Even after the final hit, he continued to stab with relentless force. Almost sadistically, he continued to hit and jab at the witch, grinning like a maniac. The vines withered, and the white dome above us cracked. Even Undyne looked surprised at the force at which Papyrus was using. The labyrinth was starting to fall apart.

Papyrus finally stopped, but not before letting out another small chuckle. "HEH! ONCE YOU KNOW HOW, IT'S PRETTY EASY." He commented, staring into the empty space with a greedy look in his eye. He seemed completely oblivious to the things happening around him. He raised a finger pointedly. "I DON'T THINK THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE LOSING ANYMORE!"

The shards of the dome around us finally faded away, bringing us back to the setting of the real world. The three of us were standing on the top of a tall balcony in a factory. The night shone around us, dark. Bending down, Papyrus picked up the Grief Seed lying on the ground. He then proceeded to throw it to Undyne, and she caught it, a disbelieving look in her expression.

"I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU!" Papyrus grinned, but not like his regular self. "IT'S WHAT YOU WERE AFTER, RIGHT?"

"Hey!" Undyne shouted back, angry at the assumption.

Papyrus moved forward. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, PAY OFF ALL MY DEBTS. SO THIS WILL MAKE US EVEN, OK?" He walked pass Undyne, ignoring the suspicious glare she was giving him. "LET'S GO HOME, FRISK."

"P-Paps?..." I whispered. I wasn't sure whether to feel worried or scared. Then suddenly, Papyrus transformed out of his uniform into his regular costume, and he fell into my arms in a tired way.

"...SORRY." He apologized, picking himself back up. "I'M JUST A LITTLE TIRED…" He looked extremely wobbly, like he was ready to fall over at any given moment.

"D-don't push yourself!" I warned him, offering my assistance. "Just hold onto me." With the two of us struggling together, we headed toward the stairs that would lead us down the balcony. Undyne only stared at us from behind, a frustrated look in her eye. I tried to ignore her piercing gaze.

Right before we started to descend the stairs, I swore I heard her say, "...that idiot."

The night was still dark, and rain pelted the the glass panes above us. The pitter-patter of it was annoying, and very untimely. Papyrus and I were sitting on a bench in a bus station, with him leaning on my shoulder.

"Papyrus, I don't think you should be fighting like that." He turned away. "You're lying when you say it doesn't hurt. It hurt me just watching you. It's not okay to hurt yourself just because you can't feel it."

Papyrus sighed a little. "ALTHOUGH I AM VERY GREAT, I KNOW MY SKILLS ARE NOT THE BEST. IF I HAD NOT DONE WHAT I DID, I MAY NOT HAVE SURVIVED."

"But even fighting like that!... It won't help you in the end, even if you win."

"HUH." He commented promptly, turning away more. "BUT HOW CAN ANYTHING HELP ME NOW?" He stood up defiantly, shoving his dull Soul Gem in my face. "WHAT CAN I DO, NOW THAT THIS IS WHO I AM?"

"P-Paps?..."

"ALL I CAN TRY TO DO IS KILL WITCHES." He decides, monotone. "I DESTROY THEM WITH THIS BODY, AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT."

"I was just wondering how to make you happier…"

Papyrus suddenly turned to me, a skeptical look on his face. "YOU SHOULD FIGHT, THEN!"

"H-huh?"

"FLOWEY TOLD ME." Papyrus explained quickly. "HE TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD MORE NATURAL TALENT THAN ANYONE ELSE. EVEN MORE THAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?"

"I… That's not!..."

"YOU COULD DO SOMETHING. YOU COULD BECOME A MAGICAL MONSTER WITH ME!" But suddenly, his bright expression falls. "BUT OF COURSE NOT. YOU STILL HAVE YOUR HUMANITY... YOU WOULDN'T TRADE IT, WOULD YOU?"

"It's not that!" I protested. "I-"

Papyrus suddenly turned on me, a stern and almost scary look on his face. "FLOWEY TOLD ME YOU COULD ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING. BUT FOR SOME REASON, YOU REFUSE TO DO IT. ONLY I, MASTER FIGHTER PAPYRUS, AM LEFT TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING. HOW CAN YOU HELP ME... IF YOU AREN'T EVEN ONE YOURSELF?" With that final message, he stepped out the dry shelter of the station, his boots sinking into the puddles.

I quickly followed him out, wincing at how wet I was getting. "Papyrus!"

He stopped, turned. "DON'T FOLLOW ME." He growled, annoyed. I stared at him in shock as he turned away, splashing in the puddles as he ran. And all I could do was stand and watch, just like he said.

We sat in class, listening to the teacher babble. She seemed reluctant to be teaching about grammar and such, yet she continued. Papyrus wasn't in class today. I closed my eyes, not really listening, but thinking back to the previous night. Thinking about how Papyrus had run away into the rainy night, and how I should've followed him, despite his demands.

"Huh? He hasn't come home, not since last night? Ok, um… I understand. Thank you." I closed the speaker to Papyrus' hotel, ending the call. I sighed a little at the new information.

Papyrus was nowhere to be found. I didn't know where he was. Where could he have gone? Where could I find him? "I need… to find him." I decided. Then I ran.

"Paps… where are you?..." I stumbled my way through the park, passing by a fountain before stopping myself next to a bench. There was a familiar shadow, blending in with a nearby lamppost.

"So you hate me too?" Flowey asked as he revealed himself from hiding.

"If I did, would you return Paps back to normal?" I mumble.

"I can't." Flowey shrugs. "I don't have the power to do that."

I sat myself on the bench. "You once said that I would become a really amazing Magical Monster. Was that true?"

Flowey bounded over and sat down next to me. "'Amazing' is seriously an understatement." He commented. "You would become a Magical Monster of unbelievable power. Definitely the strongest in the world."

I sighed a little. "It makes me wonder… if I had accepted your offer, whether Papyrus would've still become a Magical Monster."

"He made his own wish come true." Flowey shrugged. "It's completely unrelated to you."

We sat in silence for a while before I ducked my head down. "Why me?" I whispered.

"I don't know either." Flowey admitted. "To put it bluntly, the scale of your power is so great that it's not supposed to even be possible. I would like someone to explain it as well."

"I see."

"If you released your power, we wouldn't even need to speak of miracles anymore." Flowey turned to me. "It may even be enough to warp the laws of the universe! I just don't get why you have so much potential within you."

"I thought I had nothing good going for me." I admitted, staring at the sky longingly. "I thought I would continue living until I died, never being useful or a help to anyone. It's made me feel frustrated and alone, but I couldn't do anything about it."

"Well, it looks like reality turned out quite different." Flowey sounded amused. "You know, Frisk, you could even be an omnipotent god if you wish for it."

I suddenly got an idea. "I wonder if I could do what you can't."

"For example?" He inquired.

"If I contracted with you, could I return Papyrus back to normal?"

"I'm sure you could accomplish it without a problem." Flowey answered confidently. "Now the question is, would you offer your soul for that wish?"

"If it can help him, I'll do it! I'd become a-" I froze when Flowey crumpled before me, multiple bones passing through and now embedded into his body. It took me a second to realize what had happened. I gasped at the dead body, limp upon the wooden bench. D-did he just?!...

There's a clattering sound behind me. Startled, I quickly turn myself around. It's Sans with his arm raised, and there's a a blue light emitting from his left eyesocket. He did that. He did that to Flowey. I stare as he takes a few steps towards me, his gaze hard and unforgiving.

"Y-you..." I gulp. "That was terrible! You didn't have to do that!" I tried to ignore the black carcass sitting next to me on the bench. Was Flowey dead, just like that?

"Kid, why…" Sans asks instead, whirling to me and gritting his teeth. "Why do you always sacrifice yourself?" He takes more steps towards me until he's almost right in front of me, his shadow casting onto me. "Just stop that. There's no need to demean yourself by saying you're worthless. Im'mean, just think about the people that care about you!" He bends down suddenly, resting his hands onto my shoulders. His arms are shaking with fear. I'm surprised by the gesture, but he keeps talking. "How come you just don't realize it? Why don't you realize that there are people who care about you, and would die at the thought of losing you?" He sounds almost hysterical, and there are a few tears leaking out his eyes sockets. I'm completely startled at this, unsure about what's happening. Was he talking about… me? "Don't you think about the people who are trying to protect you?"

He suddenly sets himself onto his knees, too tired to hold himself up. To upset to try to stay up any longer. Under his figure, there's splotches of wetness on the ground. "S-Sans…?" I whisper worriedly. I get up to talk to him, but my vision suddenly feels fuzzy all of a sudden. Realization flashes through me. "Have we…" He's still trembling, his hands on the ground. "Have we met before?"

"I…" He stays on the ground, unmoving. He's rigid with anxiety, but he doesn't say anything more.

But I don't have the time to stay. "I'm sorry…" I carefully move to pick up my backpack from the bench, attempting not to trigger him. "But I need to look for Papyrus…"

"Wait." He pleads, raising his head slightly. "It's too late for him… you can't-"

"I'm sorry." I repeat, backing away more. Then I turn and run, leaving him behind in the park, alone on the ground.

"Wait!" He yells suddenly, heartbroken, but I'm already leaving. His voice fades behind me as I leave him behind. "Frisk!" His voice echoes in my head, but I'm already long gone.