Sunlight is pouring through the delicate stained glass windows of Judgement Hall, painting the walls and pillars a warm yellow color. One of the few places in the Underground where you can see the open sky. A glimpse of the Aboveground. A tiny shred of hope, shedding light on the golden flowers in the courtyard.
You're waiting for them to come to you to be judged. After all that happened, after all you've been through, after everything, you are waiting for them once again. The warmth of the sun on your cheekbones does nothing to calm your nerves; if anything, it makes you recall the darkest moments of your life. Still, you keep on waiting, perfectly aware that what you do in the next hour will decide the fate of the Underground – probably forever.
Geez, no pressure here. At all.
You made sure to check on all the save points that should have remained in the run. They weren't there. Not at the end of the corridor, not at the doorway to Asgore's garden. They must have had turned to dust, too weak to hold themselves together, the last remnants of the human's waning power. They don't have any safe haven, no baseline to return to anymore. And with – or rather, in spite of – Flowey's assistance, you can hopefully finish the job. This time, they won't return. No more resets. No more battles. No more killing.
This time, everyone will live.
At last, you hear their footsteps approaching at the end of the hallway; and here they come, a stick in their hand, a heart-shaped locket around their neck. Their steps are surprisingly confident, no sign of any weakness to them. They look just like they first stood before you to be judged. And now, once again, they stand before you, bold and earnest, and look into your eyes, and you see that for once, they made good on their promise.
*Frisk. LV 1, HP 20, ATK 0, DEF 15, EXP 9999.
The human who made it all possible.
"heya."
"Hey, Sans," they greet you with a kind smile. "Thank you for coming."
"ready?"
"Yes."
They join you, walking slowly by your side along the corridor, now a little more hesitant. They let out a near-inaudible sigh, clearly bothered by something.
"everything okay, pal?"
As soon as the question leaves your mouth, you realize how stupid it is. You'd be worried about confronting Asgore, too, especially since, as far as you know, Frisk couldn't spare him without defeating him first. They, however, seem to be concerned about something else.
"After I came up here from the lab, I noticed that I couldn't go back to the elevator anymore. They door was shut tight by vines."
Flowey, huh? Looks like he's already started his little master plan, whatever it is. You better watch out.
"hey, it's gonna be alright." You stare ahead at the dark doorway, unable to look Frisk in the eye after telling such a bold-faced lie. "i'm still here. what's more, you're still here. truth be told, if i were you, i'd have thrown in the towel by now. but you haven't come so far by giving up, have you?" You flash them a slight grin. "we're counting on you."
They are counting on me.
Steeling yourself, you enter the garden. There stands your king, watering the golden flowers, humming softly to himself – and somehow looking imposing even doing such a mundane activity. Frisk stops and, for lack of a better intro, says a timid "Hello." Asgore turns around with a serene smile on his face, ready to welcome whatever monster has come to visit him. He turns around, sees the human, and his face immediately falls.
You can see the dread in his eyes. He doesn't want to do this.
"Nice day today, huh?" he ultimately says, looking at Frisk with kindly pity. "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… Perfect weather for a game of catch."
With slow, measured motions, he puts the watering can in the corner, staring at the wall for a long moment.
"You know what we must do," he says at last, his voice so broken as if uttering the words caused him physical pain. "When you are ready, come into the next room."
"asgore," you say gently. He turns to you, a little startled, like he hasn't even noticed your presence until now.
"...Sans? What are you doing here?"
"let's say i'm acting on someone else's behalf," you shrug, remembering Toriel's face as she was talking about her once so beloved husband. Remembering how Asgore tried to save you from yourself even after you set out to kill him. "it doesn't matter, anyway. what matters is… once, a long time ago, you asked me to sit down and talk it out instead of fighting." You look into his eyes, so weary, so wise. "so i'm asking you the same thing now."
The king lowers his head, a shadow across his face, his eyes dark.
"Do not ask me to do such a thing, Sans. You know I made an oath, and I can't go back on it now." He sighs and closes his eyes, perhaps to shut out the outside world that never once showed him mercy. "I can't get my wife and son back. But I can give my people the freedom they've been dreaming of for so long. I can finally fulfill my promise."
"you don't have to do it."
"I must do it."
Before you can think of a reply, he turns away from you, his head hanging low, his majestic form stooped over, his shoulders hunched, like he's carrying the entire weight of Mount Ebbott on his back.
"I've… I've gone too far. I killed so many of them…"
You hear the same hopelessness in his voice that poisoned your mind so long ago. You hear his remorse, his regrets, his horrible guilt over his deeds. And you can't let any harm come to him. Not this time.
"you still have a choice," you say softly.
Asgore stands still for a long moment, saying nothing, and you hold your breath.
Please help me.
Please help me save you.
Then he spins around with such speed that you can barely follow his motions, and you see his trident flashing up in his hand, ready for battle. You see Frisk's grip tighten on the stick, their face tensing up.
"wait, asgore –"
"Please step aside, Sans. I don't want to hurt you by accident."
He lowers his head, keeping his gaze on the ground, unable to look the two of you in the eye, and grabs his weapon with two hands, preparing for a strike.
"Human… I am sorry."
He swishes the trident, initiating battle, and you're about to intervene in the first turn, left eye springing ablaze – but before you can block his attack, a ball of flame tears through the air and knocks Asgore back so hard, he's hurled straight against the wall, leaving cracks in the stonework.
You blink.
What the –
"What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth!"
To your shock, in the doorway stands none other than Toriel, her figure blocking the entire entrance. She looks rather fierce, to put it mildly. She turns and hurries to Frisk to check if they are whole and unscathed.
"Do not be afraid, my child. It is I, Toriel, your friend and guardian. Your adventure must have been so treacherous, my dearest… But no harm will come to you now." She hugs the child tightly, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. "I… I promise."
Still holding Frisk in her arms, she looks up and sees you, and for a moment, her eyes widen, and her mouth opens for a crack as if she wanted to let out a gasp of surprise.
Then she smiles and waves at you warmly with one hand.
"I am still glad that you're here for us. For me."
You return her smile and wave back. Asgore, who by this point has managed to scramble up to his feet, stares at his wife like he's just seen a whole crate of his favorite tea placed on his doorstep.
"...Tori? You came back!"
Her majesty lets go of Frisk and folds her arms, straightening her back and putting on that displeased-headmistress expression you're familiar with by now.
"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr! You pathetic whelp. You made everyone live in despair, giving them false hope, because you weren't strong enough to make a decision. How can you still pretend to be their protector? How can you still lead them on like this?"
She goes on, letting out all the pent-up anger and resentment in one go, letting out years of bitterness and loneliness. Asgore, obviously ashamed, puts a sock in it and just nods along meekly. Feeling uncomfortable that you're suddenly in the middle of a family row, you nod discreetly to Frisk in the direction of the exit, and thankfully, they take the hint.
"You're right, Tori," you hear him say. "I am a miserable creature. But… do you think we can at least be friends again?"
Toriel lets out an exasperated huff, but when she speaks, her voice is a little softer.
"We'll… we'll talk about it later. Much later, if at –"
"NGAHHHHH!"
You nearly jump out of your nonexistent skin at the ear-piercing battle cry of Undyne as she leaps through the doorway, landing on a daisy patch with a pretty impressive slam! , sending petals and dirt flying everywhere. She springs to her feet and strikes the most captain-y pose she could muster.
"Asgore! Human! And, uh, whoever you are, lady! Nobody fight each other! Everyone's gonna make friends, or else I'll… I'll…"
"'sup, undyne?"
She gawks at you for a second, then tries to put on an menacing frown until she finally gives up and flashes you a huge grin.
"Sans! I should kick your bony behind for defying your superior!"
"guess my ass -istance on the mtt show compensated for my previous crimes, huh?"
"Watch your mouth, punk," she says wryly. "If I catch you teaching dirty words to Frisk, I'll be telling Papyrus."
"H-hey! Nobody hurt each other! And everyone m-m-mind their language!"
"OR ELSE I'LL BE FORCED TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP! WHO… KNOWS ABOUT IT ALREADY ANYWAY?"
Undyne goes into mute mode and blushes in a rather adorable manner when she hears the voice of her crush from the doorway. Your brother is standing next to Alphys, looking utterly flabbergasted at the fact that there are two Asgores in front of him.
"Hello!" Toriel steps closer, beaming at the newcomers. "Are you Frisk's friends? How nice to meet you all!"
"Uh, h-h-hi! I'm glad to meet you too, um…"
"Toriel."
"O-oh! Your majesty! I m-mean… um…"
"Just Toriel, please."
You watch your friends as they gather around Frisk, exchanging greetings and introductions. Your gaze rests on the group, immersed in their reunion, and for a moment, all you see is dust.
You killed them all.
You want to keep them close and protect them with every drop of your strength.
You killed him.
Asgore offers Frisk to take them in as one of your own, and the kid accepts the offer, despite the fact that he tried to kill them not even ten minutes ago, and already destroyed six others of their kind. Of course he meant well, but he's still guilty. You briefly wonder if he was speaking the truth when he said he understood your situation, back then. You wonder if you could indeed have had a talk about it instead of a fight.
You killed them.
Alphys and Undyne – after a well-timed nudge from Mettaton's fabulous right leg, of course – finally, finally decide to stop skirting around their mutual feelings and just kiss already. Or rather they would, at least, if it wasn't for Toriel, who decides she knows what's best for Frisk and hastily stands between the two lovebirds. Even then, despite her embarrassment, Alphys looks happy, which is a rare sight. As far as you're concerned, she deserves it.
You killed her.
After having made sure no smooching was going to take place, Toriel is now chatting it away with your brother (though kicking the conversation off with a pun might have been a bad move on her part). She knows what you did. She knows everything, and she's still here for you.
You killed him.
Papyrus is torn between beaming at "Lady Asgore" and grumbling for the subpar quality of her puns (which she must have learned from you, he just knows it!). When he heard his name back from her, his face brightened up, flushed from excitement that he had made a new friend. Your soul felt warm at the sight, and you realize you'd give anything in the world to see him make that expression again.
You killed them all.
You're going to save them all.
You don't know if all of this is going to end well.
Maybe it isn't.
But right now, you feel ready to give it a try.
"Papyrus, how did you know how to c-call everybody?" Alphys asks as she finally manages to tear her gaze off Undyne for a second.
"LET'S JUST SAY… A TINY FLOWER TOLD ME!"
Out of the blue, she pales at the statement, and your stomach drops with a terrible premonition.
"A tiny… f-f-flower?"
You open your mouth to warn them, and –
SLASH!
Pain. So much pain that you nearly pass out from the sheer magnitude of it. A dark force is strangling you like a thick, thorny vine around your torso, its vise-like grip getting tighter by the moment, threatening to squeeze your soul out of your ribcage. You grind your teeth, beads of sweat gathering on your temples, seeing stars from the pain, and struggle against the vine coiled around you, but it's all in vain.
Flowey. He took the human souls. He was faster than you. He outmaneuvered you. No matter how cautious you wanted to be, he still got the upper hand. You were too slow, too careless, too preoccupied with your friends, your feelings. You messed up once again.
And now he will destroy you all.
"Hee hee hee…"
You flinch as you feel his sick, twisted joy surrounding you in the darkness, whispering in your earhole, echoing in your mind.
"Did you really think you could pull one over on me, trashbag? Looks like you've forgotten who's in charge here. I am the prince of this world's future."
He yanks on your arm for good measure, making you let out a sharp hiss of pain.
"With you and my dear sibling out of the way, this world is mine again. Mine to play with. Mine to save or destroy."
You close your eyesockets tightly, trying to shut his voice out, trying not to give in. A tremor runs through the vines, as if someone was trying to pull them apart by brute force.
"And now be a good little monster and give up your soul to me. I promise, I'll take good care of it."
Undyne. It must be Undyne. She's still fighting. Even when she's tied up and a prisoner, she's not giving up. She's never giving up.
"Forever."
You feel another weak pull, loosening the vines a little, and Flowey's whispering fades out, like he's being distracted by something. Instead, as if from under deep water, you hear muffled voices. The voices of your friends. Toriel. Alphys. Papyrus. Asgore.
They are fighting back.
And you will not abandon them again. You can't let Flowey win. You can't let him defeat you again. You can't let him destroy everything you've been fighting for.
You won't let them down this time.
You push back with all your might. You gather every drop of your strength, every morsel of your power, focusing inward, summoning your soul, searching for your determination. Searching for the hatred, the anger, the demented fury that used to burn you up from the inside. Even just a sliver would be enough to defeat your opponent.
But something's wrong.
You can't find it.
Your hate, and with it, your determination – they are gone. It is all gone.
Panic washes over you, your soul pulsing frantically in your chest as you flail around helplessly in the darkness. Everything you were counting on, everything you were hoping to help you, has now vanished. You are the same weakling you've always been, the weakling who couldn't save his friends no matter how many times he tried.
No, please, this can't be, it can't happen again, it just can't –
"But it will."
A horrifying scream lashes through the darkness: the desperate cry of trapped monsters, their souls syphoned away by a will stronger than any of them. A shudder courses through your spine as your mind is inundated with the terror and despair coming from them. You open your eyesockets by instinct, but you can't see them. You can't see any of them.
You can only see him.
"Howdy – partner."
ASRIEL DREEMURR.
The monster possessing all the souls of the Underground. The Absolute God of Hyperdeath. And in his black eyes, you see your perdition.
"Look at you, back to being a useless goody-two-shoes like everyone wanted," he sneers. "And what good it did you? It didn't help you, or your so-called 'friends.' It just made you weak. It just blinded you."
He leans closer, grinning at you, his sharp fangs an inch away from your face, the dark void of his eyes filling your entire world.
"And do you know what the best part is?"
You feel yourself getting weaker and weaker with every turn.
"You did it willingly. You made it possible for me to set it all back to the beginning."
You feel the light of your soul fading away a little more with every word he utters.
"It is my world now. A world where they will never be free. Never."
He snickers, enjoying his final victory, savoring your despair.
"And it is your fault. Yours alone. And they know it, too. They will hate you forever."
I deserve their hate.
"Just give up, Sans."
I don't want to be free.
"Why even try?"
I deserve to suffer.
"You'll never see them again."
I have lost them forever.
The god lets out a triumphant cackle and squeezes your ribcage so hard that you hear the cracking of bones. Your eyesockets fall closed, your limbs going limp, your last drops of strength leaving you as you gradually give in to his will. You know you can't stand a chance anymore. You know it is the end.
All is lost.
And it is all your fault. It has always been.
Farewell.
.
.
.
"...but you."
You are dreaming.
"you never gained any LOVE."
You must be dreaming because you hear your own voice. It's faint like a mere echo of a memory, like it's coming from another timeline, old and forgotten – a timeline that never was, and yet feels more real than any other.
"'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart."
You hear your voice, so tender, so comforting.
"no matter the struggles or hardships you faced… you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile."
And you know it is your voice. It has always been yours.
"you never gained LOVE, but you gained love."
Despite everything – it is still you.
"good luck."
And then you hear another voice.
"He's as-real as it gets, isn't he?"
A voice of a child, coming from somewhere far away, and yet so close. It's carefree and happy, recalling simpler times. It's friendly and playful, reminding you of something you can't grasp, something you know was once important to you.
"How about a second lunch break? I could use a bite."
Hopes. Dreams.
"I will think about what I did. I promise."
Frisk.
Even in the maelstrom of darkness and despair, you can feel their soul pushing onward. They call out to you, reaching out to you, saving you from the nightmare of your own making. They grab your hands tightly and hold on, pulling you toward themselves, out of the darkness, until you are yourself once again.
Then they fold their arms and look at you sternly.
"Also, just so that you know, I wasn't humoring Papyrus back there. Junior jumble is way harder than crossword, and that's a fact."
You snicker, your smile bright and easy. Never in your life have you felt such relief, such freedom. Such joy at just being who you are.
"good to hear justice has finally been served."
"With tomatoes and meatballs to boot," Frisk chuckles. "Papyrus was very enthusiastic when I asked him about his latest recipe."
"so this was what took you so long," you say with a wink.
"Oh! Yeah, um, the others are already freed," they say, a note of embarrassment in their voice. "You were the last one."
Typical.
"eh, i know i can be pretty pig-headed," you shrug, grinning. "no worries about it."
They let go of your hand, oddly reluctant to do so. A moment of silence passes between you, and you wonder what might be going through their head. How they feel after all this. What they want to do with Chara now that they granted them their wish.
Now that the end is within arm's reach.
"I… I must leave now," Frisk blurts out all of a sudden, avoiding your gaze. "I just – um – I still need to finish something here. Please go on, okay? They others are waiting for you."
"'kay," you say awkwardly. "catch you later then, huh?"
"...Yes."
Frisk looks at you one last time, their face unreadable, then nods, as if to themselves, and turns to leave. Their steps are slow and hesitant, like they are uncertain where to go now, and your soul shivers. They have turned their back to you. They are open and trusting, without any save point, without any starting point, without anything to save them, finally, finally leaving themselves –
So vulnerable.
So weak.
So easy to kill.
And you realize that the moment you've been waiting for has finally come. It is now or never. Just one attack, one move on your part, and it will be over forever. The human will be gone. The demon will be gone.
It will finally be over.
Once again, the silence is deafening. Behind the child's back, your left eye flares up without making a sound, summoning a blaster. You raise your hand.
Now.
And then Frisk stops – but doesn't turn around. With their back to you, they stand still, waiting for something. Something that isn't coming.
It's not coming because you realize you can't move.
You can't.
You remind yourself how much you have suffered because of them. All your torment. Pain. Anger. Hatred.
You remind yourself how they let Chara kill everyone, destroying your entire world, over and over again. Toriel's desperate, broken laughter. Undyne's mangled body, melting away in agony. Asgore's dull gaze, devoid of hope. Alphys' suicide note, smudgy with tears. Papyrus' dusty scarf in the snow.
You feel their love so clearly, so vividly. Toward each other. Toward the human who proved that mankind wasn't without mercy.
Toward you.
You remind yourself that you must do this if you want to save monsters once and for all.
You can't move.
And then Frisk turns around, and you finally see the smile on their face. Your eyesockets widen and your grin wavers as you realize how long has it been since you've seen a real smile. Not the psychotic smirk that used to twist Chara's young face into a mask of terror. Not Papyrus' pretend cheerfulness he so often put on just to keep you going. Not your fake, plastered grin that screamed despair and madness. It's warm and kind, a true expression of mercy if you've ever seen one.
You still can't force yourself to move.
Frisk is facing the blaster head on, not going anywhere.
"It is alright, Sans," they say encouragingly. "I intended to give it up in the end. I know you must do it to be free again. And this is what I want, too."
Your hand trembles for a moment.
"Just… please promise me you won't hurt yourself anymore." They avert their gaze for a second, then look at you again, their voice shy and pleading. "Okay? I know it's going to be hard, but… please give yourself another chance. Just like you gave me one."
Just like they gave you one.
"It's going to be alright, Sans. The others are waiting for you. And they are counting on you."
I want to –
I want you to –
"...but what if they… what if i…"
What if all of this was in vain?
"Then you will find a way," Frisk says earnestly. "I know you will, Sans."
They are still standing in place, waiting for your turn, waiting for the final blow. The blaster is hovering above you soundlessly, its mouth still closed, its eyes ablaze, magic seeping through its sharp, curved fangs, wanting to break free, to lash out. Then slowly, impossibly slowly, like it's forced against its will, it starts opening its jaws, a blinding white light burning deep in its throat, ready to fire, ready to kill –
– and it disappears.
It disappears, and your arm sways and drops limply to the side, every drop of strength leaving your body. You feel exhausted and heavy, and, at the same time, light as a feather, like you've been freed from an immeasurable burden, like a barrier has finally been broken, and in the next moment, you can't stay upright anymore. You fall on your kneecaps, your hands in your lap, and before you know it, tears are flowing down your cheekbones, and no matter how much you want to keep your composure, no matter how much you want to pretend that they aren't there, you can't stop them.
So at last, you give into it and let them fall.
You let them fall.
I want you to stay.
And right then, kneeling on the ground, sobbing helplessly, weaker than ever, stronger than ever – you find it. You find what you were looking for.
Love.
Your love.
And in the next moment, you feel two skeletal arms close around you, holding you tight.
"I KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU, BROTHER!"
You let out a surprised gasp at the hug, but you don't flinch, and you don't pull away. Not anymore. You let yourself be hugged and cared for. You let yourself be loved.
And now that he's finally here, you know it is time.
It is time to finally tell the truth.
Wiping away the tears, you look up at Papyrus, who's beaming at you with pride, happier than you've ever seen him. You don't know what's going to happen. You don't know how he will react. You only know that now – now you must speak.
"i killed you."
He smiles at you.
Your brother smiles at you, a calm, tender smile that you see so rarely on his face, and when he speaks, his voice is quiet but even.
"I know."
Your pupils shrink from shock, your hands shaking for a second.
"wh… h-how?"
"He showed me." Papyrus frowns and rubs his mandible with a gloved finger. "That… god-monster who looked like... a younger clone of Asgore, I think? He showed me what happened to me and all the others, and you, and – and said it was all my fault. Because I didn't capture the human when I had the chance."
He touches your face gently, like he's trying to trace the tears on your cheekbones.
"You looked so horribly lonely, Sans…" He squeezes your shoulders. "But you are not alone anymore. You won't be alone ever again. I promise!"
"forgive me," you whisper.
Papyrus kneels in front of you, as close as he can, your foreheads touching, and takes your hands in his.
"I forgive you."
He holds you tight then, and you hug him back, your eyesockets falling closed, your body heavy against his ribcage, your souls pulsing together. You want nothing more. You are happy.
You are forgiven.
"HEY! Stop being all sappy, you two! You're making my girlfriend CRY!"
With a small start, you let go of each other. Papyrus rearranges his scarf and looks around in the darkness, a slight frown on his face. Not far from you, you spot your friends, standing in a group. Undyne is holding a teary-eyed Alphys in her arms, her glasses dangling from one hand.
"It looks like the Great Papyrus is also the greatest at comforting his brother," Toriel says, her voice teasing, but you can still sense the underlying warmth in it. "It's high time the two of you build a snow -com- fort."
" fangs for the idea, tori. i'll make sure to put it into prank -tice soon."
She chuckles, and Asgore glances at her tenderly, but says nothing for now. Alphys squirms in Undyne's arms and puts on her glasses.
"W-we're not going to remember this, are we?"
"beats me." You smile at her, your soul feeling so full you're afraid it might burst. "but i think… i think it doesn't matter anymore."
Papyrus stands up, pulling you up by the hand, his voice back to its normal volume.
"WELL! IF I'M GOING TO FORGET, WHICH MOST DEFINITELY WON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF MY IMPECCABLE MEMORY AND UNSURPASSED BRAIN POWER, THERE'S ALWAYS THE HUMAN TO ASK IF… WAIT, WHERE ARE THEY?"
"i think i know," you say, searching the darkness with your pupils. "there's still someone else to save."
"Someone else?" Undyne raises an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that wretched flower –"
"AH!"
Toriel's shocked cry stuns you into silence, and as you turn to look at what she's seeing, you immediately spot the small figure standing not far from you. A figure who you've never seen before, and who's still so, so familiar. Toriel clutches her chest, her mouth open, her eyes wide and shining with an emotion you've never seen in them, and then she bolts toward the figure with all her might, like she's afraid it was just a shadow, a memory that could disappear at any moment. But he doesn't go anywhere. He is here, he has finally arrived, and she sweeps him up in her arms, squeezing him, cradling him, kissing him all over the face. Asgore, his eyes fixed on them, runs after her, his arms wide open, and embraces them tightly, like he never wants to let them go.
"Asriel… my dear Asriel…"
"My dear child… you came back…"
They stand like that for a long time, Toriel whispering to her son, Asgore nodding along, his eyes closed, his tears wetting his robes. You discreetly turn away, trying to ignore Alphys and Undyne, who are staring at the family slack-jawed.
"What the… who – what just –"
"I… i-i-is that who I think it is? Is th-that…"
"Asriel," you hear a child's voice say behind you. You turn around and see him approaching, his parents at his side, fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater in a familiar manner. His smile is a little self-conscious, but he doesn't avert his gaze when he waves at you.
"Howdy!"
"hey there, buddy," you say with a slight grin. "nice to see you shaped up so nicely."
"Heh… I admit, I was pretty tired of being a flower."
He lowers his head, his voice breaking.
"I just wanted to say… to all of you… that I am sorry. I am sorry for everything I did. To Mom, and Dad, and you – and everyone."
"hey, i'm not one to judge. except when i totally am."
"And – I want to thank you, Sans," he carries on, his voice serious, almost like an adult's, lifetimes of suffering vibrating in it. "For not giving up during all of this. For not giving up on me."
You give them a lopsided smile and shrug, feeling utterly undeserving of his gratitude.
"i, uh. 'twas nothing?"
He chuckles, then turns to his parents, squeezing their hands. Toriel and Asgore exchange a look, and they nod, even if their faces speak of grief and sorrow.
"We don't have much time," Asriel says. "With everyone's souls… we can finally do it."
He steps away from you and places his hands on his chest. You want to reach out to him, perhaps to comfort him, perhaps to keep him here a little longer, but he smiles at you and shakes his head slightly.
"It's alright, Sans."
He opens his arms, and all around you, you can see white forms appear all around you in the darkness, shining brightly. The souls of monsters. The souls of your companions, your friends, your loved ones.
"It's time to let everyone free."
Asriel closes his eyes and begins to chant, a song of magic and love and determination, and you let him hold on to your soul, this time of your own free will. You give up yourself to him, and feel your friends follow you, all of them, all the monsters of the Underground, your souls beating to the same rhythm, and then a deafening crack! thunders through Mount Ebbott, breaking through stone, darkness and magic, breaking through centuries of imprisonment and isolation, and your senses are overwhelmed with the warmth and light and fresh air of the Aboveground.
The barrier was destroyed.
You are free.
When you open your eyes, you find yourself lying on your back on the grass in the royal garden. High above you, you see the sky, cloudless and sunny, such a deep, bright blue that you could swim in it. You can feel a slight draft of warm, fragrant air from the direction of where the barrier was standing not so long ago, and you know it's the outside world – the Aboveground.
There is no obstacle to keep you here anymore. You can go and leave the Underground any time you want.
You are free.
You sit up, feeling a little dizzy, and rub your cranium, searching for the others with your gaze. You find them standing in a group around something, not far from you. However, they don't look either carefree or happy. Instead, worry is written on their faces, and as you get up and join them, you see what they are looking at with such concern.
"Frisk! My dear child… please wake up!"
You freeze, your smile breaking.
The child is lying on their back on the patch of golden flowers, their eyes closed, their face pale as death. They aren't moving. Their breath is getting weaker and slower with every passing second.
"Frisk!" Toriel says, holding the kid's hand, her voice shaky. "You cannot give up just yet… Please hold on! Please don't give up…"
"They've been like this for nearly ten minutes now!" Undyne shouts. "Alph, can't you do something to make them come to?"
The lizard monster wrings her claws, looking utterly lost.
"I've already g-given them an injection, but it was no use… I d-don't know what's wrong! They aren't injured or w-w-wounded… They should be fine!"
"HUMAN! PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP NOW! YOU STILL HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO C-COOK… HOW TO…"
Papyrus' voice breaks as he is tearing up, his hands wringing his scarf distressedly. Asgore lays a paw on Frisk's brow, feeling their temperature.
"They are cold," he says, frowning. "It's like… it's like they are falling down."
Falling down.
Your smile wanes, your pupils disappearing slowly. You know what this means. You know what's going to happen.
Frisk is dying.
"No!" Toriel cries out, squeezing Frisk's hand to her chest. "My child… please don't leave us! Please, just –"
"let me."
At your quiet remark, the others fall silent. Toriel looks up at you, saying nothing, but her expression is begging you to help her, to bring her child back. You kneel down at Frisk's side and take their small, limp hand in yours, trying to locate their soul, but you find only darkness.
So you take a deep breath and dive in.
They saved you.
No matter how many times you hurt them. No matter how severely you disappointed them.
They saved you.
Now you're the one calling out to them. You're the one reaching out, trying to save them, to keep them with you a little longer. Gradually, the pitch black emptiness around you takes form, and you land on your feet softly. You look around, and indeed, there they are. Both of them, in fact. Frisk is facing away from you, looking into the distance. Not far from them, Chara is sitting cross-legged on the ground, their head hanging low, one small hand curled into a fist in their lap.
"hey, kid."
Frisk gasps as they hear your voice.
"Sans? Y-you came back?"
"looks like i've just grown a back- bone."
Frisk doesn't even chuckle at that.
"The barrier is broken. You can – you can go to the surface now."
Their voice is small, and you immediately sense that something's wrong. You look at Chara, who's still sitting in the same position, their eyes in shadow, and you realize that Frisk didn't say 'we.'
They said 'you.'
"speaking of the others… they're getting kinda worried. you coming?"
Frisk doesn't say anything to that, just shakes their head meekly, their eyes fixed on the ground. You sigh inwardly. Despite everything – you still suck at apologies.
"look. i, uh – i said and did a few things way back there that were undeserved. lots of things, in fact. don't get me wrong – you made mistakes. all three of us made mistakes. but you more than made up for them." You offer them your hand as encouragingly as you can. "you're welcome among us. it'd… certainly make me happy, at least."
"Thank you", Frisk says with a shy smile. "And I'd love nothing more. It would be so, so nice to stay with you. But... I can't come with you, Sans. It's my soul."
You frown as you turn toward Chara.
"what are you –"
"No, no, it's not that," Frisk hurries to correct you. "Chara did want to give it back, but –"
"I destroyed it."
Chara speaks for the first time since you've arrived. Their voice is uncharacteristically strained and dull. Head still hanging low, they open their fist, and you finally get to see what they were clutching in there during the entire conversation.
No.
The crumpled petals are lying lifelessly in their palm, their once bright red color already faded.
"It's okay, Chara," Frisk says gently, stepping closer and putting a hand on the fallen child's shoulder. "You couldn't have known. If anything... I should apologize for deceiving you."
"what did you – what happened?"
Chara swallows and lets out a faint, bitter huff of laughter.
"Saving everyone after so much killing… it did a number on it. In the end, it broke apart." They close their fist, as if they were trying to merge the petals back together. "Turns out there's only so much determination a soul can have."
"I knew it was going to happen sooner or later," Frisk says. "I was just hoping that I had enough in me to go all the way to the end. To free everyone."
Chara's face crumples up, their hand going limp, letting the petals drop to the ground.
"Frisk, I –"
"No," Frisk says gently, shaking their head. "This is what I wanted, Chara. And this is what I chose to do."
Chara falls silent for a second, then gets up on their feet, their movements slow and tired. They look at the child who's been their only companion for so long, and a small, resignant smile appears on their face.
"Well played, partner. Well played." They sigh and shrug their shoulders slightly. "Looks like this is goodbye, then."
You rest your gaze on Chara, and you don't feel anger or hatred. Not anymore. They lift their eyes hesitantly and look back at you, their expression mirroring yours. You understand each other. And for the first time ever – you aren't bothered by it.
Frisk steps closer to the fallen child, arms wide open. They want to comfort them. After everything, they still want to comfort them. Chara, however, just raises a hand and takes a step back, their eyes dark with sorrow.
„Frisk… don't. I'm not worth it, trust me." They turn to you and bite their lip, avoiding your eyes. "I know that I'm not in the position of asking favors, but if you can, please take care of mom. I want her to be happy after – after everything."
You don't say anything, just give them a curt nod.
"Goodbye. And… thank you for the good times." They give you a wry smile. "And the bad times, too."
The two of you look after Chara as they slowly go into the darkness, not to return ever again. Their form gets faint, vague, their outlines blurred, until they disappear completely, dissolving into nothing – not like dust, but in an ethereal manner, like a ghost who has finally found their peace. You feel their presence vanishing from all around you. You feel yourself breathing easier, like an invisible veil has finally been lifted from your eyes, and you can finally see the world as it is.
They are gone.
The demon is gone forever.
You're left alone with Frisk.
You're left alone with them, and you don't know what to say. They are looking at you with an encouraging smile, and you just want to cry out helplessly and kick something and undo all of this, because there's no way that this is the end for them. You can't let it end like this.
Please don't let this be the end.
"It's okay, Sans," Frisk says softly. "I'm going to be alright. And Asriel can't do anything to you anymore either. He just wants to be at peace. I will visit him now and again if I can." Their eyes are full of sadness and sympathy. "Nobody deserves to be lonely…"
You think back to the days of your own loneliness. You think back to the time you wanted nothing more than to kill, nothing more than to die. You think back and realize that you were never alone, not even then.
Frisk was there for you.
"I'll miss you, Sans. All of you."
"we'll miss you too, buddy. every one of us."
You think of your friends, waiting for you, reaching out to you. You can feel their anticipation, their worry, their love. Toriel, so happy to have her dear child back. Papyrus, so anxious to tell their new human friend about the art of puzzle-making. Undyne, so eager to give them a 'get well' noogie. Alphys, so excited to have someone else to nerd out with. You think about all of them and, even if your smile is wavering, it's still in place.
Because this won't be the end.
"gimme a hug, okay?"
Frisk clings to you as if the fate of the world depended on it. You give them a hearty squeeze back, patting their back softly.
"thanks for humoring me, kid" you say, grinning. "and here i thought i'd be forced to humer -us."
They laugh then, a sound bright and beautiful and crystal clear, the voice of a child whose love has saved you all, and as you close your eyesockets, your smile widening, you know that you're making the right choice. You hold them even closer, your arms tightening around them, your chest flush against theirs, and in the next moment, your body jerks violently, your breath hitching as something warm and living leaps out of your ribcage.
"...Sans?"
Sensing that something has changed, Frisk detaches themself away from you hesitantly. They look at you, confusion in their eyes, then down at their chest, down at the inverted heart pulsing in there calmly, peacefully, its soft white glow fading into their body already.
"SANS!"
Before they can reach it, you quickly place your palm on their chest, sealing the soul in place with your last drop of magic. Frisk screams and shoves your hand away wildly, trying to tear it out in vain, tugging at their sweater, their motions panicked and desperate.
"Sans, no! You can't do this! Please don't do this!"
You gently place your hands over theirs, keeping them still, trying to soothe them as much as you can.
"No!"
"kid."
"NO!"
Tears start streaming down their face, choking their voice into a whimper.
"You can't do this! Please take it back! Please!"
"frisk."
"PLEASE!"
"Frisk."
"Please don't… Sans, please… please..."
They're squirming in your embrace, but you're not letting them go. You can't let them go yet, even though you can already feel the emptiness calling for you. But for now, the two of you sit there in each other's arms, you cradling them, rocking them gently as they grab your hoodie and sob into your shoulder, burrowing closer into your chest. Your body is weakening, but you're still holding on by sheer force of will. You're stroking their back slowly, reassuringly, murmuring comforting words to them. It's okay, Frisk. It's okay. There is nothing to fear anymore. It's okay.
Their sobs slowly die down a little, and they lift their head to look at you.
"I… I will find a way to bring you back… I will find a way to save you..."
"Frisk." You hold their shoulders and look them in the eyes, your voice soft. "you did."
They already did so much for you. You wish they would start living their own life. Free of resets, runs, saving everyone. Free to do whatever they want to do.
"you were right back then, y'know," you say. "when you said they needed me. but they need you, too."
You gently ruffle their hair.
"they need their friend."
You cringe as a wave of pain washes over you, your body barely holding itself together. Frisk lets go of you and helps you lie down on the ground, squeezing your hand, holding you close in their arms, their mouth still quivering, their cheeks still wet with tears.
"Sans…"
"yeah?"
"Promise me that if somehow... if some way, I can bring you back... you will stay."
You chuckle at their request. Promises have never been your thing, to put it mildly. You always knew that a time might have come when you'd be forced to break them, no matter how much you didn't want to.
But this time, you know it's different.
"i promise."
Despite the pain submerging everything into a thick bluish haze, your smile is genuine. You give them a wink.
"take care of them for me, will ya?"
Frisk's voice is firmer now; and as they nod solemnly, once more you see them in Judgement Hall, their soul full of hopes and dreams.
"I will."
The blackness gives way to light, but you don't see it. You hear the others' voices as they cry out in anguish, calling your name, but you can't respond. You can only smile. Through the darkness, through the pain, through every obstacle, you still feel their love. Maybe you don't deserve it. But you don't reject it anymore.
And as your body starts dissolving into nothing, soft gray specks of dust taking flight one by one, after lifetimes and lifetimes of war, you are finally at peace. Knowing that some day, you could indeed have joined them again as a friend. Without secrets, without remorse, without fear. That some day, you could truly have belonged.
As it is, though…
...Frisk will be more than up to the task.
I'm rooting for you, kid.
They have always been determined, after all.
THE END
Thank you for reading!