It

Papyrus and Undyne made spaghetti under Toriel’s ever watchful eyes, and Alphys set up activities while you and Sans were gone. Papyrus seems ecstatic about camping, and you can’t help but giggle at how happy he seems.

Dinner wasn’t bad, you suspect Toriel was to thank for that, and no doubt Alphys at least tried to help Toriel supervise Undyne and Papyrus. After dinner you all played games, you even taught them a few campfire songs you knew from hearing others who were camping.

Everyone was reluctant to go to sleep but a glare from Toriel kept them from complaining, everyone was tired anyway.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You don’t know where you are, all around as far as you can see there are trees. You don’t know why but you are running, but it doesn’t feel like it’s really you running. You can taste blood in the air… is it yours? As you try to understand what’s going on, you hear a gunshot, pain shoots through your hind leg, and you can hear someone shouting.

“It ran over here!”

You trip, and the pursuers come up to you, they are very big, they look strong. They look at you, you look at them. All you see is your reflection, your scared gold eyes, silver fur… Wait, that’s not you, it’s Mel!

*BANG*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You wake up, your face feels wet, you were crying… No you have to find him, you are DETERMINED to save him!

You barely notice as you form a SAVE. You exit the cabin through the hole you found earlier. You shift into a wolf as you run, you think you may be able to find him… And you do, just not as you would have hoped. You find him lying there, dead, with two bullet holes in him. One on the right hind leg, the other in the chest, a straight shot to the heart.

Filled with grief for your old friend you load your SAVE, intending to go back to when you SAVED before your walk through the woods with Sans… But you opened your eyes to darkness, in your sleeping bag. You want to get there before it can happen again, you have to get there first! You run out the front door this time, not caring about getting caught.

~~~

Sans wakes up after a SAVE was loaded, he sees Frisk frantically running outside. With every intention to get Frisk to explain Sans follows. He doesn't think he has ever seen them run so fast, not even when Undyne was chasing them down.

~~~

You run, and run, you run faster, and faster trying to save him, help him… But you're too late, you find him again, bullet holes, fur stained red, unresponsive.

…

……

………

You fall to your knees, you feel broken, one of your oldest friends, someone you trust, dead… And you can’t save him, you crawl to him, and cradle him in your arms. Your crying, whispering meaningless sorrys to his corpse over and over, you so desperately want to avenge him, find whoever did this to him and make them pay.

When you see Sans slowly walk up, cautiously, you hold on to Mel’s corpse as if your life depended on it.

~~~

Sans watches as Frisk sees the dog like animal, they just stop, they stand there for a minute… Staring, looking down at it as if they can’t understand what they are looking at, then they just- They break. They fall to the ground, and crawl to it. They hold it in their arms as if it’s the most delicate thing in the world, crying and whispering something to it.

Sans considers leaving them like that, but he sees their eyes changing from brown to red, something he has only seen happen during their genocide runs. He walks up to them very slowly so as not to have them lash out at him. They seem to immediately go on defense when they see him, but something like recognition flashes in their eyes so he keeps walking.

It takes a while for Frisk to calm down and a few hugs, which are a bit awkward for Sans because he remembers what they did, and he has to hug them around the things corpse. Frisk refuses to let go of it as if it might disappear… How is he supposed to explain This to Toriel?

~~~

Sans walks you back to the cabin and sits you on the bench outside of the cabin.

“Look, kid I know you are grieving… But I kinda need to know what's going on. Like why you loaded a save, and it would help if I knew why that thing is so important to ya.”

You try to speak past your silent sobs “I- I wa- wanted to- to s- s- save him.”

“I- He- He was my f- friend, bu- but the hunters g- got to h- him first.”

You start to cry harder, you feel so hopeless, you promised yourself, you promised him… No more RESETS, not if you can help it, but right now you want to break that promise, it takes so much to stop yourself from breaking that promise.

Sans sees he won’t be able to get any more out of you so he just sits there with you until the others are awake. Toriel seems a little confused about you holding the dead animal, but when you ask if you can take him home and bury him she agrees. You don’t say anything the whole ride home, you just sit there with Mel on your lap.

The first thing you actually say since your talk with Sans, is what to put on Mel’s grave stone. Under his name you have Toriel add one more thing, in a secret language only you and a few friends know. The stone says Mel and under in your secret language it says that you were too late. You know it’s selfish to add that but it was your fault that you could not get there fast enough, and you should never be allowed to forget.