"FRISK!"
[RE-]
But they refused.
"kid! please, no!"
The world tore away violently with a flash of red-
[RESET]
No.
Sans jolted awake, taking in a deep breath as if he were coming up from air. His Soul was pounding violently against his ribcage and his mind alert as he lay tense in his bed and stared wide-socket at the ceiling.
The world had just Reset
(It was always a Reset)
But something had gone wrong! Something was off! Sans could feel it. He was afraid and shaking. But he couldn't remember. He couldn't. But it felt important. He had to remember. He had to! For some reason.
Because he was afraid and shaking and something was wrong and he had to remember.
If he just took a moment to-
[RESET]
Sans jolted awake, taking in a deep breath as-
[RESET]
Sans jolted awake,-
[RESET]
Sans-
[RESET]
S-
[RESET] [RESET][RESET][RESET][RESET][RESET][RESET]
Sans moaned from his place on his bed, covering his eye sockets with his hands.
What the hell- What in actual hell had that been?!
His head was spinning. Everything was spinning and the world wobbling on its axis.
That had been a Reset, right? But like... No. No, he had no words to describe that. Whoever it was that had control of everything had really done a number this time. The world felt as if it was actually, physically spiraling out around him. Time felt like it was still trying to gather itself back together after a forceful shock.
Needless to say, moving felt like a bad idea even more than it normally did.
Sans kept his hands against his eye sockets as he breathed in and out as evenly as possible. Trying to calm himself down.
But it was pointless because the fear was already building up inside of him...
Something had gone wrong, hadn't it? Somehow... Sans knew that.
And because of that, he could feel it. Somehow. Someway... they were all in for a really bad time.
And slowly it was seeping into him. The despair. The helplessness. A bit heavier than usual even.
Something had gone wrong...
Nothing good would come of this. Only bad times.
...
...
..
Just...
Not as bad a time as Sans would have thought...
Sans was watching the anomaly from behind the trees as they continued to travel towards Snowdin, his gaze firm and calculating.
Sans had known it was them from the moment he had first seen them. The tearing magic had raced through him, begging him to Act, but his promise holding him back. A promise and his own helplessness holding Sans back...
But as he continued to watch them, it was almost too much to bear. Because he had no clue what to make of all of this. Of them.
What the hell? What the actual hell was going on? Watching them, Sans still had no answers.
Only more questions.
Because when they had their back turned on him, Sans could feel a strange longing and a pain in his chest. But the moment they turned. The moment he caught their red eyes for even a moment (too long of a moment), he felt sick and the magic would surge again, begging for him to Fight.
Act. Fight. Act. Something. Anything.
But what could he do?
What could he do but watch...?
He could not understand his own magic's responses.
Only watch.
And watch he did, relieved beyond words that they Spared Papyrus.
(Or at the very least had ignored him completely, almost as if he wasn't even there.)
(And Sans suspected that was a good thing)
Because they weren't dust free by any means as they stormed through the Underground.
Not dust free.
But not consumed by it.
Almost as if they weren't sure what to be.
And that was it, wasn't it? The most confusing part of all. How they seemed so... aimless.
(Going through the motions)
They were a mixed bag of contradictions.
And, as Sans watched The Anomaly watching Undyne struggle in her armor to continue after them. As Sans watched them pour the cup of water in their hands on the captain's face, Sans once again had no answers. None.
Out of all the people Sans had suspected them to kill.
Out of all the people Sans hadn't suspected them to put the effort into Sparing.
But Undyne was springing back to life, her face torn and confused the same as Sans felt on the inside. Undyne was walking away. The Anomaly was alone.
But off.
So off.
At all times.
Sans had no other way to describe it.
Off.
Aimless and off.
Their emotions ranged from quick bouts of pure rage, barely unable to contain themselves as the red eyes blazed. And at other times, they were blank and hardly looking like they could feel anything at all. And then there were the times they smiled brightly but it was all a lie. But a few times... Shaking. On the verge of breaking.
Sans had seen them muttering to themself too though he could never hear the worlds. But the tone. Almost like they were begging. Like they were bartering with someone unseen.
(Please.)
"Please..."
Sans perked up, realizing that they were talking to themself again even then, sounding as if they were about to burst into tears as Undyne disappeared the other way.
Their teeth grit together and their bangs covered their face in shadow as they snarled, their fists curling tight. Their entire stance had changed in an instant.
"Fine." Their voice came out darkly and Sans jumped a bit in surprise, "Be that way."
Sans' magic was racing. What were they-
[RESET]
Hate. Anger. DETERMINATION. LOVE. ...
The creature's attacks never faltered. And honestly, that was one of the most unsettling things about this entire thing.
First there was the smile; twisted and wild, and just like his own it never faded.
Then, there were the red eyes, eagerly looking for the next opportunity to try and end his life.
And finally, the horrible spring to its step despite having died nearly twenty-something times...
It was still at it like it was go one.
"i know you didn't answer me before, but..." Sans began as it continued the battle, the eyes unflinching as he spoke. He knew it was futile, but he went through his speech anyways. "somewhere in there. i can feel it. there's a glimmer of a good person inside of you. the memory of someone who once wanted to do the right thing. someone who, in another time, might have been... a friend?"
It gave out a laugh from across from him, but it's not the creature's typical laugh though, Sans notices. It's not the one of his nightmares. It's genuine. Almost hurt maybe.
"c'mon buddy. do you remember me? please, if you're listening-"
"You idiot." It growled. Its amusement fell away and its face darkened. Sans paused. He'd never heard the creature talk before. And it's not how he pictured to be honest. There was no real taunt to the voice. No sickening sweet sing-song. It was low and serious. "Do you really think we'd be here again if they were?"
Sans' smile wavered a bit as it attacked and he dodged.
"Don't worry, Comedian." There's the sing-song voice he'd imagined. "I won't let all of this go to waste." He was forced to dodge once again as it swung its knife towards him, a shout echoing throughout the hall.
"you know this might sound strange, but before all this i was secretly hoping we could be friends."
It laughed again; its eyes closing briefly as it let it out. The laugh was still genuine, but it had returned to being borderline hysterical, as if the creature knew an inside joke he didn't.
Man, this was easier when all it did was smile quietly with the hateful, red eyes burning into him.
But Sans had to convince it to quit, and he had thought appealing to whatever sympathies it might hold was the best option, but now he doubted the creature even had any. That it was anything other than a demon in human's clothing. But he kept trying. Until finally it really was apparent.
"yeah, you're the type of person who won't EVER be happy." He snapped and it swung the knife.
"Soorry." It called. "It's nothing personal. It's just that I only want one thing. And you can't help with it." It tried to get the knife into him again. "Except by dying!"
"heh." He avoided the attack easily, but he was getting tired. "sorry, bud, i don't feel inclined to help you out."
"You should." It snapped, in actual anger. Damn this thing really was freakish.
"you'll keep consuming timelines over and over." He countered. "until... well-"
"Until I get what I want!" It shouted.
"man you really need to learn how to QUIT." He said. "and i guess today is the day!"
"Getting tired, Sans?" It cooed. He was sweating and a sick sensation was where his stomach would be.
"actually, yeah." He said. "and if you keep pushing me... then i'll be forced to use my special attack."
"I'm terrified." The creature assured dryly.
"i'm just saying that now would be a good time to die." Its laughter made him want to shiver.
"I agree." It said as it tried to hit him.
"okay.. don't say i didn't warn ya." Sans called. "here... goes nothin'." The creature stepped back and lowered the knife in its left hand, smiling at Sans knowingly as he continued to struggle with breathing. He laughed weakly. "yep. that's right. literally nothing. and it's not going to be anything either."
The creature's smile widened.
"ya get it?"
It did.
It was plain on the creature's face that it got it. That it had expected it.
(That it already knew how all of this ended)
The creature had gotten this far before it seemed.
But oh well...
Just meant Sans had gotten it to try again somehow.
(but why didn't that feel true?)
"i know i can't beat you." Sans acknowledged. "one of your turns... you're just gonna kill me."
The creature's smile twisted and it seemed to lean in closer. Like a predator staring down its prey; leering at him.
"so, uh, i've decided... it's not gonna BE your turn. ever. i'm- hey!"
Sans dragged the creature's Soul as it tried to Fight anyway. Sans forced it back into its place and it just smiled at him. Sans was sweating, his Soul filled with actual terror.
And several minutes later, he was dead.
But he didn't stay that way.
Sans could tell something was wrong the moment it stepped forward to meet him. It was visibly upset.
Which was great!
Sans was going his job... but... he felt like... in the pit of his not-stomach he knew... He'd died. It'd killed him.
But it was upset. Super upset. Like... actual red face to match the red eyes. And that was super unsettling.
It was still smiling.
And whatever had upset it did nothing to deter its movements through Sans' attacks. If anything, it added to it. The creature was forceful, only letting out quick screams and grunts out as it moved.
Sans went through his speech, and it seemed to hear none of it.
(And if it did, Sans only seemed to be making everything worse).
Sans was getting tired and out of breath.
"all right. that's it. it's time for my special attack, are you ready? here goes nothin'."
The creature was pacing. Eying him gravely; a wild animal eyeing its prey that was just out of reach, ready to get at him but knowing it couldn't. The moment it stepped forward the Soul would be Blue and forced back into place.
But eventually, the creature stepped forward regardless of consequences.
And Sans did just that.
Dragged it back, his brow furrowing even as he continued to smile.
(Always to smile)
As it continued to smile.
(could you even call it a smile?)
Neither of them seemed to actually be happy.
"you'll get bored here. if you haven't gotten bored already, i mean. and then, you'll finally quit." Sans told the creature, its smile twisted even further and it gave a small shake of its head.
Telling him without saying anything that it was futile.
"i know your type." Sans acknowledged. "you're, uh, very determined, aren't you?"
He was talking through gritted teeth, and the creature was stepping forward again.
"you'll never give up, even if there's, uh... absolutely NO benefit to persevering whatsoever."
Sans was growing angrier.
It seemed to be growing even more determined.
"if i can make that clear. no matter what, you'll just keep going. not out of any desire for good or evil... but just because you think you can. and because you can... you have to-"
"You don't know anything!" The creature snapped, it's anger returning. Sans flinched even as he dragged the creature back into place. He was surprised that, of all things, that had gotten a response out of it.
Okay then...
"but now, you've reached the end." He told it. "there is nothing left for you now." Its smile was a fierce snarl. He had hit something. "so, uh, in my personal opinion... the most "determined" thing you can do here? is to, uh, completely give-"
"Shut up!" It demanded, pointing the knife and trying to attack. "JUST SHUT UP!"
Sans dragged the creature back frantically as he shuttered.
The other times it had just been messing with him. This time their attempted attack had been in true anger and real intent.
"You don't know what you're saying!" It spat as it settled back onto its feet.
"heh." Sans half yawned. "i just know you need to literally do anything else." He stated.
And that was that. All he planned on saying. All he needed to do was wait. And stay away. It was making that last task easier. It kept stepping forward. But with each burst of magic Sans was feeling more and more drained. He was just so tired. He never thought he could ever be this tired. And that was saying something.
It just kept trying to step forward.
Again.
And again.
Again and again.
Forcing Sans to use his magic when he was already exhausted.
(And its smile was cruel, knowing exactly what it was doing)
It was forcing his hand on purpose, he realized, but what choice did he have now?
How long had the two of them been at this now? An hour? An hour like this? Longer? He could barely keep his eyes opened.
The creature seemed pleasantly pleased. If one could be both pleased and upset at the same time.
But finally it stopped taking steps forward and Sans knew.. knew... He couldn't keep his eyes open. He couldn't...
This was a mistake. Closing his eyes, it was a mistake. He knew it. But he couldn't... couldn't stay awake. He just...
The smile it was wearing as his eye sockets dropped closed was borderline crazed and the red eyes were sharp and determined...
But Sans couldn't stay awake.
But there was a burst of lingering energy. Stark and alarmed. As he jolted awake, gasping as if he was surfacing from beneath water.
And Sans side stepped their attack just in time. Eternally grateful that he was so good at sleeping.
"heh. didja really think you would be able- ooph!"
The creature had slammed into him with so much force and intent that for a moment he was half sure his HP would drop from that alone. And Sans was in full panic as he expected the knife to cut through him. But it didn't.
It had him on the ground, pressing on top of him.
No, it wasn't done with him. Not yet.
It was on top of him, its feet pressing down painful into his hands, keeping him from aiming and turning its Soul Blue to twist it off of him. The knife pressed up against the scarf on his neck with a glint of light. One move and it would be over.
Sans tried to shortcut away, through the floor, anything, but he could find nothing. He tried to summon a bone but couldn't aim it. He tried to summon a blaster but all he got was static and a flicker of magic in his eye socket as his drained mind spun with continued panic. He was exhausted while at the same time wide awake.
No, no nononono.
The creature pressed its entire weight on him and Sans felt hollowed out. It was pointless. Pointless.
Sans was at its mercy.
The creature let out a small laugh that began to grow and grow as its tense muscles relaxed and it also realized this fact. It had him.
"Finally." It said, its eyes. Oh its eyes so alive, so excited. And Sans... Sans was scared.
It chuckled one last time as it leaned in closer, putting its free hand against his forehead and tilting his skull back to examine him as in the other hand the knife twisted playfully between its fingers.
The creature thought a moment longer as the red eyes scanned his face. But then, the knife lifted and it was carving dutifully into his cheek. Sans flinched, clenching his teeth down hard and refusing to make a noise if possible. It hurt but it wasn't at all fatal. Sans' gaze flickered back up to the creature's face as it stopped, its smile widening, thrilled at the experiment's findings.
"You see that, Frisk?" It whispered. Sans' Soul hurt in his chest.
He tried to arch his back upwards to unseat the creature. Or at least off of his hands. Anything.
But failed.
The creature just slammed into him again, the red eyes wide and looking for their next course of action.
"I'm going to destroy the world!" It declared, taunted. But there was a look in the red eyes. As if they weren't actually looking at him for him. As if they weren't even aware that he was there..
The creature pressed the knife to his other cheek and it began to make a matching line. Sans gritted his teeth together once again.
"I'm going to hurt him!" The creature taunted in a sing-song. It laughed after a moment, before continuing to demand of whoever it thought it was talking to. "Are you really going to stand for this?"
"you're sick, freak. sick." Sans managed. The red eyes saw him finally. The creature laughed as it pressed the knife into his skull.
"Don't worry, Sans." There was an edge of mock comfort in its voice. "This is all for your own good."
It hurt.
Sans squirmed as it continued and the more he did the deeper it would cut. Sans couldn't help but let out a small noise as it sliced at the corner of his eye. The noise of his distress only encouraged it. The creature pressed the knife against the vertebrae of his neck.
"Call!" It ordered triumphantly. "Call for help!" He glared,
"there's nobody left to come."
Sans had expected the creature to laugh, if he was honest with himself.
He had expected its head to fall back and for the sound to grow and grow and echo off of the walls in continued triumph.
But instead.
The red eyes flashed in real pain as the creature froze solid on top of him.
Then... it was shaking with anger, rage, as it began to carve into him again more vigorously.
"Call." It ordered again through clenched teeth. "Call!" It shouted. "Call for them!"
This time, Sans couldn't stop the sounds that were escaping him, but even if he tried, he wouldn't have been able to get out anything intelligible. Let alone call for anyone...
Sans felt his ribs threatening to crack under the weight the creature was applying with its knees, its feet digging into his hands, as blade kept carving into bone.
"CALL."
It was shaking so much, it made Sans think, hope, that it might accidentally end him before it planned to. But if that happened, it would restart the battle all over again, wouldn't it? But it was shaking. Shaking so. much.
How can something that small be filled with so much hate and anger?
(It's a demon.)
(It has to be)
"Call their name! CALL FOR FRISK!"
It was cutting deeper and deeper and Sans knew that his HP was going down by decimal points.
But Sans had no idea what it was asking him to do, but knowing it, Sans could guess that it was sick and twisted like everything else the creature did. And he wasn't going to give in. The creature could kill him but he refused to be played with anymore. Even as they let up for a moment and demanded-
"CALL!"
"go to hell." Sans spat, panting. The knife slammed into the ground beside his head and the red eyes were in his face, the fire in them threatening to sear him.
"We're already there." It seethed through gritted teeth. "Now..." The creature dragged the knife across his chin, across the lines already made, and Sans let out a pained hiss. "CALL."
But he refused.
The creature sneered and began its work again, finding new ways to hurt him: on his arms through the hoodie, shifting its weight so it could get access to his chest. Its breathing was uneven and it seemed to be having the same amount of difficulty as Sans was for a moment, the anger simply kept it going. But it wasn't. It couldn't. It couldn't get him to do what it so desperately wanted!
"If they won't come when I call. If they won't come when I'm two seconds from destroying the world! Then they have to come for you! Or Asri-! Or some-! JUST CALL!"
"i don't. know. what. you're talking. about." Sans struggled. "you're just.. sic-"
"Call them! Just call them! PART OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT NOW CALL THEM!" The creature screamed.
It lifted the blade in its fury, clearly wanting to just end him, but it knew it couldn't. It was swallowing. Struggling to breathe but managing. There was so much emotion on its face. So much anger and so much... sorrow.
The creature looked like the two emotions were tearing it apart.
But wasn't LOVE supposed to numb those?
(How much could they be feeling to get it into this state even then?)
Sans couldn't understand and he was terrified.
"This is your..." the creature tried again, the knife still lifted over head. But the anger was seeping out of it. "Your. Your..."
The sorrow was winning and the blade was shaking in their hand though this time.. it was because the creature was near tears.
(It dared not cry though, Sans could see it.)
Sans was frozen, not even squirming as he continued to breathe in quickly, watching the end of the knife as it shook because looking at its face was too disturbing.
(Tears, real tears, had no right to be in those red eyes)
They were blinking furiously. the knife in its hand still shaking-
"This is your..." It couldn't.
The red eyes narrowed.
"It's my..."
The knife lowered and the creature slumped downwards, supporting itself with its hands on his ribcage.
"Just call!" The creature begged, its voice pitching upwards painfully.
Sans stared in silence at the ceiling but that was the wrong choice. The rage was a fire again. The creature tensed and began to cut into him again. And this time it seemed almost personal.
"You really have no clue! Not a single damned clue!" The creature raged and the pain was intense. His bones were burning.
(His Soul)
And Sans had to close his eyes.
There was a strangled sound in the back of his throat.
"Seven years! Seven whole YEARS!" The creature screamed. "Gone! Gone in SECONDS! Everyone's memories! Because..!" It sputtered again; Sans could tell it wanted to accuse him again. For whatever it was. But it couldn't. "Because..."
The knife pressed against him idly. The creature was... It was crying again. And this time it was all out, true crying. There was no stopping it. There was no denying it. It was clear in it voice.
"I killed them!" It laughed, but the laugh was only trying to mask a sob. Sans dared to open his eyes a bit. The red eyes were suddenly looking down at him in terror, the creature's voice was hardly a breath of a whisper. "Oh god, Sans, I killed them"
Its free hand raised and covered its mouth after it had said it. As if it could force the words back into its mouth and forget it. The creature's head began to shake back and forth. The hand fell and the red eyes narrowed angrily.
"They're gone! They're not coming back!" The creature yelled in accusation. It began to laugh again, brokenly. The creature sat back on top of him and looked up to the ceiling. "Maybe can't!"
There was a pause after it said it, as it let the words sit there...
"ha.." It breathed. "Ha... Haha. HahhahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" The laughter echoed throughout the corridor and the creature's hand rose again to press over its mouth as the laughter continued.
The hand holding the knife slacked at the creature's side as Sans tried to bury himself into the floor. Anything to separate himself from the creature sitting on top of him.
And something about what it was saying. The words were pressing down on him. And his body, where it had been burning before, was now cold and beginning to hollow of real emotion other than... despair.
"But I have to keep trying!" The creature declared suddenly as they took the hand off of its mouth, taking a sharp breath. "I have to..."
It turned its attention back to him just as sharply and the knife was tearing into the red scarf; red eyes determined.
"h-hey." Sans began.
"Call! Call for help! Frisk!" It screamed. The blade hit bone again.
Sans flinched and refused to call out.
(Yet he found a part of him wanted to)
"Frisk!" The creature screamed. "FRISK!"
The creature continued and continued, its voice pitching and cracking painfully. Calling out on its own.; calling out as Sans panted in pain and squirmed against the knife. Calling out.
(Calling out in his place it seemed)
"FRISK! FRISK! FRISK!"
The knife lifted above its head and the creature gave out a new, wordless scream. The knife went straight through his sternum, something red splattering over his tormenter.
Sans's breath hitched and his eye sockets opened wide as everything stopped.
There was a moment as the being on top of him remained tense, maybe genuinely surprised at what it had done as it took in deep breaths that Sans could not. Sans just stared ahead as the world blurred.
He wanted to speak, perhaps, but he was just too weak. A part of him was happy that it was finally over.
If it stayed over was up to the creature, but he wouldn't remember this so it didn't really matter.
This. This was over.
"S-Sans...?"
He didn't want to, but Sans forced his gaze to focus on the face above him, something in him almost hopeful. Because, to be honest, with that tone, in his dying mind, he truly hadn't expected the red eyes to still be there.
But there they were. The eyes of a demon remaining.
But they were genuinely sad and... horrified.
"I..." The eyes looked over the pale, red markings on his face and the creature began to shiver. "I'm sorry."
The red eyes narrowed and the creature slumped over the knife in its hands that was still buried deep into his chest. The creature's head rested on the base of his neck.
"I'm sorry...!"
But it's hard to believe someone... when you can feel yourself crumbling into dust.
"I'm so sorry...!"
...
..
[Re-]
[RE-][Re-][RE-]
..
[RESET]
..
.
Sans opened his eyes slowly, his body felt like dead weight in his bed.
(Heh...)
(Dead weight...)
His gaze shifted from the ceiling and he stared vacantly out into the dim room, the trash tornado the only source of sound.
The air around him felt funny.
Like it was settling into place.
Sans wanted to say that whoever it was that could control time had just Reset. It just... didn't feel exactly like that. It felt more sinister. And off.
As if, as the world settled, it was struggling to.
And the air tasted of static. Metalic. But empty.
And Sans felt sore. He didn't think that was normal.
(Something had gone wrong)
A flash of red assaulted his mind and Sans flinched at the invasive memory of the 'nightmare'.
It passed and he breathed out heavily as he got to forget again.
But even still...
They were all in a world of trouble... weren't they?
Sans groaned as he tried to sit up in bed and than gave up. He fell back into the bed with the thought that maybe he could get a few more minutes before Pap- PAPYRUS!
Sans sat up and teleported to the door and threw it open. The irrational fear that his brother wasn't there driving him across the hall in another flash of light and into his brother's.. empty bedroom.
"PAPS!" Sans called out, his usually low voice ringing through the house.
"SANS?" Papyrus called back from downstairs in obvious alarm. Sans felt the relief bubbling in him but still not enough. He immediately teleported himself to the living room just as Papyrus was beginning to bound up the steps to find him.
"Paps!" Sans called out seeing him. Papyrus stopped and turned back around, concern etched into his skull.
(etched, etched, why did he shutter?)
(shutter even as he felt relief)
"BROTHER, WHAT IS WRONG? YOU.. YOU ARE SHAKING!" But he was physically touching Papyrus. It wasn't a dream and slowly. Slowly. Sans was beginning to calm for real even as the dread lingered.
"heh. heh." Sans let out, his mind releasing him from the panic as the immediate threat subsided. But he still shook.
He couldn't stop.
But he needed to stop.
(Papyrus couldn't know a thing)
"sorry, bro. i just... you could say a nightmare had really rattle my bone. it's nothing."
Papyrus' brow knitted together. Sans couldn't help but cheer up a bit as the rest of the morning Papyrus hovered over him in concern. But still, Sans worked to calm his brother down and convince him that it was nothing. Cus it was. It hadn't even happened anymore.
(But it could happen again)
"nah, bro, i'm fine, i can go to work." Sans assured when Papyrus offered to have him stay home.
His brother was staring down at him in quiet horror.
"don't matter if i'm here or there does it?"
(Its all going to end horrible either way.)
"i can slack off ever which way."
Papyrus' horror transformed into appalled and loud frustration. That was better. Sans felt a lot better.
"SANS, I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU SOMETIMES!" Papyrus admonished. And Sans laughed.
Normalcy.
Forgetfulness...
(At least for now)
...
...
..