Undertale: I Can't Do This Again Chapter 16

I am not Toby Fox posing as ilovecartoonsgirl. So obviously, I don't own Undertale.

The End

    I am floating…floating where? It's too dark to see anything…and I don't feel anything either. Am I by myself? No…there is someone grunting somewhere nearby…or was it far away? I can't tell…but why does that voice sound familiar? And…now that I think about it…who…who am I? Then without warning, something that felt like a memory popped up in my mind.

    "Oh, so you are Sans? Fantastic! Come over here my boy, for I need your help!" exclaimed a very tall skeleton in a long white lab coat.

    "Sure thing Dr. Gaster!" responded a young small skeleton as he hurried to the other skeleton's side. "What are we gonna be doing?"

    That small skeleton…that's me…that's right…my name is Sans! And that other skeleton…that's Gaster, the Royal Scientist! This was my first day of work as his assistant! Before I could recall anymore, a second memory played through my skull.

    "Alright Sans…plug my baby in!" ordered Dr. Gaster excitedly as he pointed at me while he stood in front of a large rectangular-like object.

    "Aye aye Doc!" I cried with a salute as I grabbed the cord and rushed to the nearest outlet. With a big and truly happy smile, I wasted no time in plugging it in. But suddenly, a spark of electricity spurted from the outlet and traveled up the cord till it came in contact with my hand. As a result, electricity spread throughout my skeletal body like wildfire making me scream bloody murder.

    But somehow, despite the great pain, I still noticed that the machine was jolting and jumping around like a bunny from all the electricity. And Gaster was desperately trying to avoid it, looking quite worried.

    "Oh my…Sans hold…" Dr. Gaster managed to say right before the machine knocked right into him. I could only watch as Dr. Gaster flew right over the edge, letting out a terrified scream as he did so. Until suddenly, the scream stopped.

    "DR. GASTER!"

    "Dr. Gaster," I said softly, the horror and trauma from that experience hitting me all over again. I remember now…we were testing Dr. Gaster's time machine…but…instead of helping my fellow monsters…it only killed the scientist that I respected and admired so much…

    "Whoa, what in the world happened to you?!" hooted a young spider monster, her black eyes wide in great concern and worry. But instead of answering, I just stumbled into her arms, panting heavily as I did so.

    "Dr.…" I managed to spurt out between my gasps for air as my legs shake uncontrollably, obviously too weak to stay standing for much longer.

    "Now my deary, just breathe while I'll…"

    "Dr. Gaster fell into the Core!" I all but screamed, somehow finding the voice in order to do that. But it did the trick, since the spider monster quickly gasped in horror.

    "Oh my…oh deary…I'm sorry but…I don't think there's anything we can do for your friend…" the female try to reason with me but I just shook my head.

    "But he's Dr. W. D. Gaster! We have to do something!" I cried, not willing to give up on the scientist that I respected quite yet.

    "Ah…I'm sorry…but who's Dr. W. D. Gaster?" she asked, sounding both concerned and confused. I just looked at her like she was crazy.

    "You know…the Royal Scientist!" But instead of clearing the confusion up, I could only see that I made it worse.

    "My deary…I think you hit your skull or something because we don't have a Royal Scientist."

    That's right…the Core and the time machine didn't just kill Dr. Gaster…it erased him from existence. And I…no matter how many different monsters I talked to…no matter how hard I tried to get them to remember him…it was no use. I, just a measly assistant who only actually knew him for about half-a-day, was the only one who remembered him and how great he was.

    "SANS…ARE YOU OKAY?" asked a skeleton who looked to be about twelve-years-old. I, still wearing a white lab coat that was covered in scorch marks, looked at the kid for a second before pulling him into a hug.

    "I'm fine Papyrus…just had a day that was bad to the bone," I said as I hugged the kid skeleton like he was my lifeline.

    "SANS!"

    That's…that's my brother…my dear baby brother. I quit being a scientist because of him, and even though I still don't remember everything, I know that I don't regret that decision.

    I was whistling as I walked through the snow-covered woods, hands in my pockets and a cheerful smile on my face. A giant of rustles and what sounded suspiciously like a painful grunt rang through the air. I immediately stopped in my tracks and when another grunt followed, I hurried towards the sound. After a minute or so, I found who made the noise. It was Papyrus.

    Once again, I instantly stopped in my tracks, though this time it was because of horror and not because I was being alert. Thorny vines were all over my brother's body, making him not able to move from his position in the middle of the air.

    "Just so you know…I never considered you to be my friend," said a flower with yellow petals in front of Papyrus just as a new vine wrapped about Papyrus' neck. And right after pain and betrayal showed up on my brother's face, the vine around my brother's neck squeezed. So tightly that with a loud crack, Papyrus' head fell right off.

    "PAPYRUS!" I screamed as I instinctively put my hands on my skull, horror, disbelief, and anguish filling my very being. No…Papyrus…he couldn't have…he isn't…he can't be! No! He can't be dead! Not my baby brother! Please, oh please no! I…I can't…why…why did that flower kill my brother!

    "Why…why did you kill my brother Flowey? What did Papyrus did to deserve death?" I growled at the flower, who was now looking very badly injured and near death himself. The flower then laughed as I grasped the red scarf around my neck.

    "Because one…I was curious…and two…it's a kill-or-be-killed world Sans. So why should I spare a stupid and annoying skeleton?" answered Flowey with a despicable grin. I then let out a yell full of rage and anguish as I summoned a bone and ran it right through Flowey's monstrous face.

    So…I killed the blasted flower…whose name was Flowey. I might have let my brother die right in front of me, but at least I avenged him. But…Papyrus is still dead.

    "Papyrus…I'm so sorry," I apologized through the tears that were now flowing down my face like a waterfall.

    "What the?!" I cried in great shock and confusion as I looked at all the snow-covered trees around me. "How…how did I get from Asgore's flower garden all the way to Snowdin?"

    "HI BROTHER!" I gasped and slowly turned around to see Papyrus walking towards me with a grin on his face.

    "HAVE YOU SEEN ANY HUMANS…SANS…ARE YOU OKAY? YOU LOOK..."

    "PAPYRUS!" I cried as I ran towards him and jumped into his arms, which luckily Papyrus opened in time to catch me. "You're…you're alive!"

    "He's…he's alive…how?" I asked myself out loud as I became overwhelmed with relief, joy, and utter confusion. Maybe it was just a nightmare…a nightmare that just happened to feel too much like reality. Yeah…

    "August 15th?" I said in a bewildered voice as I looked at the calendar, which had all the days up till August 14th marked off with an x. "But…that's the day Papyrus…and about two weeks passed since then…was it all just a bad dream? No, it felt too real…when I killed Flowey…did we somehow go back in time?"

    Is…is that true? Did Dr. Gaster's dream of going back in time actually come true? Even though the time machine wasn't used at all?

    I was walking through the outskirts in Snowdin when I heard a familiar pained cry. I stopped in my tracks and gasped in fear.

    "Pa…Papyrus!" I cried as I quickly ran forward. "No no no no, not again!"

    Then, just as I arrived at a sentry post that was poorly made, I stopped in my tracks once again. Flowey was there and in between us, was Papyrus. With a bunch of thorny vines sticking out of his back.

    "PAP…" I began to cry before suddenly, Papyrus had turned into a small pile of gray dust.

    "Ah…that look on your face…makes me feel better after what happened in the last timeline," admitted Flowey deviously. "Though I would be lying if I said that killing your brother again didn't help too."

    Before he could say or do anything else, I, with tears falling down the face of my skull, summoned a Gaster Blaster which immediately blasted the murderer off the face of the earth. Right after that and without warning, darkness enveloped everything and before I knew it, I was back where I was when I reunited with Papyrus after he died the first time.

    "Flowey…Flowey knew…" I muttered out loud, my tears steadily slowing down. "He's…the one who…reset last time…and he's the one who reset this time…he has to be."

    I remember now, I was right. Flowey had the power to go back to the beginning of where it all began, or a reset. I also remembered that the flower also could go back a point in time before then, or as I liked to call it, a reload. And even though I remembered all of this, whoever or whatever was showing me my past memories…didn't stop.

    The memories just kept on coming and coming and they were all pretty bad, though some were definitely worse than others. Flowey kept on killing my brother, though sometimes he switched it up and killed Undyne or Asgore, if not both. There was one time Flowey managed to almost murder the entire Underground before I was able to get to him.

    At first during this stream of horrible memories, right after I saw Flowey cut Papyrus in half, I screamed. I screamed and yelled for Flowey to just stop, for me to get with the program and actually save my brother for once, and for the memories to just end and stop torturing me. I just couldn't take it anymore.

    But the memories didn't end. My brother and others kept on dying. And Flowey kept on killing and tying to retrieve the souls Asgore hid away, though one time he did finally succeed. I still managed to kill him though.

    It after that timeline actually that Flowey…did nothing. For a while anyway. Then not very long after Asgore's remains were found in his beloved flower garden, time was reset again. However, this time we didn't go all the way back to August 15th. So I guess it was technically a reload. Whatever.

    It was at this point in the terrible stream of memories, that I just about stopped caring. After all, the same days kept on repeating, everyone kept on dying, and everyone kept on coming back to life. Sure, the exact details of those days and deaths were varied but the end results were always the same. So honestly…so should it even matter to me?

    Then not one, but two timelines went by without much incident. And each one started at a later date. By the third timeline, the citizens of Snowden were actually preparing to celebrate Christmas. And not only that…I actually forgot. The version of me in the memories had actually forgotten all about the times my brother died, as well as all the piles of dust that Flowey left in his wake. I even forgot about Flowey!

    I still knew all about the reset and reload buttons because I still recalled what happened in the last two timelines but other than that…nada. Zip. Nothing. And somehow…seeing myself forget all about those traumatizing times…made my present self…feel a bit more hopeful. Or maybe it was because that time was slowly but steadily progressing with no one getting killed. It was probably the latter but still. I couldn't help but sort of feel that maybe things weren't so bad after all. That maybe…life did have a point again.

    But then…the kid happened.

    "Pa…Papyrus…Papyrus! PAPYRUS! PAAPYRUUS!"

    "I love you bro. And I'm…g-going…to m-miss…y-y-you…"

    "Undyne…if you really believe that… Then please…for all of our sakes…for Papyrus…please kill the person who looks like a human."

    "W-Why Undyne? Y-You swore…you swore that you weren't g-going to die…"

    "I'm sorry Miss. Muffet…I really am."

    "DARN IT! DARN IT METTATON! HOW WAS THAT PROTECTING ANYONE METTATON?! HUH?! HOW WAS THAT STOPPING THE MONSTER?! HOW WAS THAT DEFENDING YOURSELF?! HOW WAS THAT STAYING ALIVE?!"

    "Welp. Sorry old lady. This is why I never make promises."

    A human kid had the power of the reset button…and loved to kill too. If I was hopeless before, I really was now. The deaths and the days really were never going to end. So what's the point in trying?

    I became so hopeless and depressed that it took me three full minutes after I was shown a memory of me killing the kid with a wave of bones to realize that another memory had yet to show up. A tiny bit curious, I waited another two minutes but the memory never came. The memories…had finally stopped coming. It was honestly about time.

    But before I could truly rest…wherever I was, I got pulled. Even though there was no one in front of me, I was being pulled forwards in kind of a rapid rate. But maybe someone was there. Whatever, I don't care anymore.

    And then, as suddenly as it began, the pulling stopped. Right in front of a small figure that I couldn't see clearly because of all the white specks covering them. Or maybe there is something wrong with my vision because there was a tall figure beside me now, and they were also covered in little white specks. Whatever.

    "Hey Papyrus," greeted the figure in front of me. Wait, Papyrus? Is…is he the one beside me? Has he been in this strange darkness this whole time? And I…I didn't think about where he could be this whole time…I really am a useless brother…

    "What is a skeleton's favorite instrument?" continued the small figure.

    "WHAT?" I heard my brother's voice ask.

    "A trombone." Heh…heh heh…

    "UGH…" groaned Papyrus as he sent a flurry of bones at the small figure, all of which the person avoided with ease. "WHATEVER, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DWELL ON YOUR HORRIBLE PUN…FOR I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!"

    "Hey Sans!" cried the person, whose voice now was sounding kind of familiar to me. This person knows who I am?

    "Wanna take a break with me?" the figure continued. A break…that sounds so amazingly good right now. I couldn't help but nod as I absentmindedly sent a bone or two their way, of which they easily avoided. And while I did so…I had the feeling that that I once took a break or two with this person before. But I don't know them…do I?

    "Um Papyrus…if it isn't any trouble…will you be willing to cook some spaghetti for me? It's honestly the best pasta I've ever tasted," requested the person earnestly.

    "…RE-REALLY?" Papyrus asked while he sent a line of bones towards the person, which they avoided with an eager nod. "OH, OF COURSE YOU DO! MY PASTA IS THE BEST AFTER ALL! IT'S NO WONDER WHY YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME!"

    This person actually wants some more of Papyrus' spaghetti? Welp…they can't be too bad…especially since I can tell that even with all the white specks that Papyrus is barely keeping himself from jumping up and down.

    "Sans?" asked the figure, who was now looking kind of familiar as well. "I'm definitely going to think about what I have done."

    What I have done…okay…where do I know this person from? Because not only have they eaten Papyrus' spaghetti and taken a break with me…it also sounds like they have been…judged…by…me…

    And then like a flash of light, I remembered everything, not just the bad. I remembered all the badly-tasting but heartfelt-made meals I shared with my brother, Grillby's, and the puns I told to get him riled up. I remembered the puns I shared with the old lady behind the door and the occasional cup of tea with King Asgore. I remembered the chats with Undyne and the rare science joke with Alphys. And…I remembered…

    "Frisk!" I cried, the white specks disappearing to reveal little Frisk staring at us, smiling and looking very relieved and happy.

    "NO! WAIT! YOU'RE MY FRIEND! I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!" declared Papyrus, obviously remembering who Frisk was too.

    "Sans! Papyrus! You're okay!" Frisk exclaimed as they ran towards us, their arms opened wide. Before I knew it, I was taking part in a three-way hug. And for the first time since I've woken up here, I am honestly…happy. Sure, we were still in this dark place and I still remembered all the times Papyrus and the others were…killed by Flowey, as well as Chara. But I have also remembered all the good times I've spent with my brother and friends, and with my kid. And it helps that I believe in Frisk too.

    "SO…WHERE ARE WE HUMAN? I STILL DON'T EXACTLY REMEMBER…" my brother started to ask before he gasped, obviously having remembered. It was right about then that I finally realized where we were as well.

    "Kid…are we…in Flowey? Or something like that?" I asked as the three of us parted out of the hug. Frisk as a result pulled on a face that I honestly couldn't decipher for the life of me.

    "Yeah…something like that," Frisk answered.

    "I'M…I'M SORRY…IF I HAD LISTENED TO YOU SANS…WE WOULDN'T BE…" Papyrus began to apologize before I stopped him by placing a boney hand on his boney arm.

    "It's okay bro…I know that you believe the best in everybody. And I wouldn't have you any other way," I said honestly.

    "Yeah!" supported Frisk. "And everybody deserves mercy too!"

    And…I wouldn't have Frisk any other way too.

    "Well, I gotta go and save the others," said Frisk as they started to walk away. "So um…just stay here for now okay?"

    "Frisk wait," I quickly said as I grabbed their arm. Frisk stopped in their tracks and turned their head to look at me, their brown eyes full of determination and hope.

    "Just…be careful okay?" I requested as I let go their arm, butterflies fluttering around in my non-existing stomach. Because even though I do believe in the kid…I couldn't help but worry for them. They were going up against Flowey after all.

    "Don't worry," Frisk agreed with a nod. "Because after all...no weirdo has anything on me right?"

    I couldn't help but smile widely at that. I guess I found the right words to motivate and cheer up Frisk after all.

    "Right," I agreed with a nod of my own. "So what are you waiting for? Go and save the others already so we can finally take a well-deserved break at Grillby's."

    "OH PLEASE, NOT THAT GREASE-INFESTED PLACE! LET'S TAKE A BREAK IN MY KITCHEN, WITH MY SPAGHETTI COOKING ON THE STOVE!" suggested Papyrus.

    "You actually wanna take a break Papyrus?" I asked him, and if I had an eyebrow, I surely would have raised it. My brother just shrugged his shoulders.

    "IT'S BEEN AN EXTREMELY BUSY DAY."

    You got that right.

    "Well…see ya later!" Frisk then exclaimed before they ran off.

    "BYE HUMAN! GOOD LUCK!" Papyrus cried with a wave of his hand.

    "Good luck kid," I added with a small smile as the kid faded in the distance. A few minutes or so then passed in silence.

    "SO…WHAT NOW BROTHER?" asked Papyrus. I shrugged my shoulders.

    "We…" Right then and there, a bright white light once again enveloped everything and again as a result, I lost consciousness.

UT

    "Ugh…my skull…what happened?" I asked myself with a groan as I opened my eye-sockets and looked around a bit. I was in the room right before the barrier room but try as I might…I couldn't remember why I was there.

    Then suddenly like a spark of electricity, I remembered. Frisk was going to face Asgore again but after me, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and even Toriel intervened, it was decided that Frisk should stay here for the time being. And then…Flowey came and…

    "Frisk! Pap…!" I started to cry out before I was interrupted.

    "WE'RE RIGHT HERE SANS." Even though it was my brother's voice and I was terribly glad to hear it…I couldn't let out a sigh of relief. Because Papyrus sounded like he was on the edge of tears. So with my soul full of apprehension and dread, I turned around.

    And what I saw…made my metaphorical heart drop. All the way down to my boney toes.

    "BUT THE HUMAN…" Papyrus as he tearfully leaned over Frisk's motionless body in Toriel's arms. "ISN'T WAKING UP!"