A flash of white light and I was laying in my bed again. I struggled to breath properly but didn't have a full on panic attack this time around. I slowly sat up and repeated the thought running through my head. He remembers. He remembers. I jumped up and ran from my room down the hallway and stopped in front of my little brothers door.

"p-pap."

I pushed the door open and saw Papyrus sitting on his bed head buried in his arms and his knees to his chest. He looked up when I came in and I was given the sight of orange tears trailing down his skull. My breath hitched but I pushed past it and approached my hurting brother. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close.

"I know pap. but I won't let them get us again. I'll stop them."

Papyrus shook his head and left my hold. I stood there shocked and confused. What did I do wrong? He wanted me to tell him, he didn't want me to keep pretending everything was fine.

"Sans. Not just you. WE will stop them. We will make them see the error in their ways. We will show the human that kindness is still attainable."

I was frozen. He still wanted to spare them. After everything they did. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Papyrus. they're a murderer. they've killed you countless times, they won't stop. how could you forgive them?"

My head was spinning, he had died at the hands of the child yet again and still wanted to spare them, to believe in them. Normally I loved the optimism my brother had, but for the human after everything they've done. I shook my head in disbelief. We were just going to be cut down by that demon again. I was going to have to watch my brother, my little brother be turned to dust again and again and again.

My labored breathing was hitching and a hand on my shoulder snapped me back to reality and I struggled to even it out again.

"Brother, please. I know you don't want to and you can't see anything but the bad endings we've had, but please. I know there's good in them. I've seen it. Trust me Sans."

I stood there frozen. What was I supposed to do? I wanted to protect him and that meant killing the child. I wanted to make him happy and that meant doing what he wanted. I wanted to fix all of this and make it all stop and that wasn't ever going to happen. It would just keep resetting over and over. There wasn't anything I could do. So why not? Humor him even if it gets us killed again and again and again. Because I only live for Papyrus and if he wants to show mercy to the demon then who am I to stop him? I'll do everything in my power to save him if it all goes to hell, which it will. But at least this way he can see that he's wrong about that creature. Then the next reset we can hide somewhere and continue on until they grow bored once again. But he'll remember. We will both remember the time together.

I slowly nodded my head.

"alright paps. we'll do it your way. but if they try anything I'll have to stop them. I don't want to lose you again bro. I won't."

Papyrus let that sink in for a moment before he nodded solemnly.

"ALRIGHT BROTHER, THEN COME ON. IT'S TIME TO SHOW SOME MERCY!"

He went about his room grabbing his 'battle body' and scarf. I went back to my room and slipped my jacket on before following Papyrus out the door and into the chilly air of Snowdin. I stood on the porch for a moment breathing in the cold air and watching the falling snow. Papyrus turned around and gave me a smile. I returned a crooked grin and motioned him to follow.

"come on paps. I know a shortcut."

He followed after me and we went through the little rip in the fabric of reality and we popped out on the other side. It was a sight I had grown so used to after so many run-throughs. I hated every bit of it. But seeing Papyrus's eyes widen in surprise and awe made a chuckle slip out and I couldn't hate the judgement hall as much anymore. We stood there for what felt like years and then the little demon showed up. Red eyes glinting maliciously, face pulled back in a wicked grin. They stopped short upon seeing me standing there.

"well, what do you know. you're back. and once again you've killed everyone I know and love. well. not everyone."

Papyrus walked out next to me.

"HELLO THERE HUMAN! YES IT IS I THE GREAT PAPYRUS! HAVE YOU FINALLY COME TO TURN YOUR KILLING WAYS AROUND AND BE A DECENT LITTLE HUMAN AGAIN?"

They stood in shock for a moment, then they bent forward and a loud increasingly insane laughter burst forth.

"HahahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh you have got to be kidding me. What did you say to him comedian? How did you get him to come here and wait instead of trying to stop me from killing everyone again?"

I shook my head.

"Oh? Not going to tell me? What a shame. Guess I'll have to kill you both and be on my way. Maybe next time you'll tell me"

"THERES NOT GOING TO BE A NEXT TIME HUMAN. WE ARE GOING TO STOP YOU HERE, WHERE SANS HAS STOPPED YOU TIME AND TIME AGAIN. YOU WONT WIN."

The demon froze for a moment.

"Wait. You know? How the hell do you know?"

I looked up my eyes dark and a humorless smile on my face.

"he remembers. everything."

Their eyes widened in disbelief before they took a step back and started shaking their head.

"What? Hahaha oh very funny. That's crazy. No way does he actually remember."

They broke off and looked at the taller skeleton.

"47 times. That's how many times you've come through and even though I gave you a chance, you killed me. 15 times you've gone through without doing so. 12 times you've killed my brother after he gave his all. And now here we are. The three of us all in this fabled hall. And once again you are faced with a choice."

The demon's face blanched at the quiet tone taken by my brother and their laugh was forced and made me frown in thought.

"Hahaha what choice? I've killed them. I've killed them all. Sans knows all about that. I should be punished. There's no choice for me. Either I die here or I keep killing everyone."

The brothers exchanged glances.

"listen kid, I know I haven't been, well the nicest bone guy around, but I'm willin' to give you a chance."

"THATS RIGHT HUMAN, WE BOTH KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS. JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE. WE BELIEVE IN YOU. "

The human was shaking now, their grip on the knife was slipping.

"No no no nononono this isn't real. This isn't really happening. How can you. . . How could you . . . . Why are you forgiving me?! I've killed them! I've hurt them all! I've hurt you both! Killed you both so many times! And and, and now you just show up and say it's okay?"

"not in the slightest kid. It's definitely not okay. in fact we hate the idea of you going around with your little blade and turning everyone into dust. that's our friends. our family. but even after all of that. we still think you deserve a chance. you can change kid. I know it."

Tears were flowing down their face. The knife slips and hits the floor with a clatter.

"W-why. W-why would y-you forgive m-me for this?"

They sank to their knees and covered their face. We both went forward and Papyrus engulfed them in a hug. I laid my hand on their shoulder and offered a smile.

"come on kid. It's time to fix this story. let's go back one last time. and let's make it right."

They nodded and then papyrus was falling backwards a knife in his chest. I was frozen in shock. He was already flaking away.

"ITS OKAY H-HUMAN. I KNOW, YOU CAN DO THIS. I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER."

And with those words he was a pile of dust. 49 times, I had to watch him die. I turned and looked at the human, but paps words echoed in my head and I couldn't find the fire in me, I just felt empty and cold. They sat there staring at their hands in horror. Tears streamed down their face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I shook my head.

"kid, if you are truly sorry. then go back and do this all right. let us all be happy again."

The kid looked up at me and for once their eyes weren't red. They were a soft brown. I smiled with real happiness for the first time in what felt like years.

With a flash of white I woke up in my bed once again hopefully for one of the last times. I jumped out of bed and ran to Papyrus's room and found him sitting on his bed with a worried look on his face.

"DO YOU THINK THEY WILL TRY?"

I smiled.

"ya bro, I really think this time, it'll all work out."

The end.