A Different Kind of End - Book One - Reset

Prologue

Stumbling through the barrier on weak legs she drops to the ground, a cool autumn breeze whips through her tattered and torn sweater. The sun is just rising on the horizon, throwing tones of gold and purple across the multicoloured canopy of trees below her spot on the cliff edge, making the view look like it was ablaze. Slowly her heart beat slowed and she felt numb, "Is this it, is this how it ends?" she croaks out quietly, but no one answers, no one is around to answer. Curling up, she wraps her aching arms around her knees at a loss of what to do now, she had given up everything on the surface when she came to the mountain, she never expected to see the sun, the sky or even the world again when she fell. After everything she had experienced in the underground, "what do I do now?" she asks the open air with no emotion.

Ring, ring ...

A phone rang, she frowns and looks around before realisation floods through her and she scrambles to pull out the small phone Toriel had given her, and that Dr Alphys had upgraded from her small satchel. The number flashing up on the screen was one she didn't recognise but she answers it quickly with a small flicker of hope, "H..hello?"

"Heya. Is anyone there...?" Sans deep voice fills her ear and a shattered joy flows through her,

"Sans!"

"Well, I'll just leave a message..."

"Sans? Sans I'm here!"

"So... It's been a while." He could not hear her, sadness wells up and with her head drooping she continues to listen, "The Queen returned, and is now ruling over the underground. She's instated a new policy..." there is a pause, "all the humans who fall here will be treated not as enemies... but as friends. It's probably for the best, anyway. The human souls the King gathered... seem to have disappeared. So, uh, that plan ain't happening any time soon. But even though people are heartbroken over the King..." tears begin to sting her eyes, "...and things are looking grim for our freedom... the Queen's trying her best not to let us give up hope. So, uh, hey... if we're not giving up down here... don't give up wherever you are ok? Who knows how long it will take... but we will get out of here," tears were silently streaming down her face now as a new voice erupts loudly from the phone,

"SANS!!! WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO???" It was very clearly Papyrus,

"Oh, nobody." Sans responds,

"WHAT!? NOBODY!? CAN I TALK TO THEM TOO???"

"Here, knock yourself out,"

"WAIT A SECOND... I RECOGNISE THIS NUMBER!!!" this makes her giggle quietly, "ATTENTION, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS..." dramatic pause, "AM NOW CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! IT'S EVERYTHING I'VE DREAMED OF..."another pause, "EXCEPT, INSTEAD OF FIGHTING, WE JUST WATER FLOWERS. SO THAT'S EVER-SO-SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. AND, WE'RE HELPING DR. ALPHYS WITH HER RESEARCH! SHE'S GONNA FIND A WAY TO GET US OUT OF HERE. UNDYNE IS HELPING HER TOO! THOUGH, TO BE HONEST, HER METHOD OF HELPING...SEEMS KIND OFF... EXPLOSION-INDUCING," this turns her quiet giggle into a louder chuckle, "BUT I THINK ALPHYS LIKES HAVING HER AROUND. UH OH!!!"

"Hey! What are you up to, punk!? Ngahhhh!" Undyne's loud voice rivals Papyrus'

"PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE PHONE."

"Hey! Who's in charge here!?" she demands,

"ME." Papyrus responds simply,

"Oh... yeah, that's right! I quit my job as leader of the Royal Guard. Actually, since we won't be fighting anymore... The Royal Guard totally disbanded. There's, uh, only one member now."

"BUT HE'S EXTREMELY GOOD."

"Yeah!! He is!! C'mere!!"

"PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON."