So there's a little good news/bad news going on right now. The bad news is that this story won't be finished in this chapter. The good news is that means you'll get a longer story. I hope you enjoy it.
Though I will say this much. Would it kill Toby Fox to tell us exactly why Sans' death scene was the only one to show a splash of red? Out of all the characters, why is he the one that ends up like that? Wouldn't one of the skeletons be the one least likely to cause a red stain like that? Couldn't Toby at least identify the liquid? That would have made things so much easier for us…
Frisk felt like the wind was kicked out of them.
No. Please, no.
Even when they tried their hardest, they'd failed him. The hit landed.
A long cut across Sans' chest oozed a thick red liquid. They weren't certain if it was blood, liquid Determination, ketchup, or something else entirely. The only good thing was that the appearance of the substance seemed to stun Chara nearly as much as it did Frisk. Sans was the first person they fought that bled and that was enough to make anyone hesitate.
And that was all that Frisk needed. Frisk didn't hesitate; not with these stakes. They dashed forward and knocked Chara off their feet with the stick. The pale child hit the floor hard. That would buy Frisk a few seconds.
Frisk turned back. They saw that his grin was more of a grimace and that Sans' body was growing unstable. He was dying and nothing could change that; neither science nor magic could fix him. But Frisk had a crazy idea, a lot of experience Saving people, and plenty of Determination.
Jokes, secrets, and shortcuts. Grease and ketchup. Grins and puns. Apparent laziness, hidden brilliance, and rekindled hope.
It didn't work in the past when Frisk tried it on themselves. But as Sans closed his eyes and started to crumble, they focused on blue with all their heart and soul. And rather than trying to wrap the magic around their own Soul, they sent the power towards the fragile one in the failing skeletal body.
A human Soul could last quite a while after the body died. A boss monster's Soul could last a few seconds after the loss of their body. A normal monster's Soul vanished as soon as their body dissolved away. But for a few precious seconds, there was still enough material for the blue magic to grasp.
With hope and Determination, Frisk took his magic-engulfed Soul and shifted gravity on him. The result was Sans' Soul and his crumbling body being flung sideways. And just as he seemed to be more dust than solid, he flew through the portal.
The shift was so abrupt. One second, he was sinking into darkness. Into unconsciousness. Into oblivion. He barely existed and was barely aware. The next second, the pain vanished and his body felt solid. Stable. Alive and intact.
Sans managed a surprised gasp, barely having the chance to realize he was flying through the air. Then his back hit something, causing him and the obstacle to collapse into a pile of limbs and bones. His head spun from the impact and a flood of memories washed over him.
Good food, bad jokes, a few laughs… A child who never harmed, but met each challenge with a more soft-hearted approach and befriended everyone they encountered… The Barrier shattering… Sunsets, clouds, and real stars… A home on the surface with his brother and his friends… Trying to fix the stupid machine for the millionth time… The machine malfunctioning and reacting unexpectedly, something exploding out and swallowing him…
As the memories of his life in this timeline reasserted themselves and leaving his mind as a jumbled mess, Sans realized he was on someone's lap, leaning back against a sturdy chest while desperate arms clutched him close. His grin relaxed into a genuine one. He didn't even have to look and was perfectly content not to bother. He would always recognize Papyrus, the taller skeleton sitting on the floor and hugging his brother against his ribs.
"hey, bro," he said quietly, not bothering to open his eyes yet.
Sans didn't want to move, enjoying the solid embrace holding him tight. The memory of Papyrus being killed still seemed far too real… and yet not real.
"Thank goodness you're all right. You're both all right…," whispered an unusual and yet familiar voice before being drowned out by a louder one.
"SANS, DON'T YOU DARE SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! YOU'RE NOT HURT ANYMORE, RIGHT? PLEASE BE OKAY NOW! AND YOU'RE NEVER ALLOWED TO ALMOST DIE WHILE I CAN'T EVEN HELP YOU OR GET NEAR YOU OR DO ANYTHING! NEVER, EVER, EVER AGAIN! I C-CAN'T… DON'T… SANS, I…I…"
The way Papyrus' voice cracked and trailed off like that hurt. Sans never wanted that. As he prepared to apologize for scaring his younger brother so badly and to ask who else was around, a scream pierced the air. Sans' eyes flew open and he caught sight of the portal. And through it, he saw the corridor.
Things had grown worse very quickly.
"It worked," Frisk whispered, their body slumping as they blinking back tears of relief.
The portal led to a different timeline, one where none of this ever happened. And while here Sans was out of magic and dying from his injury, that never happened at home. Back in that timeline, he was alive and whole. They'd just needed to get him back there before he was gone.
Frisk had somehow managed several miracles at once. They used blue magic, they used magic on someone else, and they saved their friend before it was too late. Granted, they didn't mean to throw Sans directly into his brother like that. But the blue magic evaporated as soon as he crossed the portal and his body returned to normal, though the momentum kept him going. Still, it worked out in the end.
They saw Papyrus hug his brother tight, his posture declaring pure relief. Frisk relaxed a little and smiled at the scene.
And someone instantly pounced on that momentary mistake.
"Raaahh!" snarled Chara just as pain exploded in Frisk's left shoulder.
They screamed as they fell to the ground. They couldn't help it. Even after so many fights and dying so many times, it still hurt. Just like they couldn't help the tears that formed.
Chara ripped the knife back out just as painfully, undoubtedly smiling at the shouts of alarm and worry that came from the portal. There seemed to be a stiffness to their expressions and movements that didn't exist before. But that didn't stop them from placing a foot on Frisk's back and staring towards the portal.
"They may have stolen away my prize, but they opened up an entirely new world," Chara said. "I can kill all of you again. So much EXP just waiting. Should I start by finishing off the slippery comedian finally? Kill his brother in front of him again? The weak cowards who called themselves my parents? Or I could just go after whoever is the slowest at escaping. So many possibilities."
Frisk gritted their teeth against the pain. Then they summoned up yellow magic around their Soul while rolling out from under Chara's foot, sliding across the smooth tile while their shoulder practically screamed at them. Frisk shoved themselves upright and fired, knocking the other child further away from the portal.
Practically gaping in shock, Chara said, "Wha… That is impossible. I hit you with my strongest weapon. You should be dead."
"You hit my body with the knife, not my Soul with magic," Frisk said while panting, clutching their shoulder briefly and trying to ignore the sticky blood staining their sweater. "And I'm not a monster. Just because you really want to kill me doesn't mean it's enough to make it happen. Besides, you don't want this. You never did. Not really."
"You know nothing," snarled Chara, racing forward again with their stained knife.
Seeing the kid hit the floor with the blade buried in their shoulder sparked an instant reaction from him. This wasn't about a promise to a lady behind a door to protect any human that came through. He was long past that. This was completely and utterly Sans.
He struggled, trying to pull free of Papyrus' desperate grip when only a second before he was perfectly happy to stay still. The previous physical exhaustion and depleted magic no longer held him back. Both afflictions evaporated along with the pain of dying the moment he was flung through the portal, though the mental exhaustion remained. The only thing really stopping Sans from giving Chara a repeat performance was his brother's refusal to let go.
The murderous child was monologuing. He heard Toriel crying. Undyne stood to the right, spear in hand. And Papyrus still held on.
One of the traits that both brothers shared was a protectiveness for those they loved, which currently translated into Papyrus refusing to loosen his grip. While Sans appreciated the sentiment, his brother needed to release him now. Even the psychotic dead child of the King and Queen couldn't just stab Frisk and get away with it, especially after almost killing him too. And apparently killing everyone in the Underground. He had to act.
"give me five minutes to wipe that smug grin off their face and i'll come right back," said Sans, still trying to pry himself free as his eyes darkened. "i'll even bring frisk back with me."
"NOPE," Papyrus said, somehow tightening his grip even more. "YOU'RE STAYING RIGHT HERE."
"In that timeline, you are dead," said the unusual and familiar voice firmly, coming from behind Sans and Papyrus. "You were dying and you cannot go back without risking that fate. And then Frisk's efforts would be in vain. None of us can cross that portal, Sans."
A hand reached down, grabbing Sans' shoulder. It was skeletal in basic appearance with a hole through the palm, but it did not seem quite solid. There was a soft and liquid-like quality to it, like a plastic bag filled with pudding.
Sans knew that voice and he knew that hand, though neither were exactly right. But he couldn't turn around to face him. He was afraid to admit the possibility. Not after all this time. If he was wrong, the dashed hopes would be too painful to bear.
But before he was forced to confront the idea that it might be real, he saw Frisk roll away from Chara. With a calm and yet pained expression, they bounced back to their feet and fired yellow magic. And rather than making their escape, Frisk continued the Fight.
"I cannot watch this," Toriel whispered.
"Frisk," called Asgore. "What are you doing? Please come back."
Watching Frisk's expression carefully, Sans said, "the kid isn't done yet. they've still got to stop chara. they still have to give the child mercy."
He shook his head tiredly, his mental exhaustion still in place even if his physical fatigue was gone. He should have known they would pull something like this. Not that it would have changed anything if he had known.
"can't see how this'll work. chara doesn't want mercy. but they never know when to give up."
"And it would seem that Frisk helped you rediscover that trait in yourself. Your apathy seems to have stayed in the Underground. I certainly prefer you with hope, life, and drive. Watching you drowning in despair and resignation for so long was difficult to bear."
He couldn't deny it again. He couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else, even with the changes to it. Sans would not forget the impression of visual images of hands and shapes in the strange words, though everyone else forgot. Even with how the sounds now grated against each other in a way that almost made him cringe and how it wavered in and out of focus, he knew the voice. Sans finally turned away from the portal and looked behind him at the shape looming over the two brothers protectively.
He saw Papyrus glancing between the dodging Frisk and the skeleton in his grip, his expression worried. And behind him, one hand each on the brothers' shoulders, was a dark figure with a pale face. Half-melted, his face cracked, and barely recognizable as the monster Sans remembered, it was still him. It really was. It worked.
Almost unable to breathe, Sans whispered, "da… gaster."
"I know," said Frisk. "I know you went to the mountain, angry and scared. You went to the mountain hoping to disappear, to make everything stop. But you fell. Still angry and afraid of everything the world threw at you, you fell into the Underground."
Clearly growing frustrated and failing to block out the words, Chara flew into a violent frenzy. The blade flashed frantically through the air. But Frisk wouldn't be caught by surprise again. Even with pain slowing them down, the child dodged every strike.
They knew what to do. They knew what to say. Frisk knew what came next.
They remembered what happened next.
"And still angry and even more afraid than before, you met someone. He acted nice and friendly, but you weren't sure if you could trust him. No one was ever nice to you without it being a trick."
"I was right," snapped Chara, slashing rapidly at them. "Asriel betrayed me. We could have done it. We could have killed the humans and broke the Barrier. He was too weak. He betrayed me like everyone else."
Their shoulder throbbed in pain as Frisk twisted past some of the attacks and fired at others. But that didn't matter. The important part was that they were listening.
"And then you met M—Toriel," Frisk continued. "She loved you instantly and just wanted to keep you safe and happy. But you were still scared and angry with the world. Anything that good couldn't be real."
"She never loved me. She replaced me with the next human to fall. And the next. And the next. She will replace you too."
Frantic swings of the knife forced Frisk to duck and roll, the child biting back a yelp of pain at the movement. They wrapped their Soul in green magic. Maybe not moving too much would be better. Frisk threw up a shield in preparation.
"You were so scared and so angry. You couldn't understand. Then everything went wrong."
The situation may have still been grave, but Gaster couldn't help feeling happy and relieved in that moment. His cracked face broke into a smile at the smaller skeleton's voice. Sans was alive. Sans knew him. And he heard what Sans nearly called him before he corrected himself, likely knowing that now was not the time for the explanations everyone would demand. But even that fragment of a word was enough to warm Gaster's Soul, making him feel better than he had in a long time.
"YOU KNOW HIM? WOWIE! MY BROTHER KNOWS EVERYONE!" shouted Papyrus.
"Yes, Sans has known me for a long time," Gaster said quietly. He squeezed both of their shoulders, thankful for having the pair safe and with him. Turning his gaze back to the portal, he continued, "Do you know what your friend intends to accomplish now? They were only supposed to return you home."
Sans didn't immediately respond, simply staring at Gaster for a moment longer. Even with his perpetual grin for all circumstances, Gaster knew this one was completely honest. The wonder and joy at seeing someone he never expected to find again… You could not fake such a look. It took him a few moments to shake off his stunned happiness enough to return to the matter at hand.
"they're gonna do what they always do. or at least they're trying." Sans closed his eyes briefly, making Papyrus shift his grip slightly as he looked at his brother in concern. "the kid is the eternal optimist who believes they can save anyone if they don't give up. and the other one just wants to kill everyone, nothing even slowing them down."
"What happens when an unstoppable force," Gaster said, looking at Chara, "meets an immovable object?" he finished as he turned towards Frisk with their shield.
"W-well," said Aphys anxiously, "it generally isn't good. Something has to give. Something usually b-breaks."
Frisk blocked another flurry of deadly blade swipes, the green magic keeping them safe. Chara's grin looked completely fake and very strained by now. They couldn't hide their frustration, fury, and hatred. But Frisk could also catch glimpses of what was beneath the surface. And that's what was far more important.
"Eventually you heard a voice in the back of your mind, feeding into your fears and anger. It gave you an idea, one that you never should have listened to. But when you made the mistake of listening, death followed."
"Shut up!" shouted Chara.
The attack was fast and frantic. But they didn't put any thought into their strikes this time. Chara just swung wildly as the slashes crashed against the shield. They were beyond rational fighting. They were getting sloppy.
"In the end, you killed. You killed out of fear at first. Fear became anger and anger led you to give in more to that voice. You tried to distance yourself from those who were dying by your hand. You tried to pretend you didn't care. You pretended it didn't matter as long as you reached your goal. And when it got really bad, you thought you had to keep going anyway. You'd gone so far, so how could you possibly stop?"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" shouted Chara, stabbing at the shield stubbornly. "You do not know anything about me."
"But it isn't too late. You can still stop. What's ahead of you isn't worth the cost," Frisk continued, both their voice and shield steady in the face of that onslaught. "You don't want this. You don't have to do this. You made a lot of mistakes and hurt so many people. But you can try to make up for what's happened."
"Graaah!"
They slashed viciously, trying to break through the shield since they couldn't get around it. Chara's movements seemed particularly frantic and disorganized. Frisk didn't even budge, letting the furious child lash out at them uselessly.
"You can do the right thing. You can make a different choice," Frisk said gently. "No more dust. No more blood. No more death. You don't have to listen to that voice or that fear and anger that you've been drowning in for so long. Just let it go and take back control of your life. I know you can be better than this."
"How can you be this stupid?" yelled Chara, not even bothering to attack this time. "This is what I want. Why would I stop when I am so close? Why would anything you say make a difference? I know the consequences for my actions. Do you? Why do you think I would ever want to change anything?"
Even with what they remembered, Frisk was nervous about what they were about to do. There was certainly a risk and they wouldn't get a second change. No Saves and no Resets. It would be final.
Toriel was definitely going to ground them if they survived. Not that any of Frisk's friends would be happy about this stunt… except maybe Undyne, who might be impressed… No, she would be mad too.
"While maybe once you might have been able to be a better person even without your Soul, Chara, that's not going to happen now. There's too much LOVE and EXP burying any compassion away," Frisk said. "I'm sorry. I can't Save you in this timeline, Chara."
Their smile dropping briefly in confusion, they asked, "Then what have you been doing this entire fight?"
Dropping their shield, their stick, and the green magic around their Soul, Frisk chose to offer Mercy. They opened their arms, offering a hug and leaving themselves completely vulnerable. There was always a danger when they tried to Spare someone who didn't want it.
"I wasn't talking to you earlier, Chara."
When Frisk started using their shield again, Sans actually started to relax a little. They seemed to be on top of the situation. Even if they were still trying to talk sense into the crazy murderer, Frisk was keeping Chara at bay and didn't seem to be in dangerous of being hurt worse. As long as the kid stayed on their toes, they could keep up with the killer. A few of the other monster were even beginning to relax again and trust that Frisk could talk their way out of the situation like they always did, though the red stain on their sweater meant no one could completely banish all their concerns.
Sans felt his brother's grip loosen a little, apparently realizing he wasn't going to make a break for it. But Papyrus didn't climb to his feet. He stayed in place while Gaster kept a gentle hold on both brothers.
Frisk would be all right. They would be fine. Just because the kid hadn't come back yet didn't mean anything bad would happen to them. If anyone could handle Chara, it would be another human. And if anyone could resolve this peacefully, it would be Frisk. He just needed to have a little faith in the kid.
And what faith Sans had in Frisk's survival abruptly evaporated when their shield vanished and they dropped their stick. Papyrus' hold on him tightened just as Sans tried to launch himself back to his feet.
They left themselves completely vulnerable as they tried to Spare their opponent. And that struck a chord with his strange not-quite-memory and knowledge from the other timeline, reminding him that Papyrus tried the exact same thing with the exact same child and died for it. What was the kid thinking?
He remembered what they said before. No Saves or Resets. If they died, Frisk wouldn't be able to reverse it. They would stay dead.
"move, kid, move," Sans urged, wishing he could grab them with his magic and yank them out of danger.
He couldn't see Chara's expression, but he saw them twitch. Then they moved like lightning. The knife appeared against Frisk's throat and everyone yelled in horror.
"Let me at them," shouted Undyne. She threw a magic spear that dissolved as it hit the portal. "Leave our kid alone."
Frisk didn't move. They didn't even try to pull away. Instead, they smiled calmly at the murderous child.
"Help me, please," Frisk called.
Sans felt his Soul ache as it sank in exactly how helpless all of them were at that moment. None of them could save the child. None of them could go to Frisk or stop Chara. After they did so much for all monsters, after they risked their life just today to save him, no one could do anything to save them in return. Frisk called for help, but none of them could answer no matter how much they wanted to.
But somebody came.
Frisk didn't panic when the knife was pressed against their throat, the sharp edge uncomfortable and almost breaking the skin. And they couldn't even listen to their friends and family screaming out to them. They focused on Chara's expression, the way they seemed to be struggling internally against some force. Frisk also saw beneath that. They saw what lay under the shell of Chara's control.
"Help me, please," they called.
Frisk saw their face twitch at the words. Then Determination flared up from deep within the child. The knife fell to the floor with a clank and arms wrapped around Frisk in a frantic hug that made the cut in their shoulder burn with pain. But they returned the embrace.
The appearance of Chara shattered; the pale skin, rosy cheeks, and the green-and-yellow sweater vanished from sight as the soulless echo of the dead child was banished. And Frisk was left holding a sobbing and shaking child.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I—I don't… Why did I… I'm sorry," sobbed the dust-covered child, sounding so young and horrified. "I just… So many… P-please… no more… no more… Why? Why did I listen… I'm sorry… I can't…"
"I know," they said gently. "But you did good just now. You saved me. You'll be all right. We can fix this. We can make things right again."
Ignoring the pain in their shoulder, Frisk patted their back and made soothing sounds as the dust-covered child cried over what they'd done. Frisk knew how much it hurt when the fear and anger vanished and realization sank in. Frisk knew how hard it was to bear the weight of all that guilt hitting at once. Frisk knew how awful it felt once Chara's EXP and LOVE vanished, leaving all those sins and nothing to provide any distance from the crimes. Frisk knew exactly what they were going through.
After all, Frisk remembered. They remembered being the dust-covered child shaking and sobbing about their actions. Frisk held their past self, trying to comfort them just as they were comforted when they stopped their genocide attempt.
Two identical children in blue-and-pink sweaters remained locked in a hug as the one covered in dust cried.
So yeah, there will be one more chapter to wrap things up. But Frisk did it. They managed to find a pacifist solution to the situation. Granted, they also freaked out all the monsters by pulling that stunt. But there's no victory without risk. And they at least remembered some of what happened, so they knew what they were supposed to say. That doesn't mean they couldn't have been killed, though…
Anyway, I hope that you're enjoying my story. And I definitely hope that you'll like how the final chapter turns out. Thanks.