Chapter Text
*Tick*
*Tick*
*Tick*
*Tick*
That ticking. It started only a few minutes after that psychopath disappeared, but where was it coming from? Sans didn’t wonder, no. Behind him was that portal, glowing brightly in the already well-lit room, albeit the same room with a gaping hole in it.
Turning around, Sans could make out, through the shifting light, a… room. An office, seemingly, much like so many things before it and hopefully after it. Something familiar, after so, so long… Could it even be real?
Stepping back outside, Sans began walking. Not for the human. It didn’t matter anymore now, did it? Because something changed. Something, in this bottomless cup overflowing with the blood of the innocent, spilt back and forth, screams blown away in the wind, endless pain changed.
It changed.
And with change comes decision.
A decision that could actually matter.
He’d never thought of himself as a selfish person, he’d been trying to do God’s work after all, but was the world really worth saving? Did it matter? Did anything matter?
Stepping into Waterfall, he could see the hope draining from the world, as if it understood its own fate. The bright, nearly eye-stinging teals of the surrounding walls glowing duller than before. Before, it was so quiet. But now all he could hear was sounds of agony, inflicted with his own hand.
This change never meant he’d stop, why would he? It just meant he had to clean house before the human got to him.
“i don’t know if i can still say ‘i’m sorry.’”
He never did forget his first time. It was here that he started a killing spree, with so much to kill and so little time, he had to. That was back when he could cry, back when every monster he’d meet was a new face with an entire history behind it, no matter who it was.
It could’ve been one of the Temmies, playing pretend in the depths of Waterfall, or Shyren, too shy to sing, but far too determined to let go of her talent. Maybe even Gerson, that old shopkeeper sharing wisdom to anyone lucky enough to stop by and have a chat with him about the prophecy.
Waterfall had always been a bastion of unity, talented, experienced individuals living together as a community. It wasn’t anything like Snowdin, but rather a breath of fresh air, with so many places to rest and listen to the sound of flowing water passing by.
Waterfall helped people to truly forget about their worries, while educating others about their worries. And it never stopped doing that, not even for Sans. Even now, he could forget his worries, even as he made his way to the Hotland.
“Yo! What’s with that scar…? Did Undyne beat you up? She’s so cool! You must’ve done something bad, huh?” A kid said as Sans walked past.
Everyone knew him.
Sans the skeleton.
The comedian.
But even then, no one understood him. Not before the resets and not after, not even asking him if he was okay, if he needed help, if he… No one helped him.
And it wasn’t their fault.
“Hey! What are you doing!?”
Stopping, for just a moment, Sans turned around to face the voice. Undyne.
Stomping forward on Iron-foot, Undyne pulled off her helmet to reveal a sweaty face with messy hair spilling out over it.
“You had a station at the entrance! What if a human comes through here!? You have a JOB to do, whateveryournameis! Ugh… why do we even pay you!?”
Glancing down at the ground, Sans shrugged.
“heh, i thought i might’ve marrowly missed ‘em. but don’t worry, if they’re skull-king around, i’ll find ‘em.”
“Oh, right! I’m sure you will! And can you stop with the skeleton puns, damn it!? I just… you know what? Get out of here. I’ll handle any humans myself, it might even be fun… Nice scar, by the way, if i didn’t know any better I would’ve thought I beat you up for doing something bad!”
“whatever you say, captain. just don’t… i’ll see ya later.”
Past Undyne’s crag was, of course, Hotland: The Heart of the Underground’s power.
This was a location Sans had seen so few times in his lives, but, still, the life here shined throughout all of the Underground. Without the scientist, Dr. Alphys, the Underground wouldn’t be able to maintain the power of the CORE, and Sans wouldn’t be able to complete this final goal.
Still, even if the surrounding magma ran a little colder after all this time, Hotland still lived. It was far less lively than Waterfall, but its heart still beat. It was Mettaton, the ghost-possessed murder robot broadcasting the news, the shows, the media. He even owned a hotel near the CORE, even if Sans never interacted with any of it, it was still beloved by so many monsters.
Science, an old passion, he almost wishes he never understood it.
If he hadn’t understood science, after all, maybe he wouldn’t be in this situation. Not just that he wouldn’t have built that machine, but there’s just something about knowing exactly how and why you’re suffering that hurts deeper than a blade ever could.
There were no questions about his condition here, and never a solution that could save everyone.
Why would there be?
If there was one, then this world wouldn’t be so broken. And, for the human, where was the fun in that?
Passing through the lab, Sans took one glance at the large monitor, showing exactly what he expected, common nature.
It was true that Sans never talked with Alphys that much, especially after remembering… everything. Like clockwork, there she was, coming right from the lab, the actual lab, with a yelp.
“O-Oh! Sans! I- have- um, concerns–”
“about a murderous human? heh, heh, heh… i’ll handle it.”
“...Y-You’ll… ‘handle’ it? Sans, you can’t be serious! You… you can’t be serious. You’re ACTUALLY joking, aren’t you? I was worried! U-Undyne will stop them, though! Don’t worry!”
“undyne, right… she’ll be fine, alphys. i’ll… see ya later.”
Once again, he was gone, off towards his destination.
Reaching the MTT RESORT, it was everything he could expect.
It was the place he’d met with the human so many times, so long ago, to tell them about the promise. The promise, one he wished he never even made, again, if he simply did less in his life, maybe stayed in bed, maybe it would all hurt so much less.
Just past that doorway, he stepped out onto the bridge to the CORE.
What could he say?
As he walked in the elevator to take one last trip, he also walked back through time.
Every mistake, every attack, every death, and every joke.
Most people would say “time flies”, but… not for Sans.
Because every single second of it felt as it were, and not a second longer.
Because every time he was able to make someone smile, the world got a little brighter.
Because, if you’ve seen the light… you can never forget it.
At the same time, nothing was worth saving anymore, he never had to do anything, but he’d hoped, he’d tried. And now, he would send it all off.
It was a plan he’d first thought up the moment his suspicions were confirmed, if he couldn’t save everyone from the human’s wrath, maybe he could save them from their own suffering, all of it.
Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the King, Asgore for one last conversation with this world that he was born in.
“Who might you be?” The King of Monsterkind asked with a jovial curiosity.
“oh, me? well… i’m just… a comedian.”
“A comedian? Ooh, what kind of jokes do you make?”
“nothing special. i’m a skeleton. i can be quite… humerus”
“Why, aren’t you clever! Perhaps we can talk more over some tea!”
“i don’t think so, asgore.”
“My apologies! Did I perhaps offend you?”
“no worries, i just can’t digest food. and, besides, nothing can get under my skin. ‘cause i’m a skeleton? anyway, i have a question to ask you. and… it would mean a lot to me, and i’m sure many others.”
“Why, of course! Ask away. As the king, it would be plain rude to deny something crucial of my people. What is your question?”
“can i… see the souls, asgore?”
Of course, Sans knew how Asgore reacted to that question. He would never show someone the souls unless they would be responsible with them in some way, but, to him, it was only necessary, surely anyone could understand that. Right?
Stepping over the empty cloak, Sans looked at the surrounding tubes.
Each contained one human soul, just enough, in fact, for the destruction of the cycle. Right?
With a wave of his hand, the tubes flew across the room, shattering against the wall with a loud crash, freeing the souls for his consumption.
Nine souls.
All in one body.
Nothing new to Sans, he’d seen everything at the end of the day. But he never did try what he was about to do.
If seven human souls could destroy the barrier, surely they could destroy a cycle, Right?
Harnessing the energy, he concentrated on everything he’d experienced over the years of cycling through events.
The pain, the misery, the hopelessness, the same events looping over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and
Sans the skeleton. The comedian…
Saved.
The human, the machine, the anomaly… was defeated.
A king lay dead, but the Underground was still breathing.
That’s all that mattered to Sans as the power of the souls dissipated, damaging his own in the process.
But with one last stroke of luck, he teleported back to that portal, that machine in his workshop, and stepped through.
Patting Nightmare’s shoulder, Killer pointed at Sans, and with a smug grin he held out his hand.
“I knew you’d come around~"
“Hey, you were right!”
“...where’s the other one?”
“Well, boss… I think the other one was the friends we made along the way.”