It hurt to think.

He didn't remember it ever hurting to think before. A deep, pulsing ache seemed to have taken residence in his skull, making it feel fragile as an egg, ready to crack open. Trying to recall where he was only made the nauseating spasm grow into a proper splitting headache, so he stopped.

He breathed calculatingly, coaxing it back to a dull throb, and attempted to examine his memories again. Starting with the basics, who was he?

Sans.

The word surfaced gradually through the thick thunderclouds that stuffed his head. He was… Sans. Sans. Yes. That sounded right, but it frightened him that he hadn't recalled it right away. What was wrong with him? How could he not have remembered his own name? No, he would not panic, he was a… A what? Never mind, he'd figure that out later. Slowly, simple questions only. Relax, Sans, breathe.

Now, where was he?

A noise distracted him from somewhere above him. Wherever he was, he wasn't alone.

Voices were conversing over him, sounding garbled as if from underwater. As sensation began to return to his bones, he felt hard wooden boards underneath him. He tried to open his eye sockets, or to speak to let them know he was conscious. A sharp, blinding pain stabbed through his temples for his attempts and he stilled to avoid further hurt. Too soon, he chastised himself, the excruciating pressure in his head threatened to crack it open.

It was hard to focus, but he did and steadily the voices started to make sense.

"…-s he alive? Check his stat-…"

A pause, he felt his status being viewed, and more murmurings.

"…-eleton doing here? I thought only Lord Papyr-…"

"Pa-Papy-rus?" It took him a second to recognize the voice as his own, it was so raspy and frail, and the fact that he hadn't convulsed in pain shocked him. But that name, he knew that name.

It was his-

His-

"Goodness! Are you quite alright?" A voice singled itself out from the growing tumult of noises, concerned but friendly. He could hear rushing water now and wind blowing, distant birds cried out in a noisy cacophony.

Another voice followed, deeper and just as troubled. "Took a nasty tumble off that bridge, you did. Fortunately for you we were here to see it, you could have drowned! That being said, I'm frankly surprised you're not dust. If you don't mind me being so blunt, I should think that you'd be more careful, what with your HP being only 1."

Sans was swimming through a haze of nausea, the straining of speaking catching up to him quickly, and he only vaguely registered their words. Still not feeling up to another attempt at opening his eye sockets, his teeth chattered when he spoke up instead, sluggishly, "I…"

He wasn't sure what he had been trying to say because another burst of pain lanced through his skull, making him whimper and instinctively bring up a shaking hand to feel for the source. His finger bones trailed gingerly across his face towards the top of his skull until they scraped against a jagged edge and he would have screamed if the agony of it hadn't muted him.

His skull was cracked. How was he still alive?

"Whoa, easy now, pal. Don't touch that, it needs to be treated. Tell me, do you have any next of kin for us to call?"

Breathing carefully, he pushed past his suffering and spoke with the least amount of movement possible. "My… brother."

Oddly enough, the voices laughed in relief. "Oh, good, for a second we thought that you just fell out of the sky, no name, no kin, no nothing. What's his name?"

His brother, the one they had spoken of earlier. He most likely would not have remembered his name if they hadn't mentioned it. "Papyrus."

Words were growing easier to say again now that he had something to focus on. He could ignore his injury, to an extent as long as he was careful. The crack should have been lethal, especially for an admittedly weak Monster such as himself. He didn't like acknowledging it, but he wasn't fool enough to overlook the obvious. The pain was severe but it faded quickly, he was certain that he had never experienced a wound such as this before, so he couldn't tell if these were usual symptoms.

The voices had been awfully quiet for a long time.

He waited but the silence continued and he gathered enough courage to open his eyes. There was an unpleasant buzzing in his skull but thankfully the hurt didn't return. Blurry figures leaned over him and as he blinked they solidified. They were staring at him, eyes searching and mouths slightly agape. He watched them share a meaningful look when he managed a friendly smile.

"Your brother is Lord Papyrus?" The owner of the first voice he had heard was a short Monster, scaly with blunt horns and surprisingly luscious hair underneath a tattered hat. He was dressed like a fisherman, but the style of his clothes seemed unusual to Sans but couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

"The Lord Papyrus?" The second Monster was thin and long, his skin was smooth like an eel and he had a pointed snout. Again, something about the way he looked seemed off and he drew a blank when thinking of a comparison.

"Papyrus, yes, that's my brother," Sans replied with more strength. Speaking was much easier now that he had regained control over his senses.

Another look passed between them and the shorter monster spoke, "We will bring you to him, but first let's get you out of those wet clothes."

Sans blinked and glanced down at himself as best he could from his position. He was soaked, but he didn't recollect falling in any water. A bolt of pain lighted in his skull and he focused on breathing. He groaned. This injury was going to be difficult to deal with if he was going to try to remember anything.

The taller Monster, who said to call him Rucksure or Ruckus for short, had to carry Sans for most of the journey, moving slowly as not to aggravate his injury. He ate the food they offered, to restore his slowly diminishing HP and they paused briefly at the smaller Monster's home for a change of clothes. He went by his nickname Shamps, short for Shampoo, given to him due to his well-cared for and beautiful hair.

"Sorry for the rough quality, I only have a few sets for work," Shamps apologized, handing over a coarse spun cotton shirt and a pair of brown trousers, almost identical to the clothes he was wearing. He set the soaked clothes aside to dry, but Sans rung out the piece of cloth that had been tied around his neck and held onto it. It was blue and worn, but it was important. He just couldn't remember why yet.

Sans smiled at him, grateful as he carefully pulled on the dry clothes. "Please, you have done so much already, I cannot begin to thank you. I would have worn a potato sack if that was all you had."

Ruckus barked a laugh. "That wouldn't do much for the cold."

"Skeletons do not feel the cold the way other Monsters do," Sans assured him, this bit of information coming easily from his otherwise uncooperative brain. "But it is very uncomfortable to wear wet clothing."

It had begun to snow as the ever present dark grew darker. They traveled from the bridge he had apparently fallen off and away the small city that lay just beyond it. Snowdin is the town where his brother Papyrus lives, they told him, and that felt right the more he thought about it.

The woods grow thicker and colder as they journeyed and Sans watched the increasingly large trees on either side of the group. It seemed… empty. Desolate, even. He had a feeling that they were not always so still but a warning throb stopped him from probing any further down that road.

They moved steadily as the snow fell harder until they reached a wide clear pathway without so much as a snowflake on it. Shamps tapped it warily with his clawed foot. "Magic, probably a Flame Monster. The dirt's warm."

They stepped onto it, those with bare feet were grateful, and continued on. When Sans insisted that he could walk the rest of the way, Ruckus stared at him doubtfully but put him down. Keeping a long hand on his shoulder, he stayed beside him as the route started to show signs of life. Lampposts appeared along the sides, the packed dirt road transitioned to smooth stone, and the main house came abruptly into view as they rounded a curve thick with tall pines.

"My brother..." Sans wanted to ask if he really lived here, but dizziness and a building headache from the walk made it difficult to speak.

It was less grand than the winding entrance suggested, still it was a small manor. A two story with a quaint charm, older yet well cared for. Snow collected on its roof and Sans thought it was a very pretty picture. Apparently only the road was kept clear, perhaps for ease of travel.

The longer he stared, the more familiar the picture became.

Sans knew this house. He remembered that door. The glowing light coming through the widows was a sight that filled him with warmth. He knew that the room upstairs on the left belonged to him. He knew that his brother would be waiting for him on the other side of that door. These memories came to him without pain, but he didn't press for more. He was beginning to believe that they would surface on their own if he let them. They had to.

Shamps and Ruckus lingered at the edge of the front yard. Sans didn't hesitate and went straight forward, his hand reaching up of its own accord to knock his signature knock. He laughed, brushing back tears. His body seemed to remember more than he did.

The door flew open, making Sans jump in fright and jolt his tender skull.

"Who under earth is knocking at this hou-… Sans?" A thunderous voice demanded only to end in a soft whisper.

It was Papyrus, towering, imposing, and clothed in a dark suit that blended with the shadows of the hallway. His finger bones clutched at the doorknob so hard Sans heard the metal creak.

Sans smiled at his brother as the pain faded. The joy he felt at the sight of him overruling the discomfort that had plagued him since he had woken up.

His brother's jaw dropped, eye sockets wide as he stared. He tried a few times to speak again before he managed a weak, "Sans, is... is it really you?"

Sans would have laughed at such a silly question, but Papyrus looked so distressed that he rushed to calm him down. "Of course it's me! I'm sorry for worrying you, I didn't mean to stay out so late, and I had a bit of... an... accident." He cringed as he muttered out the last words. He could remember now that Papyrus always gave him a long, grueling lecture when he did something reckless.

Like falling off a bridge and losing most of his memory. Oh, boy, he was in for it.

He looked down, bracing himself for the verbal reprimand but arms wrapped around him tightly, lifting him up into a familiar embrace. Taken aback by the hug, Sans was further confused when he felt Papyrus trembling and he squeezed him back anxiously. "Papy, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Sans... Sans..." He kept brokenly muttering his name over and over in a mantra. Sans knew something was not right and it wasn't his recent accident. He was late, sure, but he hadn't been gone that long, had he? The aching reminder in his head made him uncertain, but he pushed past it.

"Papy..." His taller brother gripped him tighter at the gentle murmur. "Please, tell me. Are you okay?"

Sans fell silent as Papyrus only clutched harder, murmuring loud enough for him to understand.

"You came back."

Papyrus shoved his hands deeper into his hoodie, puffing absentmindedly on his cigarette as he walked. Ducking underneath the fence his brother made too big to actually block the bridge, he took another sweeping look around, still no signs of Sans. His little brother was supposed to be on patrol, he was never late for it, but he hadn't come to make sure Papyrus was at his station.

That immediately set off alarm bells in his skull. The Human child was wandering about Snowdin already, Sans should have seen it and would have predictably come rushing to tell him.

But he didn't.

Come to think about it, Papyrus hadn't seen him at all today. As an early riser and the first person on guard duty, Sans left before he woke up, a plate of breakfast tacos on the table and a strong cup of coffee always waiting for Papyrus when he did stumble downstairs. That hadn't changed, the food and drink had been in the kitchen and he had sweetened the bitter liquid with a whole bottle of honey before downing it in one go. It was usually the only thing that could get him lucid in the mornings. However, this growing fear was doing a pretty decent job of kick-starting his tired mind.

He stopped by Muffet's place first, to see if Sans had gone there to find him. It was a long shot because he hadn't even left the house until just now, and Sans had knew that it was too early for even him to go to the Spider Monster's café.

"Papyrus! What brings you here this morning? Shouldn't you be asleep at your post?" Muffet cackled good-naturedly, two of her arms cleaning a glass mug while another two wiped down the wooden counter. The tall Skeleton grinned half-heartedly and Muffet's many eyes narrowed in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Have you seen Sans? Did he come here looking for me, maybe?" Papyrus asked, knowing and dreading her answer. The café was empty save a few early birds, and his brother wasn't among them.

She shook her head, her mouth twisting into a frown around her fangs. "Sorry, I haven't seen him since the last time he was here to pick you up."

"Right, 'course. Well, see you later then." He waved and walked quickly back out the door. Muffet raised an arm, her expression questioning but he was gone before she could say a word. Strange, Papyrus was never in a hurry. She had only seen him move that fast once before, when the Human child first came to town, but the kid had been here a while and hadn't caused any trouble. He had relaxed again after that.

Sans, from what she knew of the small excitable Skeleton Monster, was punctual to a fault, so if he was not where he was supposed to be... A heaviness settled in her stomach. Papyrus seemed worried and that was a side of him she had not witnessed yet. She set the clean mug down and thought of reaching for her cellphone, maybe to call the Captain of the Guard, Alphys. No, she shook her head, it couldn't possibly be that big of a deal. Papyrus would find Sans, she was sure of it. It's not like the little Skeleton just up and disappeared.

"Sans, why are you dressed like this?"

The smaller Skeleton inspected himself, momentarily confused by the query. His borrowed clothes from Shamps, a relatively small Monster, were still too big, nearly swallowing him in its folds. Sans frowned, he couldn't recall what his previous clothes had looked like.

"Oh, Mr. Shamps was kind enough to let me wear them, my other clothes got wet. They said that I fell off the bridge into the river. They have been very kind to me, brother; they even brought me back home." Sans looked down sheepishly, twisting the fabric in his hands. "Mr. Ruckus had to carry me for most of the way."

Papyrus still hadn't taken his eye sockets off him, as if he would disappear if he so much as blinked as they walked through the house, but he jerked to a halt at that. Urgently looking him over, he grabbed him by the shoulders and questioned him, "You're hurt? Where? Who hurt you?"

"No one! I fell, like I told you! But, I did crack my skull," he answered quickly, reaching up to cover it. "Please, don't be alarmed."

"Sans," Papyrus breathed, gently placing his hand over the smaller Skeleton's and moving it away. He inhaled sharply when he saw the damage. "Sans, let's get you inside right away so I can heal this."

"Okay! Wait, those nice Monsters who helped me, I would like to thank them first," he replied, turning to go back to the pair standing at the edge of the lawn. They hadn't progressed an inch from their place on the road, nodding politely as they made eye contact with the two Skeletons.

"Good evening, my Lord! I pray that you are well," Shamps called out, gripping his worn hat in front of him. Rucksure nodded in agreement, adding, "Well wishes upon you, sir!"

Papyrus finally moved away from Sans, standing impossibly tall in the doorway, he answered back, "Thank you. You have done me a great service by saving my brother and returning him to me. I will see to it that you are properly rewarded."

"Thank you, sir, but we are only too happy to help one so kind as your brother." Rucksure smiled at Sans, who blushed at the praise. "Please just see to it that he stays away from bridges until he's fully healed, my Lord. Goodbye, Sans, get well soon."

Papyrus bowed his head and they returned the gesture then began to trek back down the lane. Sans watched them go mournfully, they had been nice to him when they could have easily been cruel. He rushed forward, ignoring his wound, shouting, "Thank you for all your help! I will see you again, later, okay?!"

The pair waved, grinning, and continued on.

Sans felt a bony hand rest on his shoulder. "Come along, brother; let's get you something warm to drink before I get to work on that crack."

He beamed up at Papyrus and hummed his agreement.

Shamps stomped down the road, glaring occasionally at his taller friend. "We could have taken a little bit of a reward, just a few coins."

Rucksure rolled his eyes, but said nothing. He stared at his feet as they walked, his mind furiously puzzling over the feeling that had been bothering him since they had first found the small Skeleton Monster. There was something he was forgetting, something important.

"Maybe even a bite to eat. Do Skeletons eat? There are so few of them, I'm not familiar with their biology," Shamps continued to ramble, easing back into his lighthearted nature. "Sans was a funny little guy, wasn't he? Treating us like we were equals when he had a Lord for brother."

"Yes," Ruckus agreed. He had been very friendly, as if ranking didn't matter to him.

There was a lull of silence before Shamps started off again, slowly, "Say, did you know that Lord Papyrus had a brother? I thought he lived alone."

"I thought so, too. I remember hearing something else though, from a long time ago." The tall Monster could recall what he had forgotten now. "He did have a brother. A younger brother. But…"

"But?" Shamps squinted at him curiously. Rucksure stared straight ahead.

"But I heard he died."