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Chapter Text

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

Dr Suess

---

Before his alarm clock could even announce that the time had come to awaken, Papyrus slammed his hand down upon the large button and sat up frightfully quick, his sheets almost flying off his very body. He quickly stretched out and twisted his stiff bones, climbed out and made his bed, disappeared to clean up and returned to change into his favourite outfit, and finally checked his Undernet message board.

Nothing new.

Same thing.

Oh well.

"Well it is early in the morning," he told himself with confident smile, tightening his scarf as he did, "and no one wakes as early as the Great Papyrus! Monsters of the Underground need their well deserved rest."

After fastening his boots he left his room and proceeded to the kitchen, grabbing a crab apple before sneaking towards the door leading outside. He glanced up at his brother's bedroom door, knowing fully well that Sans was probably still fast asleep and for once it was what Papyrus wanted. Without another word he crept out of the house and headed towards Waterfall.

Soon the crunching snow beneath his red boots was replaced with the soft grass as he strode through fields of echo flowers under the star covered ceiling. He crunched away at his healthy snack, the small fruit satisfying his morning hunger and soon he arrived at Undyne's house, the captain of the Royal Guard sat outside waiting for him.

She yawned, showing off her impressive fangs, and gave Papyrus a tired smile along with a wave. "I was worried you weren't gonna show up," she chortled. "I would have woken up for nothing."

"You needn't worry Undyne," declared Papyrus as he swipe his crimson scarf off his shoulder, "for I, the Great Papyrus, would never not show up at an arranged activity such as the one I planned." He stood in a proud position and grinned confidently. "You know me Undyne, punctuality is practically my nature."

"Well sometimes you can get way too punctual," moaned Undyne, not even certain if what she said made any sense.

"It doesn't hurt to go overboard," chuckled Papyrus, "as a future member of the Royal Guard I have to push every single aspect to become even greater than before." A dreamy look appeared in his eye sockets. "I'll push the boundaries to become a greater than great Royal Guard, more popular than popular, loved forever and insanely admired by all."

Undyne could not help but smirk at Papyrus' dream, hoping it would hide the tint of guilt that was slowly brewing inside. "We still have tons of training to do before you get in Paps," she informed, "but you're pretty much halfway there."

The Skeleton looked thrilled. "Really!?"

Undyne rolled her visible eye and stood up with a chuckle, her fins trembling a little from the sudden movement. She stretched out her limbs, her scaly skin shimmering in the dim light. "Weren't we going to go treasure hunting or something?" Papyrus sheepishly nodded. "Well alright then, let's do this!" Her weariness suddenly vanished and she grabbed Papyrus by the hand, leading him to the garbage dump near the Waterfall.

They headed deep into an area of the dump until they found a good spot where piles of trinkets from the surface world had ended up. Small mountains of strange items that made no sense to the monsters of the Underworld surrounded them, each unusual item brought wonder and curiosity to any monster who saw them. Undyne came down here often with Alphys so she knew the best spot to look for... whatever they were looking for.

"So Papyrus, what exactly are we looking for?" asked Undyne, flipping her red ponytail out of her face.

Papyrus stared intensely at the piles of trash. "A perfect present for Sans of course," explained the tall skeleton. "I need to find something that would make a wonderful birthday present."

Undyne made an amused "pfttt" sound. "I didn't think Skeletons celebrated birthdays," she mused, "though not having a birthday would suck."

It was true; Skeletons didn't traditionally celebrate birthdays like everybody else. It was one of those well known facts of Monster Lore since Skeletons weren't exactly born like other Monsters, but were formed or created into existence. It was complicated. Both of the Skeleton Brothers knew of this but at some point in their lives Sans and Papyrus started celebrating their own birthdays, though Papyrus couldn't exactly remember when and why.

"Sans and I decided that just because our kind didn't celebrate the day of our creation, it doesn't mean that he and I shouldn't," answered Papyrus.

That seemed to had impressed Undyne. "I'll be certain to find Sans an awesome present then," she promised, "so have you got everything else sorted?"

"Of course I have," boasted Papyrus.

Today was the eve of Sans birthday and Papyrus had everything prepared, all he needed to do was get a present ready for him and it was Undyne who suggested the dump was the best place to start looking. It was where she got that cool flag that he proudly displayed in his room so there was bound to be something here that would make a good present for his older brother. It was Papyrus' idea to come early so they could get a good chance of finding something before anyone else came along.

"Anything in particular?" asked Undyne, picking up a battered musical instrument, "I don't know Sans well enough."

Papyrus thought it would be best to explain his brother's persona to her in the hopes it would help her find the right gift. "Living with him can be a pain. He tells awful puns day in day out, leaves his socks all over the place and is incredibly lazy," he described, folding his arms in annoyance as the mood from those memories started to take over.

Undyne could not help but snort with laughter. "Anything else? What doesn't he do that annoys you?"

Papyrus thought for a moment. "I do love it when he reads me my bedtime stories," he said with a smile, "and he always tells me how cool I am, not that I needed to know."

Undyne chuckled, even though the information didn't exactly inspire any ideas. "Ok, I'm gonna look over there, you look over there. Let me know when you find something."

The two split up and started rummaging through the piles of treasure from the surface world, determined that they would be the first to find something. Undyne threw the items she didn't like into another pile and some items she kept for herself. Papyrus examined each item that interested him, hoping it would be something Sans would like but so far nothing seemed right.

A necklace of shiny beads.

A plant pot.

A strange toy with missing parts.

A cookie jar in the shape of a dog.

A tattered book on how to pronounce foreign words.

Papyrus sighed as hours had passed but so far he didn't find anything that would make a suitable gift for his brother. Last year he got him a new jacket. The year before that he got him assorted socks. The year before that he got him those slippers he always wore. Papyrus had always bought Sans things he believed he needed. The jacket to keep him warm whilst on sentry duty, the socks to protect his feet from the cold snow, and the slippers because Sans' sneakers were getting worn and that slippers were easier to put on.

In fact Papyrus always used to purchase his brother's gifts from the shops in the capital. He was planning to do the same thing this year but...

"Purchasing presents for your loved ones is so lame."

"It's a waste of time and gold."

"You know what's popular? Getting a gift from the garbage dump."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's all sorts of treasure there. It's better than wasting gold on shops."

"Only unimaginative dolts buy things. Actually putting effort into finding a gift among the piles of Human things is so much more admirable."

Papyrus held up a ruined hoodie with odd stains on it. "Hmmm, maybe if I give this a thorough wash and stitch on some patterns to hide the rips?"

"Hey Paps!" Undyne appeared holding what looked like a tuba. "Doesn't Sans play a musical instrument?" She tried playing it but she couldn't even get a single note to come out. In frustration she tossed it far over the mountains of garbage.

"Nice but I suffer enough with Sans and his trombone," sighed Papyrus, "it somehow enhances the annoyance of his puns."

Undyne mumbled as she slumped into a cross legged sitting position. "Not that I don't enjoy doing this but why don't you just buy him a present?"

Papyrus made a tutting sound. "Undyne, only gold wasting fools with no imagination buy presents. Hardworking individuals such as myself seek out a suitable gift within the dump." He pulled another ruined piece of clothing. "Going off to the capital to buy a present is lazy and uninspiring."

"Huh," responded Undyne, "that kinda makes sense."

"Of course it does," confirmed Papyrus.

Undyne jumped up with her signature grin. "Man, now I wanna find a super awesome thing that would make a killer gift!" She scanned the area intensely. "I'm going to find an absolutely amazing gift! F-for Sans of course."

Papyrus was thrilled to see how determined Undyne was. "Oh yes, an awesome killer gift!"

"Yeah!" Undyne was super pumped.

"Yeah!" repeated Papyrus, Undyne's enthusiasm was contagious.

"YEAH!" roared Undyne, running off to continue her search.

They continued their search, tearing down old piles and making new ones as they sought out something that would make a killer awesome present. From broken toys to bizarre DVDs they found all sorts of wonderful things but none of them was what Papyrus wanted to give to his brother. The morning was passing quickly and Papyrus was starting to think he'd never find anything

He wandered deeper and deeper into the dump, looking at each and every thing he passed, hoping that his eye sockets would land on something worthwhile. Humans made strange but interesting things, it was no wonder why getting a present for someone from here was popular. Still he had yet to see anything so he wandered deeper still. There weren't any boards to walk on in this area so his red boots were half submerged in the blue water. Unfortunately no matter how deep he went he didn't see anything of interest.

"Maybe I should just buy him something," murmured Papyrus, pausing in his search, "I can't find anything he'd like down here." He shook his head to rid himself of that idea. "N-no, I have to find him something from here! I must for I am the Great-" Before he could finish something suddenly glimmered into his eye socket.

He stared in the direction of where the glimmer was coming from and saw that there was something shimmering from underneath the surface of the water. Wondering what in the Underground it could be he walked towards it, staring down as the water reflected his curious expression. Kneeling down he reached into the water, his gloved hands taking hold of something with an odd shape. Taking care he carefully pulled whatever it was out of the water, bringing the submerged item out into the open air.

What he saw was himself.

It took him by surprise at first but it soon dawned on him that what he had found was a handheld mirror with his reflection staring back at him, trapped water slowly seeping from it. Papyrus had never seen anything like it, well he had seen mirrors before but none like this one. The reflective glass was encased in a beautiful silver frame with mesmerising patterns. It was in pristine condition with no cracks at all, almost as if it had just been recently made and Papyrus could not help but wonder how it survived for so long without getting damaged.

He stared into the mirror, staring at himself in wonder. Papyrus had stared into mirrors before to admire his own looks but there was something about about his reflection in this one that had his full attention. He couldn't explain it but there was something unusual about it, something he didn't fully understand. He pulled it closer to his face until it was the only thing visible within the mirror. His face was so clear, it was like that he was staring at a real life person who happened to look like him. He almost believed that he could reach into it and touch the other him. Papyrus stared at himself as if he was hypnotised by his own reflection.

"Who is that?"

Papyrus was snapped out of his trance when a voice suddenly spoke up.

"Oh its you, that's who is."

Looking over his shoulder he found Undyne was leaning over him to see what the skeleton had uncovered. "Ok that was cheesy," she muttered, "but hey, that's a neat find." She carefully ran a clawed finger down the silver frame. "Never seen anything like it. Well I've never seen a mirror like this one before."

Papyrus looked back at it. "You think?"

"Yeah," said Undyne, "I bet this would make a killer present for your bro."

Papyrus couldn't deny that this mirror would indeed make wonderful birthday present for Sans. It looked so rare and expensive. "He can take it with him wherever he goes, looking at his own reflection and hopefully inspiring him to stop being lazy." He stood back up and carefully tucked the mirror away into his scarf. "I finally found the perfect present for him! Thank you so much Undyne."

"For what?" snorted Undyne with a shrug, "you found it, not me." She held up a strange looking headband with cat ears sewn onto it. "Besides I found this totally awesome gift for a friend of mine! She's gonna love it."

The two Monsters left the garbage dump, both of them happy with their finds. They past by a lone dummy who fidgeted a little after they left. It glared at its surroundings, huffing at the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Finally! I thought that horrid presence was never gonna leave!"

---

Papyrus ran through his to do list before he could finally relax for the rest of the day. The decorations were ready to be put up, the special birthday spaghetti he prepared was ready to be cooked, the ketchup bottle was topped up and safely hidden until tomorrow, and he had the perfect birthday present in his possession. He had to wrap it up but he could do that before bedtime.

"Check, check and check," cackled Papyrus with glee, "just gotta to get some extra ketchup sachets and we're all set." Checking the time he saw he only had an hour left until the store closed so he'd better get going. "I better be quick so he won't see me."

"Too late."

Normally one would flinch at the sudden voice but Papyrus was used to his brother suddenly appearing out of thin air. Still he was slightly worried his brother might find out what he was doing. "Sans, you're back early. Did you leave your post before your relief showed up?" He turned to stare down at him with a glare.

Sans stared up at him with the same nonchalant look he always wore and shrugged. "I can only tell you that I was reliefed to get outta work," he chuckled.

Papyrus groaned at the comical words Sans spewed. "What did I say about the puns?"

"Cut me some slack bro," chuckled the shorter skeleton, "you said I could make all the puns I want on my birthday."

"Today is not your birthday," argued Papyrus, "anyway I got to run to the store quick... for items unrelated to the day tomorrow." He headed towards the door. "I'll be back soon."

"Mind if I come with?" asked Sans. Papyrus winced, not wanting Sans to see what he was up to. "I'm stopping off at Grillby's but I'll walk with you till we get there."

Papyrus sighed with relief. "Very well, I shall allow you to accompany me, but no more puns!"

"Oh come on," snickered Sans as he opened the door, "I know you adoor them."

Holding in the urge to shout Papyrus casually walked through the door with Sans following. They left their cosy home and started to slowly make their way towards the centre of town, neither of them saying anything to each other at first. Sans kept his hands in his pockets as he walked next to Papyrus, grinning more so than usual. Papyrus could only hope that Sans was still in the dark about what he had been planning for his birthday.

"So what have you been up to today?" asked Sans, "I didn't even hear you get up and you're usually real loud."

"I-I haven't done much today," stammered Papyrus, "nope, not much at all."

"Oh really?" chuckled Sans as he gave Papyrus a sly look, "nothing at all?"

"Exactly," declared Papyrus with a grin.

Sans chuckled. "It's not like you to do nothing bro. It almost sounds as if you were... lazy."

Papyrus grimaced upon realising what Sans was getting at. "I d-did check up on my puzzles and the traps as well as train with Undyne. So I have done something productive today and nothing unproductive!"

Sans smile seemed to be full of tease. "I see," he said. They reached the library when Sans changed the subject. "Hey I heard that they got Fluffy Bunny 2 in stock at the library."

Papyrus actually stopped to gasp. "Really!? I didn't know there was a sequel to Fluffy Bunny!"

"It was only recently released," explained Sans, "and the guy inside told me on the way home he just got it in stock."

"Wowie!" Papyrus was ecstatic upon learning this. "I always wanted to know what adventures Fluffy Bunny would go on next! Maybe he found another hill to hop up!"

Sans nodded and could not help but laugh at his younger brother's enthusiasm over a book. "After you finished at the store you can go grab it. I'll read to you when I get back."

Papyrus' eyes lit up. "You will?"

"Of course," promised Sans, "You know I'll never let you go to bed without a story, what kind of brother would I be?"

Papyrus jumped with glee. "I can't wait! As soon as I finish at the store I'll go grab it. I do hope there'll be copies left over."

After Papyrus had calmed down a little the two skeletons continued walking until they finally reached Grillby's, some Monsters were already heading inside with cheerful smiles and mindless chatter. Papyrus cringed at the smell of unhealthy food but did try to wave at the Monsters who waved at them, not realising that it wasn't him who they were greeting.

Sans waved to Papyrus as he headed off to join them. "I won't be that long, see you later bro."

Waving back at him Papyrus watched as Sans entered the establishment, hearing the Monsters inside greeting his brother. A foul thought crept into his mind as he listened to the greetings his brother received.

"Hey Sans!"

...

"Nice to see you Sans!"

...

"What up Sans?"

It wasn't...

"Sans!"

...fair...

Papyrus sighed as the door closed behind his brother, the muffled sounds of cheerful Monsters eating greasy food and drinking milk was the only sound he could hear from where he stood. For a while Papyrus stood there staring at the door to Grillby's whilst a empty like sensation washed over his skeleton frame. A feeling that he didn't know but at the same time he knew started to sink in, a cold and dark emotion.

Shaking his head Papyrus took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Such feelings are not worth to be dwelled upon. I better hurry to the store," he told himself, "and then I can grab the book!"

He trotted along until he reached the store, stepping in and politely greeting the shop keeper. The rabbit Monster greeted him in a friendly fashion and offered to assist him if he needed any help. Papyrus proclaimed he didn't need any help but thanked her anyway, and he grabbed everything he needed for tomorrow. He browsed a little more to make certain he hadn't forgotten anything, taking interest in the ingredients for spaghetti. A few advertisements on the notice board caught his attention, particularly the one about Snowdin's annual cooking contest.

"I'll definitely win this year," he told himself, grabbing some extra supplies. "After all I cook a well loved dish day in day out."

The cooking contest happened once a year in Snowdin and everyone in the small town participated. It was all organised by Grillby and his daughter and it was almost as popular as Gyftmas. Papyrus had only entered once but unfortunately he didn't win the top prize. It didn't get him down as it only inspired him to try harder than before. This year he wanted to win and it was going to be with a dish that was well loved by all Monsters.

He paid for his items, thanked the shopkeeper and headed straight for the library, ignoring Grillby's as he walked past it. Spotting the library got him excited and he almost ran in, the thought of the new book filling him with joy. It wasn't as busy as he assumed it to be, the library had the same Monsters inside who were either reading books, solving puzzles or making some up.

He strode over to the library owner, trying to keep a composed appearance to contain his excitement. "Good evening my fine sir, I was told you had a copy of Fluffy Bunny 2 in stock and I would like to borrow it."

The library owner pointed towards the children's section. "We do indeed, your brother was inquiring about it."

Papyrus thanked him and rushed over to where the book was kept, doing his best to keep quiet and not disturb anyone. A few Monsters were in the section near where the book was stocked and the moment Papyrus saw it he pulled it off the shelf and stared at it with glee. He couldn't wait for Sans to read this to him.

"They made a sequel to Fluffy Bunny? That story was so overrated."

Two Monsters nearby were also looking at the new book but unlike Papyrus they were not so impressed.

"I swear the author was trying to cash in on the fading popularity," sighed a horned Monster. "It was alright but now it's just so pretentious."

"It was cute for a while," muttered the other Monster, "but it got old real fast."

"You know what's better?" The horned Monster pulled out a different book. "The Adventures of Puffy Duck."

"I never heard of that one," murmured the other Monster.

"It only just got released but it's starting to get real popular," explained the Horned Monster, "its already got a fan base back in the capital and Mettaton recommended it on his show."

"So its the new Fluffy Bunny huh?" The other Monster grabbed a copy for himself. "Let's hope this one stays popular."

As the two Monsters left with their copies of the new book Papyrus watched them head to the counter to complete their purchase before staring down at the book in his hands. He then looked at the shelf where they had stocked the Puffy Duck book, a small advertisement stating it was the next big thing in the Underground.

He looked back and forth between the two books, the words that the Monsters had spoken still fresh in his mind.

---

Papyrus hummed a tune as he cut a red ribbon carefully into the length he wanted and filled a small box with scented shredded paper. There was something fun about preparing the wrapping for a present, especially since it was for Sans. Of course Santa did a much more better job when it came to wrapping presents and Papyrus could only hope to copy his brilliance.

Staring down at the carefully prepared box and the perfectly cut ribbon Papyrus felt a sense of pride. "Now all that's left is the present itself," he declared.

He reached into his scarf and pulled out the pretty mirror, staring into it once more. He still could not believe he found something so beautiful from the garbage dump. Even his reflection seemed to be amplified by the beautiful glass, he actually considered keeping it for himself but he knew if he did it meant Sans would be without a present. With extra care he placed it in the box and finished wrapping it up, hiding it in the chest of drawers next to his bed.

Finally everything was prepared, every item on his list was checked and ticked. He could not wait till tomorrow. He could not wait to see the look on Sans' face when he opened his present. "He might make him jump like it did to me," he cackled, "a little scare won't harm him, nyeh heh heh."

Changing into his pyjamas, Papyrus heard the front door open and a familiar voice call out to him. "Hey Paps, I'm home." Moments after those words were spoken there was a knock at Papyrus' bedroom door and Sans popped his head in. "Missed me?"

Papyrus cringed at a sudden stench. "You reek of grease," he moaned, trying to cover his nose.

"You being able to smell grease makes no scents bro," snickered Sans. Papyrus whined at the horrid pun whilst his brother laughed. "Sorry Papyrus," sighed Sans as he grabbed his stool and dragged it over towards the bed, "I'll behave tonight."

Jumping into bed and snuggling into his sheets he watched with anticipation as Sans sat down next to him. Sans made himself comfortable before asking, "did you get the book?"

"Of course I did," scoffed Papyrus, pointing to the book that sat upon his bedside table.

Sans spotted it and reached for it, placing it in his lap and studying the cover. He stared at it for a moment before looking at his brother, his eyes showing a small hint of confusion. "Um Papyrus, I think you got the wrong book." He held it up, showing off the cover that said, The Tales of Puffy Duck.

"No I didn't," stated Papyrus, shaking his head and acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"You sure?" Sans still appeared confused as he turned the book around to make certain he hadn't been looking at the back cover. "I mean I was fairly certain the story you wanted to hear was about a bunny and his next adventure."

"Fluffy Bunny is so overrated brother," tutted Papyrus as he sat up and tapped at the book Sans held, "Puffy Duck is so much more better than the tales of a bunny hopping over a hill." A unusual feeling throbbed under his skull as he said those words, not realising how empty his voice sounded as he defended the new book he barely knew.

Sans stared at him some more, unknown to his young brother he was a little concerned, but he finally shrugged. "Alright, the Tales of Puffy Duck it is."

So he laid there and listened to his brother tell him the story of Puffy Duck, a little duck who wanted to fly over a pond. At first he thought he would genuinely like it but as the story dragged on and on Papyrus found he was starting to think that the story was getting dull... or maybe it was his desire to sleep. Still he listened to his brother's voice, even as the world began to fade and he fell into a blissful slumber.

Or so he thought...

Chapter Text

Papyrus felt his conscious return as he opened his eyes and found himself staring into his darkened room, the familiar nightlight shining upon his bedside table emitting a little light to help him see. Grinding his teeth, Papyrus snuggled into his bed and let his vision wander about the room, admiring its layout. However something felt a little off though he couldn't quite understand what it was and his half awakened mind wasn't helping him one little bit.

Pushing himself up he reached for his alarm clock to check the time but his hand hit a solid surface. "Nyeh... what?" He was still very tired and tried to see what he had hit. It surprised him him to see it was the wall his bed was propped up against. "I reached for the wrong side," he mumbled, feeling a little silly.

Wait... the wrong side? The wall was supposed on the right side of his bed not the left. In fact now that he realised that he soon noticed that the alarm clock was now on his right side. With his mind now almost fully awakened he scanned his room as best he could and to his shock he found that everything was out of place. Well, they were all in the right place but at the same time they weren't.

The whole room had somehow been reversed.

Papyrus climbed out of his bed and looked around, his eyes now fully adjusted to the dark. How did this happen to his room? How did everything switch around like this? Was this some sort of trick that Sans had pulled on him? "I have to say if he did this then he really outdid himself this time," he mused.

He then noticed something from over by his bedroom door, lights and shadows were dancing underneath the gap of the door. What was going on out there? It looked like some sort of party lights and he was certain he could hear whispers coming from the other side.

"Sans?" Papyrus called out his brother's name and hoped he'd respond. He walked closer to the door and tried again. "Sans, was this your doing?" Still no answer. Slightly annoyed Papyrus stepped even closer and reached for the door knob. "Sans I don't appreciate you rearranging my bedroom without my consent!" He flung open the door, expecting to see his brother standing there with his usual sly smile...

WELCOME!

Papyrus' soul nearly leapt out of his bony frame and exploded as a screams and cheers echoed loudly all around him and he was almost blinded by a bright light. He jumped back with fright and tried to shield himself from the dazzling lights and the overbearing noise as best he could. Strange music began to play and it sounded a little cheesy if not catchy. Eventually he forced himself to look ahead to find out who was blinding him and found himself somewhere he did not recognise.

"W-what? What... WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LIVING ROOM!?"

He should've been standing on the landing overlooking the living room of his home, instead he was staring at what looked like some sort of brightly designed stage surrounded with enormous audience seats. He was unable to see who or how many were on those stands due to the bright lights that shone around him but from the loud cheers and claps he could tell there were a lot of people out there.

"W-who let you in here?" he shouted, "this is not the appropriate time to have a large amount of guests, and what happened to the living room?" The people in the stands laughed and clapped again. "T-this isn't funny," stuttered Papyrus, his cheeks flushing a little, "where is the TV? The couch? The kitchen? Where did everything go?" His demands were met with more laughter and Papyrus was starting to get annoyed. "I'm serious! What did you do to our home?"

The music came back and spotlights started dancing on the floor. A loud voice filled the air around him, almost deafening the confused Skeleton. "Good evening dear guests and welcome to a long awaited brand new show! Now let's introduce our fabulous host!" The spotlights started speeding along up a flight of stairs that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

"Please welcome to the stage: Umai!"

The spotlights sped up until they finally landed upon a tall thin figure standing atop the high staircase, his appearance hailed with even more cheers and applause. Papyrus could only gape up at the mysterious figure as he was still very much confused with what was happening. Confetti rained from the sky and the stranger atop the stairs waved as madly as his outfit. As the stranger became to descend the staircase whilst waving to whoever was applauded him, Papyrus could only stare at his flamboyant getup.

This Umai fellow was wearing a brightly coloured tuxedo like outfit with bright colours arranged in a way it would catch anyone's attention even if you tried to avoid looking at him, mostly red and purple with hints of blue but sometimes a new colour could be seen before you realised it. Crimson gloves and glossy turquoise shoes, with a ridiculously large red bow tie. If none of those were eye catchers than that large purple top hat he wore was definitely a magnet for attention. It was big, like really big, so big that Papyrus could only barely see the stranger's thin neck from underneath it. In fact with the way it had that huge smiley face crudely painted onto you'd think it was his actual head.

When he finally reached the stage, the tuxedo wearing person gave him a curt wave before he pulled out a mic from his sleeve and all spotlights suddenly focused on him. "Hello and good evening my beloved audience, welcome back to our fabulous show that I put together just for you!" The cries of delight grew even louder. "It's been a while and I assure you this one will be just as grand as the previous one!"

Papyrus stepped back a little, his nerves getting to him as well as his ever growing confusion over what was happening. He tried to return to his room in the hopes there would be some sort of clue in there that could help him understand what was happening, but when he spun round he saw nothing but more blinding lights blocking his way.

"Aw, our special guest seems to be a little nervous folks!" Papyrus turned back to see the stranger was pointing at him. "Lets be polite and give him a proper welcome!"

Umai walked over to him and Papyrus just noticed how tall he was. They were both roughly around the same height but that large hat he wore added a few extra inches. Once Umai was standing right in front of him he offered a hand towards the bewildered Skeleton. "No need to be shy Papyrus," chuckled Umai.

"How did you know my name?" gasped Papyrus.

"Simple," replied Umai, "because you're the guest of honour!"

The loud cheers came back along with flashing neon lights and ringing bells. Right above them was a large flashing sign with Papyrus' name, flashing in all the colours Papyrus could think of and exploded with even more confetti. Umai jumped up and down as he applauded, encouraging the hidden audience to cheer even louder. Papyrus felt his cheek bones burn when he realised that he was the star of this bizarre show though he wasn't certain why. Underneath all that confusion was a slight giddiness that all this was put on just for him.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," announced Umai, simmering down the excitement in the air, "let's get on with it!" He ushered Papyrus to follow him where a comfy looking chair sat next to a flashy desk, similar to that talk show Mettaton had. "Come Papyrus, we have so much to discuss before we begin."

Papyrus didn't really have a choice but he did seem eager to sit down. "Um, before we start I would like to know how you set all this up in the living room," he asked, his hands latched onto his knees.

Umai laughed. "This isn't your living room silly, this is my grand and glorious show and you are the star!" More applause followed before Umai calmed them down.

"So... am I in a studio?" queried Papyrus, not even wondering how he ended up in one. "Wait, is this like Mettaton's show? Do I get to meet Mettaton?"

There was some amused laughter from the audience and Umai chuckled. "Sort of, a little and no," he answered, "this show is much, much, much more better than Mettaton's, and do you know why?" Papyrus shook his head. "It's because YOU are the star of show and I am your glamorous host, Umai!" He extended his long arm for a handshake which Papyrus politely returned as the crowds continued to cheer. "Trust me you're gonna love this show."

A show where he was the star? This sounded like a dream come true, it was a fantasy of his to be a star on a show. Papyrus felt insanely giddy now and his teeth chattered with excitement. "I-I've never been on a show before," he said, trying to keep himself composed. "I'm a little nervous." It was even more nerve wracking considering he was still in his pyjamas.

"No need to be," chuckled Umai as he pulled out a mug filled with an odd tea mixture and a straw, "you'll be fine. Now, before I explain the rules of the show let's talk about you." He leaned over his desk and Papyrus could not help but stare at the painted expression upon that large hat. "So Papyrus, apart from working as a sentry and making puzzles and spaghetti all day, you live with your big brother huh? Or should I say little big brother?" The audience laughed at that little joke.

"Yes, I live with my brother Sans," confirmed Papyrus, "together in Snowdin."

"Must be fun to live with a sibling, huh?" asked Umai, dunking a finger in and out of his tea.

"Hardly," scoffed Papyrus, "he leaves his socks all over the floor and lounges around when he needs to do work."

"Sounds like living with him is a chore in itself," chuckled Umai, "but enough about him, tell us about your dreams for the future! What does Papyrus want to be when he's older."

"That's easy," replied Papyrus as he leaned back into the plush chair, "I wish to be a member of the esteemed Royal Guard."

Umai made a whistling sound and the crowd made sounds of awe. "The Royal Guard? Wow, that's quite the aspiration." The crowd around them made sounds of agreement.

"Oh it is," agreed Papyrus as a dreamy look filled his face.

"So why the Royal Guard Papyrus?" asked Umai, "what was it about the King's army that made you want to sign up?"

Papyrus was a little stunned at first upon realising that nobody had ever asked him that question before. Sans never questioned him when he announced his intentions and Undyne didn't question him either. "Why so I can protect the Monsters of the Underground of course," answered Papyrus.

Umai tilted his head. "Is that the only reason?"

"And to get popular and praised by all," confessed Papyrus, blushing a little.

"Anything else?" asked Umai, his tone of voice almost sounded sly.

"Those are the only reasons I wanted to join," declared Papyrus, though a part of him was slightly conflicted. He said it so many times as to why he wanted to a member of the Royal Guard; to be loved by all and serve the Monsters of the Underground. It was a simple reason and it was more than enough.

Umai sat up and rested his hidden chin upon his arms. "How very interesting," he mused, "well let's finish this little segment with one last question." He then leaned over his desk so he could shove his mic into Papyrus' face. A single spotlight shone down upon Papyrus as Umai asked his final question...

"Who are you?"

The deathly silence that filled the air was a little unsettling. The question was a simple if not puzzling for Papyrus, and even though he should know the answer straight away he felt that the very question caused his voice to get lodged in his throat for a moment. "W-well... I'm Papyrus," he answered with a grin.

"And who is Papyrus?"

Umai's questions were getting a little peculiar despite their simplicity. "I'm sorry, I don't understand the question," said Papyrus.

For a moment Umai was silent and as still as a statute. It was a little unsettling especially with those painted eyes upon his hat that seemed to be staring at him. Papyrus couldn't deny this disturbing feeling that was trembling through his bones.

Then after what felt like an hour or so Umai finally sat up with a shrug. "Well that's more than enough, lets start the show!"

The crowd cheered loudly again and a large scoreboard dropped down from out of nowhere, scaring Papyrus a little though he was relieved that the questions had ended. Umai trotted over to the scoreboard and started to explain. "Here's how it works; you get seven tries, seven go's, seven chances! You heard me, seven attempts at winning. I will present you a challenge to complete and if you successfully completed said challenge then you win the game!" The crowd applauded. "However if you fail then you get six more attempts. Fail all seven and you lose." The crowd uttered disappointing noises. "Easy to understand, right?"

The rules of the game seemed simple for Papyrus. All he had to do was win one of the seven challenges and he'd win the game, so it didn't matter if he failed the first six as long as he won the last one. Not that he was planning on failing the first challenge. He was actually starting to get real keen on getting the game underway.

"I understand completely," confirmed Papyrus with a confident smile, "and I think you needn't worry about the other six challenges, I believe I can pass this first one with ease!"

"Excellent," exclaimed Umai as he clapped his gloved hands together, "so lets kick off with our first challenge! Is everybody ready!?" The crowd roared once more as Umai twirled over to another spotlight were two glittering podiums stood with flashy boxes atop of them. "Are you ready Papyrus?"

"Yes," answered Papyrus, jumping up and walking over to join the glamorous host.

"Wonderful," responded Umai, "now I like to start things off easy so this first challenge is super simple!" He patted the two boxes before lifting them up, revealing what they were hiding. Under one box was a plush doll in the shape of a bunny and the other one was a plush only it was shaped as a duck.

"Wowie," gasped Papyrus as he clasped his own face, "they're so cute!"

"Oh I know," agreed Umai, "I could just run off with both of them but that's not going to happen! Now here is your first challenge Papyrus..." Another hush entered the studio as a drumroll built up the exciting tension.

"The bunny or the duck?"

The very words he uttered appeared as large flashy lights above them with the crowd cheering them on. Umai stepped back and said, "good luck!"

Papyrus was a little surprised at this challenge, though he had been expecting something slightly more difficult. He had to choose between two different plush toys and that seemed to be the gist of it, nothing more and nothing less. It didn't seem like that much of a challenge but maybe there was more to it. He looked between the two dolls, wondering which one was the right choice. He kind of wanted a hint but Umai looked like he wasn't going to give him one.

"Which one is it?" he murmured to himself.

The bunny was definitely adorable with that big blue ribbon and those large beady eyes that almost shimmered, but so was the duck with the cute little sailor hat and pink scarf. They were both too cute for mere words. Was there a trick to this challenge? Papyrus stood there gnawing on his thumb as he tried think of which one was the right choice.

It was then that he noticed that the audience was chanting something.

"The duck..."

"Pick the duck..."

"Go for the duck..."

"Duck, duck, duck..."

"It's the duck..."

The crowd chanted for the duck over and over again, their voices resonating around the studio. He couldn't see them but it almost sounded like they were right behind him. Their low voices starting to rise up until Papyrus could not help but notice it. Was the audience trying to help him? Was the duck the correct one? Maybe it was... yes it had to be, why else would the crowd call out for it? It had to be the right answer, it just had to be.

"Are you ready to make your choice Papyrus?" Umai jumped up and down on his toes.

"Y-yes," stammered Papyrus.

"Excellent," squealed Umai, "so which is it?"

Papyrus looked back at the toys, the crowd continuing to chant until it was almost deafening. "I choose... the duck!" declared Papyrus confidently.

The studio suddenly became silent, deathly silent. Papyrus stood there after declaring his choice, waiting for Umai to say something but the host just stood there and stared at him, at least he assumed Umai was staring at him. Was this the part where they built up the dramatic tension before declaring him the winner?

Umai finally spoke...

"In...cor...rect."

A loud buzzing sound filled the studio and the crowd moaned in disappointment. Papyrus was stunned at the announcement. He was wrong? He could've sworn that the duck was the right option, the crowd was rooting for it.

"It... it cannot be," he mumbled, "I lost?"

"You did indeed Papyrus," confirmed Umai, pointing to the score board where a single cross appeared. "Too bad! I was kinda hoping you'd win!"

Papyrus slumped miserably. "I was so certain," he whined.

"Were you?" asked Umai, his body language displaying his confusion as he tilted his head, "what made you so certain?"

"It was obviously the right choice," sighed Papyrus as he glanced at the toy, "why wouldn't it be?"

Umai made a tutting sound. "You sure? Because I'm fairly certain you were just listening to the audience."

Papyrus flinched a little. "Well the duck is clearly the popular one, why wasn't it the correct choice?" He had hoped that the audience would join in to defend him but they remained silent, much to Papyrus' grief.

Umai stood there and Papyrus was certain that the painted smile upon the hat grew a little. "This isn't about what they wanted Papyrus... it was about what you wanted... but you chose what they desired, ignoring what you craved for the sake of pleasing a faceless crowd of people you've never met... what exactly did you gain from it?"

Papyrus was getting unsettled by Umai's voice as it started to sound cold and emotionless. He wasn't acting like the friendly host he only met moments ago. Even the mood of the room changed and Papyrus was actually getting the chills. Umai continued as he slowly paced back and forth, the painted face upon his hat was locked on him and Papyrus was compelled to follow its gaze.

"You didn't gain anything... instead you got nothing... nothing... you lost a challenge over the wants and needs of strangers. You didn't accomplish anything by making this choice Papyrus... the audience doesn't even care... why should they? They couldn't had cared less if you chosen the bunny... you didn't actually think that by choosing the duck that they'd like you, did you?" Umai laughed and clapped his hands together.

The words Umai spoke stung Papyrus and he felt his arms wrap around his thin frame, as if he was trying to shield himself from those horrible words. What was this? Why was Umai telling him these cruel things? Twisted emotions began to rise up and Papyrus trembled as these words continued to stab at his very soul. He chose what he thought was right because... it was the right choice... it had to be... so why did it suddenly feel so very wrong? It was just a game but now he felt like he had just been attacked in a cruel joke. He actually wanted to cry.

"Oh well, there's always next time!" Umai suddenly returned to his previous behaviour and spun around in an eccentric fashion, giggling like an innocent child devoid of all sin. "You still have six more attempts to win the game Papyrus, so don't feel down about it, ok?"

Papyrus was thrown off by this change of personality, even with the crowds cheering more and the bright lights blinding his vision. He wanted to ask Umai what he meant by those horrid things but he couldn't get his voice to work, he still felt an unusual sensation of shame.

"Thanks for playing Papyrus," chuckled Umai, "we'll see you next time when you have a go at our second challenge! See you then!" Bye bye!"

Umai waved at him and the crowds continued to cheer. Before Papyrus could even utter a word he suddenly found himself back on his own bed within his room.