Sans felt hope as he stepped into the hall of judgement. He had watched the kid in their travels and was pleased to watch them help everyone they met. Making friends and changing minds. It did a skeleton good to see such a kind hearted and selfless person. Maybe they stood a chance. Maybe.
The kid didn't seem all that surprised to see him just appear like that. But then if you use the same trick several times, people are bound to catch on. And he HAD been using his shortcuts quite often in order to talk to the kid one on one. So It was likely nothing to think too deeply on,
So he gave the kid his spiel and judged them as more or less pure. Someone with no violence in their heart. This seemed to fill them with relief for some reason. Like some colossal weight had been taken from their shoulders. That was weird, but hey, what can you do?
He sent the kid on their way, disappear from sight and mind even as he kept his own eye on them. He felt good about this. Everything was going to be alright.
Sans really liked this kid. They seemed to go out of their way to help everyone in any way they could. It was like they were looking for any little thing that they could do to make someone else happier. Tiny little decisions that others wouldn't think about. A kid as selfless as that? No way they wouldn't do what it took to give everyone a happy ending.
The kid didn't seem surprised at all to see him just appear like that. Though he had his answer as to why as he finished his spiel. The look in the kid's face. They knew what he was about to say even before he had started. That was probably how they knew about all the little small things they could have done. They were a time traveler.
Now time travelling could be taken as selfish. However the kid seemed to be doing their damndest to help others so it was possible that something had gone wrong, or they felt unsatisfied with how much they had helped and thus came back. Either way such a thing deserved a reward.
So he made up a secret code word for them to tell him if they ever came back to this point. It was HIGHLY doubtful they would. But you know, just in case.
He sent the kid on their way, disappear from sight and mind even as he kept his own eye on them. This time would probably be the one. He felt it in his bones.
Sans found himself worrying about the kid. It was almost like everything was going wrong for the them. Oh when they were around others, they were all smiles and eager to help. Yet when they were alone… it was a different story entirely.
On their own they moved with a purpose. And that purpose seemed to be finding any and all secrets. Every monster. Every way to HELP those monsters. Little hidden away corners that led nowhere. Even places that the kid had no right knowing EXISTED, let alone investigating. Now normally, Sans would get upset by all this. After all there are somethings you don't meddle with. However the young human just seemed so… desperate. Like they were looking for something without even knowing what that something WAS.
But what could he do for the kid? He pretty much decided from the beginning to be mostly hands off. Watch the kid and make sure nothing really happened to them. Sure he had the occasional talk to explain a few things, but for the most part the kid could handle themselves. At least he thought they could.
He shook himself out of that line of thought before the doubt could creep in too far. No need for that. However just as he was about to begin his spiel the kid started to say something as well. So he let the kid go first.
He promptly had to stop himself from laughing as the kid said one of the most infantile things he had ever heard. It was OBVIOUS that some alternate version of himself had told the poor human to say it. Most likely under the guise of a codeword. Which the kid seemed to take as fact in their quest for secrets. It didn't explain their desperation to FIND secrets, but if the kid wanted more, well he could humor that.
So he made up a SECRET secret codeword. Something that another version of himself would recognize and probably reward the kid for. And with that out of the way he moved to let the kid pass. However the poor thing seemed insistent on hearing the judgement Sans had for them. DESPITE the fact that they obvious fact that they both knew what it would be. The, might as well humor the poor kid.
Now he expected a couple of things. A laugh. A knowing nod. Maybe even a sigh. He DIDN'T expect the kid to hug themselves.
"No." What? "No, it's still the same. It's always the same." The kid fell to their knees. They were shaking like a leaf. "And if it's still the same." Their eyes started to tear up as their voice went from shaky to sobbing. "Then it will BE the same. They… they will…" Whatever they would do was cut off by strangled sobbing.
Okay THAT was a left hook out of nowhere. What was this about? It was VERY obvious now that the kid was a time traveler and that things had gone very very wrong. However he didn't know what. "Kid, how many times have we met here in this hall?"
"F-four times."
Okay. Mental math and self reflection. So to get on his good side the kid would have had to do everything right. No killing. Now if they did that twice he would have recognized the look of someone that had been through it all before. After all he was very good at picking up nonverbal cues. So that would mean they did things perfectly three times. Now that would mean that along the way they messed up. He hoped that all it meant was that the kid got scared and killed someone only once… Or maybe just didn't mention the codeword.
"Kid, how friendly were we to each other when we first met here."
The fact that the kid started sobbing even harder was all the answer he needed. A chill went through his bones. Why? What could have driven a kid this dedicated to helping others into genocide? Why wou-
"I… I don't remember why I did it. I know that I SHOULD, but I don't. I didn't hate anyone I met. No one really meant me harm. I hadn't even WANTED to hurt anyone. Yet, I killed them. All of them. Everyone I met. Even when they evacuated to escape me, it didn't help. When everyone around me was dead, THEY came to me and finished off the world."
"Kid who is they?"
"Chara."
That name filled Sans with dread for some reason. He could have sworn he heard that name before. But the source wasn't coming to him at the moment. Though one detail was. "Well the world doesn't seem very destroyed to me. So that's something right?"
The kid didn't seem very cheered up by that. They looked up at the skeletal guard with tears in their eyes. "I felt terrible when it was all said and done. I had hoped that I could just reset everything and fix things. However Chara was there waiting for me. Told me that there was nothing to go back to. But they could fix that. For a price." The kid shook their head and fresh tears slid down their cheeks. "Chara wanted my soul in exchange."
Now, NOW Sans was panicking a little inside. But the kid wasn't finished yet. "I didn't think it would be so bad. After all if I did everything right, then Chara wouldn't have gotten the power to do anything. If I denied her that then everything would be right." The kid's arms wrapped tighter around their suddenly frail looking body, "I was wrong. I was so very wrong.
Twice now I have broken the barrier. And twice Chara had controlled my body to kill not just the monsters, but humans as well. Everyone and everything. I couldn't stop them. I've tried everything Sans. I have scoured the underground for answers. I don't know what else to do." The poor soul before him looked up and into his eyes, "Please Sans, help me."
Okay, this was heavy. Way too heavy. How was he suppose to help with this? If going back in time didn't erase… Wait… erase… Could it work? Would it work? He hasn't tested it yet. How could he?
"Hey kid, I think I have something that can help." He said as he pulled a small orb from his pocket. They looked at it with unrestrained hope. The kid trusted him dearly it would seem. Believed in him. He just had to make sure he didn't betray that trust. No pressure. "Now this is meant to be used by a time traveler so I haven't been able to test it, but if you have this, the next time you go back in time it should undo EVERYTHING you did previously. All other timelines that you traveled to will cease to exist. No real loss if what you said is true. That should remove the time you sold your soul."
The child gave the smallest most, hesitant, tear soaked smiles. Sans held out the device, and they took it gingerly. "Good luck kid." They nodded and hugged the item to their chest and nodded.
He sent the kid on their way, disappear from sight and mind. He just hoped everything would work out.
Sans felt hope as he stepped into the hall of judgement. He had watched the kid in their travels. They appeared hesitant at first, but that didn't stop them from helping everyone they met. And how thorough they were when it came to helping others. Someone like that, yeah they were exactly what the underground needed.
The kid didn't seem surprised to see Sans just appear in front of them. In fact it was quite the opposite. They rushed the judge of the hall and gave him an ALMOST bone crushing hug. Which caught Sans by surprise long enough for the kid to whisper "Thank you grand fartmaster. Wish me luck." And then they were gone. Rushing down the hall without even waiting long enough for Sans to respond.
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Grand fartmaster. That was OBVIOUSLY something he would have told the kid to say. And the kid didn't even stay long enough to get a reward. Oh well. He doubted that they would need it. Besides he could always give them the grand tour himself after everything was over.