Striding along the path, Papyrus walked in the direction of home. He knew he could've taken the boat home, in fact, it probably would have been quicker, but he just wasn't in the mood to do so. He'd rather walk along the long path, letting his mind wander as his feet moved him along.

Waterfall truly was a beautiful place, he thought as his feet walked across the slightly damp ground. The small town was truly a sight to behold. In a seemingly eternal night, the gems on the cavern's ceiling seemed to glisten like stars, and the echo flowers that lined the path filled the air with the wishes of those who came before.

Papyrus tried not to listen to the flowers, feeling he was intruding on something sacred by listening; but every once and awhile his curiosity got the best of him. As he walked delicately through a patch of echo flowers, he noticed something peculiar. A lone echo flower stood in a remote corner of the room, hidden by the darkness that surrounded it. One could glance right at it and never even notice it.

Slowly, careful not to make any noise, he approached the flower. It was a far way off the path, making it unlikely anyone before him had found it, and yet, he was curious. Carefully, he touched the flower with a finger and waited with baited breath for a message in time to play.

The voice that spoke shocked him.

"I can't do this anymore," the voice said, "I just can't. I'm so tired, I want it to end. I just wish it would end."

The echo flower quieted, leaving a tense silence in its wake. Papyrus sat there, shocked by the words. That can't be... He pressed the echo flower again, hoping that he had misheard. The message played the same as before, furthering Papyrus's horror.

He knew that voice. It was his brother's voice. Sans. He looked down at the echo flower as if it had come from hell itself. Sitting there, flower beside him, he thought over the meaning the words it had spoke. Those words, those terrifying words, he doubted he would ever forget them. Why? He asked. Why did his brother feel this way? He always thought Sans to be a relatively happy guy. He told jokes, hung out at Grillby's, and always had a smile on his face. How could someone like that possibly be unhappy? Yet, as Papyrus thought about it, a dark realization occurred. What if it was all an act? It would make sense, if it was true. A relaxed, happy attitude to mask the dark inner turmoil. The thought made him shudder. That he never ever noticed it. Papyrus stared at the echo flower, contemplating what to do with it. Finally, he made his decision. He got up, and began walking back to Undyne's house.
-

Notes: This is the first chapter of my mutlichapter fanfic. I do not know how long it will be, as I have no outline for the story. I will try to update often, but know that that is not always possible. With that being said, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and hope to stick around to see more.