Underearth/Book 1/Chapter 31

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On the summit, Frisk found that the ground was made of cobblestone, and he also found a large building with the letters 'MTT' on the front with two little Mettatons with wings on either side of the letters. Out in front of the building stood a rather familiar face.

"Hey." Sans called to Frisk, who eagerly approached. "I heard you're going to Helios Station."

"You heard right, Sans." Frisk responded.

"Well, how about grabbing some dinner with me first?"

"Um... Sure."

"Great, thanks for treating me." Sans joked before walking towards an alley next to the resort. "Over here. I know a shortcut."

Frisk and Sans then began walking down one of the alleys next to the resort, on one side was the building itself, on the other was a chasm. As they walked, Frisk suddenly found himself standing next to a tall table with Sans on the other side.

"Well, here we are." Sans said as though nothing had happened. "So. Your journey's almost over, huh?"

"Just about, yeah." Frisk responded, grabbing a glass of water on the table and beginning to drink it.

"You must really wanna go home." Sans said, causing Frisk to jerk in place, water now dripping down his chin. "Hey. I know the feeling, buddo. Though... Maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you. Down here you've already got food, drink, friends... Is what you have to do... Really worth it?"

Frisk took the moment of silence that followed to set down the cup and think on what Sans had said. This path Frisk was on, the path of retribution, was it really worth giving up all he had gained down here?

"Ah, forget it." Sans then said. "I'm rootin' for ya, kid."

Frisk slouched over the table, still clearly thinking about it.

"Hey." Sans said attempting to get Frisk's attention. "Let me tell you a story."

"So I'm a sentry in Snowdin Heights, right? I sit out there and watch for Humans. It's kind of boring. Fortunately, deep in the forest... There's this HUGE locked door. And it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes. So one day, I'm knocking 'em out, like usual. I knock on the door and say 'knock knock'. And suddenly, from the other side... I hear a woman's voice. 'Who is there?' So, naturally, I respond: 'dishes.' 'dishes who?' 'dishes a very bad joke.' Then she just howls with laughter. Like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. So I keep 'em coming, and she keeps laughing. She's the best audience I've ever had. Then, after a dozen of 'em, SHE knocks and says... 'Knock knock!' I say 'who's there?' 'old lady!' 'old lady who?' 'oh! I did not know you could yodel!' Wow. Needless to say, this woman was extremely good. We kept telling each other jokes for hours. Eventually, I had to leave. Papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story. But she told me to come by again, and so I did. Then I did again. And again. It's a thing now. Telling bad jokes through the door. It rules."

Sans went silent for a second before continuing the story.

"One day, though, I noticed she wasn't laughing very much. I asked her what was up. Then she told me something strange. 'If a Human ever comes through this door... could you please, please promise something? Watch over them, and protect them, will you not?' Now, I hate making promises. And this woman, I don't even know her name. But... Someone who sincerely likes bad jokes... Has an integrity you can't say 'no' to. Do you get what I'm saying? That promise I made to her... You know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything? Buddy."

Sans looked away for a moment, closing his eyes. When he reopened them, however, the white dots in his eyes had vanished, leaving a rather intimidating empty skull as he spoke his next line.

"Y o u ' d \_ b e \_ d e a d \_ w h e r e \_ y o u \_ s t a n d ."

Frisk stepped back as Sans closed his eyes again, very intimidated. After a moment of silence again, Sans reopened his eyes, the white dots back, and looked at him.

"Hey, lighten up, bucko! I'm only joking with you. Besides... Haven't I done a great job protecting you? I mean, look at yourself. You haven't died a single time."

Frisk looked at Sans with a spiteful grimace, his memory recalling being impaled multiple times by Undyne, and being eaten alive by the spider Monster and the colony of spiders in the Home Memorial Hall.

"Hey, what's that look supposed to mean? Am I wrong...?" Sans then chuckled a little then began walking off. A little ways away now, he turned around to face Frisk again. "Well, that's all. Take care of yourself, kid. 'cause someone really cares about you." Sans then walked toward the end of the room, then disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Frisk himself turned around once Sans was gone and took his own way out of the restaurant they were in, exiting to the main lobby of the MTT Resort.