Who Says You're the One in Control?

It's not Like There's a Pamphlet for This Stuff

"Look at you." Asgore muttered in shock when he saw Sans lying in a pile of trash and bottles.

Sans had spent his 'mourning week' drunk. He cried some, drank a lot, and slept it all off so he could start again. That was basically it. In the back of his mind was the constant temptation to end it all. He had told himself he would think about it as soon as he broke the barrier, but he really wasn't sure about that. The whole idea was okay in thought, but he didn't even have the motivation to die at this point.

Asgore had tried to visit every day. Leaving tea and pie on Sans' porch. Sans hadn't even opened the door.

Now, the time had come to finish off the last of his responsibilities, and he had the biggest hangover. He groaned as Asgore helped him up.

"Go take a shower." Asgore told him. "It'll make you feel better."

Sans stumbled to the bathroom in silence. As long as Asgore left him alone, Sans would do whatever.

After his shower, Asgore gave him some fresh clothes, and headed out. The light outside, artificial as it may have been, was enough to make Sans screw his eyes shut. His house had been nice and dark.

The wind ripped through Sans as he followed Asgore through the fog to Waterfall. Apparently the river person was out for the day. Which meant lots of walking.

Sans paused after being carried across the gap by the duck. Something yellow caught his eye up towards Undyne's house.

"must be going insane." He muttered to himself with a depreciating laugh. Asgore gave him a worried look he chose to ignore.

A little while later he noticed Monster Kid sitting off the path near the waterfall. His back was turned, but he seemed more upset than usual.

New Home was full of activity. Most of the monsters had moved there after their family members had died, so while all other areas were practically deserted, New Home was bustling.

Sans trudged along behind Asgore in silence. Every monster they passed stared at Sans with open surprise.

"why are they staring at me?" He finally growled. He wasn't even doing anything.

"hmm..." Asgore glanced at Sans over his shoulder. "I don't blame them. You look menacing without your normal smile, and you haven't left your house in a week."

Sans grunted. He didn't care about smiling anymore. He was done with that charade. As for him not leaving the house, what made it their business to begin with?

Upon arrival, Asgore was met by a family of bunnies Sans remembered from Snowdin. They asked when he was going to take down the barrier, and if they would truly be safe on the surface.

Asgore assured them that he was going to take as many steps as was necessary to keep everyone safe. Sans found the exchange dull and exhausting.

He moved his attention to the smallest rabbit. It was staring at him. He stared back. As meaningless as it was, he refused to be out-stared by a baby monster.

A few minutes went by before he realized the adults had stopped talking. Asgore and the child's mother were looking at him in concern. He hadn't realized he was scowling till he saw how protective the mother looked.

Now seemed to be the perfect time to go inside. The house was warm. Cozy. Sans immediately felt the urge to kick off his slippers and nap. With the impending responsibility before him, it would be almost tradition.

Pushing the thought away he went to the mantle. There were pictures of all kinds of monsters. Some new, some old. The oldest seemed to be one of his family.

Sans took a closer look. Jumping back in surprise, he felt his magic stir inside him. Chara. Their face was covered in flowers, but he could tell. He had been focused on them long enough to know.

Chara seemed off in that picture. It was bazaar to see them standing with smiling and laughing monsters. Sans had known them as a ruthless killer. Not a friend.

"My family." Sans jumped when he heard Asgore behind him. The king had made no sound coming near him. "My wife, Toriel, my son, Asriel, and our adopted child, Chara."

Sans flinched at the name. He still wasn't sure how Chara had gotten into Frisk's soul, but even so, why hadn't they been the person they seemed to be in this picture? Making monsters laugh instead of killing them?

"It's a shame the last human had to soil the child's name so disgracefully. I loved them as my own." Asgore's voice quivered.

Sans could only manage a nod. He knew the truth. Chara was a demon. The first human to fall, and the last to travel the underground. What would the king have said if he knew the child he had loved so much was the one responsible for all the pain the monsters felt?

"Well, let's finish this." Asgore had recovered. Sans followed him as he led down the corridors, towards the throne room.

In the final corridor, Sans froze. His magic flared instinctively. Oh god, he could still see the child's body, mangled and destroyed.

How long had he spent in this room? Killing over and over. No one knew. To the king and everyone else, he had killed Chara once and that had been it. They would never understand how it felt to be trapped in a loop where you were forced to kill someone over and over just to stay alive. Fighting for what amounted to days, but only hours passing around you.

Asgore put his had on Sans shoulder, effectively snapping him back into focus. "If you'd like for me to give you a moment..."

"no." Sans shook the kings hand off him. He walked through the corridor, ignoring the smell of blood that still hung in the air. Despite his outward facade of strength, he was shaking.

The souls were all lined up perfectly. Like a prism of power they stood in a line. Waiting to be used. Sans' gaze drifted to Frisk's soul. DETERMINATION. He chuckled pitifully. She had always been determined, huh?

"I'll uh... leave you to it." Asgore stuttered. A moment later, Sans was alone.

He took Frisk's soul into his hand. The dark wisps flicking and swirling inside. "look, Chara..." He paused. Was he really talking to a soul?

He took a sigh and continued. "I got a job. I'm supposed to break down the barrier and set the monsters free."

He had never done this before. Frisk had always destroyed the barrier on her own. Now that he thought about it, he had never understood how she managed that. Humans can't absorb human souls, and monsters can't absorb monster souls. Yet no one had died, and all six souls had dissappeared. 

"i... uh.. look, i don't wanna do this if it's all gonna be for nothing. so, if you're gonna reset, do it now." His soul fluttered at the hope of a reset. Normally, the idea of it would make him more depressed, but at this point, seeing his brother was all that mattered.

He waited a good ten minutes. He watched the tendrils of demon possession as he waited. Slowly, the embers of hope died, leaving him cold and empty.

He summoned his soul as if calling for a fight. Using magic as a catalyst, he absorbed the red soul in his hand. He felt.... something. As shift in his magic, maybe? He wasn't overwhelmed by power, or anything, just slightly... different.

He absorbed the other six souls, but no overwhelming power burst from him like he had expected. It was just a slight shift somewhere deep inside him. He didn't know what he had expected, but it wasn't this.

He sighed and approached the barrier. How he was going to use the power he supposedly had gained was beyond him, but he had to try.

He focused.

Suddenly, the power took full effect. He gasped as his magic roared inside him. The sheer force of his own strength scared him. He couldn't hold it in, and soon, everything went white.