"SANS! WAKE UP LAZYBONES ITS TIME TO GET UP AND GREET THE DAY! I MADE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI! HURRY UP OR IT WILL GET COLD!" Papyrus yells from down the stairs, his footfalls echoing as he re-enters the kitchen. I grumble quietly as the last resets events flash through my head. My bones pop as I throw my black hoodie over the dark blue sweater I'm constantly wearing on adjusting the sleeves absentmindedly as I shuffle towards my bedroom door. "Comin Paps." I grumble as I groggily shamble out the door of my room, rubbing my eye sockets of sleep as I half-shamble down the stairs. Stopping at the fridge on the way to the table I grab a ketchup bottle and sip from it slowly, savoring the tang of the ketchup inside the red container. Papyrus is already dressed for the day in his 'battle body' which consists of his usual black combat boots, studded red-dyed hide pants, a black t-shirt with the usual triple moon symbol of the royal family on the left side and the red scarf I made him last year that draped over his shoulders almost cape-like. "Sup bro. Sorry i slept so late, I was 'bone-tired' from yesterday." I joke at him chuckling as he shakes in frustration from my pun. When he turns around he looks exasperated from my pun. "ITS TOO EARLY FOR YOUR PUNS BROTHER! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN TIRED? ALL YOU DID WAS SLEEP YESTERDAY! I'M GOING TO TRAIN AT UNDYNE'S AND THEN RECALIBRATE MY PUZZLES! YOU SHOULD DO YOURS TOO SANS THEY HAVN'T BEEN DONE IN WEEKS!" Papyrus chastises as he finishes cleaning his dishes, going to the front door as he speaks. "Sure thing bro." I say as he runs out the door, scarf whipping in the wind as the door slams behind him. My grin drops as soon as the door clicks shut. Im not feeling so 'hungary' any more so I just put the spaghetti in a container in the fridge and take another ketchup bottle and guzzle it down. "Ugh" I mumble as I port to my room, going back to sleep as soon as my skull meets the meager mattress that serves as my bed to take a short nap my mind plagued with images of a red scarf buried in the snow covered in orange-tinted dust. My memories swirl around my head like one of those natural disasters written about in some of the books in the Librarby. It takes what feels like hours to finally drift off into a restless sleep.

Waking up a few hours later, I teleport down to my 'lab' in Waterfall to experiment with the doses of concentrated magic and determination today to see how much i can handle before my magic goes haywire again. Sure Paps will no doubt scold me that I slacked off again if he finds out but its a fair trade off if I can figure out how to fix the anomaly and get rid of the resets forever. That demon has been a thorn in my side for to long. I'll do anything for Papyrus to be able to see the sunlight or feel a cool summer breeze or to watch the leaves change color in the fall as the seasons change. The only idea he has of the surface is books delivered from the surface with the other supplies and my own vague memories of before those 'holy knight' humans attacked. At least we have allies working to break the barrier from the other side. Unfortunately neither of us on either side of the barrier seem to be making much headway. Sighing, I summon my spell book floating beside me to the right recipe, the seven empty heart shaped containers on the front cover barely catching my attention as I open to the page I was on the last reset. I try not to think about how there used to not be seven heart shaped holes in my grimoir. Humming as I mix the ingredients into the cauldron and set it to a boil, colors swirling in the mixture as I lower the brew back down into a low simmer. Then I get a small amount more than yesterday of the determination and concentrated magic mixture. When i drop it into the cauldron it bubbles and fizzes almost exploding out of the cauldron for a minute before settling to a gently burble. Turning off the fire I use my magic to cool the mixture as I prepare the syringe. When the contents are cool, I use my magic to condense what I've made into enough to fit into the syringe. Taking the syringe in my hand I bring the bubble of solution to it and fill the syringe with it using all of it. Sitting down I mentally prepare myself for the painful part, injecting the concentrated solution into my very fragile soul.

Summoning my dark blue soul I hold it up and slowly inject the solution into my soul with the syringe. At first nothing happens then it starts to tingle, energy flowing through me like a damn had been burst and I was at the bottom. Shrugging it off I port to my station to sleep off the effects that will no doubt hit soon, hopefully Papyrus won't arrive to check on me for a good while. The second I materialize at my station I collapse in pain against its worn wood, slumping into the cold snow under my station as consciousness leaves me.

Hours later

"SANS YOU LAZYBONES WAKE UP! YOU CANT SLEEP AT YOUR STATION!"

"….."

"SANS?"

"…."

SANS WAKE UP!"

"…."

"SANS THIS ISN'T FUNNY PLEASE WAKE UP!"

'Papyrus…..?' I wonder as I vaguely hear his voice as if I'm underwater. I feel myself being picked up and carried somewhere by his familiar grip, consciousness fading in and out as Papyrus runs somewhere carrying me with him. I wonder what he's so worried about, I sleep at my station all the thyme. Heh, thyme. When I fade back into consciousness I'm in Alphys greenhouse/lab laying in a bed made of moss. I can vaguely hear voices from the other room sounding like Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys having some kind of discussion. I can hear the worried tone Papyrus is using as he isn't even speaking in his usual vigor. Trying to get up proves difficult as pain shoots up my ribs from the scar taking up from my right hip to my left clavicle. Looking around I notice my clothes folded neatly in the plush chair across the stone path in the secluded corner of the greenhouse I am in. The 'room' is separated from the rest of the greenhouse by the branches of a rather large weeping willow that stands tall in the middle of the area, the stone path cutting through the soft grass going around it. Wait if they took my clothes then that means…..they've seen my other scars. Shitt. Now I've got to explain to Papyrus, Alphys and Undyne how I got them. Stars this is going to be awkward especially when they ask about the more prominent ones on my arms. I definitely can't pass those off as not self-inflicted. Hearing their voices approaching I tense and try to pretend to be still asleep.

"I just don't know Undyne, why would he have those other scars. I remember the majority of them happened before I was old enough to remember but…." Papyrus' voice rings out, eerily quiet in the greenhouse. "Yeah the large one and the ones on his arms I know. We at least know the large one doesn't seem self-inflicted. I'm going to go grill the dogs to see if they smelled anything unusual recently, maybe we'll find who did this to him." Undyne's voice replies lacking her usual exuberance before it trails off as her and Alphys leave the room leaving only myself and Papyrus. "Sans I know you are awake there's no need to feign sleep anymore. Please tell me what happened, why did you do that to yourself? Who attacked you?" Papyrus asks, placing a hand on my uninjured shoulder. "No one attacked me Paps. (At least not yet this run) These scars are almost as old as the others ya got nothing to worry about I ain't tryin two leaf ya." I manage, smiling disarmingly to throw him off. "I'm sure you are brother. Wait a minute. Did…..did you just make a pun? Well I guess if your ok to make those you are fine. But I'm keeping an eye on you?" Papyrus finishes, squinting at me suspiciously. "Don't ya mean eye socket bro?" I tease him, glad that subtle spell worked.

As soon as Alphys clears me the both of us go home, Papyrus insisting he carry me the whole way. Not that I complain since I nap the whole thyme. Although I could do without his constant checking on me. How am I supposed to work on stopping the resets if I keep having to dodge my own bro? This goes on for a few more weeks as I keep secretly working on the solution. Papyrus started getting suspicious after the spell wore off so I have to limit to every other day while the days I wasn't doing so I was either at my station or making puns with Toriel. She doesn't ever seem to recognize my voice from when me and Paps stayed with her in the ruins as children for a while. Once again she asks me to promise her to make sure the next child is unharmed and I agree with a heavy soul. How am I supposed to tell her I've lived this over and over again. Or that the child she thinks might come is a demon in disguise coming to try and eradicate all of monster kind. So I lie and keep going as usual. It's a few days later as I approach the door that I hear it creak open ominously. Porting to a tree so I can watch from an unseen distance I wait for them to come out. This thyme though, the 'child' opens the door wide. Green tinted dust scatters to the cold breeze and into the forest getting some on them. Not that they seem to care with how they are twirling the knife so nonchalantly. Why can't they ever be, I dunno, not genocidal.

Watching as they pass the tree I'm in, I merely greet them plainly holding the hand that has the whoopee cushion in it. Their eyes blank as they stare at me after the fart noise sounds. Chuckling awkwardly I go back to the script and they shamble off like some kind of zombie to the lamp right as Papyrus arrives. I'd cut them off here since I already know they're gonna be genocidal this round like always but I never want Papyrus to walk up to my dust ever again. The five times it happened was enough. After their whole introduction and the first few of the puzzles I decide to go back to the house to take a nap and check on my lab. No doubt my brother is about to confront the human soon about the monsters missing. I should stop the 'human' from doing this but it'll just reset or watch as Papyrus mourn over my dust before doing what they wanted to all along while he's distracted. I jolt awake from the nightmare of the run where I took the killing blow for Papyrus. Shuddering at those thoughts, the image of Papyrus' look as he sees me dust right in front of him wasn't worth it. Never again. Rushing out of the house I neglect porting as I hurry to the spot Papyrus normally confronts the 'human'.

What I find next chills me to the bone. No matter how many times I see this it always hurts. His scarf is lying in a pile of orange tinted dust. I pick up the scarf and bawl into its soft texture for what feels like hours. As I get my hysteria under control, a cold rage grips me and I know what I have to do. I quickly teleport to my lab and take all of the remaining potent magick and determination and quickly before I can talk myself out of it, injects it directly into my soul. My world explodes into pain as I black out. When I come to i'm in the judgement hall, having somehow moved on autopilot to get there. I only have enough time for my vision to clear before I hear footsteps on the other end of the hall. The dirty brother killer is here, thyme to see if all this effort in the past weeks is worth it. As they shamble forward I step from behind the pillar like countless other times. They pause, their dead stare and manic grin almost giving me pause. Almost. "So you've been busy I see. The birds aren't chirping, the wind is chilling and dirty brother killers like you….."

" L"

Their first dozen or so deaths come quickly, my new amped up magic and stamina making quick work of them. I quickly loose count of how many times i've killed them as the fight rages on, damaging the judgment hall with its fury. Its only a matter of time before they rid me of the single one hp I have. They've already managed to nick me with that demented knife of theirs but surprisingly the slight cut didn't even put a dent in my hp. I guess my defense went through the roof with all those injections. Hopefully they'll give up soon so I can rest. I start to get exhausted at this point, declaring my special attack which as the two of us knows is absolutely nothing. Fighting off sleep is difficult but I manage for a while, their dear stare boring into me as I fight to stay awake. The last thing I remember before everything goes dark is the child lunging at me for a final strike and I know I won't dodge in time. The pain causing me to stumble as I struggle to stay standing, glaring at their retreating back as I slowly turn to dust.

RESET

YESNO

You feel as if something changed. A lot of something. This next run will be interesting…

Papyrus' POV

Finishing the breakfast spaghetti I place it on the table and go to Sans' door to wake him up. I used to shake him awake but he started having bad nightmares and would accidentally attack me when I would wake him up. "SANS YOU LAZYBONES WAKE UP I HAVE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI READY FOR YOU ON THE TABLE." I went to turn to go back to the kitchen when I heard a loud thud and what sounded like bones snapping coming from Sans' room. Oh shitt. I burst through the door and frantically ran up to Sans' prone form on the floor. His blue hoodie had a gash in it like something sharp sliced through it and four of his ribs looked to be broken. I summon his soul to asses the damage.

Sans
Hp: 0.2/1
Atk: 2
Def: 10

Exhaustion, self-loathing, guilt

I quickly scooped him up as gently as possible and ran the whole way to hotland. Maybe Alphys can help. She's a witch doctor after all. When I got to her "lab" house thing, I pounded on the door as best as I could while holding Sans. "ALPHYS OPEN UP SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH SANS I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" Surprisingly it was Undyne that opened the door in her casual clothes, which consisted of a black tank top with black cargo pants and black boots. She ushered me in and we laid Sans down on one of the beds Alphys has set up in a sort-of clinic like style. Alphys (wearing a dark green witches robe) immediately sets to work healing the damaged ribs while Undyne sits on the couch with me and lets me cry on her shoulder.

Alphys came back into the room and whispered something to Undyne. Undyne nods and leaves the room. Alphys looked at me sadly. "Papyrus has Sans been acting weird lately?" Not able to speak I just shook my head no. "You need to see this then" she stated solemnly and I follow numbly. I came into the room behind Alphys, but since I am taller than her by a foot I could see the damage at the doorway. I must have been standing there for a good minute because Alphys pulled me into the room to the bed and Undyne came back into the room with bandages. Sans is lying in the bed with countless scars covering every visible bone. The more prominent ones are one that goes diagonally across his torso and several going across his radius and ulna. Those looked rather, intentional. I couldn't recognize any of them except for the one carved into his shoulder blade, the symbol for 'worthless'. It's rather faded and I almost miss it if I didn't know it was there. I then realized that this was the first time I had ever seen Sans without any kind of long shirt or zipped up jacket on since we were kids.

Alphys wrapped the cracked ribs that her magic couldn't heal and placed an iv drip directly into his dark blue soul. "I've never seen these before. But then again Sans has always worn long sleeves." I manage to mutter. I flinch as the iv pierces the magical skin of his soul. Alphys makes sure its secure before she turns to me. "You may want to sit down" she says, looking down sadly. I sit in the chair closest to the bed, placing my hand on Sans' upper arm. "What is wrong with my brother Alphys? Please don't hide anything I get enough of hiding things from Sans himself. She looks torn before glancing at Undynes hand, which is on her shoulder as if to comfort her. "A good portion of the chippings on his bones are old and while this symbol on his shoulder. I had to give him a very large dose of determination and concentrated magic. He was on the verge of falling down. If you had got him here a few minutes later it would be too late." Alphys informs me for once without her stutter signifying how serious she is.

Oh. Well damn. What can I say to THAT. "Almost fell down?" I ask in confusion. Glancing at my brother and noting that he looks about as fragile as those tea cups Asgore likes to drink his special tea out of. "We had to dispose of his blue coat because it was too damaged and stained with determination." Alphys tells me when I notice it isn't in the pile with the rest of his clothes. I nod glumly, glancing at my brother worriedly. Alphys nods and turns to me. "I have to get a plant from deeper in my greenhouse. It should wake Sans up fine and Undyne will be going with me. If anything happens and I mean if he so much as twitches, call me." I nod at her and they walk out of the room. I turn to Sans' face as a few red-orange tears fall from my eyes. "What happened Sans? I know you are older and all but you can depend on me too sometimes you know." I whisper, orange tinted tears dripping down my skull.

Sans' POV

I woke up to a void. Welp. I try to move but find my movements prevented, like some invisible force is holding me down. "Sans" What? Did someone call my name? Papyrus walks up to me and I gasp in shock at the condition he is in. He looks just like he does before the human kills him. "Sans why didn't you save me? You could have if you weren't so lazy and useless. Do you enjoy watching me die every time the human comes? You lazy useless sack of bones." I try to reach out, cry out to him anything but just like I can't move I can't seem to speak either. Papyrus fades to dust, looking at me with the most hateful look I've ever seen on him. Then everything crumbles. I jerk awake to discover that, no I'm not in my bed and yes there's a needle attached to an iv sticking out of my soul. I hyperventilate at the sight of the needle and the realization that Papyrus myst have seen my ribs. Alphys and Undyne seeing them I can deal with, but Paps? Hell no. I barely register the iv being gently removed and a bottle of ketchup pressed to my hands, but I nearly guzzle the whole thing down in one go when I do.

"SANS?" Papyrus asks when he sees that I've finished my near panic attack. "Y-yeah bro?" I ask, bones shaking in an effort not to run. My arms itch and burn with the familiar ache to tear into them with my blunted claws but I refrain from doing so in front of Paps. "SANS YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR TWO WEEKS YOU ALMOST FELL DOWN. I WAS WORRIED BROTHER. I KNOW YOU ARE THE OLDEST BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL ME IF SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU. WE COULD SOLVE IT TOGETHER." Heh. Fat chance of that. "Its nothing bro." I say, pulling that smile that I hide behind every reset. "It's ice that you asked and all. I've just been bone-tired is all. Didn't mean to spook ya bro." He looks like he doesn't buy it but drops it for now. The room stutters and spins. Must mean the demon has started another reset. I hope they stop with the genocide already. Its making my energy feel bone-dry. Heh vindictive little shitt.

Sans' POV

I woke up earlier than Papyrus somehow. "Ugh" I groaned when I reviewed last run's memories. Welp, at least I had a plan. All I have to do is collect the 'grimoir' that is supposed to be mine from the 'true lab' with the six human souls embedded into it and somehow absorb the seventh human's soul before they had a chance to reset. The human should have a few days to appear so I should be able to be ready before they kill too many people. I feel bad about the monsters in the ruins, but if this all goes well I could just reset the timeline and there won't be a seventh human and everyone will be ok. I could live with being underground forever if it meant keeping my friends alive. If it meant keeping Papyrus alive.

Deciding on my first action, I teleported to the kitchen and left a note for Paps that I would be working all day and not to worry. I left it on the fridge where he would be sure to see it and teleported to the dump. "Hmm. Now where is that spot again?" I mused to myself as I idly picked through the newer pile of miscellaneous items, finding an mp3 player with its charger still in working condition. I put those in my pocket and continued on until I reached a flat rock wall with a small stone sitting off to the side of it. I pressed down on the stone with my magic and the wall rose up to reveal a study chamber. Bookshelves lined the cavern walls filled with books and a cauldron in the middle and a desk with notes and bottles on it off to the side. The 'door' slides closed as I go to the desk and sit down. I used my magic to conjure the book I was currently studying and set it on the desk to 'read'. And by read I mean my magic absorbs the knowledge right to me and it saves time and energy on reading and taking notes. When I finish in my cavern, two days have passed. I take a shortcut straight to the room I had hidden the book in the familiar magyk reaching for me as it senses my approach six human souls glowing as they sit embedded into the front cover. I dismiss it before porting back I sit down in a beaten up plush chair I had found in the dump right before the resets started. Eye lights and markings blazing brightly I re-summon It above my outstretched palm. Floating above my hand it opens, immediately flipping to the page I need. I watch as the words lift off the page glowing as I mutter spell after spell preparing for what I'm about to do. Sighing as I get up I let the book hover above my cauldron already bubbling softly. Grabbing the concentrated magyk/determination mixture I slowly introduce it into the cauldron stirring it slowly. The mixture sinners and glows as the last bit is added, using a quick cooling spell to cool It down. Using gravity magic to take the cauldron full of now cooled potion and condensing it into several small pills I scoop them up swallowing the handful without hesitation. My magic pulses as the potion turned pills takes affect, managing to port to my room as I black out before I hit the ground.

When I awake, everything is quiet. Leaving my cave, I go to walk around snowdin. That's strange, seems to be empty. 'I wonder where everyone is? The human better have not started genocide while I was gone' I thought while approaching where Papyrus normally confronted the human. As I approach I see a speck of red through the snow clouding my vision. "Paps?" I ask. No answer "Papyrus?" nothing. "PAPYRUS!" I shout as I break into a run. His scarf was peeking out from under the snow, dust having been blown away probably some time ago. Crouching in the snow, I clutch the scarf to my face, magical tears "No not Paps why damnitt why does this hurt so much nonononononono" at this point I was babbling into the scarf crying and screaming into the empty air. I came to still clutching the scarf like a lifeline. When I stood up my bones crackled ominously. Putting on the scarf and pulling my hood over my head, I teleported to the judgement hall to wait for the human. Leaning on the back of a pillar I nod off into a light sleep.

*slow footsteps on stone*

...

*step step step*

...

So they finally showed up. Heh. This kids gonna get dunked on. I walk around the pillar and face the small child. Hard to believe the murderer is so small but hey, so am I. "That looks like the face of someone who's had too much fun murdering an entire species." I comment. They simply raise the knife in their hand towards their face. Summoning my magic causing my eye lights and the markings to glow, all six hearts on my 'grimoir' glowing as the pages flutter rapidly magical text emitting from the slightly glowing book. They die pretty quickly the first six times of my new tactics and increased power, the sheer amount of power I now control damaging the hall over and over again as they keep loading their save a maniacal grin on their face. "Heh. That looks like the face of someone whose died several times. Ready to give up kiddo, it doesn't have to be like this. Just give up, I did. Make my job easier if you did." I smirk as they approach. I had lost count of how many times we've done this song and dance. Sighing as they lunge again for me to dodge again. I had managed to get them to five hp this time. If I could manage to leave them at one or two hp I could try to absorb the soul before it disappears again. Slamming them against the wall, I manage to do just so. Now the hard part. I hold them still with my gravity magic and bring them close to me. One wrong move and I could die. Summoning my own soul, I begin to absorb theirs. Seeing what I'm trying to do, they struggle harder. I grunt, having to expend more magic to hold them still until their is absorbed into mine. My upside down dark blue heart now has a red right side up one around it. "Welp, should be able to reset now."

...

Continue

Reset

...

I wake up in my room to Papyrus telling me breakfast was ready. I think I jumped the railing in my haste to see him alive again. "WELL YOUR PRETTY LIVELY TODAY SANS. ITS ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ME IN A WHILE. ARE YOU OK BROTHER?" "I'm fine Paps." I tell him. He goes to finish the spaghetti and pain erupts in my head around my right eye-socket. I manage not to make a noise but clutch at my eye to relieve some of the pressure. Papyrus finishes the spaghetti then heads out to train with Undyne. I eat slowly through the pain and place my dish in the sink, teleporting to my post and sitting down for a nap. I wake up at the door to the ruins, which is wide open. I'm covered in dust. Oh god I'm covered in dust. "What...how did...the door? Did I...? No." them I hear it. A chuckling in my head. "Who's there?" I ask, looking around. (I'm in your head, idiot. Unless you want them to think you're insane.) who? (It's me. Ya know, the being whose soul resides with your own? I'm going to use you to murder everything you love while you are forced to watch. A prisoner in your own body. But first) they cut off as a familiar darkness takes over my vision. Oh no. This isn't what I wanted.

...

Reset

...