Skeleton Ghost

One Final Dance

They arrived in Flowey's room, awaiting his usual spiel when he turned around-
Except he was already facing them.
Expressionless.

They blinked, not sure what to do when he didn't play his usual part.
"Do you really hate me, Chara?"

... Okay, they were not expecting that.
They were tempted spit out in anger, but thought better of it.
Sans's words echoed in their mind, relentless.
"I.." As soon as the word left them, they lost confidence.

"I don't know. I'm fucking angry at you, but I… or I was mad at you?"
Everyone has flaws, and yes, that allows for bad shit to happen, but that's just the way things are!

The words wouldn't leave them alone. As if Frisk wouldn't let them forget, wherever that one was in their mind anymore.
"I.. think Sans is right."

"You were there!"
"Yeah. I was. And.. I'm tired of this too. Even I got bored with Reset awhile ago, I only used it to find every single possible thing, but you…. I want it to stop. Is this really the last one, Chara?"
They hesitated, knowing Toriel would be arriving soon in spite of it.
"I.. think so." They finally whispered.

Hope gleamed in his black seedy eyes. He nodded, petals shuffling around his face before he tried to smile.
"I guess I'll see you at the Barrier, then."
"I guess so."

He ducked under the soil as Toriel strode into the room, gasping as she spotted them.
"Oh! My child, are you alright?"

. • ° . • ° . • °

Sans was legitimately smiling. Chara had passed him multiple times, they'd gone through the forest and Snowdin without attacking a single monster and on through Waterfall, making friends with everyone with a note of finality that couldn't be ignored.

He feigned sleep in the glowing orange ambience of Hotland as they darted past, shooting him a look he was more than used to before Undyne came stomping by.

As they continued on in their sprint into the volcanic region, Sans leaned over to watch as Undyne slowed down and inevitably collapsed.
Chara glanced down the path to glare at him, then moved to revive the fish woman with the (always convenient) water tank.

He grinned, seeing Undyne struggle to her feet, Chara watching drily as the captain glared. Then he ducked back in to "sleep" as she turned around.

Oh, this was thrilling.
Just imagining being able to spend years on the Surface was almost too much.
He was careful not to let his hopes get up too high, but damnit, it felt like the first time the human had passed through the Underground all over again.
He could finally keep his Super Tricycle.

Oh, Undyne had arrived.
Ah yes, she was not happy with him.
The usual chewing out.

. • ° . • ° . • °

And Undyne was staying in his house thanks to the fire, Chara ferrying letters between her and Alphys, meanwhile Sans was still in his station, grinning madly as events unfolded for the last time.

That is, he was until Napstablook showed up.
"...𝙷𝚒.."
He blinked, sitting up and (somehow) grinning even wider.
"Heya, Nappy!"
"..𝙷𝚒 𝚂𝚊𝚗𝚜. 𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎."
"Nah, it happens. How ya feeling, buddy?"
"𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠... 𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢.. 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚒𝚝?"

He wanted to say that they couldn't be entirely sure just yet, but he really didn't appreciate how the ghost had excluded himself.
"We did. And yeah, looks like it."