Summary: Sans doesn't want to go back. He wants to stay on the surface and be happy with everyone else, with those he considers not only as friends, but as family. But going back is inevitable, right?


Sans sat on the rocky outcrop in front of the Barrier, a slack smile stretched across his features as he stared at the sun, casting a yellow and orange hue over a forest, lighting it with the colours of sunset. A castle that rose tall and proud stood to the right, reaching to the sky in all it's magesty, and on the left, a mountain that towered over the whole world, taller even than Mount Ebott in which Monsters had remained trapped under for many years, swallowed by clouds with a shadow that was cast on the forest to the west.

He sighed contentedly, joy rising inside him as it dawned upon him what had happened, and where he was. But, there was also a haunting feeling. Everyone had escaped, everyone was happy, they were all filled with hope again for a bright new future. But the nightmares, he couldn't escape them. Nightmares of Frisk, the kind, determined little human that had made all of this possible, slaughtering everyone and everything they came across. Each nightmare was more painful than the last, despite most of them being recurring, as the more they played over in his mind, the more real they became.

Resetting. The word flickered across the skeleton's mind, reminding him that all of the horrors he witnessed every time he slept may still come to pass. He sighed.

"Sans?" He lifted his gaze to see Frisk happily skipping over to him with a smile stretching wide from ear to ear. They settled beside him and stared at the sunset with wide eyes, filled with awe and happiness. Could they be genuine? Or are they just that good at acting? Sans lowered his gaze.

"Heh, I bet you've seen this so many times before. Lucky." He began, feeling Frisk turn to look at him, but he continued staring into oblivion. "I suppose there's not much time left for any of us now. May as well go ahead and do it."

"Do, what...?" Frisk said slowly, caution in their voice. "Sans, what are you talking about?"

"Resetting." Sans said simply, and sneaking a glance at Frisk's face, he saw an expression that could have been them recalling a brief memory, but other than that, no reaction except one he couldn't quite place. Concern?

He got to his feet, turning away from the kid. "I bet you've been here so many times before. I bet you've spared everyone. Killed everyone. Done everything the underground has to offer...like some sick game." He said in a low, dangerous tone. He hated talking like that to someone he might have once called his friend. He had probably been in this situation before; where else would his nightmares have come from? "Well, go ahead, do it."

"Sans? What are you-?"

"Reset." Sans spat, his eye sockets going dark as he half turned his head towards Frisk, who suddenly looked extremely afraid. They said nothing. "Well? what are you waiting for? I bet we're just pawns in your little game. and now that the game is over, it's time to start over, bringing all of us back to our starting points." He glanced at Frisk again, who was now walking towards him with a blank expression.

"Well, go on." They came closer.

"Reset."

"Sans!" Looking down, he saw their hand clutching his, which was tensed and outstretched. Looking at Frisk's face, he saw tears beginning to roll down their cheeks. "I don't want to reset! I've never reset! Do you think you're the only one that has nightmares?" Sans recoiled, but Frisk clutched his hand, tears now dotting his own eye sockets, one of which was dark, the other which was flickering blue and orange.

"I could reset everything! I could bring everyone back and make it seem as though nothing ever happened!" Tears began streaming down their face. They were shaking. "But, I could hurt people! People I really care about! If I did that...I could make you all forget me..."

Sans' eye had stopped glowing. He knelt down, and hugged them, Frisk burying their face into his hood. "You all hated it down there! You needed to live without ever feeling the wind, or seeing the sun, or the stars, none of you even knew what they were!" Sans tried to say something, but his voice caught in his throat. "I-I care about all of you too much to make you go through that again."

Sans didn't know what to say. "Th-thank you Frisk." And he pulled them in for a tight hug, tears slipping down his skull.


This is based on a little comic that I started but never finished because I guess I just can't draw hugs too well, so I figured it would make for a decent story. It came about when I played the game once through pacifist route and I never reset because I wanted everyone to be happy on the surface.

Note: I realise that Sans' reaction is basically the opposite of what he shows in the genocide run, but I wanted a version where he's always had nightmares from the beginning, even if you haven't ever reset the game, so this is where he breaks down. As for clarification, it's more like he's trying to see Frisk's reaction as to what they'd do. If they actually attempted to reset then he would try to stop them.