All of your kindness,
All of your blindness,
I hope you realize this,
I'm giving it back to you…
All of your hatred,
That you hold so sacred,
I am elated,
To give it back to you…

–Vertical Horizon, "Back To You"

Sans' first instincts were to struggle. Pull his arms toward his chest as hard as he could, and fight the tension. The vines wrapped tighter, and even through his jacket sleeves, he could feel his wrists burning as he fought his unexpected captor.

"Golly," Flowey chuckled, "I really wish I could tell you just how much I lost when you left here!"

"lost...right. like we...were yours to begin with..."

"You were! And then you left me all alone down here! Broken...thrown away...and after all that? Even the power to save and load were stolen from me! Could you imagine being a god, and then having it all swatted out of your hand by somebody who's even weaker than you?"

In a way, Sans did know what that felt like. He didn't have the power to reset timelines, no, but he did have the ability to retain knowledge. He could know what would happen before it did, he could see the shadows cast by the fires everybody else stared into. In a way, he had the Underground on lockdown, but Frisk was still the unknown variable that could ruin everything. They were the one thing he could never predict.

"i don't suppose...i could convince you to let...me go, huh?"

The vines choked a bit tighter.

"Why would I do that? I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"i really don't...have time...for this."

"Time? Oh, well why didn't you say so? We could always skip to the good part."

Flowey's smile grew more twisted. Everything became even tighter.

"heh, guess it...was worth a...try..."

Another vine began to worm its way around his torso, under his shirt. He could feel it start to intertwine around his spinal column, interlacing between his ribs. Sans could feel it every time he took a breath, he could feel it press against the beating of his magical heart.

And then even tighter.

"I've been waiting a very, very long time for this. You've caused me nothing but trouble, you know!"

"yeah...well...papyrus always...did say...i was...good at causing...t...troub..."

They loosened.

"what's...wrong, you...stopped?"

Flowey's face became unusually contemplative.

"I just don't get it. Why, after all of this, did you two even come back here in the first place? I thought you were miserable in Snowdin. That's what your brother always told me. I figured after leaving the Underground that you'd return!"

The skeleton tilted his head in confusion, and stopped struggling. "papyrus...told you..."

"Yeah! He told me just how much the people of Snowdin didn't trust you guys! I guess you guys really are idiots for staying there as long as you did, huh?"

"i don't...get you..."

"What's there to get?" The flower smiled, "I'm just enforcing the laws of this world. It's kill...or be killed."

Tighter again. The growth on his spine stretched up to his neck and clinched itself deep into it, denying Sans even the ability to move his head now. Just one sharp twist would be enough to...

"so...why haven't you...done it...yet...?"

"Gosh, you must not be paying attention! I want to have some fun! You caused me to reset a fair number of times. It's about time I give some of it back, you know?"

Sans could no longer move any part of his body. The vines around his limbs had stretched him to its absolute limit, and any more strain could threaten to...detach them entirely. His mind was racing, thoughts of his brother, alone in The Void. Thoughts of his father, who he would probably never see again. Thoughts of this flower...

...and just how easy it would be for him to escape.

"So instead of killing you, I'm just going to keep you here. Forever! Eventually you'll be begging me to let you go! Won't that be fun?!"

Not a reset, but another prison, again constructed by the shackles of time. It would be nothing for Sans to just...end this now, but after hearing Frisk's side of the story, he felt he had to try just a little bit harder. A promise he never actually made, but decided to keep anyway.

He focused again on the patterns he'd witnessed just now. The flower was certainly interested in Papyrus, which he'd already known about, but he seemed to be almost forlorn when it came to the subject of Sans' brother. A name that meant something to his captor, perhaps that was the key. It was clear that Frisk was another such name that held power over his mind, it cast the shadows of doubt over Flowey.

Knowledge. The lack of knowledge was hurting him inside.

"that...face," Sans released the magic in his left eye.

"Hmm?"

"you...want to know...something...right? something's...really bothering you..."

"Don't pretend like you know anything about me!"

Bingo.

Sans knew his type all too well. The schemer. The one who wants to pull all the strings, and what better way to do that than to use his powers with resetting time to get everything he needed? Sans, of course, had done the same thing, but Flowey somehow seemed to have slipped up somewhere. His lack of compassion for others, it closed doors to him, doors he could never open again. Once he'd made enough mistakes, that information was lost to him forever. Sans could tell...he truly hated it.

"i know...everything. frisk told me...and they said that...you always were pretty smart...so c'mon, what's...what's bothering you?"

"Why? You're not going to tell me anyway, right? That's always been your response."

"well...it's not like...i'm going anywhere...right?"

Flowey gave the skeleton a very smug grin.

"You're right. I guess you don't have a choice, huh? You want to find Papyrus."

"y...yeah. you said you saw pap...right? but you didn't...catch him...otherwise he'd be...here...right? what...he's too strong for you...?"

"No, I just...let him go, that's all!"

"when...you're nothing...but a face...it's really hard to hide when you're lying..."

Sans returned the smugness a hundredfold.

"I just wanted to know why you came back here in the first place. Aren't you happy on the surface with all your 'human' friends, like Frisk?"

"it's...not that...easy, you know. besides...we have something...to finish."

Flowey squinted his eyes for a second. It became clear that his mind was drowning in thoughts and questions. The patterns were there, all lining up. Maybe Sans wouldn't have to do anything after all.

"What happened to Papyrus?"

The vines began to loosen again, to the point that Sans only felt the constriction around his arms and legs. He spent a good few seconds catching his breath again, trying to regain his composure.

"nothing happened, really. he just learned the truth about where we...came from. and now he's here to fix something."

Yes. Keep it vague. Keep him interested.

"That's not what I meant."

"oh? maybe you should be more clear."

Flowey's face turned to an almost demonic, infernal shape. "Don't test me, bonehead!"

It smelled like ivy, and hatred. Of enmity and determination.

"There was...something different."

"different, huh? must really bug you when things aren't how you expect them to be."

The flower averted his gaze. Sans was gaining ground. Fitting, since he was nowhere near it at the time.

"Something was different about him. He just kept going. He almost...ignored me!"

"that's just how he is when he's determined. but hey, maybe you should tell me what happened. c'mon, you can trust your old pal, sans."

Flowey leered angrily at Sans, before returning to a jovial smile.

"Fine, you know what? Sure, I'll tell you what happened. I'll give you one last memory with your brother, since you won't ever be seeing him again."

Like putty in his hands.

Red boots crunched on the rocky cavern floor as Papyrus strode confidently through. It was quite dark, and he could barely make out the exit regardless of how much sunlight streamed in through the entrance he had just taken.

He felt a bit guilty for not waiting for Sans. He knew his brother would be coming for him, and he even had a feeling that Sans wouldn't even attempt to stop him, just tag along. There was just something that felt so urgent about today. If he was getting memories back, then Sans was surely getting his, and if that thing really wanted them to forget, it only made sense that it would want to pull back harder at the strings binding them all together.

No. Had to get those thoughts out of his mind.

The Great Papyrus couldn't spare any time for guilt. That wasn't who he was.

His march became bolder and bolder, the duffel bag bouncing cheerily off of his hipbone. He just had to keep going, get through New Home, past The Core. Get through Hotland, even though he hated the place, and get to Waterfall. That's where Sans said that The Abyss was, right? That place that, if any monster fell into, they never returned? He never really thought about it before, but the garbage dump sitting atop The Abyss was perhaps one of the most dangerous places in the Underground, even more so than Hotland's sea of magma. At least in Hotland there were security measures in place to keep citizens from falling in, and to keep the cavern structure safe enough for travel.

He took a hard right, and found a chamber flooded with memories. It was a simple place, befitting of a room adjacent of the Royal Palace, much less right behind the throne room. Dimly lit, but the spot in the center was brighter than everything else in his mind.

This was where Frisk was lying, unconscious. Unmoving.

It hurt.

He hoped that maybe seeing this place again would give him another memory, or a flashback or...something. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Nothing. A painful binding of vines, the use of his powers to protect the human, and then the growing white light that engulfed everything, and then...

Then he was here. With his friends, with his new best friend, Frisk.

Papyrus was the first to break down crying. The human just wasn't moving at all, and their breathing was so slow and shallow that Alphys said she feared the worst, that Frisk might be dying. Sans made fun of him after the fact, but it was him who comforted Papyrus as he sobbed. It wasn't fair, they had only met earlier that day, how could they just get taken away like this?

Another deep breath came as Papyrus gave a smile to nobody in particular. It all worked out, in the end. Frisk woke up, and The Barrier was gone. Somehow, they had found a way. Somehow, the human had freed everybody. Somehow, they all made a life for themselves on the surface. Somehow.

And now it was Papyrus' turn to free somebody. It was his turn to find his "somehow."

He strode through the chamber, ignoring the sounds of the earth splitting apart next to him. He didn't even see the flower poking its head up with a smile.

"Howdy, Papyrus!"

He kept walking. The flower popped up next to him again.

"Golly, you wouldn't be ignoring your best friend, would you?"

There wasn't any time for this. One more step, and one more try.

"Papyrus! It's me, Flowey!"

"I KNOW."

More steps forward. Ever forward. The Void or bust.

"You..."

The doorway became blocked by an almost impressive mass of green, thorny vines, causing the skeleton to halt in his tracks. Papyrus gently set the duffel bag on the ground, not wanting to damage his cargo in the scuffle that he knew was coming.

"...you idiot!"

Papyrus spun around to find a massively thick, sharp vine headed straight for his chest. Cyan magic shimmered around his crimson gloves, as he held his hands out. In response, a lattice of blue bones materialized in front of him, blocking the vine and causing Flowey to screech in pain.

Blue magic. Don't move and it won't hurt.

It didn't hurt.

"FLOWEY, DON'T THINK I HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU."

"Stupid!"

More vines fired from several different angles of the room, making it clear that Flowey had taken root in the ceiling, the floor, and just about every wall of the cavern. Papyrus had already counted seventeen vines in all, heading directly toward his position. It was time for his training to pay off.

The first five were the fastest ones. Papyrus' magic flared again as he created five similar shields to the last, although they were much smaller. They blocked the attacks with pinpoint accuracy and then disappeared, leaving him to focus on the surprise attacks from the rear. He leapt high into the air, watching the three vines sail under him with mere inches to spare.

Four more approached from his right side. Finding them too close to make a shield, he summoned a long, white bone in his hand and spun it, catching them all and releasing his weapon, letting them fall harmlessly to the ground.

The final five vines were almost desperately trying to hit their target, as Papyrus landed again and faced them head on. Behind them, he could see Flowey's face, the face of something that was straining to control them so precisely. Papyrus put his plan into action.

His swung his right hand to the left, his magic causing a large white bone to smash into Flowey's right side. The force of the blow sent the flower reeling, and because of the force, Flowey's concentration had waned, forcing the last five vines to careen off to Papyrus' left side, harmlessly.

"I FORGIVE YOU."

The impressive display of martial ability had shattered Flowey's confidence. This just hurt.

"For what?!"

"FOR EVERYTHING. FOR HURTING ME, MY BROTHER, MY FRIENDS..."

Flowey shook his head. "I'll just do it again. And again. And again. And again..."

"FOR HURTING FRISK."

A sudden stop. Papyrus had struck a nerve, and they both knew it.

"Don't."

"THEN LET ME PASS," Papyrus said, turning his back on Flowey and toward the vine-blocked door.

"What for? Why are you even here in the first place?!"

"I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE."

"Well I'm right here! C'mon, we could play together, just like the good ol' days!"

"NO. I AM SORRY, FLOWEY, BUT I HAVE TO KEEP GOING. I HAVE TO GET TO THE VOID."

Utter defeat. Flowey was almost becoming used to the feeling of being completely powerless against something so...unbelievably strong. He'd lost to the child once...no, twice, no...many times. A human child thwarted his plans so easily, and now Papyrus? The bone-addled, boneheaded brother of Smiley Trashbag?

Wait. Flowey remembered once before. Papyrus mentioned that he defeated the human and trapped them in his shed, but...how? How could he have beaten Frisk when Flowey fought so hard to stop them and failed?

...And now he was willingly throwing his life away to The Void?

"...Fine."

The vines began to wilt, drying up and falling lazily to the ground.

"...But I know what's going to happen next. Your brother will come through here, he has to. And when he does, I'll just play with him, instead!"

"I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT."

Flowey sneered. "And why's that?"

"BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN MY BROTHER FIGHT, ESPECIALLY FOR MY SAKE."

Red boots crunched on the dead foliage on the cavern floor, as Papyrus scooped up his bag and resumed his confident stride out of the chamber, leaving his former friend behind.

Alone.

It didn't hurt anymore.

"he...forgave you...? hah...that's...perfect."

Between choking gasps, Sans was laughing. He almost had to force it out, but the situation was just so unintentionally hilarious to him. This creature, this twisted fusion of nature and determination had caused everybody so much pain, and his brother just kept on being himself. Papyrus was always going to be Papyrus, regardless of the situation. It was his nature, after all.

"Are you...laughing at me?!"

"hah...hahah...yeah. yeah i'm...laughing at you."

"Oh, so I suppose you have a death wish, Chuckles? Because I'm definitely reconsidering my plans here!"

So much anger burned into Sans' wrists, ankles, and neck. He winced as they threatened to pull him apart, piece by piece.

"What, can't get your hands into your pockets to use your precious 'shortcuts'?"

The laughing continued, despite...everything.

"hah...did you...think that...i needed to put...my hands in my pockets...?"

His left eye flashed again, before Sans finally decided to try.

"Ooh, that's really scary. I bet that really terrifies Frisk, huh? I mean-"

Gone.

The five vines criss-crossed as they all fell softly to the cavern floor. Their captive had completely vanished, leaving Flowey utterly mystified.

"How?!"

"simple," Sans said, reappearing right behind Flowey. "you don't know anything about me."

The flower growled as he turned his head, sending another series of vines toward the skeleton. Sans gave a pitiful shrug as he warped slightly to the left.

"what, did you think i was really going to sit there and take it? i'm lazy, but i'm not stupid."

"Die!"

More vines, and more shortcuts. The two battled each other like some kind of violent, hateful dance, with Sans at the lead. Each shortcut led to another volley of vines, and yet another teleport caused the flower to re-launch a volley of already failed projectiles, only for them to miss their target for a second, then a third, then a fourth time.

"you know, if you stopped trying to kill me," Sans said, vanishing again.

"Shut up!"

Sans reappeared near the cavern's ceiling. "...maybe you'd be able to pay better attention to what's really going on."

More vines, another shortcut.

"What's 'going on' is that I'm going to tear you limb from limb! You have to get tired eventually!"

Poof.

"nah."

Poof. Another miss.

The vines were beginning to take up a great amount of space in the cave, amassing into one huge accumulation coming from the center, near the ceiling. Several knots had seemed to be causing a great amount of congestion, and even those knots were twisted into even more knots. The whole thing could be seen as one gigantic, twisted braid, attached to a single little golden flower.

Sans reappeared again near the exit to the cavern. It would have been easy to just walk away now, but...

"Trash...bag!"

One final vine flew toward Sans' skull.

SNAP.

The vine stopped just short of his eye-socket.

"heh, guess you're a little...tied up at the moment."

The bloated mass of vines wriggled and writhed, as Flowey's face twisted with the heavy labor of trying to move his body. Sans grabbed the nearby vine, the only free one Flowey had left, and pulled hard. He wrapped it around his left hand, and grabbed it with his right, bracing himself. With one good yank, the vine snapped off cleanly.

Flowey's eyes almost seemed to bulge as he howled from the pain. He hadn't felt anything like this ever since...that human. Frisk. They caused him so much pain before, and now this idiot was ruining everything.

The warped growth kept on struggling, its pulsations slowing more and more before coming to a complete stop. Flowey's face was awash with pain and humiliation.

Sans walked right up to the flower and leaned over, staring him right in the face.

"you forgot the other rule of this world."

The light in his eye-sockets faded away.

"there is always somebody stronger."

"Just...do it then. End it. End all of this!"

"no."

"Why?!"

"it's like i said, frisk told me everything. asriel."

Critical hit. Flowey's face deadened. His voice was a defeated monotone.

"I...chose this name because I'm not Asriel anymore."

"yeah, but you are. kinda. look, what happened to you is pretty messed up. we all know the story, but becoming a flower? i can imagine it's not really pleasant. i bet it smells nice though."

"Heh...you get...used to it."

"i'm not going to kill you. frisk wouldn't forgive me if i did, capiche?"

"Stupid."

"if you say so," Sans stood up, turning to leave.

"Wait!"

The skeleton turned his head.

"Frisk...are they...happy?"

Sans put his hands into his pockets and gazed skyward.

"frisk has been through a lot. i'd like to think they are, but...well, it's going to take time."

"Then...you'd better not let them down."

"well, i guess we'll see, won't we? i gotta find my brother."

"The Void, right?"

"yeah."

He didn't know why he was even thinking of doing this.

"Sans...there's a door. By where your old waterfall sentry station is. It doesn't always...appear, but there's something weird beyond it. It's black, and gray...and really scary."

"no kidding? i always thought there was somethin' weird about that hallway. i'll check it out, thanks."

"...Yeah."

Sans gazed back at Flowey's pitiful condition. At this point, his adversary was completely immobilized, and if left here, doomed to a pitiful, helpless existence. All that determination to stay alive, just to remain here in this one cave for the rest of his eternal life.

He had no idea why he was even considering this.

The skeleton walked toward the mass of vines, and found the one single appendage that attached to Flowey himself.

"must've taken you a really long time to grow all these vines."

"Decades."

"well, i don't think i can leave you like this."

"What? You're going to..."

"yeah, well, you might not like it."

Sans wrapped the vine around his hand like before. He then made another loop around his other hand.

"Wait...wait, Sans!"

"brace yourself."

Sans twisted the vine and pulled his hands apart. The sickening sound of it tearing was masked only by Flowey's shrieks of agony as he planted himself back into the ground, tears rolling down his face. The tangled jungle above them, without the determination coursing through it, turned brown, and immediately began to crumble apart. They fell over the two like a flurry of dead plant matter, beginning to carpet the floor.

Flowey's screams stopped as he took deep, rapid breaths to offset the pain.

"you gonna be alright?"

"...Y...yeah, I...will be fine..." He hissed.

"good, because i have a bit of advice for you."

"Just...go..."

"the barrier's gone. nobody can reset anymore."

"Trash...bag..."

"so you're going to have to learn to deal with consequences. for real this time."

"You're...right. Again...dammit..."

"and with that in mind, maybe you should, i dunno, try to develop a sense of compassion, okay?"

"I...can't. I don't...have a...soul."

"but you do have a brain. i really find it hard to believe that somebody as smart as you can't just...figure it out, y'know?"

"No, you don't get it...I can't feel it. Love...I can't feel it at all."

Sans sighed and turned to leave again.

"then maybe you should visit frisk sometime. i think they can help you learn how."

"That's...not..."

Sans was already gone.

"...not possible."

It smelled like pollen and painful acceptances.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I feel like this chapter is...lacking somehow, and it's buried in the back of my head. I can't put my finger on it, so if it does come to me, I'll probably edit it and let you guys know somehow.

And thank you for reading! I haven't really put any notes in this story yet, but I figured I should. You guys have been incredibly supportive, and I really appreciate that. :D