You woke up in a hospital bed in the morning, dressed in your pajamas. You had an oxygen mask over your mouth and nose, and you’re connected to a heart-monitor.
Gosh, you feel tired. Super duper tired. Returning your SOUL to your undamaged body was not as inconsequential as you thought. You now understood how Mom and Dad felt when they went through the same thing.
A familiar deep voice greeted you in a casual way. “Morning, kid.”
Turning your head, you saw Sans. He’s awake and looking rather hale and hearty for a man who survived hell.
“I know you have a lotta questions, but your health comes first. I’m calling the doc.”
You expected Goopdoc or Lady Lucy to turn up any moment now. However, humans attended to you instead. You recognized the male doctor to be the same man who treated you at the hospital. Nice fellow.
The doctor thoroughly checked you from head to toe: heart rate, blood pressure, physical condition, motor response, et cetera. Meanwhile, Sans kept a silent watch on the proceedings.
“A clean bill of health, Crimson Keeper. Even the big bruise under your chin is healing nicely. Take it easy when you can, alright?”
The nurses helped you take off the mask and removed the monitoring devices. Ah! It feels good to breathe normal air again.
You said that you noticed that he addressed you by a Magus title.
“Oh? You’re pretty sharp. The Elderburgh Hospital’s biggest clients are Magi and their families. Work there long enough and you’ll get used to their culture.”
Sans said, “They have records of your parents and your sister too. They’re one of the few places to have a Psychia division.”
But when you looked around, you realised that you were in the exact same makeshift ward Sans had slept in. Bouquet of flowers included. Wouldn’t it be better for you to go to that proper human hospital instead of staying in Alphys’ Lab?
The humans hesitated to answer your question. Instead, they distracted you with your breakfast tray. Unfolding the bed table, a lady nurse placed it down in front of you. “Why not start your day with something tasty?”
There’s a bowl of chocolate rice puff cereal with a carton of milk. Easy to digest and definitely a winner for the kids.
Oh well, if the adults don’t want to tell you anything, you might as well enjoy your meal in peace. Bon appetit!
Your happy crunching of your breakfast had put a smile on their faces. They appear to be relieved. After all, you had just experienced a momentary death in linear time.
“Man. Kids really do recover faster. Get well soon,” said the doctor. “Enjoy your cereal!”
After the doctor patted you on the shoulder, the medical staff left… in a hurry? Their footsteps quickened in haste.
…Your bad luck sense was tingling. Something definitely, certainly, absolutely happened while you were asleep.
Turning towards Sans, you presented him with two options. Either talk about himself, or update you about the latest happenings.
“Heh. Why give me a choice? You’re going to make me go through both questions anyway. And I’ll answer them too.”
You’ve known Sans long enough. Of course he’ll do exactly that.
“Fair. Well then, let’s start with something nice first. Congratulations on completing your first big job. I heard about it from everyone else. Don’t get yourself down over the fact that your client took a different route. That’s on him, not you.”
While munching on your cereal, you commented that Sans was quick to get up to date. Nice to see him back in his groove.
…You’re worried about Papyrus. The outcome hit him way harder than it did for you.
“Give him some time,” Sans replied. “I’ve already anticipated results like these. That’s why the foolish younger me had hoped that his dream of being a hero would remain a dream. Too late now.”
Keeping Papyrus under a rock was not the best solution either. But then again, after feeling the grief caused by Aiden’s choice, you’re starting to understand Sans’ position.
Your gaze fixed on Sans’ right side, knowing that something was sorely missing there. In addition to that, his only remaining clothes had seen much better days. They’re almost rags: torn, cut, and stained from battle after battle.
Noticing you, he tried to brush your attention away from his condition. “Don’t fret about me, kid. It’s gonna be a faded plot point soon. Lil’ Miss Lucy and Alphys already have a prosthetic planned. Heard that it’s gonna tap into my talent for telekinesis.”
And what about new clothes?
“Complementary and compulsory.”
Good.
You resumed eating your breakfast, wondering how to approach Sans. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t move unless he’s poked. It’s just a matter of ‘how’.
You tried your best to sound casual. So… does he want to tell anything about his experiences in nightmare land?
“Nope.”
That was such a Sans answer. C’mon, maybe a tiny little crumb? Maybe some chit-chat would help relieve the weight on his heart.
“Welp. All you really need to know is this: everyone died and I survived. Lived the hermit life for decades, I think. Lonely, huh?"
He… thinks?
“Have you ever had dreams where it felt like you’ve lived a whole lifetime?”
You blinked a few times. Maybe you had such dreams before, but you don’t remember the feeling anymore.
Is it anything like your Undertale adventure? Your first round seems like it happened a long time ago, yet it was only a few months back.
“Close enough. Anyways, I’m still adjusting to the fact that everyone’s alive again. Which reminds me...”
Sans reached for a necklace around his neck. Dangling the pendant before you, he asked, “Say, kiddo, you happen to know who gave me this trinket?”
Oh, that’s Cool Grandpa Edmund’s cross!
“Edmund, eh? I’ll keep that in mind. Credit where credit’s due; it’s a nice gift. I’ll have to thank him later.”
Later? Why later? Let’s go thank him right now, together! You thus paused your breakfast and tried to get off the bed.
But Sans shot his infamous no-eyelight glare are you. “Stop. Unless it’s for the toilet, stay in bed.”
You slowly retreated back into the sheets, wondering what set him off. You wouldn’t call it aggressive. Defensive? Cautious? Alarmed? As if you’ll discover something nasty should you leave the ward.
“…Remember that pinky promise we made? I wanna talk about that a bit.”
Well, if he hadn’t stopped you just now, Frisk Wanderstar Dreemurr would be performing a dogeza: head and knees, on the floor. You realised that you had made an impossible request, forcing Sans to go to equally impossible lengths. Therefore, you wanted to express your deepest apologies.
“Heh. No need for that. Hindsight is 20/20, as folks say. I could have warned you that you’re asking for something unreasonable. Then again, we were both desperate souls.”
If possible, you want to cancel the promise. Sans doesn’t need to fix everything for you anymore.
“Hmmm… Even if you cancel our pinkie pact, it won’t change my actions.” Rubbing the pendant with his thumb, he added: “I have other promises to keep.”
Like Mom’s?
“That’s one of them. But… I was thinking more about Papyrus. Y’know. Bringing heaven to earth. To make a future where everyone has the chance to choose good. That stuff.”
Huh, those were the same words that broke you out of your darkness when you faced Persona. That speech was especially touching.
“That’s why I’ve decided on a ‘new’ course of life: to be who I was always meant to be.”
Uh… a slacking ketchup-chugging bum scientist?
“No. A weapon.”
You gasped out loud. No! Mom would be sad! Papyrus and everyone else too! You didn’t go through the hell of that stupid Megalovania moon just to watch Sans return to the old dark side!
Besides, didn’t Sans hate that? Gaster angst and all? It was pushed upon him against his will.
“You’re right. But… things have changed. I’ve gotten a new perspective. A new purpose.”
And that would be…?
“I will do whatever it takes to let others make the world a better place. Emphasis on the word ‘others’.”
But… Sans has the chance to live a normal life. Please, don’t throw it away.
“Forgot about the sniper assassin Kaiju girl already? To have someone like her sicced on your town… says a lot about some people, y’know. And that’s just the beginning.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
You lowered your head, feeling a slight bit of shame from your unconscious denial of reality. He’s right: you’re in worse trouble than you thought.
“Hey, don’t worry. Rapport is always preferred over violence. Worst case scenarios ain’t the norm, contrary to fiction. I may live ‘the lazy life’ more often than you’d think.”
Or he will be worked to the BONE! Fingerguns for rimshot emphasis.
Sans chuckled. “Alright, alright, you got me there. Why don’t you savour the rest of your cereal? It’s getting soggy.”
Oh. Right. You finished the rest of the puffs and slurped the resulting chocolate-flavoured milk. Mmmm delicious!
You asked Sans if it’s alright for you to get off the bed now. You really, really, really need to go to the toilet.
“I guess I can’t stop biology. Welp, just come straight back. Don’t wander too far out.”
Okay! No problem, you’ll be back before he knows it. You put your feet on the ground and made your way towards the exit. Then, when your hand touched the door knob, Sans said the following:
“Frisk, if there comes a day where you become a corrupted DEMON, or attempt to summon The Celestial Calamity for any reason… I’ll be there to end your life. This time, no more sleeping tricks.”
Despite his grim statements, you smiled warmly and thanked him. Said you’re motivated more than ever to keep him lazy. By staying good, he would never need to worry about you becoming a DEMON ever again.
“You’ve grown up, kid. I’m glad.”
The way Sans spoke concerned you. Nightmare land must have been worse than you can imagine. For now, it’s best to give him space.
While you did your toilet business, you just realised that Sans didn’t tell you anything about the outside world! Argh, that’s so typical of him! You got distracted with the first option, you had forgotten all about the second one.
That’s it. You gotta insist on getting the full news outta him when you get back.
After you finished up, you were tempted to go against your word and sneak away by yourself. It’ll just be a quick peek, right? No harm done.
Except doing that would betray his trust. You want to put the ‘Genocide Route’ behind forever. So, you turned towards your room and obediently made your way there.
You then heard a sudden, distant boom rumble through the air. Alerted, you rushed to the nearest window.
There, in the distance, multiple black plumes of smoke rose high into the sky. The fires of a warring riot had started to burn at the edge of town.
No…! That can’t be happening!
“Welp. Looks like the cat’s out of the bag.”
Turning around, you found Sans. He either stealthily followed behind you, or he teleported near when he heard the explosion.
What’s going on, Sans?
“I was under orders to keep you in bed. The grownups want you to rest without worry for at least a couple more hours. But, it looks like time’s running out for everyone.”
Everyone? Did he say, ‘everyone’?
“Yup. Brace yourself, kiddo. You’re not gonna like this.”
Sans gave you a quick rundown of what happened the night before. Of how Gaster gassed the whole Lab, stole The Six, and used them in a mad science experiment.
The Great Doctor Gaster also went into detail about how he manipulated The Dreemurr Nation for his war against humankind. Declared that he’s the one and only true mastermind of the whole event.
Your jaw dropped on the floor. Why? Why did he do this?!?! The whole town is on fire because of him!
“Just a quiz for you. Would you rather have your city burn now while you’re in it, or later when you’re far away?”
W-what sort of a question is that! Both are bad!
“Welp. It’s the best bad choice. Let me help you get a fresh perspective. If you’re in town during the chaos, you could help save the citizens. If you’re far away, though, you’ll just come back to a burning ruin. Tough luck.”
…Oh. You get it. Sans thinks that if Doctor Gaster hadn’t provoked the humans, they would ambush the town while all the powerhouses are away on a big mission like The Ocean Battle. Right?
“Yup. On the money. Glad to see my lessons stuck. A total diffusion of conflict is the ideal, but we’ve long gone past that point. Maybe the possibility was never there to begin with.”
Furrowing your brows, you asked Sans once more about his experiences in nightmare land. Perhaps they were similar?
He responded with a short, but haunting chuckle.
“...You have no idea, kid. You really don’t. In this world, The Magus Association really changed things by delaying the inevitable. Without Mezil’s efforts, nothing stops an airstrike from obliterating us for whatever excuse.”
The thought of the human military flying over your monster home, dropping bombs, sickened you.
Still, you felt that Sans didn’t tell you the full story. How typical of him to let you fill in the blanks.
“That’s my choice,” he replied. “Lil’ Miss Lucy will eventually extract the full story outta me, but until then this memory is mine to keep. Either way, what Gaster did ain’t all bad. I’d say he did more good than harm for once. And I’m not saying this sarcastically either. Come. I’ll show you.”
He led you further down the hall. Suddenly, you were slapped by the loud crying of... newborn babies? Multiple at that. It came from the door closest to the stairwell.
Your curiosity had been piqued.
Standing at the door, Sans said: “Go on, Frisk. They’re in there.”
Okay! You turned the knob and entered the room turned nursery. Papyrus cradled one swaddle while levitating three others. He rocked them back and forth while trying to sing a lullaby.
“HUSH~~ HUSH~~ LITTLE ONES~~~”
Unfortunately, the volume of his voice was anything but suitable for its intended purpose. The ever resourceful Papyrus quickly changed plans by levitating four bottles of milk to himself. He would feed one baby, secure the position of the bottle, make the bundle of joy float, and then move on to the next one.
In the end, it became a ferris wheel of nursing babies, with Papyrus as the stopover for comfort.
“OH! FRISK! YOU’VE COME AT THE RIGHT TIME. LOOK AT THESE CUTE LITTLE BEANS! DEMANDING, BUT VERY MUCH ADORABLE!"
It was quite a bean alright. They barely had any features other than stubby limbs, closed eyes, and a mouth just big enough to suckle on the smallest teat.
A color-coded ‘Cyan’ band was strapped on its left arm, fashioned from a piece of cloth and fastened by hook-and-loop. The other babies had their own identifiers as well.
So… that was the ‘mad science experiment’ Sans mentioned. He’s right that it wasn’t as bad as it could be. They’re actually really cute.
There were two other skeletons in the room that you’re not familiar with. One was a man who looked like a calmer version of Papyrus. The other person was a tall, elegant lady with a more rounded human-like face, similar to Sans.
“MOM, DAD, HAVE YOU GOTTEN THINGS UNDER CONTROL? DO YOU NEED MY HELP?”
“Easy peasy lemon squeezy,” said the man. “I’ve raised you and your brother after all.”
Mom…?
Dad…???
Wait. Those… Those are the skellyparents?!?!?
Uh, what were their names again? Times Roman and Helvetica?
“Indeed!” Helvetica giggled at you. “Nyeh hee hee, I’m glad you’ve not forgotten us.”
When you heard their speech mannerisms, there was no more doubt that these were indeed the parents of Sans and Papyrus. Sans inherited his dad’s cool casualness, while Papyrus inherited his mom’s quirky formality. Nyehs included.
So… Do all newborn monster babies look like this?
“Oh no, absolutely not,” said Roman. “When Sans and Papyrus were little, they certainly did not look like beans. Instead, they had tubby jelly protecting their babybones.”
You couldn’t help but to grin at the thought of the skelebros as little babbly jelly babies. Any photos? You’d love to see those!
Helvetica shrugged. “I don’t know if any survived our time of absence. We’ve yet to visit Papyrus’ Surface house. And, well, you know what happened to Sans’ belongings.”
Awwwww… You felt a bit disappointed. Nonetheless, you told Helvetica that you don’t remember seeing any baby photos going into the fire. Here’s hoping Sans stored them somewhere.
By the way, how exactly did Doctor Gaster revive The Six? How did he revive the skeleparents? Was it necromancy? Apparently necromancers exist in this world.
Roman lowered his eyes. “Transcendence... that’s what Gaster called the human transmutation process. But I believe he altered the spell when he rebuilt our bodies. Something about splitting the vessel Papyrus made, and then patching what’s missing with the remaining material?”
“Mana and Determination,” his wife added, “He extracted those components from the Spirit Gate Particles that flooded the underground. In large quantities to boot.”
Does that mean The Six, Roman, and Helvetica are all made up of Spirit Gate Particles?!
“I… don’t know,” Roman admitted. “Gaster is not connected to me anymore, so anything science is way out of my field. How about you, Helvi?”
“Likewise. Being able to understand all those crazy math calculations was very… fascinating. I wish I kept some of that.”
In other words, even though the kids are special, the skeleparents have simply returned to their proper normal ‘blank’ non-Seer state. Interesting.
The mother tried to look behind you. “Where’s Sans? I thought he was assigned to watch over you.”
Come to think of it, he didn’t follow you in. Why’s that? Maybe you should go out and call him?
“NO,” said Papyrus. “WE HAVE TO RESPECT HIS WISHES TO DISTANCE HIMSELF.”
Huh?! That makes no sense! His parents are back. Isn’t that a dream come true?
“Actually…” Helvetica turned towards the infant in her arms. “I understand how he feels. We were last together when he was but a ten-year-old. Our return must have stirred mixed emotions within him.”
…Tsk, if only Sans’ Gaster conditioning applied here. Then he wouldn’t need to stand so awkwardly outside.
Papyrus shook his head. “FRISK, I THINK YOU’RE GETTING IT BACKWARDS. IT’S BECAUSE OF UNCLE GASTER’S CONDITIONING THAT HE’S NOT SURE HOW TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION COMFORTABLY. HE ALREADY HAS A TON OF STUFF ON HIS MIND. THE RETURN OF MY PARENTS WAS THE LAST STRAW OF SORTS.”
True…
What about Papyrus? How does he feel suddenly having parents again?
“GREAT! IT’S LIKE HAVING TWO MORE FAMILY MEMBERS BY SURPRISE! BUT, IF I’M HONEST, I MISS UNCLE GASTER ALREADY.”
…Yeah. His sense of ethics may be questionable, but he always treated you and Papyrus very well. He even gave you the math lesson that you sorely, sorely needed. He was a wonderful teacher despite his track record.
Does Papyrus think he’s dead? Like, really, really dead?
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” he exclaimed with great confidence. “HE’S TOO TOUGH TO DIE FROM A VOLUNTARY DECONSTRUCTION! HOWEVER… IT’S FOR THE BETTER IF THIS PHYSICAL REALITY CONSIDERS HIM GONE. ONLY THEN WILL HE TRULY BE FREE.”
With the political circumstances around his name, you understand why Papyrus would think that way. It appeared that even your zany friend grasped the complexities of the situation.
Back to Sans; you wondered if there’s anything you could do to help him get over his funk.
“ORIGINALLY, I WANTED TO HAVE HIM TOUCH A BABY. THE CUTE VIGOR OF NEW LIFE NEVER FAILS TO BRING SMILES, EVEN FOR THE MOST GRIZZLED OF WAR VETERANS! BUT… AS YOU CAN SEE… I’M QUITE LITERALLY JUGGLING THEIR MEALTIME.”
Mhmm, yes, the floating ferris wheel of bab. That certainly would keep even the greatest skeleton fully occupied.
Helvetica smiled and beckoned for Papyrus. “Bring them here then, son. Mine has already finished his meal. You can take Yellow to your brother.”
Roman added: “Mine just finished her meal too. I’ll help your mom feed the rest.”
“THANK YOU SO MUCH! AH, IT FEELS WONDERFUL TO HAVE PARENTS AGAIN!”
And so, Papyrus placed the rest of the children in the care of his mom and dad. In turn, he picked up Yellow and went outside. Sans was at the same spot as before, leaning right beside the entrance.
“SANS,” Papyrus offered the little bundle of joy to his brother. “DO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE BABY? YOU CAN EVEN PLAY WITH HIM IF YOU WANT.”
“Ya sure about that?” he replied back. “My hands are not exactly clean.”
“I HEAR THE PROCESS OF BIRTH IS ACTUALLY PRETTY ICKY, ESPECIALLY FOR HUMANS. DIRT, SLIME, AND GRIME ARE THE LAST THING TO WORRY ABOUT.”
Talk about a Papyrus tangent. You wanted to explain that amniotic fluid protects the baby from external contaminants, but you didn’t want to ruin the mood.
“ABOVE ALL…” he said, “I WANT YOU TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIFE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. WHENEVER YOU CAN.”
Ah. You now understand why Papyrus wanted his brother to meet the baby. A weapon will inevitably be steeped in death and conflict. Without a reminder of life, Sans may sink deeper and deeper into his grim reaper role.
After much hesitation, the older skeleton brother reached out for the child. He gently touched the infant on the cheek with the tip of his bony index finger. Whether he realised it or not, a warm grin grew on his cold face.
“Coochie-coochie-coo~” He cooed.
Annoyed by the foreign tickle on the cheek, Yellow started to squirm and whine. Sans immediately withdrew his hand.
“Welp. Kid didn’t like that. Yellow, huh? That’s the one Grillby was close to. What else can I do… Oh right, that’s the boy who liked cowboy and treasure hunter stuff.”
Muttering to himself, his mind continued to churn. He thought long and hard about the best way to amuse the tiny life. “Puns? Nah. I’m banned. Plus the kid’s too young to appreciate wordplay… What if I perform a one-man stage play? …Eh, that’s also a few years too early. Let’s see… What would work for a day-old infant? Hey Paps, can you help me position the baby?”
The younger brother did as requested. After some adjustments, Yellow rested snugly within the cradle of Sans’ remaining arm.
“Welp, here goes.”
With that announcement, Sans started galloping on the spot like a horse, singing the tunes of old western movies, letting the baby bounce along with the rhythm of his steps.
“Clop, clop, clopp, neeeeeigh! Giddyup, yeah! Bang bang!”
Tiny Yellow burst into a bubbly laughter. Hearing such joy made you chortle away too. Sans -- in his forsaken, ruined clothing -- pranced around like a complete jester for the sake of a child.
Looking at Papyrus, you noticed a tearful smile on his face. He discreetly wiped the moisture away with the tip of his finger, not wanting to interrupt the fun.
You smiled too. Earlier you thought Sans had lost his spark for comedy, extinguished from all the weary edginess of recent events. Yet, it had never died; it just lay hidden until the right opportunity presented itself.
This cute event reminded you that light can still shine, even in the midst of smoky uncertainty.