Take me in, or just take me out,
put me on, if you must, or just put me down,
'cause I'm done...
I'm all worn out...
We're either alive, or a lie,
I'm done with the middle ground..."

-Vertical Horizon, "The Middle Ground"


He didn't know why, but for some reason, Papyrus found himself feeling slightly nervous as he approached the door.

After navigating the impressive garden path, which was short, but winding, the skeleton found himself standing at the top of the steps, rubbing his hands. It wasn't like him, but then again, he also didn't have so many thoughts attacking his mind like they were now. Sans meant well when he tried to warn him, but as good-natured as it was, it still didn't feel like quite enough this time.

"don't say i didn't warn you."

No, Papyrus would never deny that.

He reached down for his phone for just a second, but shook his head and, with a surge of determination, proudly rapped his gloved knuckles on the door.

KNOCK-KNOCK

The waiting was the hardest part. He had to focus on the sounds of nearby birds chirping, or the rustling of the leaves. Anything to keep him from being stranded in silence.

Heavy footsteps from behind the door alleviated the inner workings of his brain for a second, before bringing back the original source of anxiety. The knob and the door gently swung open, a towering, fatherly figure looming over the skeleton.

Asgore.

"Papyrus! Howdy! It's good to see you, would you like to come in?"

"SURE, YOUR HIGHNESS."

He crossed the entryway as Asgore closed the door. He didn't even lock it, which Papyrus found strange, but fitting for the former king.

"You're just in time. The tea just finished if you would like a cup?"

"SURE!"

Papyrus sat down in a cushy chair in the living room, looking at all the papers piled neatly on the coffee table in front of him. It probably wasn't any of his business, but then again, if Asgore didn't want them to be seen, he probably would've stashed them away somewhere by now. Papyrus had to force himself to look away.

The rest of the house was admittedly utilitarian, almost devoid of decoration except for a multitude of thriving plants in various places. In addition to the coffee table's myriad documents, in the corner was a much larger, more official-looking desk with even more papers neatly stacked and organized. At one corner of the table was a large glass tube with some kind of electronic components at the top.

Papyrus knew what, or who it was meant for.

"Here we are," Asgore said, handing the skeleton a cup and saucer.

He took a sip, and while his teeth didn't really show it, his eyes gave the king a bitter frown.

"Ah, it might be a bit strong. Let me get you some sugar. Or maybe it's too hot? Gosh, I apologize..."

"OH, NO, IT'S ALRIGHT, I JUST DON'T HAVE TEA THAT OFTEN. IT'S GREAT!"

"Are you...sure?"

"OF COURSE!" His eyes smiled again.

"Alright then!"

The king sat down at another, much larger chair, the only one that seemed like it would fit his frame comfortably. He had his own cup of tea, of course, and placed it on the table to allow it to cool.

Asgore sighed, giving Papyrus a kindly smile.

"I'm sorry, I would normally ask how I could help you, but...I just have to ask you this. How is...how is Frisk doing?"

"FRISK?"

"I'm just curious, I suppose. I don't get a lot of free time nowadays, between the diplomacy meetings with the government and the like. And, well, Frisk is staying with Tori...el, so, I'm sure you could imagine..."

"WORRY NOT, YOUR HIGHNESS! THE HUMAN IS DOING WELL! I'M QUITE PROUD OF THEM!"

"Oh, that's a relief."

"IN FACT, SANS SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN A REAL LIKING TO FRISK. ACTUALLY, FRISK AND SANS HAVE GOTTEN RATHER CLOSE LATELY, WHICH IS GOOD! BECAUSE IT'S MAKING SANS MUCH HAPPIER I THINK."

"Ah, Sans is doing well? That's good! I heard from Undyne that he was having...difficulty adjusting."

"OH NO, HE'S ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULT!"

"I see," Asgore chuckled.

He took a sip of his tea, Papyrus responding by taking a sip of his own, not wanting to be left out.

"You know...I was the one that found Sans, when he was a baby."

"OH! YES, SANS TOLD ME THAT!"

"Did he? Golly, I didn't know he even knew about that. It was such a strange day, too. I remember I was going to the barrier to..."

Papyrus was hoping for just a second that he was going to remember.

"...to..."

"YOU DON'T REMEMBER."

"...hmm. I suppose I don't know why I was there that day, but I'm glad I was! I remember wrapping up that tiny little skeleton body in my cape and bringing him to The Core for safekeeping."

"DO YOU REMEMBER SOMEBODY NAMED...DOCTOR GASTER?"

"You know, Sans asked that question a few months ago. I'm sorry, Papyrus, but I do not. Do you?"

"I...SUPPOSE I DO. IT'S NOT IMPORTANT I GUESS," Papyrus said, hanging his head low.

It hurt a little bit.

"Aww, young one, just because I don't know your friend doesn't mean it isn't important. If it's important to you, then it just...is. Do not be discouraged."

"IT'S NOT THAT. IT'S JUST THAT HE'S BEEN...FORGOTTEN BY A LOT OF PEOPLE. IT'S JUST STRANGE, THAT'S ALL!"

The skeleton forced a beaming smile back at Asgore, who wished he could return the smile, if not for his eye catching on a particular document on the table. He picked it up and read it, although it was obvious he'd read it once before, that heavy sigh telling Papyrus that it wasn't a great read.

"EVERYTHING OKAY?"

"The government is keeping our existence a secret for now, but it is becoming harder and harder to do so. Here at Ebott, the people seem to be okay with us being here, and it's a pretty friendly place. But..."

"BUT..."

"There are rumors about monsters. About how we have the...ability to absorb human souls. That fear...that fear was what led to the creation of the barrier in the first place. Now, humans have lost their ability to perform magic themselves, it got phased out over centuries and replaced with science, so they probably couldn't exile us again."

"THAT'S GOOD!"

"Yes, but...those rumors are having more...distressing effects."

Asgore placed the document on the table and stood up, clasping his hands behind his back and looking through a nearby window.

"Humans are...afraid of death."

"WELL, OF COURSE THEY ARE, RIGHT?"

"Right, but us monsters, we've always been...somewhat okay with it. Sure, the funerals, the dust-imbuing is a sad time, but monsters have the ability to move on. Maybe because our souls are made of love and compassion. Human souls are more...complex. It's their biggest strength and perhaps their greatest weakness."

"MORE COMPLEX. LIKE...WITH DETERMINATION?"

"Among other things."

Asgore flicked down one of the blinds as he peered outside, catching a glimpse of a few monster children playing nearby before turning back to Papyrus.

"The agents have told me that there are some humans who...are so afraid of dying that they want a monster to absorb their soul when they die. They've even threatened themselves with suicide in order to get what they wanted. Thankfully, nobody's done anything that drastic yet, but...we can't keep a lid on this forever."

"THAT'S TERRIBLE! DO...DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!"

"I don't know. The only monster who ever absorbed a human soul was..."

Papyrus had heard the stories before. Even though he was twenty years old, an adult monster, this moment proved that nobody really is ready for that kind of anguish. He didn't look at his former king now as royalty, the leader of the royal guard, or even as a big fluffy pushover.

Papyrus only saw a heartbroken father.

It smelled like guilt and golden flowers.

"My son," Asgore sniffled, "I think he would have liked you."

"HMM."

"I admit, I haven't known you for long, but...Asriel always enjoyed stories about heroes. He would have...really liked to meet one."

"YOU THINK I'M...A HERO?"

The larger one wiped a tear from his eye and cocked an eyebrow. "You...don't know?"

"I SUPPOSE I DON'T. I MEAN, I AM VERY GREAT, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANY RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS..."

"Undyne's told me a lot about you. Back in Snowdin, you were...revered, from what I've heard."

"REVERED?"

"Yes. She says that a lot of people found you to be weird, but they couldn't help but be inspired. You inspired people to do better, be better. She even told me that you didn't really have many big achievements under your belt."

"...OH."

"No no no, wait! That's not a bad thing. What I meant to say was that your attitude was what inspired these people. You didn't do it through your deeds. Just being yourself was enough to motivate others. That's remarkable, and I'm guessing you had no idea."

"I...WELL, NO. BUT I REALLY WANTED..."

"Even your brother knew it, right?"

"WELL, YEAH, I SUPPOSE..."

The floodgates opened within Papyrus' mind. Memory after beautiful memory began to wash up on the shore, of all the times Sans had helped him keep his spirits up over his lifetime. It never stopped.

"you're not the worst brother ever, because you're my brother, and to do that you have to be pretty great, y'know? i wouldn't have kept anybody less."

"kinda, yeah. i mean...pap, you have no idea just how amazing you are, y'know? you're probably the nicest person on this entire planet. you've got the biggest heart..."

"SANS..."

"...heh, y'know what? sure. you can tag along. i might need the support."

"Are you alright, young one?"

"i don't want you to be gaster. i want you to be you."

"HE...HE REALLY DID..."

"Papyrus?"

The skeleton didn't hear him. He leaned forward and braced himself on the coffee table with his hands, just staring down at absolutely nothing. It was a strange feeling, knowing that he had what he'd wanted all along. Admiration. Respect. He always believed in his own greatness, but he always knew that everybody around him was even greater. In a way, he'd always felt that he was less than they were because of that. Because in comparison, he was second place to a multitude of first-place contestants.

But now he wasn't. And Sans knew it all along.

"Papyrus?!"

It almost didn't make sense. Undyne wouldn't let him into the Royal Guard, but when he really thought about it, that was Asgore's decision, not hers, right? But she taught him so many other things. How to fight more efficiently, how to cook, she even offered to teach him piano. He'd always believed that she kept him out of the Guard due to incompetence in his combat prowess, but pieces were falling into place now. Puzzles were slowly becoming solved that maybe Undyne just wanted him to keep being himself. Maybe she liked him for who he was, and becoming a member of the guard would change that somehow?

"Young one?!"

And that's the thing, isn't it? He knew all along that the Royal Guard was supposed to be on the watch for humans, and he never once questioned it. He never thought that the reason they wanted a human was to kill them and take their soul, but deep down, that's what everybody in the Underground wanted. And Undyne knew. They all knew, and they didn't want him to become a murderer. Even Sans looked completely spooked at the idea that he even might be a killer! Even under his own admission, Sans had killed before, even if it was a non-existent timeline, and it tore him up inside. But Papyrus had never killed anything. Not once.

Undyne knew that.

It stopped hurting for a moment.

"Papyrus!"

The king's heavy hands landed on the skeleton's shoulders as he used the force to try to shake Papyrus enough to snap him out of it.

Something fell onto one of the papers below.

"O-OH. YOUR MAJESTY. WHAT'S WRONG?" He said, looking up at Asgore's face.

The monarch gently smiled. "You're...crying."

Papyrus blinked and removed the glove on his right hand, pressing bony fingers on his cheekbone. Sure enough, the familiar wetness told him that it not only was Asgore correct, but that it wasn't just a single tear. He had been leaking constantly for minutes now.

"I...ALWAYS FIGURED HE SAID THOSE THINGS...JUST TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. YOU KNOW, LIKE A PARENT, BECAUSE...B-BECAUSE..."

Asgore knew what to do next. He brought Papyrus in close and wrapped his burly arms around his friend, pressing the skeleton into his body. Papyrus gave in, feeling just how warm and surprisingly soft Asgore's torso felt against his skull, and while he tried to wrap his arms around the monarch, he found he couldn't quite reach, so he did the best he could, as usual.

"Papyrus. Parents don't tell their children encouraging words just to shut them up. They do it because they believe what they're saying. They do it because they know what they're saying is true. And while Sans is your brother, he took care of you, raised you, right?"

Papyrus nodded.

"Then by all accounts, that makes him your parent. He's always believed in you."

"YOU'RE...RIGHT. I JUST THOUGHT...WITH ALL THE JOKES..."

"Papyrus, people often don't admit their feelings. Those people thought you were weird, and never once told you any of this, right?"

Another nod.

"That's...because it might be even weirder to tell somebody 'you're weird but inspiring' or some such. Many times, people keep their true feelings inside, for their own reasons. I bet Sans is the same way."

Unbelievable. Asgore was right. It took a lot just to get Sans to open up to Papyrus like he did last night. Papyrus couldn't think of a single instance when he'd seen his brother openly weep like this, and now he realized that Sans did it for Papyrus' sake, instead of his own. It was almost unfair. Just by existing, Papyrus had caused his brother to be gloomier than he needed to be.

The two released each other as Papyrus calmed down, wiping his eyes with his still-gloved left hand.

"SORRY ABOUT THAT."

"It's alright. I didn't think you would feel so sad all of a sudden."

"SAD? YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG. I'M HAPPY!"

"You are?!"

"YES! I FINALLY KNOW THAT...ALL MY WORK WASN'T IN VAIN. IT WASN'T WASTED, IT NEVER WAS! I...I FEEL SO FOOLISH!"

"Hah! That's good! ...That you feel happy, not foolish, I mean."

He let out a deep, hearty laugh as he patted Papyrus on the back, the skeleton beaming another smile as he thought about how silly all of this was. In fact, he was having difficulty even remembering how they even got to that subject in the first place, and...

...his upbeat demeanor began to sink.

Asriel. The train of thought began with Asriel. A great many things...began there.

"Are you alright now?"

His voice dropped to an almost-monotone.

"YOUR HIGHNESS."

He shot a glance toward the tube sitting on Asgore's desk, before turning back.

"IF YOU...HAD THE CHANCE TO BRING YOUR SON BACK..."

Asgore's eyes had shot wide open.

"...WOULD YOU? EVEN IF IT WAS...DANGEROUS?"

"Papyrus...golly that's...a really heavy question."

"I KNOW. I'M...SORRY I ASKED IT. NEVERMIND."

"No, no, I know the answer."

He knelt down and placed his hands on Papyrus' shoulders again.

"I would do anything to bring my son back."

Papyrus rested his right arm on Asgore's. "AND DO...YOU THINK THAT CHILDREN FEEL THE SAME WAY...ABOUT THEIR PARENTS?"

"I do."

"EVEN IF YOU COULD...DIE?"

"Even if I could die."

Thick clouds of doubt began to give away to sunshine. His mind had become made up.

"YOUR HIGHNESS...MAY I...BORROW SOMETHING?"

"Of course. Whatever you need."

"YOU'RE SURE?"

"Papyrus. You need to do what's in your heart."

"...YES. YES I DO."

It started to hurt again.


Sans stretched his arms wide and gave a heavy yawn.

"that was great, tori. i might need another nap after that."

"I am glad you liked it! I hadn't tried this recipe before. Frisk, what did you think?"

"It was good!" The human nodded.

"it must've been. i've never seen you clear a plate that fast before. i guess tori's got some good taste."

"Oh, Sans, you're being too kind..."

She shut her eyes when she realized.

"Oh...oh hohoho that's a good one!"

"heh."

As Toriel picked up the dirty plates, Sans stood up himself and gave himself some time to think. For some reason he still felt a bit bad at not going to Grillby's, not because he wanted to indulge himself, but because he still wanted to mingle with the familiar riff-raff that frequented the place. He wanted to sit at the bar and just...tell Grillby what had happened. How he finally admitted that, all this time, he was afraid of forgetting important things, and he wanted to tell Grillby just how great his brother really was.

Papyrus.

It's always Papyrus.

He heard the familiar ticking of the nearby clock shifting its way out of his mind's periphery. Turning to check, his eyes widened a bit, not realizing just how late he'd been here.

"hey tori, dinner was great, but i think i gotta head home. pap's probably waiting for me."

"Are you sure? I don't think I heard his car return yet."

"...he took his car?"

"Yes, while you were napping. I'm not sure if he's returned yet."

"hmm, well i'd better get home anyway, it's getting late."

"Alright. You take care, Sans.

"Bye Sans!" Frisk waved.

"take it easy, kid," he said, grabbing his jacket from the chair and stepping outside.

The sun was finally beginning to set on the neighborhood as its golden, reddish light bounced off of the windows of Sans' house. He felt the familiar crunch of fresh grass underneath his sneakers as he set off across Toriel's yard, still somewhat amazed that she'd managed to keep it healthy. She never was any good at gardening.

Sure enough, the driveway was empty, save for his green motor-scooter. His hand went into his pockets, running over the surface of his phone, before he shook his head and released it again.

"nah. he's fine."

He turned his key in the door and let it click, stepped inside, and locked the door one last time, just to make sure Papyrus wouldn't give him another lecture about the responsibility of locking things. The meal was still doing its work on his mental state, as he began to feel the desire to sleep rising. He decided to head to his own room first.

...Strange. There was a note on his door. It wasn't the same one he'd gotten this morning, was it? Papyrus did like to move his notes to make absolutely sure that Sans was getting them.

He pulled it just hard enough to get the tape to let go, then gave it a scan.

No.

No no no no no no no no.

No way. No. He couldn't be.

The shock sent Sans back against the far side of the hallway, his hand beginning to shake. The light in his eyes dimmed, and he had to close them to get them to flare back up again. Before he even really thought about it, he'd used a shortcut.

He found himself in front of Alphys and Undyne's house.

KNOCK-KNOCK

No hesitation.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

No worrying about the consequences of disturbing its inhabitants.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNO

The door flew open to an outraged Undyne. "Okay! What the hell is it?!"

"u-undyne...is..."

"Sans?! What do you want?"

"is pap...is pap here?"

"...No. He was here earlier though, he borrowed something from Alphys, but then went to Asgore's place."

"did...he say where he was g-going after that?"

"No, he didn't...Sans, what the hell's going on?! What's that note?!"

He couldn't even stop her from ripping it out of his hands.

-BROTHER,

YOU FACED YOUR TRUE FEELINGS, AND I FEEL IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT I SHARE MINE. I CANNOT SHAKE THE FEELING THAT SOMETHING...BAD WILL HAPPEN, IF I DON'T TAKE ACTION NOW, AND I KNOW I SHOULD'VE WAITED FOR YOU. I KNOW YOU WOULD'VE GONE WITH ME, BUT I FEEL LIKE TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, AND IT COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER!

I HAVE GONE TO MOUNT EBOTT TO FIND OUR FATHER. I KNOW THAT HE, AND YOU, HAVE SAID THAT IT'S TOO DANGEROUS, BUT AFTER TALKING WITH KING ASGORE ABOUT IT, I TRULY FEEL I HAVE TO DO WHAT'S IN MY HEART, AND I TRULY THINK THAT YOU ALSO FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT IS IN YOURS. I KNOW I'VE GONE AHEAD, AND I'M SORRY FOR NOT WAITING.

SANS, YOU MUST TRUST ME. I KNOW YOU'LL FOLLOW ME, SO WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER LATER. AND NEVER FEAR! A ROYAL GUARD IS ALWAYS PREPARED! AND A ROYAL GUARD IS ALWAYS PREPARED TO BE PREPARED!

LOVE,

YOUR BROTHER, THE GREAT PAPYRUS.

As she read the note, Sans was fidgeting with a silver whistle, hanging from his neck.

"What the hell is he thinking?! Where does he even plan on going?!"

"he...he's going to...the void. or at least...he's going to try."

"Why would he do that?! That's so freakin' stupid!"

His parental instincts kicked in again. Something deep down told him Papyrus was right.

"no it isn't!"

"...Sans, I gotta go get him back before he hurts himself!"

"hold it!"

The eye didn't flash this time, but it was the same tone.

"undyne, i got somethin' more important for you to do."

"More important than getting my friend back?!"

"yeah. it's frisk."

"What about Frisk?"

"papyrus and i always take frisk to, and from, school. it's a thing. but i need somebody here to make sure they get there safe, alright?"

"What?! Why can't you do it?!"

"because pap's right. i'm going. i'm gonna go get him."

"You?! But you're such a..."

"don't say it."

"...Sorry," she looked to the side.

"i'll get him back. listen, don't tell frisk about this. don't let them even catch wind about it even a little bit. if frisk goes back to the underground...something bad really will happen."

"You think that...entity thing is still there?"

"maybe. or worse. i don't want frisk to get hurt again."

Undyne remembered how he looked yesterday. About her unexpected respect for the short, stocky, lazy skeleton.

She placed a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Promise me you'll get him back."

"i promise."

She flipped up her eye-patch, and forced Sans' attention on her face.

"Look me...in both eyes...and promise me you'll get him back."

Sans clenched his fists, his gaze never wavered.

"i promise."

"Good. Because...if you don't, I'll never forgive you."

Sans sighed.

"yeah, well, if i don't, i'll never forgive myself, either."

Sans nodded and placed his hands in his pockets, vanishing from view.

It smelled like desperate shortcuts and determined sunsets.