"Take my soul, save them. Please…."
"Frisk! No..."
"Don't leave, sweetheart, don't…leave me."
"I love you…save them."
-.-,-.-,-.-
Prologue:
-.-;- .-,-.
All you remember is a warm, sincere voice as you faded into endless darkness. But, you don't fight it, you welcomed it with a small smile and the voice to comfort you. It is over, everyone is free. Everyone is safe. He is safe.
He? Who is he?
No, you scream, you don't want to remember, it will make this harder, as tears seemed to form behind your closed eyes. You can't go back. You know that. And yet…
-.-.-.-.-
"Hey, sweetheart, don't you know how to greet a new pal?"
You weren't expecting another monster just yet, so you jumped at the strange, deep voice, and in progress, you almost dropped Flowery. You swung around with a glare in your rubies. But that glare faded into a look of slight fear, and familiarity. Who is this grinning skeleton?
"Well, sweetie? Won't you shake my hand?"
The moment you do, fate is set in motion, as the buzzer earned you another flower. But, with each reset, you sensed a change in the skeleton, you sensed the warmth in his empty eye sockets, and you grew closer to him. Even when he killed you or let his brother kill you. You just wanted to be friends with everyone, with Sans.
-.-.-.-
Yes, you remembered with a sad smile, Sans. The punny skeleton you soon realized you wanted to stay with, no matter what or how impossible you knew it was. You wanted to be in his bony arms and hear his silly puns forever. But it was impossible, and you won't reset everyone's freedom.
But you want to see him, hear his deep voice, feel his huge jacket sitting on your shoulders. You want to go to Grillsby's once more…
-.-.-.-.
"Cheers!" You giggled as he tapped his mustard bottle against your preferable ketchup one. An unnoticed bright red blush, almost matching his turtleneck, set across his bony face.
This was your favorite part of him, you decided while drowning your fries with the red sauce. The softer Sans, you smiled.
Flowery wasn't there with you that day, you knew he wasn't a significant fan of Sans or Grillsby's, but you needed a break. You weren't ready to gain another flower, to become closer to being blind, just yet.
You…wanted just to be with him. At least, for a moment. So, you let Flowery rest while you cling to the one other friend you had. Even if he killed you once or twice. The skeleton was the only bright spot in your endless nightmare, the only thing pushing you forth.
"Heh. Yeah, kid. Cheers, sweetheart."
It is funny how one silly nickname could heat your insides into a warm, comforting swirl. You wonder, when did it start, this fluttering?
-.-.-.-.-
You want to see him, you want to hold his cold, but comforting hand again. You want to tell him clearly how you feel. You want to see his grin and Flowery's sweet smile. You want to see Toriel, eat her pies again, to become her child once more.
Is that selfish of you? You don't know, but does it matter now? You can't go back now, and yet…
-.-.-.-.-
"When will Papyrus be back in the area?" You muttered, Flowery in hand and glowering at the sitting skeleton, your own eyes down.
It was a set of resets after both his outburst and his betrayal. Although Flowery told you just to forget the skeleton, you couldn't. You needed to keep trying with him. You knew he was kind, and each time you meet him, you saw the warmth once more.
You sensed the skeletal monster knew more than he was letting, felt more than he wanted to admit. But, in fear, Sans put up a cold wall to protect what he had left of his soul. You were just lucky enough to see behind that wall.
A sigh returned your question before he answered:
"You've got time, hon."
You smiled after he offered Grillsby's and nodded. Again, you saw the softer side of Sans that day.
"Thank you, Sans."
Again, he laughed your favorite laugh.
-.-.-.-.-
You finally opened your eyes, light surrounded you unexpectedly and smiled sadly. You needed Sans, you realized. Maybe a little too late, but you know you need him, as you sit up and hug your knees with a laugh:
"Should've known my luck. As soon as I fell in love with someone, I died permanently." You chuckle, wiggling your now unnumbed fingers, sighing before you leaned back.
"Well, Chara, we did it." You smile as faint footsteps echoed to you, staring straight ahead as the child sat next to you, and they hum at your statement:
"When did you remember me?"
You shrug unsure. Maybe it was when you woke up in this odd room, but now you weren't afraid of the child, like you were in former lives. They have this innocence now like you had the first time you met them, and they tried to talk you into killing your parents and their friends. They finally realized that you were right:
Mercy is the best route to take.
"It was you, wasn't it? The voice?" You muttered, looking at the smiling child as you watch as they nod.
"Yes, and I'll be the one to give you a chance to see your Sans and get your happy ending. I owe you one anyway."
"What are you saying? We can't reset Chara—"
"Relax, Frisk, you won't. Well, you will. But, just you." They wink uncharacteristically, slowly lifting their hand to you as your eyes widened.
"But how is that possible? I—" Chara silences you with a kiss to your forehead. Their hand lands on your chest and a smile place on their young face:
"Shh, Frisk, just stay determined to see your loved ones." You heard Chara's voice fade as tiredness took over you; they were smiling sweetly while your body fell like before…
-.-.-.-.-
"Welcome back, my child. You scared him quite a bit, but I knew you would be back."
You felt Toriel lift your body as she soothed you. How you returned to the Ruins, you didn't know, but you didn't want to fight. Instead, you cuddled into her soft fur as she settled you onto your bed, kissing your forehead before she leaves you to sleep.
"Sleep, my love, for I know he will want to see you right away."
With that, you faded back into the darkness, curling into the bed…