getting increasingly frustrated, not able to understand what the younger was saying or getting an answer. How could he not understand? It was so simple! “I mean how do you get out of this cave? How do you get back up on the mountain?”

 

Then, Papyrus did something Sans didn’t expect: he chuckled.

 

Well, he did until he noticed that Sans was dead serious. Then his expression morphed into confusion.

 

“You can’t. Even if you climbed up, the barrier won’t let anyone without the power of a strong soul and a weak soul. I thought everyone knew that.”

 

“...Barrier?”

 

“The seal! You know, the force trapping us underground. The one that separates us from the human world. The glowy white thing. That barrier?” Papyrus was grasping for straws as it slowly dawned on Sans.

 

“I’m… trapped here.”

 

“Yeah, but haven’t you gotten used to it?” Sans grabbed Papyrus’ shoulders, shaking him slightly.

 

“No you don’t understand! I’m not meant to be here! There has to be a way out, I can’t be trapped in a small cave my entire life! How is it even possible to survive in here?” The taller was freaking out. Papyrus patted him on the back to help calm him down, and changed his usual voice to a sweet and almost calm tone, just to not freak him out anymore.

 

“It’ll be alright, I promise. I must’ve not healed you correctly, you seem a little… confused. Let’s go to my home, and we’ll help you. Is that ok?”

 

Sans didn’t say anything, just nodding. As the two got up, Sans fumbled on his twisted ankle and almost fell, until something caught him. Looking up, there was Papyrus with a small smile holding him up, then wrapping an arm around him to sturdy him.

 

“Thanks.” Sans mumbled, which to Papyrus cheerfully replied “No problem!”

 

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Notes:

The beginning description is really long and may seem over-detailed, but each part shows a big piece of the character. There's also hints of something throughout the entire chapter, but I won't tell you (at least not until you ask.) I'd love to hear what you think everything means and parts you didn't understand and I'm again sorry for the long beginning.

Also sorryyy but high-school is hell and I had to make a 50 page play and it was never ending and then Adderall became scarce so I got very behind on homework and then I had 20 late assignments and I had to slowly work through it but every assignment would be replaced by 8 more and I just couldn't.

"I..th.s...ing..on?"

There is a rattling noise, and suddenly the world goes from black to a colorful bedroom. 

The bedroom was seemingly split in half. The left side had astronomy books scattering the bed, with the bed somewhat made, the blanket and pillows having galaxies and stars all around. There were fresh crumbs on the bed, but it was clear no one has used it for it's purpose in a while. 

The ceiling above was bathed in a brilliant blue, clouds covering part of the bright sun. On the floor was a carpet with fine long pile, as if when you stepped on it, you would slightly sink. Although, it wasn't that soft for a carpet, a bit coarse.

There was a solar system model on the desk. It was crudely made, with paint thinner and thicker in places, the planets a bit bumpy, and some of the writing faint from time. 

Some random small objects such as pencil sharpeners, crayons, and markers were strewn on the desk as well as the floor. There were dust bunnies under the bed, a lot of junk compiling under. 

On the right side was the polar opposite, with there being no paint on the ceiling and no carpet. There was a bed with a warm tan blanket. Aside it there were many drawings taped to the wall. It ranged from trees to animals to two small skeletons. 

In front of the whole display, the aforementioned skeletons were looking eagerly at the camera. 

The one that was messing with the camera had a smile on his face, a shamrock green shirt with a cream stripe in the middle. The beginning of the sleeve cut off close to the shoulder bone, with dark green stitches, a more vibrant green sleeve continued until his wrists, where they were tight on, but not too tight on the arm. Some paper sheet remains seemed to poke out of one sleeve. 

He had baggy brown sweatpants and was sitting down, fumbling with the camera, before putting it down on a stand. 

"I think it's ready." He said to the other. He was a couple inches smaller, and looked much younger. He had a bright orange shirt with cyan stripes and some jeans. His eyes were sparkling as he slightly vibrated from excitement. 

"Greetings!" He shouted. "I'm Papyrus! Well, you probably already know that. After all, you are me!" He giggled, excited as Sans watched him with a smile, softer than his usual. 

"But! Back to the point!" Papyrus exclaimed, flailing his arms up, making the child in the green shirt flinch. 

“How is it like being king?” His eyes lit up even more, shaking his hands out of excitement. 

“Um, not to be a killjoy, bro, but I’m pretty sure you don’t become king when you’re 18.” The older interjected, fiddling his thumbs. 

“Of course you do! What else would happen?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m not sure where I got the idea.” He said, not believing what he was saying. Papyrus didn’t pay too much mind, continuing on. “What do you want to be, Sans? Royal advisor? A knight? Or do you want to be a king as well?”

“I’m fine, bro, really. I’m okay with whatever happens.” 

The energetic skeleton was satisfied with that. “Okay!” He turns to the camera again, speaking to their future selves.

“Anyway, I guess all I’m really hoping is that you’re happy! Not that I have to worry! I know everything’s going to work out, so long as we’re both there! Everything has to work out by the end, right Sans?” Papyrus asked, turning his attention to Sans. The older skeleton seemed to pause, silently noting that life didn’t exactly work that way. Still, he agreed, saying “Right.”

Papyrus started to speak again, but a faint “Dinner’s ready!” holler from Undyne made him stop.

“OopssorryI’llberightbackbye-” He zipped away, leaving Sans in the dust. The older chuckled, turning off the camera.

The camera came back to life. It was still in their bedroom, the lights turned off and the camera moving slowly in a way to show someone was holding it.

Papyrus was in white pajammas with a large light orange stripe on the chest, tucked under the blanket in his bed, on his side, and near the edge of his bed. Less than a foot away was the taller, still in the exact clothing as before other than being without shoes. He was sitting on a stool, book in his hands as he read a bedtime story about a rabbit and his friends. His eyes were half closed, looking as if he would doze off at any second.

"...and Fluffy checked the knott in the tree, and out popped Susie the squirrel. He had found all of his friends just as the sun began to set. The five all had a great time, and couldn't wait for their game tomorrow." He finished, closing the story, his left eyelight being replaced with a yellow and blue disk, the book enveloped it in a blue forcefield and floating back to its space on the bookshelf.

The older clanked his teeth against his forehead.

"Goodnight."

The camera went black.

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

 

Frisk was starting to regret lying.

 

Sure, it seemed like the best way to make Papyrus keep them around and to get closer to him, but they were only thinking of the short term gain. There were always going to be holes in empty promises. But they had more holes than usual, them not even having the slightest clue of what to say when he started questioning them, as they were too impatient to think of a believable lie. 

 

Even Papyrus, who had the flaw of being too trusting, will eventually catch up if they keep saying that it ‘just takes time’ 

 

Yes, he was satisfied with their answers for now. But eventually he’ll be suspicious. Even if they become the closest of pals, when he finds out all their friendship was built on a lie, the relationship would crumble. 

 

He was very forgiving. He probably wouldn’t hold any long term resentment. But it would never be the same (until the next reset, at least.) He would brush most lies off, forgiving and trusting almost immediately. But, this wasn’t most lies. They had taken when he was in an emotionally vulnerable state and lied about being able to help piece his world back together. He wouldn’t trust them with anything important again. 

 

So, they made a flimsy excuse about having to ‘get to the barrier’ and refused to elaborate or let him join them. Problem was, Papyrus was eagerly expecting them to depart every second. Although that part was interesting, due to him never wanting them to leave before, they were upset that they couldn’t try to see more of his reactions and changes, being unable to without ruining their sweet, kind pacifist run.

 

A̶l̶s̶o̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶s̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶e̶x̶c̶i̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶v̶e̶.̶

 

Oh well, if they find him gone yet again next run, they could try next time. After all, they should also focus on the other monsters, not just Papyrus. Maybe they'll get to do more with him later. 

 

 

As they were getting ready to leave, they took the gold in Papyrus’ couch while he wasn’t looking and stuffed a cinnabun in their mouth, gaining some quick energy and hp. They froze when they heard the door creaking. 

 

The fish heroine herself walked in, holding her metal helmet, head held lower than usual, embarrassed and ashamed.

 

"Hi Papyrus, I'm back. How are you holding up?" She looked up slightly, a small smile on her face to reassure Papyrus. 

 

When she looked up though, she saw Papyrus in a more stable state than before. Sure, he still looked shaken up and obviously wasn’t back to normal, but she thought that he would be worse off, not better. 

 

“I’m doing ok. Good news, one of Flowey’s friends came over and has a plan to get Sans back.” Undyne’s smile dropped when he started talking about Flowey and a new friend. Maybe she was being harsh on Papyrus, but she really didn’t want another imaginary friend. It seemed to be getting out of control, and she might have to confront him about it

 

Of course, he was in a fragile state, so she wouldn’t question it until he was much better. Maybe after he gets over this, he’ll forget about the new one. She’ll let him use the, as a crutch, for now. It was the least she could do. 

 

“And how does this friend plan on doing this?” 

 

“Well, I don’t know. But, they said they need to get to the barrier! Maybe you can ask them?"

 

"I'd love to, but I can't. I hope all goes well th-" Putting down her helmet on the stand, she paused when she saw Frisk.

 

"You." Her fist clenched tightly, eyes narrowing. Papyrus seemed oblivious to this, though, at the small child. Papyrus seemed to be oblivious of the rivalry, though, interrupting her aggressive staring contest.

 

“This was the person I was talking about, Undyne! Their name is Frisk.”

 

Undyne would’ve preferred tenfold for them to have been imaginary. How did they even find Papyrus, much less find out about Sans and his disappearance? 

 

Gritting her teeth, she forced a friendly smile. It was rather rude as a guest to be cruel to another guest, at least while the host was around. 

 

She would have to speak to the little punk (or rip out their soul. That works too.) later.

 

Extending her arm for a handshake, Frisk had a smile on their face she didn’t trust. Maybe it was just her skepticism, but she swore that sweet, nice smile was a mask to hide the cocky smirk of theirs. How they looked down on her for being weak and how they were easily able to overpower her, without even trying to fight.

 

That just proved they were a coward. If they didn’t keep running away they wouldn’t stand a chance. She wasn’t weak.

 

They took her hand, looking at her warmly. Oh how she hated that. It was so fake and infuriating. Sure, they looked harmless with their friendly posture, their dopey smile, their small form that makes them look so helpless, and their overall look making them so approachable, but she wasn’t fooled.

 

There was something ugly under there. Something that no one could see, but something dark under there. She didn’t like it. They weren’t at it yet, whatever ‘it’ is, it was dangerous.

 

To be fair, they are a human, they’re all dangerous. But it felt different.

 

Noticing Frisk’s squirming, she soon realized she was squeezing the child’s hand too tight, hurting them. Letting their hand go, she muttered a sorry.

 

 Frisk knew Undyne. They just had to get Papyrus to leave, then she’d be her true and genuine self, and argue with Frisk. Then they could eventually have a heart to heart, and get rid of all her fears of them hurting anyone or Asgore. 

 

They had Papyrus’ trust, but they weren’t close enough to convince him to leave, plus it would be strange to get kicked out of your own house.

 

They did know one person who could probably get Papyrus to do anything (that would be up to it and was present right now). Unfortunately, he probably won’t be too happy to help.

 

 

Flowey was on the windowsill, grouchy at his sudden imprisonment in the pot. He hated this dumb thing, and avoided it as much as possible. It felt like getting trapped in a tight blanket someone wrapped around you. Uncomfortable, restrictive, and unable to move without your capturer’s help.

 

He felt someone poking him, and turned around to see none other than the human. 

 

“Oh. Hi, ” Flowey said in a monotone voice, not sounding pleased nor upset at their presence, at the most annoyed. Frisk wasn’t phased by this, used it.

 

‘Flowey, you’re enjoying this new timeline, right?’ 

 

“Hm? Yeah, it’s ok.” Flowey still had the same tone, even though he was dishonest with his excitement, to the point Frisk didn’t notice. 

 

‘Well, some would say that you owe me, so I have an idea how you can repa-’

 

“No.”

 

‘You didn’t even let me finish my sentence!’

 

Flowey paused, a mostly blank expression on his face, before sighing.

 

“Fine. Continue.”

 

‘I was wondering if you could get Papyrus out of the house, just for a bit?’

 

“No.” He had a smug grin on, signaling to them that he was only saying no to annoy them. 

 

‘Come on, don’t you want to learn more about Papyrus’ thoughts? He might act differently and tell you certain things he wouldn’t in front of Undyne. Just try it.’

 

Flowey huffed, upset at being oned up, now curious about it. “Fineeee, but it’s not for you.” turning his attention to Papyrus, he called out to him. “Hey Papyrus!” Papyrus turned around, walking to the buttercup. As they chatted, Frisk left them and went over to Undyne, who was trying to look happy about the human’s presence, but anyone with eyes could tell she wasn’t.

 

As the two friends left, Undyne’s stature to Frisk changed immediately, summoning a spear. “Hey punk, what are you planning?” Frisk cocked their head, as to ask what she meant. “Don’t play dumb with me. Why are you lying to him? How did you know about him and his brother? What do you plan on doing?”

 

Frisk chuckled silently, signing. ‘I know Sans. One can say we’re closer than friends. I care about all monsters, including Papyrus. I want to bring Sans back to him. I may not be able to, but I have a hunch I’m able to. I need to get to the barrier for my plan, though.’ They made sure to make as few lies as possible, although there were quite a few unsaid buts and conditions. Undyne sighed, making her spear vanish.

 

“Fine. I won’t stop you, but don’t think we’re friends. Right now, I’m just not impaling you for my friend. Just… don’t kill Asgore or else. Got it?”

 

Frisk smiled. ‘I promise.’

 

Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Asgore sat alone in his humble home, thinking back to that skeleton. There was something wrong. He could feel it in the air, in the way things were going, in the way people were acting. Not everyone could notice, but he always did. 

 

It made him silently wonder if this was somehow his own fault. It couldn’t have been– he would have surely remembered something like that. But, his mind was brought to the machine. The machine hidden away in his house, the machine that not even Toriel knew about.

 

Had someone gotten to it? Someone must have– or someone must have messed with the lab, but that seemed less likely. Or did it? There were so many questions, so few answers. He wasn’t sure how to even move forward or what to do. Nothing was ever as simply as having a casual conversation. No matter how much he wanted to believe that people could just talk and act their way through the Underground, it was impossible. There was always a darkness hiding within everyone and everything. No one was purely good, just as no one was purely bad.

 

Sitting down, he stuffed his hands into his yellow jacket’s pockets and just silently pondered. He had been doing a lot of pondering lately. Sometimes, it seemed all he ever did was sit and ponder. There comes a point in life when sitting and pondering doesn’t work anymore, you have to do more.

 

In some ways, Sans felt the same way. In a way, stepping back and thinking could be good, but there comes a point when it can be hurtful. Especially if it’s all one does. He couldn’t let it be the only thing he did– he needed to start acting before everything drew out too long. He needed to figure out how to clean up this mess, and he knew that the best way to do so was to seek out the one person who had a chance of understanding. REALLY understanding. Not just comprehending, but understanding the way he understands, if he even did understand.

 

He held up a skeletal hand and knocked on the door to Asgore’s house, which looked remarkably like the home he knew. A part of him was almost expecting to hear Papyrus’s voice on the other side of the door, yelling at him for staying out too late at Grillbys once again. 

 

But Papyrus wasn’t there. He wasn’t back home, in a world where he yes, sometimes felt out of place, but still belonged. 

 

“Back already, Pumpkin?” Asgore’s voice asked, and there was shuffling on the other side of the door. After a few lazy moments, the door slowly swung open, and Asgore was slightly taken aback to see Sans standing there instead of Toriel.

 

Sans stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked side to side, checking to make sure Doggo wasn’t hiding behind him. It wasn’t that he was afraid of him, he just didn’t want him overhearing and misunderstanding. 

 

Sans didn’t even need to explain why he was there. It was as if a silent agreement had been made, and both of them knew exactly why Sans was there. 

 

“Come inside,” Asgore breathed, stepping aside.

 

Sans stepped in, and was surprised with how familiar the air around him felt. If he closed his eye sockets, he would have probably been able to trick his mind into truly believing that he was home. Still, the smell of spaghetti in the kitchen was replaced with the smell of pastries and pie. Instead of dirty socks piled on the ground, there were flowerpots holding buttercups. The sweet golden flowers looked so pure and innocent, golden like the sun. 

 

“So…” Asgore started, awkwardly bringing his hands together and twiddling his thumbs as he rocked back and forth on his heels. 

 

“I need to get home,” Sans breathed. “And I need someone who understands to help me. Do–”

 

“I have the machine,” Asgore answered, making the conversation quick instead of dragging things out. “You can do what you need, but you CAN’T do anything that could potentially cause more issues or harm Toriel. Other than that, you can do what you wish with it. I… have no need for it anymore, afterall…”

 

Sans drew back, not quite expecting the sudden answer.

 

“Really?” He questioned. 

 

Asgore could tell the skeleton he's been in his shoes before. (Well, he didn't truly know what situation the strange monster was in, but he knew what it was like. To be desperate and unfamiliar, knowing your future was in the hands of someone else.)

 

Instead, though, he simply shrugged. “If going back now is what you need, and if finding a way to send you back is what will set everything right, then I’m for it,” Asgore shrugged. “Well, as close to right as things can be down here…”

 

Sans nodded, but his mind was briefly brought to Doggo. 

 

What would become of him once Sans left? He’d be okay, right?

Would it matter? Doggo wasn’t his Papyrus, he wasn’t his brother to take care of. He wasn’t his responsibility.

 

But… he still was Papryus. He was another Sans’s responsibility, and he failed.

 

He wasn’t only physically stuck, he was stuck behind an emotional barrier as well. One that would definitely be difficult to cross through, but he didn’t have a choice, did he? His own Papyrus needed him just as much, if so even more than Doggo did.

 

“You’re unsure,” Asgore observed.

 

“I’m not,” Sans replied.

 

“Well, now you’re unsure AND you’re lying. That’s not a good combo,” Asgore chuckled.

 

“Heh, what can I say? I’ve got a knack for coming up with bad com-bones,” Sans laughed, which in turn made Asgore chuckle as well. 

 

It didn’t change the fact that he was clearly avoiding the subject, but the joke was a good one and it deserved a chuckle. “Alright. I see the good humor. I’ll throw you a bone.”

 

Sans winked and chuckled as a wave of relief washed over him. “Thanks. I’ve got a skele-ton more where that came from.”

 

The two chuckled for another few moments, but there was an unstable tension still in the air. 

 

“So, you’re really just going to leave then?” Asgore asked.

 

“What else can I do?” Sans asked. “I need to get home!”

 

“I know, I know,” Asgore admitted. “I just… it’s odd. Most times, when looking at the heroes journey, the protagonist doesn’t leave until the story’s over.”

 

“You and I both know the story never ends,” Sans noted.

 

“I know, I know,” Asgore chuckled. “Still… I suppose this is just a warning. You don’t want to leave things more broken than you found them.

Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Notes:

So! Asgore might've seemed to be confusing last time, and I actually wanted to have a chapter explaining why he did this, but it was cut for multiple reasons, so I put a couple hints. Well, not hints, but just saying it. Basically, Asgore does not know a Sans, but he was friends with the Gaster replacement, and Sans, although not too much like him, did remind him of him. Asgore was in a dire situation and the scientist helped him out a ton, so he knows what it's ike, that with his big heart and not too much knowledge of machines (He kept it around since that was the last project he worked on before he disappeared) was why he's so quick to give it to Sans. Of course, he doesn't immediately trust him, and is still weary (he's just easier at hiding it.) Again, sorry for having this exposition dump, I wanted it to come naturally but again, I couldn't and I wanted to share my vision with you guys. The start originally meant to hype up learning about him but due to the change it might seem useless, but I didn't want to remove it. ANYWAY I'm rambling!!! School is almost over so I'm feeling much better than before =]

Absentmindedly thumbing the key in his pocket, Sans couldn't help but ponder what had happened only a couple minutes ago. Asgore's always been incredibly selfless and happy to deliver unreasonable requests, but even this seemed too much for him. His skull still buzzed with all the arguments he was going to present, yet he didn't even get to start it. He wasn't sure if Asgore did this to everyone, or if it was only for him. If he was always like this, the lost skeleton didn't know how he still had such a stable job as a sentry or a nice house. He almost wanted to ask him why, but it was better to not give him enough time to change his mind. 

 

Sans glanced around him, making sure he wasn't followed by his canine 'friend' or the human. When he was sure he was clear, he opened the door, locking it behind him just in case. Turning on the light, he scanned around instead of immediately going to the machine like before. Unlike his own, there weren't any blueprints that he could read. The handwriting was rushed and in a hurry, not to mention shaky and squashed together to the point he couldn't tell when one word ended and another began.

 

The images, luckily, weren't handmade and he could tell what was what. Still, though, it was much more complicated with more moving parts than his, with multiple prototypes (Which, he begrudgingly noted, looked similar on the outside and weren't properly labeled.)

 

Grabbing a few papers that looked the closest to the current machine, he folded them and shoved them in his pocket, walking over to the machine. On closer inspection, it did look different from his own. His was a broken mess, but was somewhat modern; Asgore's looked as if it wasn't destroyed per se, just... abandoned. 

 

The general structure and parts were thankfully types he knew. He rarely built anything using it back in his lab days. However, he did have his fair share of tweaking them when they broke. 

 

There was a keyboard of some sorts unlike his own, which mainly was controlled by selecting, buttons and simulating possible timelines by random. (In hindsight, modifying a device originally designed to track other worlds and possible futures to reset wasn't the smartest move.) He pressed a key, and the blank screen hummed to life and turned to light blue. Disappointingly, it did little more, even when he tested the rest.

 

'Well, at least it's online.' Sans thought to himself as he went back to looking around. Other than a few unimportant details, there wasn't anything else useful externally. Taking out a blueprint from his pocket and grabbing a screwdriver from a drawer, he unscrewed a panel on the side, revealing a spaghetti mess of wires, which he reached into with intentions of organizing them to see what was what, his phalanx touching an exposed wire, giving the skeleton a harmless, but mildly infuriating shock.

 

Withdrawing his hand and shaking it, he muttered to himself, unhappy. He honestly should've expected it with him prodding around in a random broken machine. 

 

Reaching in again, carefully this time. The mess of wires made it hard to be sure at a glance, but from what he could tell, it had numerous burnt-out and sparking wires. Grumbling to himself as he put the panel back on, he realized unless he got new parts, the chances of him getting home was slim without getting replacements. 

 

If he had to, he'd go to Alphys (er- the royal scientist, he guessed) but, if possible he'd rather stay with the human trash. Teleporting outside, he held the key in his hands, debating if to unlock it or not. After all, if this world was anything like his, there weren't any spares lying around, and Asgore might not be too happy with being unable to go in his property.

 

After a bit of thought, he slid the key under the door, knocked, and left before he could answer. He could always teleport, after all.

 

Strolling into Waterfall, he looked around. Waterfall was one of his favorite places in the underground, specifically the star roof area. 

 

"Howdy!" Sans almost jumped out of his skin, eyelights locking onto a small, fuzzy pomeranian with a large smile, which seemed out of character.

 

Especially with where they left off.

 

"Hi?" He responded cautiously, not wishing to set him off again. The dog walked with him, speeding up with Sans as the skeleton tried to escape the situation. 

 

Acting as if he hadn't noticed Sans' attitude towards him, the smaller's tone was unsettlingly chirpy.

 

"So, I got to thinking, and we shouldn't let such small things get in the way! We still have a plan, after all. You're keeping your side, right?" Doggo didn't let Sans respond.

 

"I shouldn't bother you. After all, you're probably busy!" Doggo zipped out, again before Sans could react. As he dashed into his tunnel, his mask immediately fell, a sour and upset expression. He navigated the winding tunnels, before popping out in a secluded area of the woods. A goat monster with fur as white as snow was humming to herself, before noticing her friend. 

 

"Doggo! How are you doing?" 

 

"Hey, Tori!" He chirped. "Can I ask a favor?"

 

"Of course, anything for you!"