Blue, Orange, and Green

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Chapter 12: Black

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A/N: Slightly inspired by zarla-s's "Handplates" comic, among other theories. Check her out on tumblr, livejournal, or deviantart.

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"before i tell you this, you need to promise me you won't tell pap about this lab or this story." Sans stated.

"I promise, but why do you keep it from him?" Venus asked, hugging her knees to her chest.

"you'll find out." His eyes darkened. "we're not gaster's sons, we're… his clones."

"What?!" She was shocked.

"you know the holes in his hands?" He pointed to the photo. "he made us from the pieces of his hands he cut off and pieces of his soul. he was the last skeleton, so he couldn't make us the usual way, you know?"

"So… he was lonely and wanted children?"

"no, but that's actually what papyrus thought then." Sans frowned. "no, he was just a scientist, a scientist who needed test subjects. that's what he made us for."

"Oh no…" Venus didn't like the pained look in Sans' face. "He wasn't much of a father then, huh?"

"'fraid not. according to asgore, he was our father. asgore didn't know of the pain gaster put us through, and gaster made us swear to never tell him what he was doing, what he was trying to make, or else he'd hurt us more. he was way more powerful than us at the time, so we could do nothing."

"What was he making?"

"well, he wanted to do three things. the first was to break the barrier, obviously. asgore was aware of that, but he didn't know how good ol' dad was planning on doing it. he wanted to use us. we were clones, so gaster thought we could bend the rules of the barrier. so the second thing he wanted to do was figure out the limits of our power. we were nothing but guinea pigs, only treating us well in front of asgore. he tortured pap more because he was more resilient. i hated him for that. but i built his trust, and eventually he let me and pap wander around the palace a bit and made me his assistant/test subject. imagine, writing notes while your brother is poked, prodded, zapped, taken apart and put back together again. i hated it, but pap was always positive about the whole thing. saying things like, 'it will be over someday' and 'we could save all of monster-kind'. he also still trusted our father, saying he wasn't as bad as he seemed… i promised i would get him outta there, and it would be just me and him.

"occasionally, i would slip away from that, and go to the training grounds to watch the soldiers. and that's when i first saw you. you tore up and burned every dummy, every other guard, and it was awesome to watch. i guess you could say, you set my soul on fire."

"Aw, Sans…" She blushed. "So you weren't afraid of me?"

"not in the way you think… it was more of an out-of-my-league kind of afraid." He frowned again. "but then i would get caught and… it was back to the grind."

"You said Gaster wanted to accomplish three things." She said. "What was the third?"

"that." Sans pointed to the thing covered with a sheet with his thumb. "would highly recommend not touching it. it's a… actually, he never named it, heh… that's actually kind of funny, since it's the thing that erased him from existence."

"Erased? Not just killed?"

"no, because he's not dead, technically." Sans rubbed his head. It was hard to explain, and he didn't want her to think he was crazy. "gaster had a… condition. you know the parallel universe theory?"

"Uh, you mean the one where every choice one makes creates the reality you know, but every choice one doesn't make branches off to create its own reality?"

"that's the one." Sans was impressed. "well, that is true, to a certain degree. there are other universes out there, but they are created when a certain reality reaches a tenure. that doesn't happen often, though. most of the time… our universe is reset."

"Whoa, um… what?" Venus held her hands up. "Are you saying that time is rewound? Like a cassette tape?"

"sort of. it's more like a videogame, especially with videogames that give you multiple choices."

"Like Mass Effect."

"yeah, and you keep resetting the game to find out all the endings." Sans explained. "there is a person in this world that has that power, and there is a person that can see the results. gaster had that power. he could tell when the timeline was reset. but he hated it, and wanted to cure it. he thought that shitty machine was the answer. well, i guess in a way it was."

"What happened?" She was having a hard time believing all this, but she listened anyway.

"it was time. i was going to get my brother out of this hell. gaster was fucking around with the machine. it was emitting a circular, white light, full of energy. he was looking at it longingly. i ran and pushed him in. the light was sucking him into it. but he grabbed my arm, trying to pull himself out of it. i couldn't get him off me.

"'What have you done?' he asked. 'Why? Why now when I'm so close?'

"'because you deserve it.' i said. 'it's that simple.'

"'Nothing's that simple. And now you will suffer the consequences of your actions.' he said, his bones breaking apart. 'There must always be someone who bears this burden. And now that someone is you.'

"'what the fuck are you talking about?' i asked, and he just laughed.

"'You will know soon enough.' he was almost gone; i could barely hear his voice. 'If this is the way it has to be, then so be it. But know this: throwing me in here will not kill me. I will be everywhere at once.'

"'what?! wait! explain yourself!' it was too late. he had vanished, and i felt something pulse in my soul as the lights in the room flickered and the machine exploded. i clutched my sternum, wondering what the hell that was. alphys ran into the room, asking if i was alright. 'yeah, but dr. gaster…' i had been practicing this excuse for a while, turning on the tears. 'my father… he fell into that machine and… he's gone.'

"'Wh-Who?' she asked, tilting her head. i thought maybe she didn't hear me, so i repeated myself. 'Who's Dr. Gaster?' i couldn't believe she said that. the guy who gave her a job and she was working with for years, and she didn't remember him? i quickly figured the machine wiped everyone's memories of him or something. i got up and showed her the picture that she took of him, pap and me. 'O-Oh, Dr. Gaster!' she suddenly remembered upon seeing his face. 'Oh my God he's… g-gone?'

"'how come you didn't remember him just now?' i asked her.

"'I-I don't know… that w-was weird… I-I really didn't r-remember him.'

"'what the hell?!' i told her to come with me as i looked for asgore. he was watering the flowers – as usual. 'your highness, my father is gone.'

"'Oh, you had a father? I didn't know… I'm sorry.' he sympathetically smiled at me, putting a hand on my shoulder. again, who could he forget his best friend, one of the few friends he had from the war days? one of the few friends he had left? i shook my head, showing him the picture, and just like that, he remembered. 'What?! Gaster is gone?' his voice boomed. i told him everything – almost everything – as we walked back to the lab, where i showed him the now broken device. i didn't tell them what he told me about not being dead, since i didn't want to give them hope that he could be brought back. it's impossible, anyway. that machine can't be fixed. and with this memory loss thing; it would be great if my brother didn't remember, in fact it would be a straight-up blessing. all i would have to do is never show him his face. 'We must tell Papyrus.' the king said.

"'NO!' i shouted, and they both jumped in surprise. i hadn't thought about this, telling them about what he'd done. honestly, all i wanted to do was kill that bastard, grab pap and leave, to go live in showdin like we had always wanted. but, what would it hurt telling them now? after all, dad couldn't punish us anymore. 'you don't know what that guy did to us.' i took the picture and put it back in my pocket. 'now that he's gone, i can show you.' i took them downstairs, past our bedroom where pap was still sleeping, and to a secret entrance by the end of the hall. turning on the light, the two gasped, looking over the instruments of torture he used on us. 'this one was his favorite.' i pointed to the dentist's chair that had meters, straps and a maniacal drill-like instrument attached to it.

"'Good God.' asgore said. 'I cannot believe this is real.'

"'I-It is.' alphys picked up a notebook with gaster's wingding symbols scribbled in it. 'He w-was trying t-to use Sans and Papyrus to b-break the b-barrier.'

"'His own sons?' the king gasped.

"'he wasn't our father. we were his clones, made only for that purpose.' i said, sighing in relief, happy to get this off my chest.

"'I know but… still…' asgore wanted to stand up for his friend, but how could he now that he knew the truth. 'So he didn't fall into the machine by accident, did he, Sans?' huh, he's smarter than i thought.

"'…no, i pushed him on purpose.' i said. 'but i didn't know that people's memory of him would disappear, but it will turn out to be helpful. i don't want papyrus to remember him! i want him to forget the torture, and be happy with me! so…' i fought back tears. 'listen, i'll keep working for you, your highness. i'm not much of a scientist, but i'm strong, and you need a new guard anyway, right? i'll do that, as long as you don't tell my brother anything, and we can live wherever we want.'

"'Now, now, slow down. I've never even seen you fight. You must prove to me you're strong, first.'

"'heh… no problem. could you two clear the room?' when they did, i raised my hand up, easily destroying the lab with my bone attacks and blasters, and dude was that cathartic. 'i can also do this.' i teleported behind them, scaring alphys.

"'Well then, you're hired.' asgore said, blown away. 'You could probably work two or three stations. And I promise to let you and your brother live wherever you desire, as well as keeping your secret.'

"'thanks.'

"'Great, you'll start working next week under Undyne.'

"'course, i would have rather worked under you." Sans blushed.

"You now work under me sometimes, when you're not working over me." Venus wiggled her eyebrows. "Workin' real hard. Can't think of anyone better to be my replacement."

"heh-heh." He laughed, but then quickly went back to frowning. "it seemed like everything was working out, but that thing that gaster told me about 'someone always bearing this burden' was riding in the back of my mind. what burden? well, a month later… i experienced my first reset. i was on the job in waterfall, and i hear some screaming, so i go check it out. i turn the corner, and this monster's getting brutally murdered by a yellow flower. the flower laughed and disappeared underground, and the monster was trying desperately to hold on. i ran up to him, not knowing what to do… and he turned to dust. i had never seen that happen before, and it was terrifying to think that all that's left of you after you die is dust, you know?

"i found the monster's family a week later, telling them what happened. they were so sad, and it hurt to see it. i feel like i'd failed my job. i was about to report to undyne, when all of a sudden, i'm standing in my home, not having teleported or anything. my brother comes up to me, asking if i was ready to watch the mtt show. it shouldn't have been on yet, but i looked at the clock, and it was a way different time than it was just a moment ago. he turns on the tv, and the date is back to ten days ago. i asked what the fuck was going on out loud, trying to explain what i'd just experienced, but he said i was just tired and should go to bed early.

"then i thought of the monster that died. i teleported to their house, and there he was inside, alive and kickin'. i couldn't fucking believe it. what was going on? 'Oh, so it's his sniveling brat that took his place, hm?' i turned around, seeing that flower below me.

"'who are you?'

"'Why, I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower!' it said. 'Guess your old man didn't talk about me, huh?'

"'who, gaster? he wasn't my old man.' i shook my head, not in the mood for conversation. 'are you the one that turned back time?'

"'It's not turning back time… it's starting over.' it smiled crookedly. 'I just wanted to see what would happen if I killed that guy. And now that I'm satisfied with the result, I can reset it.'

"'reset? that's what you call it?' i looked angrily at him. 'you're sick in the head.'

"'Looks like we're gonna be pals, since you're the new observer. That's good, cuz I was getting sick of the other guy.'

"'are you saying gaster had this problem?'

"'It's not a problem, it's a gift! You killed the last observer, now it's your job to take over for him!' i finally understood what my 'old man' had told me that day. this is my punishment. 'And it's your job to see all the possibilities that I can make of this world… AACK!' i stabbed him with a bone right through his fucked-up face.

"'yeah, i don't think so.' i said, yet as soon as i did, i was back at my house, and pap asked me again if i was ready to watch the mtt program. 'no…' the flower couldn't die. when he did, it would simply start over again. he would reset.

"and the living nightmare continued. sometimes it would reset to ten days, sometimes three, sometimes a whole year. i'd get work done and have to do it again, i'd get furniture and posters for my bedroom only for them to disappear while pap kept buying his over and over without knowing. i tried following gaster's notes, attempting to fix the machine, but i never could do it. i'd try to get rid of the flower, but he just would not stop no matter what i did. he even once killed pap… he's killed everyone at least once, even me. there's just nothing i can do… all i can do is watch." He put his forehead to his knees, not wanting to see her reaction. "you probably think i'm totally crazy."

"No, not crazy…" Venus said, while Sans peeked up at her. "But, it is hard to believe since nobody else sees this. It's funny… the second you started talking about a flower I remembered something: I had a nightmare with a flower in it, and that day was the day you started avoiding me."

"yes, other people are aware of the resets subconsciously through dreams, visions, or déjà vu." Sans picked his head up slightly. "lemme guess, you fought with the flower, and it shot you with its seeds."

"Y-Yeah…?" She went wide-eyed, wondering how he could've known that unless… it really happened, and he was really there.

"and you were dying in my arms… you told me something very important, probably the most important thing you could tell somebody." He said, and she put her hand over her mouth, her head spinning, unable to comprehend that this was the truth. She stood up, breathing heavily and about to cry. "gonna hurl?" He asked, sliding off the desk too.

"No, I'm just… oh my God, it's true, you're telling the truth… I didn't tell anyone about that nightmare… but it wasn't a nightmare, it was real! Oh my God! And I told you… that…" She paced the room a little. "Sans, you're not crazy. In fact, you're the only one of us that's sane!"

"heh, that's refreshing to hear." He looked at her, seeing big tears fall from her eyes. "whoa, what's with the crying?"

"Because having your life, your secrets, having that burden… I can't even imagine. It must be so hard… and I thought I had problems… I'm so sorry… I'm so…!"

"hey, we both had it tough. you could say we… have skeletons in our closets."

"Ha… hahaha!" She laughed and cried at the same time, embracing him tightly. "You know, Sans, I knew you were special from the day I met you. And it turns out I was right! You're so special and so important to me, so if you ever need me for anything, just say the word. And…" She pulled away, looking him directly in the eye-sockets. "I know that I'm repeating myself but I'll say it again anyway. I know you're probably not ready for this but… I love you."

"…" He stood there in silence for a while, looking at her beautiful face and eyes. "heh, i don't think i'm ever ready for that, even if i already knew it. it hurt to watch you die. here i thought i was immune to it all, but i'm not, especially when it's someone i love, like my brother… or you. i love you too… uh, what should i call you?"

"I'd prefer Venus." She smiled.

"then, i love you too, venus." He kissed her, and their magic energy swirled together, a symbol of their love for each other.

"You can call me Scorchia in the heat of the moment."

"when is it never that?" Sans joked.

"Oh, Sans, I'm so happy." She giggled, hugging him again.

"SANS? VENUS?" They heard Papyrus call for them.

"Shit." Venus looked towards the door. "Hey, I won't tell him about Gaster, but I do want to tell him my story."

"really? why?" Sans went to press a button on the wall that opened the stairway.

"He should know the responsibilities of a Royal Guardsman." She replied seriously. "He should really assess himself to determine if that's really what he wants to do with his life."

"jeez… what are you, his mom?"

"So can I tell him or not?"

"sure, but don't go too explicit with the details." He held his hand out to her.

"No problem." She took it, and they walked up the stairs together. "By the way, you better not be a skeleton in the closet, if you catch my drift."

"nah, not me."

"I dunno, I see the way you look at Grillby…"

"dude, it's the ketchup in his hand, not him."

And with that, Sans was screwed for the rest of his life.

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A/N: You always gotta end it with a joke. The story's technically not over. I got some sexy fillers coming before the end, though. Let me know how you like the story by commenting and reviewing!

Taru-chan