Gentle snow floated down from the greyed evening sky. They landed on a monument made of dark granite, erected in memory of the fallen.
A short cloaked man approached the monument. He brought a pair of lilies, cut so fresh that they had yet to freeze. Once frozen, the flower would start to lose life’s luster.
Not roses.
Not tulips.
Not even the death-defying Ebott Goldenflowers.
Just lilies: the symbol of deceased souls returning to peaceful purity.
The visitor placed one lily at the foot of the memorial. He looked up to read carved text.
‘DEDICATED TO THE VICTIMS OF THE EBOTT CALAMITY.’
The rest was too encrusted by snow-caked ice to be legible.
There was another memorial that he wanted to visit. In another location, not too far away, stood the gravestone of a single individual.
The person who rested here was granted the title of ‘Saint’ posthumously for his selfless and tragic inspiration. Word on the grapevine was that a nearby village had started a tradition to visit this site in the middle of spring, when the flowers are at the height of their bloom. They’d clean the grave and have a little picnic in his honour.
Recently they had even funded a statue of the Saint in his prime. Should everything go according to schedule, it will be installed on their next visit.
This particular visitor, however, chose never to appear during those times. Too many people. He would rather visit this place on the Saint’s death anniversary. The cold never bothered him anyway.
He placed the still-fresh lily down at the foot of the grave. Another year, another successful delivery.
His hands freed of the flower, he tried to wipe the snow off the stone. Unlike the previous memorial, the carvings were not as encrusted in ice.
It read:
‘PAPYRUS, THE GREAT.’
‘SAINT OF EBOTT.’
‘BELOVED BROTHER.’
‘BRAVE UNWAVERING KINDNESS.’
‘4 JANUARY 1995 - 10 FEBRUARY 2016’
Tired of the trip, the visitor leaned against the stone to take a nap.
But…
The heavens whispered in a small voice. It was almost inaudible, yet so clear at the same time.
“Sans Serif, wake up.”
And so, Sans Serif woke up in his hospital bed.
“Oh my god! You’re finally awake!”
That was a voice he hadn’t heard in a long, long while. Tilting his head to the left, his gaze focused on a yellow lizard wearing glasses and a lab coat.
What was her name again?
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I… dunno. Alive, I guess.”
After helping him sit upright, she poured him a cup of water. “You should drink first.”
Water was always welcomed. Somehow, skeletons can feel parched, even though they’re all bones.
When he tried to reach for the cup, however, an item fell out of his grip.
“Huh…” he muttered to himself. “What was that? Eh, water first.”
He accepted the drink. Chugged it straight down as if it was a legendary elixir. Once finished, he let out a big sigh of relief. “Man… I’m way more thirsty than I expected.”
Meanwhile, the lizard lady had picked up the dropped item. Inspecting it, she said: “Isn’t this… a cross? T-that’s weird. I don’t think anyone is making these in Ebott Town yet. You had some human visitors earlier. M-maybe it’s from one of them?”
“That’s a nice gift. Hey, did you know that crosses were originally meant for executions?”
“Yes,” She furrowed her brows, “Y-your point being? Crosses have long changed into a symbol of hope in human society. Why bring up such edgy trivia?”
“Thought you might wanna know that it’s like hanging a noose on your neck as a decoration.”
“I’ve seen those too. They were being sold on last year’s Halloween.”
“Interesting tastes. Anyway…”
Sans tried to reach for the necklace with his unoccupied hand, but nothing happened. Glancing to his right, he found out that he’s missing a limb.
“…It’s gone, huh? Welp. Hey lady, could you put that necklace on me?”
“Sure, I suppose.”
She was the clumsy type. He could tell from the way she struggled to unlatch the pendant’s clasp hook with her claws. Much to his surprise, she still managed to link the necklace around his neck. Somehow.
“Thanks for the help,” he said.
He looked around the ward. Get-well flowers sat on every available flat surface. Tables. Chairs. The floor. They stretched from one wall to the other. There were so many of them, a strong floral scent hung in the air.
“So, did all these flowers come from humans too? I know I’m famous, but this is kinda excessive.”
The lizard stared back with a confused squint. “Uh, no. The whole town visited you.”
“Not humans… but monsters?”
“Of course they’re monsters. Sans, are you okay? Is your brain fried? W-well, I wouldn’t be surprised if you sustained a scar somewhere. You were in a terrible, TERRIBLE shape! You needed fringe-science SOUL surgery to save your life, and even then nobody knew when you’d wake up.”
She picked up one of the get-well cards leaning against the base of a vase. “Like, for example, look here. This came from Kid. He made that just for you.”
Sans accepted the card. It’s a child’s handiwork alright. Hastily made, yet still honest and charming.
“…Everyone’s alive…” A tear trickled down his cheekbone. When he realised what had just happened, Sans chuckled to himself. “I guess that emotion is intense enough to move my defective heart. Is this what it means to feel joy?”
That look on the lizard’s face… it tells of suspicious concern. Narrowing her eyes and pushing up her glasses, she asked: “Do you recognize me?”
He replied. “Yup. You’re the Royal Scientist, right? Used to date… a fish monster. Captain of the Royal Guard. Really, really into anime and other geek culture stuff.”
“…Used to? As far as I know, we’re STILL dating!”
She kept switching looks between the notes on her clipboard and her patient. “That’s weird. According to what Gaster-sensei taught me, the aspect of Perseverance governs memories. You shouldn’t suffer from amnesia like Papyrus did.”
Sans rubbed the cross between his fingers, looking at it with a sense of melancholy. “For better or for worse, memories fade over time. Nah, that’s not right. I allowed that memory to fade. Put it to rest, y’know.”
“Sans! I’m SUPER worried about you! Why are you talking like you’ve not seen me for ages?”
“Because I haven’t.”
An uncomfortable silence hung overhead.
“I… you… Ah! I see! It’s not amnesia. Your sense of identity remains broken. Oh my god, don’t tell me the surgery failed?”
The lizard started jotting down notes, trying her best to stay calm. “Okay. Let’s take it step by step. Ask me anything.”
“What’s this fringe-science you mentioned? And why was that surgery performed on me?”
“Um. A long story short, you’ve suffered a huge Overburn on your Seer’s Eye. You went positively crazy. To prevent you from degrading further, a piece of Papyrus was installed inside of you. At the same time, a piece of you was given to Papyrus. Does… that make any sense?”
The mention of ‘Overburn’ unlocked a slew of familiar knowledge, enabling him to make sense of her words.
Sans replied, “Yeah. It does. Overburn… Seer’s Eye… the little miss’ theories went pretty far, hm?”
“Little Miss?” Furrowing her brow, she said, “If she’s who I think she is, that ‘Little Miss’ is definitely no longer little. She’s been married for 25 years!”
And now, it was Sans’ turn to be shocked by what he had heard. “W-what? Wait. H-hold on. Did you say 25 years?!”
“Yes! She’s no longer an ojou-chan, but a full-on nadeshiko-sama! A proper lady, if you understand what I mean.”
“What year is this? Give me the full date.”
“It’s the 2nd of April, 2070.”
“Uh… That’s… How old am I? Did I sleep for decades or something?”
Alphys raised an eyebrow. “Of course not. You’re 32… no, 33 years old. You’ve been asleep for days at most.”
“Which means I would be born in 2037…”
“1st of April 2037 to be exact. 1 day and 33 years ago.”
Sans burst into a bunch of ‘hehs’. It unnerved the science lizard, as expected.
“What’s so funny?” she asked back.
“Ah, it’s just, well, how do you put it into words? I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve any of this. No matter how you cut it, I’m just a glorified murderer. I should be sealed in a giant tomb, waiting for my ultimate sentence in Hell.”
“And yet…” He felt a choke in his throat. “I’m here, in this better timeline, with everyone alive. Including Papyrus. Especially Papyrus.”
She started patting him on the shoulder, most likely out of sympathy. “…Papyrus noted that your mind had gone to a faraway place. I guess… an alternate timeline?”
“That’s the most logical answer.”
“If that’s the case, I should check how much you recall about this reality. We’ll start with the most recent event: The Feast of Fantasy.”
When Alphys said those words, Sans felt his Seer’s Eye light up. Memories of the incident flooded through his mind.
The Seer sniper.
The Philosopher’s Stone.
The reflections of his altered red-cyan eyes.
The scientific scribbles on the wall.
The final showdown in the school’s canteen.
The finale of Grillby ‘eating’ the Eye’s flames.
The eldritch angel who picked him up from the playground and spoke to him.
Beads of cold sweat started to form on the surface of his skull.
“…A-are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Continue.”
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“Um. What about… Frisk’s Crimson Hall? The Megalovania Moon?”
His Eye burned harder. More memories crammed into his skull.
The whole incident flashed by like a flipping deck of cards. It was less visually clear compared to the Feast of Fantasy, but the emotions felt more… raw.
He remembered his paranoia and his isolation. They pushed him to desperation, while his hubris led to sin.
In the end, he flew too close to the sun. The feathers of his heretical wings melted against the divinity of Heaven. They fell apart as he dropped into the ocean.
Yet, he didn’t drown. Harsh mercy was mercy nonetheless. Although scarred and maimed, he lived to see another day.
“I… built The Seraph System. Persona… he called it ‘Machine of the Gods’. I also completed a stable wormhole generator. What the hell? I can’t believe I’m capable of accomplishing any of that.”
She let out an uncomfortable chuckle. “I-I feel the same way about a lot of things I’ve invented. You get this BIG rush of inspiration and then just, grind your way towards the goal… Y-you know?”
“A-anyways,” The lizard stammered again. “D-do you remember anything about last year? Like, um, what the Magi call ‘The Undertale Incident’?”
Upon the mention of that name, the fire of his Eye kicked into full gear. His true past broke through a mental dam, restoring the gaps caused by his Overburn.
Not so long ago, he met Frisk in Snowdin.
Not so long ago, he made a pinkie promise.
Not so long ago, his own actions turned his life upside down.
Looking at the lizard again, he recognized her now. She’s Alphys, Undyne’s lover, the current official Royal Scientist of Ebott Town.
“Hi Alphys,” he grinned weakly. “Crazy week, ain’t it? Who would have thought that we’d get caught up in such a whirlwind before our first anniversary on The Surface?”
She let out a hopeful gasp. “S-Sans…! You’ve recovered! Thank the stars, I thought you were going to be stuck in your edgy AU mode forever!”
“Um. Sorry to burst your bubble but, you’re half right on that. To me, this ‘Undertale’ feels like it happened both months and decades ago. It’s weird. Fills me with feelings that I didn’t know possible.”
“…That’s odd…” Alphys scratched her head with the back of her pen.
“What’s odd? My memories?”
“No, your feelings. I-I’m noticing that you’re describing more of them! NEW ones! Didn’t your medical records state you’re handpicked by Gaster-sensei for being more ‘numb’ than a usual monster?”
“Yup,” Sans replied. “If I’m to guess, it’s because of that piece of Papyrus inside of me. Makes me a little more sensitive to sentimentality than my old self. Either that, or that it came from the angst and loneliness of being a sole survivor. Hmm, maybe both?”
More furious writing from Alphys. She’s on a roll with recording her findings. While she did that, she noted: “By the way, you’ve never killed anyone in this world. You’re squeaky clean.”
“Really?” He remained doubtful. “That’s good, I suppose. I don’t know how long I can maintain that pristine state though. There are some terrible folks out there. Humans and Monsters.”
He had already seen the worst of both. At the moment though, he would rather not think too hard about it.
Looking back at Alphys, he asked: “Hey, can you at least answer one more question? Papyrus… Uh… how is he?”
“He came out fantastic! So fantastic that he was back in top physical condition by noon. It was a complete recovery.”
Hearing the good news, Sans couldn’t help but smile. “Yup. That sounds like Papyrus alright. It’s normal for him to jump right out of bed.”
Just when he thought he’d have a moment of respite, a sharp star-shaped pressure threatened to tear him apart from the inside of his ribs. Sans grunted as he clenched his chest.
Whispers. Murmurs. Countless voices ebbed between his ear canals. They belonged to men, women, and children.
“Sans?” Alphys asked, “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t comment anything about the creepy chatter. It meant that he alone had heard them.
Sans tried to cover his ears to get a better audio, but he had only one arm and there were gaps between his fingerbones. “Alphys, could you lend me a hand? I can’t do this by myself.”
“Huh? O-okay…”
When she did so, he focused on the words.
“We, The Fallen, curse our very existence.”
“We curse, we condemn, we spite.”
“And therefore, we dare to dream.”
Images all too familiar to his other-dimensional self flashed by.
A crimson sun. A bloodstained moon. And an ink black sky born from their cursed eclipse.
The Celestial Calamity.
Every bone in his being shivered.
Calm down, Sans. Calm down.
Different worlds, different rules, right?
The myriad of flowers then caught his attention.
If this universe functions under different laws, then certain types of magic shouldn’t be able to function.
Let’s experiment.
“Okay Alphys, you can let go of me now.”
After she did so, Sans reached out for the nearest bouquet and pulled it towards him with telekinesis.
While holding it in his grasp, he conjured a bone written in glyphs. It had a single function. Sans prayed that his experiment would fail.
But…
…The moment that bone pierced the plants, they glowed white. Not long after that, the glow was absorbed straight into his bones. It gave him a slight boost in energy that faded within seconds. The flowers crumbled into dry, dusty flakes of plant matter soon after. The experiment was a success, and that confirmed the worst of his fears.
Whatever happened there could happen here too.
Alphys gasped. “That’s the same magic Judge Thyme used to fight the Kaiju! How?!?”
“Eh. It’s similar, but different. Mine’s Code-based, not an innate talent. It’s like comparing lemons with oranges. Not interchangeable.”
He tossed the blanket aside and tried to get out of bed. “Either way, this is bad news. I need to grab the Seraph System right away.”
Not walking for days had its consequences. If the lizard girl wasn’t there to catch him, he would already be rolling across the floor.
Alphys slung his arm over her shoulder. “Let me help. You can explain along the way.”
Skeletons are light creatures. So much so that even a physically unfit lizard could balance the weight.
As they walked to the workshop, Alphys asked: “Sans. I watch anime. And lots of anime-level nonsense has happened lately. I won’t call you crazy no matter how impossible the situation sounds. So, you better damn well tell me what’s going on and why you’re behaving so weird.”
It’s either luck or divine intervention that Alphys was the one by his bedside. Imagine if it was Gaster.
“I’ll keep it brief,” said Sans. “In a different course of history, we could have emerged from the Underground in 2015.”
“W-wha?” She exclaimed, “That’s way before I was born!”
“No, you existed. Without you, Prince Asriel wouldn’t have returned to life to break the Barrier. Anyways, the year or generation isn’t important. It’s the events.”
Sans continued, “On the 25th of December of that year, a catastrophe destroyed the whole Dreemurr Nation. A few months later, on the 10th of February, that same catastrophe bloomed into a full world-wide apocalypse. I ended up being the sole surviving monster. The Magus Association didn’t exist, so humanity didn’t have an organization capable of preventing magic-related disasters.”
She didn’t question his testimony. Instead, she commented: “I… I see. Is that why you’re in a big hurry?”
“Yes,” Sans replied, “Since the laws of magic aren’t too different, I know what’s required to summon that particular apocalypse. It’s a Red SOUL, a corrupted heart, and great magic power.”
“Oh… J-Judge Thyme ate the bulk of the Philosopher’s Stone. That’s the ‘great magic power’ criteria fulfilled. Maybe those DEMONS possessed him!”
“Nah. He’s too well-trained for that.”
“No, Sans! This is different! P-Persona parasitized his magic. He had this HUGE fever and other signs of a takeover! F-Frisk had to go and do the Crimson Hall stuff before Mezil gets completely possessed.”
The name Frisk remained fresh in his memory.
The brightest star.
The purest Red.
The walking time bomb.
More and more worries piled upon Sans’ shoulders. “Frisk is doing what?”
“They’ve been appointed as the acting Supreme Judge in the trial against Thyme. They’re supposed to get Persona transferred to Aiden, but I don’t know what transpired after they entered the Hall.”
Sans pushed his lazy body to move faster. “This is getting worse by the minute. Or even seconds. We really gotta hurry.”
“But why?” Alphys asked as she tried to match his pace. “Isn’t Papyrus with them? He would have seen the best future, right?”
“It’s the kid that I don’t trust. Papyrus can only give the best answer if the circumstances allow for it. Let me put it this way: if they can’t take one Chara, what makes you think they could handle a million of them?”
“Frisk grew so much since Chara’s exorcism. D-don’t you think you’re being a bit too negative?”
“Welp, what can I say? I’m a pessimist.”
By the time they arrived at the workshop, Sans felt strong enough to walk on his own two feet. He hurried to the table where the Seraph System lay. Ignoring Alphys’ reactions and confused concerns, he strapped the device on his arm.
Despite his handicap, he had no trouble fitting it on.
The way I’m using my telekinesis… it’s as though I’ve done it forever. I know I’ve used it plenty out of laziness, but have I always been this deft with it?
“Take me to the Crimson Hall,” he said. “Or I’ll find the way myself.”
Alphys complied, but Sans could hear the fear in her voice.
Ah… I understand. I must look like a total madman right now.
I don’t deny that I’ve gone nuts a long, long time ago.
Nah. I was never sane to begin with.
The Trial of Crimson Hall took place near one of Alphys’ test chambers. Sans had vague memories of a Gasterblaster rodeo here.
There were four people guarding the entrance.
Two pesky flowers.
A familiar dark-skinned Vanquisher.
And… a suspicious unknown lutist.
The Vanquisher might have turned a shade paler from sheer terror upon seeing his approach. She raised her guard, ready to fight. “Oh good lord, me and my big fucking mouth! He REALLY showed up!!!”
“Quick, Chara!” Flowey exclaimed, “It’s time to execute ‘the plan’!”
“Right on it, Azzy.” So obeyed the flower-cheeked Chara. How the tables had turned in their life.
They hurried towards the door to lock it up with their thorny vines. Then, the two adamantly held their ground.
“No Entry, Edgebag!” said Azzy.
“Ahuh, stay out.” Chara echoed.
Sans smirked at their attempts. “What makes you think I can’t just tear your blockade apart?”
Cenna Caraway tipped her hat in an attempt to calm down after her initial outburst. “Hey Assassino, did ya forget about me? While they hold the fort, I’ll be the gal to keep ya busy.”
Truth be told, Sans didn’t want to fight her again. It was always a close shave whenever they got into a scuffle. In his current state… he’s not sure if he would win.
Still, he chose to bluff. Make himself sound tough in hopes that he’d get past her. “Geez, didn’t I stab ya before? You almost died the last time we duelled.”
“A sudden blackout ain’t helping you out this time.” The Vanquisher began charging her magic. “C’mon, let’s send ya back to bed like a good boy.”
She’s not backing down. Dammit, I don’t have time to play.
…Everyone may be alive, but they’re not out of danger. Not in the slightest.
I must protect.
I must persevere.
But to everyone’s surprise, the musician stood up and complained: “What waste… Does no one consider simple communication?”
Prince Asriel protested: “You can’t reason with that doodoobutt. He’s a cheating punner who would talk the sweet talk before STABBING YOU!”
The lutist lifted his nose and snorted. “Foolish child. You see only from your limited angle. Watch as I reason on common ground.”
When the man stepped forward, Sans felt his Eye activate subconsciously.
Beneath the fancy clothes and the delicate instrument was the majesty of mountains, the sparkle of crystals, the depths of the trenches, the roars of volcanoes, the flow of lava, the rumbling of magma…
Earth, fire, and magic.
This man couldn’t be human. Not a monster either. Was this lutist a personification of nature of sorts? But he didn’t want to bring up the question yet. This man must have chosen a human form for a reason, and Sans wanted to respect that.
Instead, he put up his best ‘edgy confrontation’ mode: “Big claims. You have one chance to back them up.”
“You and I suffer the same curse: the memories of two lives. One exists in a dream that’s all too real, the other is bound to your current reality. I swear this truth upon my title as Lord Hajikami Hua of Momojima.”
“M-Momojima?!” Alphys blurted out, “The Peach Island from the Far East?! Famous for having the best peaches in the world?!”
Hajikami Hua? What a curious name.
Okay. Not a bluff or a lie. Memories of two lives? Does this person have one foot in an alternate universe too?
“You caught my interest. Go on…”
“Perhaps… a calamity occurred in your dream. A cursed eclipse, I daresay? I have once, long ago, thwarted an attempt to summon that very atrocity. As you can see, it never came to pass.”
“Then you understand,” said Sans, “It massacred the whole of Ebott. Almost destroyed the world too. Right now, I’m hearing demonic whispers that prelude a repeat of the calamity. The source is beyond that door. Let me in so I can deal with it.”
“I cannot,” Lord Hua replied, “Your own weight threatens to bring you to your knees. You’re in no condition to fight. What a waste it would be to rush towards your death.”
“…Frankly, I was hoping that the sense of danger would force my lazybones into a heightened thrill.”
“Such desperation always bodes ill.”
“What can I do? If I don’t fight, the world is doomed.”
Flowey started to get agitated, “Hey, Cenna? Music dude? Why don’t you go in for backup? If Frisk is in that much trouble, isn’t it your job to save them?”
Cenna, however, struggled between her wishes and duties. “Argh! I get what you mean, flowerboy. But that will leave the entrance unguarded.”
“Who’s even going to invade this place anyway?! Isn’t it too late to stand around here and wait until a stupid DEMON walks right out of the door??? I don’t understand any of you dumb adults’ decisions!”
Annoying kids. They think they’re always right, never seeing the bigger picture.
The debate was cut short by a new presence: the sapphire princess herself.
Lucidia of House… Montagu?
No, House Berendin. Montagu was the name of her birth family, before she was given over to The Grandmaster. In worlds where Lord Berendin didn’t rise to prominence or exist at all, she’d keep her original family name.
Her dual Eyes lit up underneath her mask. “Result of analysis: Sans Serif, using the Seraph System in your current condition may backfire. I do not recommend that you proceed.”
She’s right. I know I’ve been gambling with low odds. But if I don’t go, who will? Who can?
Alphys can’t use the device. She’s not a combatant either.
Cenna and Hajikami aren’t monsters, rendering the point moot.
The only person left would be Lucidia.
He raised his arm towards the sapphire princess, offering the machine to her in earnest: “Then, take this and go. Use it. Or give it to Papyrus. I’ll leave everything up to you.”
The woman was alarmed by the offer. “Q-query: are you certain? I’m afraid I won’t be able to make the correct decisions to make the best use of The System.”
“Nah, I believe you can. Because--”
Because you’re the woman who cornered me many times?
Or because you’re the little prodigy penpal who exchanged notes with me?
How we met isn’t important. What matters is the constant between them.
Sans then said: “Because you’re Little Miss Lucy. You have more talent and experience than you give yourself credit for.”
Lucy returned a confused and uncertain look. No surprises there. But the mystery musical mage nodded at her with silent approval. She seemed to trust him, at least.
The sapphire Seer unbuckled the Seraph System and fixed it on her own arm. Turning to the other two, she said: “Judge Caraway, Lord Hua, I’m leaving the rest to you.”
And to the flowers, she added: “You too, Flowey and Chara. Reseal the door once I’ve passed through. Don’t let anyone in or out until the crisis is over.”
The flower children exchanged worried glances at each other with their petals droopy. Bet they didn’t think they would get more involved than the ‘keep-Sans-out’ party.
Flowey danced a little bit. “We were already thinking of that. Yeah! C’mon, go and save the day.”
The vines receded. Once Lady Lucidia passed into the beyond, they shut the door immediately. Chara added an extra broom just to make it feel extra secure.
Feeling that he could relax, Sans sat down on the floor. “Talk about a rough waking… I guess I’m no longer the ‘lone’ defender, huh? Little Miss Lucy is all grown up, and she’s pretty active in her role it seems.”
Cenna made a bunch of gestures towards Alphys, no doubt asking about his condition. The lizard couldn’t answer.
“Will you not leave?” asked Lord Hua.
“Nah. Actually. I have more questions for you. Like, that bit about two lives. I’d like to hear more about it, if you don’t mind.”
“Hmmm…” The lutist sat back down on his chair. With his deft fingers, he plucked a few notes on his lute. “How about a song to share my tale? A bard’s craft is obliged to the service of music, with or without a lofty title.”
“Heh. Sure. It’s more amusing that way.”