AN: Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a wonderful week. Here is the next chapter of Charcoal Feathers! Well, anyways, I hope you like it. Don't forget to let me know what you think and thanks so much for reading :)

Disclaimer: Toby Fox in the amazing creator responsible for bringing us Undertale.

Sans stood within the tree line, watching as the human slowly approached his brother, knife in hand. He tried to move, to shout out a warning, but found himself paralyzed with fear... unable to do anything as the demonic child sliced his older bros head from his shoulders while he'd been offering her a hug. How evil did she have to be to do such a thing? Pap was clearly not a threat, all he'd wanted was to help this human stay on the right path and she'd killed him for it! It wasn't until the child had vanished from sight that he regained the ability to move. Once he did, however, he rushed forward, collapsing to his knees beside the pile of dust that had once been his only family.

"Papyrus... NOOOO!" He screamed, startling a group of birds that had been roosting in the nearby trees.

It took several minutes for him to calm down enough to think rationally but when he did, he picked up his bro's dust-covered scarf and wrapped it around his neck, cold fire burning in his eyes as he followed after the human.

"Don't worry, Pap, I'll make that brat pay for what she's done." He growled, watching from the shadows as she battled Undyne.

He'd thought the warrior stood a chance, that's the only reason he didn't interfere with her fight. By the time he'd realized that she was going to lose it had been too late, the child struck the killing blow and that was it. Sans knew he couldn't stand around and do nothing after this second failure. Teleporting to Hotland, he helped Alphys with the evacuation. He had just finished leading another group to safety when he got word of Mettaton's demise. He'd lost three of the people he cared about most, four if you count the lady behind the door, all thanks to Fr... No! He couldn't say her name. It was all thanks to THAT HUMAN! The one he'd once called friend. Why? They'd made it to the surface. They had their happy ending! Then, somehow, time had reset and he'd been forced to watch as the child he'd thought he'd known destroyed his entire world.

There was no time to dwell on that now, though, not when Asgore was in danger. Warning Alphys to stay with the evacuees, Sans made his way to the Judgment Hall to perform his royal duty. He was the Judge. It was his job to rain justice down upon those who had performed unspeakable deeds such as this human had. He would not fail again.

Taking his place, the comedic skeleton waited for his one-time ally to show her face. He didn't have to wait long. Within moments, the door at the end of the hallway slammed open and she stepped through, pausing for a short moment before approaching him... her eyes glowing red while a menacing smile reflected up from her knife.

Sans cried out, breath shuddering in his chest as he jerked awake. He immediately glanced around, taking in the familiar yet foreign surroundings he found himself in. It took several minutes for his rattled brain to remember what had occurred the previous night and, when he did, he finally managed to calm his distressed soul. A nightmare, that's all it was. The loops had been over for years and he had finally been reunited with his family in a place where they could never be ripped away from him again. It was just a nightmare... right?

'Papyrus...' Sans whined in his head as he shakily got to his feet.

He needed to be sure his brother was safe. Slipping his feet into his pink, furry slippers, Sans stumbled towards his door. He was surprised when the floorboards didn't creak, then remembered that they were now made of clouds. Oh well, that would make this easier. Not being as careful as he would have been otherwise, the worried skeleton made his way out of his room and down the hall to his brother's before slowly peering inside. Darkness reigned, it was the middle of the night after all, but even so, he could just make out the form of his older brother snuggled into his race-car bed... seemingly sound asleep. Letting out a weary sigh, Sans stepped inside. There was no way he'd be able to sleep in his room with how panicked he still felt. It had been ages since he'd dreamt of the first genocide run and he couldn't suppress the shudder that escaped upon recalling his nightmare. The first time he'd lost Papyrus had nearly killed him, he'd only been able to push past the pain and try to help the others when he came to terms with the fact that it's what Pap would have wanted. Even so, he'd been too late and hadn't been able to save anyone. He had fought the human nearly four hundred times that run before she'd killed him. Back then he'd thought that was the end, that he would be reunited with his family and friends and be able to have a peaceful afterlife. Then time had reset once again... and he was forced to do it all over.

'No! Don't think like that... it's finished... Chara can't hurt us anymore.' He tried to convince himself, sockets locked on his bro's slumbering form. 'She's gone...'

With that thought, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him... secure in the knowledge that Papyrus and the others were safe and that he was with them now.

Sans came too slowly, barely even registering the hand that was shaking him. As he glanced up into the worried face of his older brother, the former scientist let a lazy smile split his face.

"Hey bro, what's up?" He asked, attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"SANS! YOU WORRIED ME!" The taller being exclaimed loudly, causing the other to flinch. "I nearly stepped on you and then you wouldn't wake up! What are you even doing?"

That sentence was so terribly familiar after all the loops that Sans felt his eye lights unintentionally vanish, leaving his sockets dark. Papyrus gasped, swiftly pulling the smaller monster into his arms as he rocked him back and forth muttering apologies. He hadn't meant to trigger his brother's painful memories. It had been an accident.

"Shh... it's alright... it's over..." Pap shushed, pulling the younger skeleton tighter against him. "You are safe, brother, nothing like that will ever happen again. There will be no more resets. We can be together for eternity."

"Eternity, huh?" Sans murmured, eye lights finally returning as he shook himself from the memory's hold. "That sounds great, Pap, really."

With a nod, the former sentry stood, pulling the shorter monster up with him.

"Come, brother!" He demanded, taking hold of Sans' arm as he hauled him up from the floor. "The others will be here soon and we must be ready."

Sans let his older bro manhandle him for a moment before freezing as his earlier words caught up with him.

"Wait..." He ground out, halting in his tracks. "How do you know about the resets?"

Papyrus turned back to him, a confused expression on his face before he remembered that Sans had no clue that the truth had been revealed to them when they'd died the final time.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. We all recovered our memories of the loops when we died." He admitted, watching his sibling's sockets widen in shock. "It's not the same as you, it's more like watching a television show rather than having lived it. It feels distant, somehow, but at least we can understand what happened back then. It's better than nothing, after all."

Still, he knew that Sans had been forced to relive that nightmare over and over... and he never forgot. It must have been pure torture! Papyrus couldn't imagine what he'd have done if he'd been forced to watch everyone he loved die even once, much less multiple times... in all honesty, he didn't think he'd have survived. This just goes to prove how strong his brother truly is.

"Huh, yea, I guess so." The younger replied, uncertainly.

It'll take some time to get used to the fact that he and the kid aren't the only ones who remember now. But, to be honest, he couldn't help feeling relieved. Yea, there were things about the loops he'd never share with anyone, things better kept to himself, but maybe he could talk about some of the other stuff. He knows it's not good to hold it all inside but, up till now, he hadn't had a choice. It's nice to know that's changed.

Pap watched as a half-smile made its way onto his brother's face. Sans was probably unaware that it was even there in the first place but it made something in the elder skeleton relax just the tiniest bit. He'd failed to be there for him so many times in the past... he wouldn't make the same mistake now. It doesn't matter that he couldn't remember, he still should have done something to ease the weight placed upon his sibling's shoulders. This was his second chance to be the big brother Sans needed him to be, and he wouldn't mess it up again.

"Now, I really should go and prepare a healthy breakfast for everyone before they arrive," The taller skeleton declared, shaking them both from their thoughts. "But first, we must take care of your wings."

"My wings?" Sans questioned, turning his head to look over his shoulder at the white feathers falling down his back. "What's wrong with 'em?"

His brother tsked, shaking his head with the same fond exasperation he remembered from all those years ago. It was nearly enough to bring tears to his eyes. He was with his brother! It still felt like a dream but no, he was really here. Sans could reach out and touch him and he wouldn't vanish! It wasn't some twisted illusion that his mind had come up with to torment him. It was real... and they remembered! No longer would he be forced to do everything on his own. This place truly was Paradise, huh?

"Sans! Are you even listening to me?" His bro's voice brought him back to the present and he smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Papy, care to repeat that?" The hoodie-clad monster said as the other sighed.

"I said that you're feathers are all ruffled and in dire need of grooming. Did you have a nightmare? Usually our wings don't end up in such a state after just a single night's sleep." He said, eyes sad as he took in the way Sans seemed to hunch in on himself at his question. "You must have been terribly restless for them to end up like this, although sleeping propped up against the wall like you were when I first woke you couldn't have helped either."

"Heh, sorry bro." The jokester mumbled, not wanting to admit he'd had a bad dream.

Papyrus decided not to push him, instead, he directed Sans to lay down on his bed and stretch out a wing. He then gently began running a specially made brush over the delicate feathers. He worked tirelessly, making sure every tiny detail was in place before moving on to the next wing where he repeated the process. It took nearly an hour seeing as how bad his younger brother's feathers had looked, but it was well worth it. The process had seemed to soothe Sans' soul and he was now completely relaxed, laying there with half-lidded sockets as Papyrus hummed a little tune. They hadn't bothered talking, there was no need, they simply enjoyed the time spent together in peace.

"Well, I'd best be getting breakfast started." The elder skeleton said at last, placing the brush on a nearby dresser. "Would you like to help, brother?"

Sans blinked up, a drowsy expression showing on his face.

"Nah, you go ahead." He said, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm a terrible cook. If it's alright with you, I'll just watch."

Papyrus' gaze softened and he let a loving smile grace his features. He was so happy to finally be able to talk to Sans. Yes, he'd been watching over him since that fateful day but it hadn't been the same. No matter what he did, he couldn't get through the barrier death had erected between them. There had been no souls that could break it... no way he could comfort his baby brother. But that was behind them. Sans was here now and, even if it felt like something important was slipping his mind, Papyrus was just happy that they were together.

"I don't mind at all." The taller monster spoke up as he turned to lead the way out of his room. "Hmm, what should I make? Do you have any requests, Sans?"

"How about some of your breakfastgetti?" The younger skelebro said without missing a beat, nostalgia clearly audible in his voice.

"What a wonderful idea! I will get started right away!" Pap shouted, taking the stairs two at a time.

Sans followed at a more sedate pace, not having the energy to keep up with his overly enthusiastic brother even though he was dead. That made a few more questions spring to mind, namely concerning HP and other such things. He'd CHECKed his stats before going to bed the night before, surprised to find he still could, and realized that he still only had 1HP. What point did that serve now that he was dead? Oh well, that was something to think about at a later time.

Shaking his head, the scientist drew himself out of his musing and looked towards the kitchen where the sounds of clattering pots and pans could be heard. He smiled widely, it had been far too long since he'd heard that cacophony of noise. Settling down on the couch, which was more difficult than it should have been due to his newly acquired wings, Sans decided to relax until the others arrived. He was still tired after last night, the nightmare lingering in the back of his mind.

The weary skeleton was just starting to doze when he heard the doorbell chime. Tiredly blinking his sockets, he heard Papyrus call out 'come in' from the kitchen moments before the door opened to reveal the former king and queen of the Underground. The jokester sighed, pushing himself up before swinging his legs over the edge of the sofa and rising to his feet. Looks like he wasn't going to get any rest after all.

"Heya, guys." He said in a lazy tone, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he made his way over to the royal couple. "You're here early, Pap said you probably wouldn't be here for a while yet."

"Yes, well, we had something we wanted to discuss with you." The female monster declared, kneeling down so that they were on the same level. "There are some developments we thought you should be made aware of and we didn't feel right springing it on you last night, what with everything else going on."

"Okay... so what are these 'developments' then?" He asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. Something told him he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"The thing is, Sans, we..." Asgore was interrupted as the door slammed open and Asriel raced into the room.

Sans smiled as the goat child paused and glanced over his shoulder, calling 'I found them! Come on, sis, they're in here!' before moving further into the house.

"Oh, hey Asriel, Fr..." Sans began, only to be cut off as his breathing picked up to a rapid pace when familiar red eyes passed through the doorway.

With barely a moment's notice, the short skeleton's body hit the floor as he was sent spiraling deeper into his memories of the past.

Blood coated the ground of the Judgment hall with droplets splattered on the walls and pillars. The golden light was casting an eerie glow around the room, illuminating the ghastly sight of the child's mangled body. Was it over? Had he won? No, it was never that simple. True to form, a blinding light filtered through the hallway and when it receded, Chara stood before him once more. For her, it was as if their previous battle had never happened. If not for the fatigue he felt in his bones then Sans would have assumed what had happened merely a few minutes ago was but a bad dream. That wasn't the case, however. The skeletal monster could feel his magic reserves beginning to fail as the demon child drew ever closer. It would only be a matter of time before he failed once again.

"What's the matter, comedian?" Chara taunted, her demented smile stretched too wide across her face. "Running out of material? Maybe all those terrible puns died alongside your brother. If that's true then I guess I did the world a favor by killing him."

Sans couldn't take it anymore! He knew losing his temper was the worst possible thing he could do at the moment but he couldn't just sit there and let her say those things about his bro. Papyrus was the best monster he knew. He was kind and considerate and he cared about everybody no matter what they did! He would not let this demon disrespect his brother's memory!

"Kid, you're in for a bad time." He growled, sending out wave after wave of bones and blasters.

Chara dodged them all, never breaking a sweat. Her body moving like a talented ballerina performing a complicated dance upon a stage as she drew ever closer.

"Actually," She whispered as she halted behind the shaking skeleton, her mouth mere inches from his ear as she played with the knife in her hands. "I'm having lots of fun."

The Judge whipped around, just in time for the knife to slice across his sternum in an arching sweep. His sockets widened as a gasp escaped his parted teeth, his hand flying up to the wound as his knees gave out from under him. Blood seeped out from between his fingers and dribbled down his chin to splash on the golden floor.

'I failed again.' He thought, despondently as he saw the human sneer at him before walking away. 'I'm sorry everyone, I should have tried harder. Papyrus, please forgive me. I never meant to let you down. I'm so sorry.'

"SANS! Please wake up brother!" When he regained consciousness, his brother's voice was calling out to him in alarm and he could feel a slender arm wrapped around his shoulders.

He blinked up at the older monster, his gaze still slightly unfocused as he tried to comprehend what had happened. A movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention and he turned his head to try and see what it was only for Papyrus to shift them both and effectively block his view. He huffed in slight annoyance. Clearly, whatever was over there was something his bro didn't want him to see.

"Sans, dear, are you alright?" Toriel asked, kneeling before the two brothers as she discreetly sent a concerned glance towards her husband. "That was quite the fall. Did you hurt anything?"

"Only my pride," Sans murmured, his memories of the event slowly returning as he managed to sit up with Pap's help.

"Even so, maybe you should retire to your room and rest for a while," Asgore spoke, a frown settled over his usually welcoming face.

"Yea, maybe you're right." He agreed, swaying slightly as he pushed himself to his feet.

Red eyes flashed in his mind and he hissed as he remembered exactly what he'd seen before passing out. Whipping around without warning, the slipper-clad skeleton just managed to catch a glimpse of auburn hair ducking behind the couch. His eye light's disappeared into the inky blackness of his skull, causing the short monster to look truly menacing in the dim light of the morning sun. Slowly, never once turning his back to his enemy, he glanced over his shoulder to glare at the trio behind him.

"What is she doing here?" He growled lowly, anger and fear at war in his soul. "Why is Chara here? Isn't this the afterlife, Heaven, whatever you want to call it! Murdering brats like her go to Hell so what are you not telling me? Is this place even real or is it all in my head?"

Papyrus (or what appeared to be Papyrus) inched towards him, hands held up in a soothing manner. "Brother, this is real, I assure you. We are here, we are real. Things just aren't as black and white as you once thought. The universe has a way of making things right, even going so far as to redeem a child whose heart was once clouded by hate."

"How can I be sure what you're saying is true? What if none of this is actually happening?" Sans asked, his voice sounding so anguished that it broke their hearts. "Am I going to wake up tomorrow only to find this was just a figment of my imagination and that you're all still gone? I don't want that! I don't want to be alone anymore!"

Unbeknownst to the frantic skeleton, Chara flinched at his words, ducking back down to hide behind the sofa once more.

"Sans, please listen to me." Toriel stepped forward, her face set in firm lines as she gathered him into her arms. "This is not an illusion, everything you've seen in the past day has been real. You fell down, we were there waiting to guide you into the afterlife, we took that wonderful picture, and then you turned in for the night. Yes, my eldest daughter is here as well but, if you give us the chance, we will explain everything to you in due time. Just believe me when I say she holds no more hatred for any of us... only regret for the actions that led her down that dark path."

"Tori, how can I believe that after all she's done to us?" He whimpered, curling into the maternal monster's embrace. "There were so many loops... so many times I watched you all die... and now you just expect me to believe she's changed? How am I supposed to do that?"

Toriel, Asgore, and Papyrus were left speechless at that. It's true, Sans had suffered the most out of any of them, all at Chara's hands. How could they ask this of him? They have had ten years to come to terms with the changes the human child had gone through after her death but for their friend it had been ten long years of solitude. He'd barely even let Grillby get close. If not for the flame monster's stubborn nature, Sans would have truly been alone for all that time. Now, here they were, expecting him to simply ignore the fact that said child had murdered them all countless times before. How could they prove to him that she's changed without damaging his fragile soul further?

It was Asriel who spoke up then, reminding the group of his presence as he dragged his hesitant sister from behind the couch.

"You're the Judge, right?" He asked, paying no mind when Frisk walked into the room and froze at the sight before her. "We still have our powers here. Why don't you use your abilities to CHECK Chara? She's never been able to hide anything from you before and she can't now. If you don't believe mom then at least you should believe your own eyes."

With that said, he shoved the green-clad human forward until she stood before Sans, her face turned towards the floor in regret. As she waited to see what the other would do she couldn't help the fear that filled her soul. The girl wouldn't blame Sans if he tried to attack her right here and now, not after everything she'd done. Still, even with those thoughts filling her brain, she didn't attempt to move away. She would take any punishment he deemed necessary. The younger skelebro, on the other hand, had scooted as far away from her as physically possible while still being held in his Tori's comforting embrace.

"Sans, he has a point." Frisk finally spoke up, moving further into the room to crouch beside her friend. "I know you're frightened but please, can you at least try... it's not good for either of you to live like this."

Glancing up, the ketchup-loving monster was met with several sets of pleading eyes all focused on him. He squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, a low whine escaping his throat without permission as he met his older brother's unwavering gaze.

"Okay, I... I'll try." He agreed, slowly prying himself out of the goat mom's arms in order to face the source of all his nightmares.

Chara, for her part, had yet to move, simply standing in the same position she'd been in since Asriel had dragged her over to the small group. Taking a closer look at the child before him, Sans was startled to see tears dripping onto the floor below her. He growled silently, angered by her blatant trickery. How could she have fooled the others so easily! The demon spawn was probably laughing at them all even as they stood here defending her so vehemently.

"Alright, let's get this over with." He announced, calling upon the powers he hadn't had to use since the day he'd become king.

Blue light engulfed his left eye and Sans scowled as his magic reached out, calling up the former princess's stats. The twelve-year-old froze, trying not to tremble as that fearsome gaze was turned on her. She knew that she deserved his fury but that didn't mean she was ready for it. Even so, she stood strong and refused to cower. Moments passed in silence, neither daring to move. What was revealed to Sans nearly knocked the breath from his body and he was forced to lean on his brother to remain standing.

'What! How? How can this be true? It doesn't make any sense.' The hoodie-clad monster thought to himself as the stats rose before him, CHECKing the human over and over before doing the same to his friends just to be sure his powers weren't messing up in some way. They weren't.

Chara...

Lv 1

Hp 20/20

* Has worked hard to repent for her sins but still holds deep regret due to her past actions.

Somehow Chara's sins had been wiped away, her LOVE set back to its original level. Now that he was focused, he could sense no evil intent from her. Still, he had to be sure. Summoning a small, blue bone he used his magic to move it slowly towards her. He heard Asgore and Papyrus gasp behind him while Toriel cried out in shock. They were silenced, however, by the child shaking her head and moving forward, allowing the simple attack to graze her. Sans watched her Hp with a desperate hope, a shaky laugh escaping as it dropped by one point and one point only. His karmic retribution had failed to activate meaning, without a doubt, that the child before him had no sins to atone for any longer.

"Welp, tibia honest, it looks like you've got a clean slate, kiddo." He said, voice pitched high in disbelief even as he tried using comedy to hide how uneasy this discovery had made him.

"Wait, really?" Chara asked, her head snapping up in shock and she was met by his wary gaze.

He nodded slowly and everyone around him seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at his words, Frisk and Asriel moving forward in tandem to wrap their sister in a hug as said child dissolved into a sobbing mess before them. It's clear that she'd been frightened of what he would find as well and he couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for the girl. No one deserved to live in fear, not even his greatest enemy.

"That is wonderful news, my children." Toriel proclaimed, moving forward to join in the group hug, but not before pressing a soft kiss to Sans' skull in reassurance.

"See, brother! I told you that everything would be fine." Papyrus chimed in, one arm moving to wrap around the smaller monster's shoulders in a side hug. "We are together again and that is never going to change. I know it must be overwhelming but we have an eternity to figure things out."

"Papyrus is right, my friend. There is no need to worry over everything right at this moment." Asgore spoke up, eyes shining brightly as he watched his family with a fond smile. "If ever you are uncertain you can come to any of us and we will help you, never doubt that, but for now maybe it's best if we merely enjoy each other's company. I'm sure Undyne, Alphys, and Mettaton will be joining us shortly. Once they arrive and everyone has had the chance to eat then I promise you, we will answer any questions you may have."

"Heh, guess you're right." He admitted, rubbing the back of his skull nervously. "I could use a break at the moment. This has all been a little much."

"Understandable. Why don't you head up to your room for a nap? We'll call you when the meal is ready." The former king urged, concern marring his face as he saw the smaller being sway once more.

"Yea, sure. That sounds like a good idea." Sans admitted, not entirely happy with the thought of leaving Chara alone with his family but unable to argue after seeing her stats.

As he climbs the stairs to the room he'd once been so familiar with, he almost can't believe that it's actually over. No one has ever been able to hide their intent from the Judge's power he possesses, though. His soul felt lighter with that knowledge, knowing that he won't be forced to watch his family perish again (if that was even possible with them already being dead) though that doesn't mean he can bring himself to fully trust Chara either. It simply means that he'll give her the benefit of the doubt until she proves herself worthy of his trust or reveals herself as the demon he'd once known her to be. For now, he'll keep his observations to himself, after all, there's no reason to cause undue stress for his friends. It's clear by the way they're acting that they've already forgiven her and moved on. As he laid down on his bed, Sans closed his eyes with a weary sigh, praying to whoever was listening that the harrowing events of the past would stay in his memories where they belonged and not return to haunt them all.

AN: Well that's all for now, I hope you liked it. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought :)