Notes: I know this isn't the first story to tackle the "King Papyrus" neutral ending, but I got an idea in my head and decided to write it down. Hope you guys like it.
Heavy Is The Skull That Wears The Crown
By New Old Moon
Snowdin was nearly deserted after…the incident. The woods outside the city were littered with dust that was too grey and gritty to be snow. They knew what it was, they both knew what it was, and it was horrifying. The human was one of the most devastating things to ever happen to their cozy little town.
Sans was sure this was the end. He was sure that the human was going to kill every monster in the underground. He was sure that nothing would be left, not even broken hearts. His hope was dead, but his brother Papyrus, well…he never gave up. Even when facing his own death, he never gave up hope.
As it turned out, Papyrus…was right.
Papyrus confronted the human, not with attacks and bravado, but with love and understanding. He promised the human that he would teach them to be good, teach them how to be a better friend and a better person. Sans didn't know why, even now, but the human took off their dusty gloves and hugged Papyrus, accepting his offer. Papyrus had been terrified, but his bravery paid off in the end.
Well, at least, that was how it seemed.
Papyrus survived, and even befriended the human, but the human didn't change. Sans was happy when Papyrus said he was going to date the human. It was a strange turn of events, especially given Papyrus's lack of experience in that particular field, but if the human was willing to form a connection it meant they would likely spare this world and the monsters who lived there.
Sans didn't interfere too much. He just teased Papyrus like always and then locked himself in his room to let his cool younger brother handle the niceties.
It only took about a half hour for the evening to conclude, which was unusually short for a date. Sans peered through his keyhole to see what was going on. Papyrus was happily talking about what great friends they were now, and telling the human to call him (platonically) any time they wanted. The human's expression, however, was one of pure anger and spite.
Well, that couldn't be good.
As it turned out, the human was just getting started. The rampage continued, and the casualties escalated. Sans followed close behind to see what was happening, and what he saw was a series of murders he could never unsee.
Undyne tried everything to stop the human, but it was all to no avail. Sans had never seen a monster melt before, but for some reason, she did. She tried so hard to stay alive, tried so hard to kill the human, but she failed. Kicked to death now that the human had a dangerous new pair of steel-toed shoes.
Alphys and Mettaton…well, Sans expected them to be smarter about this than they were. He still didn't know why they did it. Alphys wanted to impress the human, wanted to help them on their journey. Sans knew her well enough to know she easily formed para-social relationships whenever she saw someone on screen, but to actually try to assist that dust hungry creature…
Well, her plan kind of worked, until it didn't. The human never killed her. Her friend Mettaton however…
The last Sans saw of Alphys, she was walking to the dump. He had a feeling he wouldn't see her again. Perhaps he should have said something, should have told her how much she meant to the underground, but he also knew this place was about to become a wasteland. She was probably better off not being forced to suffer with everyone else. Or maybe he was just too lazy to save her. Maybe deep down he knew she enabled a psychopath to run free, just as he did, and he didn't feel like dancing around that grim fact just to help her. He knew he would regret this decision, but he just couldn't muster whatever it was he needed to act.
Mettaton's death was probably the most demoralizing for the underground, because it happened live on TV. Sans really hoped Papyrus wasn't tuned in watching the show tonight. He didn't want to have to explain this to his younger brother. Papyrus was so innocent, so trusting. He would never forgive himself if he knew the human killed so many because he spared their life.
Of course, the death that would change their fates, not only theirs but the entire underground, was the death of King Asgore. This was what the human wanted all along. This was their plan, or at least that was what Sans assumed. Regicide…it was too easy for a human that had such a high Level Of ViolencE, not to mention so many EXecution Points.
Sans confronted the human before they entered the throne room, called them out for what they did. He knew he should've fought them, but he also knew the hornet's nest he would be poking if he did. See, Sans understood something about the human that no one else in the underground had figured out. This…thing wasn't a mere human. It was some sort of time/space warping entity that was tearing at the very fabric of reality. If Sans killed it, then it might return and wipe out everything, and everything included…
Sans was a coward. He knew he was a coward. He just couldn't risk a timeline where everything ended, and more importantly to him, he couldn't risk the human coming back and killing Papyrus.
His little brother was all Sans had in his life to keep him going. He had friends, many friends in fact, and even one he would consider a true friend. Those people were finite measurements in his life, however. Papyrus was always there, always unwavering in his kindness, enthusiasm, and optimism. Papyrus was the coolest monster Sans had ever known, and the one person that could keep him alive when he just wanted to give up and die.
So, Sans took the coward's way out. He let the human pass. He let Asgore die. He let Undyne, Alphys, and Mettaton die. He let the underground be devastated. He let all of this happen.
He made a deal with the devil just to save the life of the one and only monster he truly cared about. Sans knew he would never be the same after this. He now understood how selfish he could be, how spineless he could be. After realizing that though, he decided he could live with it.
When the human left they had apparently taken a little parting gift with them. The six human souls Asgore had collected, the ones he fought so hard for, were gone. The monsters needed seven human souls to break the barrier and be free, but now they were back at square one. No king, no souls, no captain of the Royal Guard, and no hope. The devastation was overwhelming.
Immediately, the survivors decided they needed a new king, someone powerful enough and determined enough to set them free. There were no boss monsters remaining, so they had to choose from among the ordinary citizens who could take the place of their beloved monarch.
Sans never expected the people to choose Papyrus. Most monsters didn't even know who he was, but somehow out of everyone left, Papyrus was the strongest. It wasn't just strength that made people choose him, however. Papyrus had an unbreakable spirit and was a comforting presence to those that had lost so much. They wanted him to rule because they needed hope, and he was the one monster left that still had hope to spare.
"WHAT!? ME?!" Papyrus gasped at the news, eyes bugging out of his normally empty sockets, "WOWIE! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"
"Believe it, bro," Sans smiled, "You're gonna be a bone-fied king."
"WOWIE! I can't wait to call Undyne and tell her the news!"
"Uh, Undyne?" Sans asked nervously.
"Yeah! She won't believe I'm filling in for Asgore while he's-! Wait, where is Asgore?" Papyrus suddenly wondered.
"Uh…The king went on…vacation," Sans lied, "Actually, now I remember. Undyne went on vacation with him. Yeah, he went with, um…Undyne, Mettaton, and uh…the royal scientist Alphys."
"Oh. Well, fear not, brother! I shall do my utmost to uphold the position of ruler in their absence!" Papyrus declared proudly, "I will uplift the underground from this fog of despair they find themselves in, and when everyone returns I will leave this realm a better place than how I found it! That's what any good houseguest should do, right?"
"Uh, right bro," Sans grimaced and held two thumbs up, "I'm rootin' for ya."
Those words would mark the beginning of the rest of their lives. Sans had admittedly assumed this timeline would be reset by whatever anomaly had decided to toy with them, but so far nothing had changed.
Well, that wasn't exactly true, now was it? Everything had changed. Papyrus was now the king, and Sans was now…very busy.
Truthfully, Papyrus didn't know much about how to rule a kingdom. That wasn't surprising. You don't train someone for a job they can never have, right? Papyrus knew how to be himself, and not much else.
He cooked spaghetti for his subjects whenever they visited. His doors were open to all. He greeted the other monsters of his new kingdom with a bright smile and a listening (metaphorical) ear. He wore a long purple cape and watered the flowers of the royal garden. He did everything he knew Asgore did, but not every aspect of royalty is shown to the public.
There was a lot of paperwork, and a lot of scheduling appointments. Sans didn't want his brother to cave under the pressure of his new position, so he started doing the grunt work so that Papyrus could maintain a jubilant aura for his subjects. Sans wasn't exactly the healthiest monster, and needed a lot of sleep. He was used to being allowed to slack off at whatever job he had, but he couldn't afford to do that anymore now that there were so many responsibilities to tend to.
Even though the work was exhausting, and Sans didn't exactly love his new life, he didn't complain. Deep down, he felt like he deserved this. He deserved a life of drudgery after leaving his brother alone with the human, and leaving so many friends to die. It was only by a stroke of fate that Papyrus was spared, and that good fortune wasn't extended to many others.
One death that haunted Sans was one that, strangely enough, no one else noticed. There was a mysterious woman who lived in The Ruins. She and Sans were great friends, telling each other jokes and trying to help each other feel less lonely. She was probably his second favorite person, someone he could just cut loose with and not worry about life for a while.
She was probably the human's first victim, and Sans didn't realize it until much later. She was the one that made Sans promise to protect the human in the first place, so Sans had to assume she personally knew the…
How could someone kill a monster who loved them so much? She worried so much over that human. She did everything she could to protect them, and yet the human was still willing to strike her down in cold dust.
Yeah…Sans deserved to work himself to the bone. It was all he deserved now.
Months passed as Papyrus adjusted to his new life as king. He loved being surrounded by monsters that wanted to talk to him, wanted to be his friend. He was always there to comfort and cheer his subjects, all day every day. When he was alone however…
The garden was dying. Papyrus tried everything to keep the flowers alive, but for some reason the garden was wilting away. He wanted to ask Asgore how he tended to his garden so lovingly before, but he knew he couldn't. He tried calling several times, but the king never answered.
At first Papyrus assumed it was because the king didn't recognize his phone number. So, he tried calling Undyne. After all, she was his friend. Surely she would answer the phone and help him…
She never did.
Eventually Papyrus stopped calling Undyne. He also stopped calling Asgore. He even stopped calling Alphys, even though he really needed her help.
Now that there were no human souls, there was no way out of the underground. As king, Papyrus had a duty to save his people from the nightmare that was eternal banishment. With so many people dying, there weren't enough monsters to keep the infrastructure of the underground afloat. There were power outages, food shortages, inflation, and more jobs than monsters to fill them.
Poor Sans…he worked so hard. Papyrus didn't get much time to spend with his brother these days. Whenever he did get the chance to visit Sans however, he made sure to uphold a facade of pure positivity. His brother needed that right now. He was so naive and innocent.
Sans said that everyone mysteriously disappeared. Oh, Sans. How could he not see? Papyrus remembered that day like it was yesterday. The ground was covered in dust. The human's hands were covered in dust. The world almost ended. Papyrus had to save everyone by teaching the human how to be good. He was glad he was able to turn the human from a killer to a friend, but he wasn't stupid enough to believe that doing so would bring the dead back to life.
Speaking of humans, he really needed to talk to Dr. Alphys.
She was the one who was tasked with finding a non-human-soul solution to their barrier problem, but she wasn't answering her phone. Vacations weren't meant to last forever!
Then there was the mail. Sans might've dealt with the paperwork, but Papyrus always insisted on getting the mail. He said it was to help his brother sift through the junk mail, but in truth he was looking for letters and postcards.
He got plenty of letters. He got many postcards. Just not the ones he was looking for. He wanted to hear from Undyne. He wanted to hear from the former king. He wanted to go home. He wanted his friends back…
His friends…
His best friend…
Flowey…
Papyrus knelt down in the garden, looking at all the dead flowers, and cried. There was a secret he never told anyone, not even Sans.
The day Papyrus became king he was so excited. He toured the castle, bouncing around with elation and looking at everything. He picked out cool royal clothing, admired the intricate designs on the dishes in the kitchen, and spun around in the topiary garden. Being king was going to be great!
The last room Papyrus stopped to observe was the barrier, the room that the king would someday shatter to free monsterkind. Papyrus wasn't very excited about this room. There was nothing there of note.
Well, at least, he didn't think there was.
The first things he noticed were the empty jars. This was likely where the six souls were, the ones his human friend had taken. Papyrus was sure they had a good reason to take them, though he wished they could've talked about it first. Those souls were the only way the monsters had to be free.
Papyrus soon forgot all about that however when he saw, in the distance, a wilted flower. It was dead, and in fact looked like it had been sliced apart. A single flower, away from the garden, torn to pieces.
Papyrus would recognize that flower anywhere. It was Flowey, his best friend. Papyrus scooped up the little body of his dead companion, shuddered back a sob, and walked it back to Asgore's garden in the throne room. There, he gently set Flowey down among the other flowers. At least his little friend wouldn't be alone anymore. He could rest eternally with his own kind.
Flowey always gave such great advice to Papyrus. In fact, it was Flowey who said that whenever Papyrus found a human, he should capture them for the Royal Guard. Papyrus would've done so too, if it weren't for…well…
Papyrus didn't regret his decision to spare the human. The human was his friend now too. The human stopped being evil for him, stopped the killing. They were just scared and alone, desperate to go home. Papyrus couldn't be angry at someone for acting out of fear.
Still, as he remembered Flowey, he couldn't help but wonder why. Why would the human kill his best friend? Why would the human take Flowey away from him? Was the human jealous? If only Papyrus had reassured them more, told the human how special they were and that they didn't need to kill Papyrus's other friends to get his attention.
Papyrus sobbed, believing it was all his fault. His favorite flower in the world was dead, and now every other flower in Asgore's garden was dying too. How could he take on Asgore's responsibilities to save the monsters, when he couldn't even keep plants alive the way Asgore could?
Papyrus was just now starting to realize how in over his head he was. He really hoped his friends got back from vacation soon.
Years passed, and the underground returned to a sort of normalcy. Papyrus and Sans found a sort of rhythm to their work these days, though they still had trouble making time for each other.
The longer Papyrus remained king, the more he heard the horror stories of other monsters as they discussed their troubles with him. Early in his reign he mostly heard about the devastation the human had caused them. Mothers, fathers, children, the elderly…the human spared no one.
That wasn't the only terrible thing Papyrus learned about, however.
Apparently Dr. Alphys had been keeping a dark secret in her lab beneath the fake lab she had set up in her home. She was working on an experiment to resurrect fallen down monsters with a determination serum. Well, it both worked and didn't work. The serum caused the newly awakened monsters to fuse together into horrifying amalgams of what they once were.
When the amalgamates were discovered the families were devastated. Their loved ones were little more than living shambling corpses. They would've called for Alphys's arrest, if anyone could find her.
Papyrus needed to make a decree, make a decision regarding what to do with the amalgams. He decided the best thing to do was to allow them to integrate back into their families using a joint custody system, that way everyone could spend time with their loved ones.
This had…mixed results. The amalgams weren't hostile to other monsters, but they were drawn to the strangest of places. Near waterfalls, in open areas of Hotland, in the dump…no one really knew why they kept running away to hang out in these odd locations.
Sans hired a new scientist named Stancrow, a lanky monster that looked like he was made of straw. He was young, probably too young to be the royal scientist, but there weren't exactly a lot of monsters to choose from.
It took months of research to figure out where the amalgams were going and why. Stancrow, through careful study and sample gathering, figured out that these areas had high amounts of Determination, the chemical that kept the amalgams alive. The DT concentration was likely due to being locations the last human had visited, though more study was needed.
There were also smaller matters to attend to. Sans sold their house in Snowdin and brought their stuff back to the palace. Papyrus wasn't even informed until everything was done. At first he was upset, because where would they move back to if their house was gone? Sans assured them they could buy a better house with the money Asgore would give them for helping him. That explanation hurt Papyrus, but he didn't press Sans on it further.
There was something about Sans's words that felt wrong. His brother was such a kind soul, always assuming that things would just work themselves out without effort. King Asgore wouldn't pay them for their time. Too much time had passed, the kingdom's budget was down the drain, not to mention how long the vacation had lasted. At that point it's not really a vacation, it's just…
It was then that Papyrus realized. King Asgore wasn't coming back. Undyne wasn't coming back. They were just like Flowey. Everything was wilting away all around him, and he couldn't go back, couldn't go home again. This was his life. He was the king. It wasn't temporary. He was actually the king.
Papyrus found a place to be alone, and sighed. Everything was starting to hit him all at once. His friends were dead. His home was devastated. The human left them in a living grave, and it was his job to dig them out.
One day, around 50 years after becoming king, Papyrus sat on this throne and read his mail. This routine was one of the highlights of his day. He got so many lovely notes from his subjects. He knew almost all of them by now.
On this day he got a card from Vulkin and Tsunderplane. He and Sans attended their wedding two years prior, which if Papyrus recalled was anime themed. They were such fun monsters, and it was a night everyone enjoyed.
In the note, Vulkin stated that they were expecting their first child, a boy, and that they were going to name him Papyro. Papyrus wiped back a happy tear, touched that they thought so highly of him.
It would be a few more minutes before any subjects showed up to see him, so Papyrus decided to use his precious free time to sweep up around the throne room. He knew Sans was busy with the budget reports, and anyway Papyrus felt better about how clean everything was if he did it himself.
The flower garden no longer decorated the throne room. Years ago Papyrus dug them up and gave them all a proper burial. It was a custom Gerson told him humans do when they die. He put a carved rock over the site like Gerson instructed, and the inscription read Flowey & Friends.
The floor tiles in the throne room were now a combination of gold and marble, with the white marble parts forming the shape of a skull. It was just a small touch to make the place feel more like home.
Papyrus wasn't quite finished sweeping yet when the first person entered the throne room. It was a Royal Guardsman, a dog with an upturned nose and stiff movements. This was the new head of the Snowdin division, a position that Papyrus had once coveted. Truth be told, if he could switch places even now, he might still do it. Being king felt normal at this point, but it was still really hard.
"Your majesty, I have news from the sentries in Snowdin forest," The dog guard informed him, "Sire, a human has been spotted running through the tree lines. I humbly request you send reinforcements before it gets away."
"Are the puzzles set up?" Papyrus quickly asked.
"Yes, sire," The guard replied, "They should tire out the human rather effectively. Now I must ask, do you want us to deal with it, or should we capture the human and bring them to you?"
"Oh, definitely bring them to me!" Papyrus replied excitedly, "Oh, I can't wait to see them!"
"Of course. That is most wise, sire," The guard bowed before backing away, "If anyone is powerful enough to take the human's soul, it's you."
With that the guard left, and Papyrus ordered more guards from Hotland to go to Waterfall and Snowdin. If more monsters converged on the human, then their target would be easier to capture.
Papyrus thought about what he should wear to meet this potential new friend. He wanted to really impress them. He also thought about what he should cook. Recently he'd learned how to make spaghetti into chili. That would surely make the human happy.
He wanted the human to like him, because trying to convince one to give up their soul wouldn't be easy. He didn't know why they were so fussy about it. After all, a human's soul could live outside of their body, so surely the body lived without the soul too, right?
Jogging down the corridor, he found Sans drinking a cup of coffee in his office. The office was a mess, as usual, with an organizational style that made sense to Sans and Sans alone. Papyrus really wanted Sans to be a little tidier, but these days he didn't really want to push his older brother. After all, he really relied on Sans, and knew his brother worked very hard.
"Sans! Guess what?!"
"*yawn* What is it, bro?" Sans asked groggily.
"A human has finally fallen from the surface!" Papyrus announced giddily, "This is it! We can finally get our first of seven souls!"
"Yeah? Have the guards taken care of it yet?" Sans inquired, "Or are they being a royal pain? Heh heh."
"Oh, puh-lease! I can't trust such delicate negotiations to soldiers!" Papyrus exclaimed, "I am going to parlay with this human myself! Surely they will be so impressed by my grandeur that they will accept any offer I make for their soul!"
Sans's eye sockets went black when he heard those words. Oh, this was bad. This was really bad.
"Papyrus, the human…they won't just give you their soul," Sans explained as gently as he could, "You should probably have someone observe them. If the human is a good person, you should let them go back to the surface unharmed, but if they're bad…"
"Everyone has the potential to be good, brother!" Papyrus insisted, "Remember the last human? I saved them from being evil!"
"You're not listening to me!" Sans snapped, surprising Papyrus, "The only way to get a human soul is to kill the human it belongs to. If the human is already a bad person, then you don't have to feel guilty about having them killed. If they're pure of heart though, then I don't think we should just murder them just to take their soul. This is a really big decision, and you need to weigh it carefully."
"But…human souls can persist outside of their bodies," Papyrus rationalized.
"Yeah, but those bodies can't live without the souls," Sans countered, "Papyrus, if you don't wanna do this, I'll support you. We don't have to go to the surface. We can stay down here and make things better. If you just wanna order the guards to go after the human, then I'll support that too. Whatever you need, I'm here for you, bro. Always will be."
"No!" Papyrus refused, "I promised that I would meet with the human, and I will! I am a king of my word! I promised to not judge any human before I got to know them, and I promised to get everyone back to the surface! I'll find a way to keep my promises! All of them! After all, I am The Great Papyrus!"
Papyrus left before Sans could reply, and Sans sank his head down into the piles of paperwork he had yet to complete. This was terrible. Papyrus couldn't keep all of those promises. They contradicted each other. Mercy for the human meant suffering for the monsters, but liberation for the monsters meant a death sentence for any human they came across.
Then there was the matter of the surface world. What if they did make it out? What if Papyrus absorbed seven human souls, broke the barrier, and led his people to the above world? The humans wouldn't just accept them. It would be another war. Not to mention Papyrus wouldn't be the same skeleton he was right now. With seven souls vying for control over his very being, he would become as much an amalgam as Alphys's old experiments.
Sans, in truth, was probably the one monster left in the underground that wanted to stay there. He wanted things to improve so monsters wouldn't want to leave. He wanted his brother to be safe. He wanted their people to be safe. He just wanted to accept the few good things life had given him.
When the guards arrived with the human, Papyrus and Sans sat in the throne room and waited for their guest. For some reason the previous ruler, Asgore, kept a second throne behind a white sheet. Papyrus had stumbled upon it shortly after moving in and designated it Sans's chair.
Papyrus dressed in a splendid white sequin outfit with a shimmering purple cape that dragged the floor when he walked. He completed the ensemble with purple sequin gloves and boots. He wanted to make sure to make a powerful first impression. Sans wore a grey jacket, black pants, and black shoes. Nothing impressive, but at least he didn't show up in his slippers again.
The guards, two burly knights from New Home, dragged the human to meet the king. Papyrus could see the human wasn't resisting, and in fact didn't seem capable of doing so. They had shoulder length black hair, black clothes, and bruises on their pale face. The human's HP bar was at 1, indicating a fight before capture. Papyrus understood. That's how he would've done it himself.
"Your majesty," One of the guards intoned, his voice reverberating due to his helmet, "We have brought forth the human. They completed 3 of the 5 puzzles in Snowdin, but then engaged us in combat to avoid completing the rest of the puzzles. How should we proceed, sire?"
Papyrus didn't answer for a few seconds. He was looking at the logo on the human's shirt. It was a faded image of a skull. It looked just like his black flag from back home, which now hung in his room in the palace. So, this human liked skeletons. That meant they had to be a good person, right?
"Your majesty?" The guard prompted.
"Eh? Oh, yes, right, the human!" Papyrus straightened in his chair, "Sans, what can you tell me about the human's character?"
Sans then stared intensely at the prisoner, who looked uncomfortable with the scrutiny. Lines of numbers shone in Sans's vision, the very fabric of the human's being revealing itself to him like an algorithm.
"Their LV is 10," Sans informed Papyrus, "They have killed quite a few monsters. If you want my advice, this human shouldn't be spared."
This caused the human to shiver with fear, eyes darting from Sans to Papyrus and back again. They looked like a cornered animal, and Papyrus couldn't help but feel pity. They reminded him so much of his human friend, the one who stopped being evil for him, the one who…
Papyrus looked down at the floor. There was a marble image of his face there now, but once upon a time there was a beautiful garden. There was a king with dreams for his people. There was a flower that gave him encouragement and advice. There was a brave woman who gave him a chance to be somebody, a robot whose show he would never miss, a scientist that tried to save lives…
Papyrus wanted to cry, but instead he clenched his fists. 50 years. That was how long ago it had been since he lost almost everything good in his life. The human never called him again, never returned. The human…
The human killed Flowey, and deep in his soul Papyrus knew…the human killed everybody. They were not Papyrus's friend. That human was evil, they never changed. They killed Undyne, Asgore, Mettaton, Alphys, and so many more. Why? Why did Papyrus let them go?
"Sans…" Papyrus worked to steady his voice, "Bring me the trident."
"Asgore's trident? Why?" Sans asked, confused.
"My guards have done everything I asked them to do," Papyrus said evenly, "I will ask no more of them. Human! Do you have anything to say before we begin?"
"B-Begin what?" The human asked, their voice indicating they were rather young.
"First, you will be served a meal to regain your health," Papyrus explained, "And then we will fight to the death. I will take your soul, and with your contribution, my people will someday be free!"
"I…I'm not scared of you!" The human shakily shouted.
"Good. I don't want to scare you," Papyrus nodded in resignation, "But I do have to kill you. I hope you understand, human. This isn't personal."
Sans returned with the trident, a long red weapon designed to channel orange and blue energy as well hide the…fluids. He was surprised to see Papyrus standing tall while the human cowered in fear.
"Hey bro, since when do you have this much backbone?" Sans teased playfully.
"It's my job," Papyrus replied, sounding calmer than he felt, "I am the king, and my people need me to free them. So, I will. Entertain the human while I'm gone."
The human gulped, and Sans, not really knowing what else to do, pulled out a pack of playing cards.
"You know how to play Gin Rummy?" Sans asked goodnaturedly.
The human just stared at him nervously. Sans, realizing he wasn't going to get much out of this kid, decided to play Solitaire instead.
About 20 minutes later Papyrus returned to the throne room with a rolling tray full of plates of spaghetti chili. It was enough for himself, Sans, the human, and the two Royal Guards.
The human didn't eat like the others at the table, instead pushing the food on their plate and looking worse for wear. Papyrus saw that the child wasn't done yet, so he got himself another plate. He wasn't hungry anymore, but he knew the human needed to eat to regain HP. He wouldn't fight his opponent unless it was fair, so he had to get the human to eat something.
"So, human…what's it like to have hair?" Papyrus asked awkwardly, trying to start conversation.
"Uh…" The human seemed lost for words, "Uh…it's good, I guess."
"I've always wanted hair," Papyrus mused, "And skin! You know, humans are descended from skeletons. It's true! That's why there are so many items in your world that have skeletons on them, including your shirt!"
"Please don't kill me!" The human suddenly blurted out, startling the other monsters, "I'm sorry! Please, your majesty, let me go! I'll never hurt another monster ever again! I promise! Please!"
Papyrus's hands shook as he stared at the miserable young human. He knew this one could definitely still be a good person. If he killed them, then they would never get another chance. This was all they would ever be, forever.
This human liked skeletons. This human wanted to be a better person. They could change. He knew they could change. More than anything he wanted to offer them a hug, a smile, and access to the barrier.
He wanted to save the human…but he couldn't. The human couldn't get past the barrier alone. The minimum power required was one human soul and one boss monster soul. Boss monsters were extinct. That was why Papyrus was now king. The human was trapped down here no matter what Papyrus did, and he couldn't justify letting them live down here when their soul could save so many more lives. Papyrus hated it, but he knew.
He had to kill them.
Sans paced in the throne room for what felt like hours. He wanted to go with Papyrus, wanted to help him fight. He was sure his brother would be killed. He was sure this human would go on to kill everyone.
After an eternity of waiting, Sans heard footsteps coming from the hallway leading to the barrier. He held his breath as he waited to see what happened.
Please be Papyrus…Please be Papyrus…
Sure enough, it was Papyrus, but the sight somehow didn't make Sans feel any better. His little brother's shoulders drooped, his eye sockets looked glazed over, and his fancy sparkling outfit was now dyed a metallic-smelling ketchup red. Even his crown hung to one side, as if threatening to come toppling down.
"You alright, bro?" Sans asked carefully.
"My special attack was worthless," Papyrus replied, his voice tired as he sank into the throne, "His soul was already blue. I left the jar in the hallway. I don't…I don't really want to look at it right now."
"I'm sorry," Sans said heavily.
"His name was Glenn," Papyrus said hollowly, "I asked him before the battle. I shouldn't have. Undyne used to say it was honorable for two warriors to introduce themselves before combat. Problem is, we weren't warriors. He was a kid, and I am a fraud. I can't live up to Asgore's greatness. He did whatever it took to save our people. I…I don't know if I can do this six more times!"
Papyrus then broke down in screaming sobs, and Sans rushed over to lay a comforting hand on his back. Sans then pulled his hand back for a moment to examine the wet spot before gingerly placing back on a dry spot on Papyrus's cape. Why did humans have to be so…sticky?
"Look, Papyrus, you are not a fraud," Sans assured him, "You think King Fluffybuns enjoyed what he had to do? No, he didn't. He fought all those humans because he promised the monsters of the underground a better future. He promised, and he kept his promise as best he could. You're doing the same thing. You made a promise to your people, and you're keeping it. If Asgore was still alive, he would've done the same thing you did. Well, minus the spaghetti."
"You…you know?" Papyrus asked, wounded, "You know he's…?"
Sans rubbed his head awkwardly, realizing he just said something she probably shouldn't have.
"Oh Sans, I'm so sorry," Papyrus sighed miserably.
"Sorry? For what?" Sans asked in confusion.
"I…I didn't want to tell you when I figured it out," Papyrus explained, "You're such a good brother. Always so carefree and happy. I didn't want to shatter your world view by telling you the truth. Sans, I think you can handle it now. The truth is, a lot of monsters died that day. The human did some terrible things, but I didn't want you to worry."
Sans suppressed an ironic chuckle, and smiled up at his brother.
"Thanks, bro," Sans said sincerely, "And don't worry. You're a great king. Every bit as good as Asgore was."
Papyrus then hugged Sans, who didn't want to hug him back due to the fresh blood still dripping from his clothes. Awkwardness shoved aside, Sans hugged his brother anyway. As long as they had each other, they would weather any storm that came their way.
Sans wished they could always be this way, united in their determination to save the underground. He knew that time didn't work that way for them though. Someday another human would show up, and then another, and then another. Each new human's death would chip a little bit away at the monster Papyrus once was. Each new murder would increase Papyrus's LOVE and EXP. The seven souls would transform him into something…horrible.
Someday Sans would lose his brother. It wouldn't be today. It wouldn't be tomorrow. Someday however…Papyrus would have to make good on his promise. He would have to fulfill his role as king.
The End