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Your body ached as you came to, eyes adjusting to the dusty air settling around you.The only source of light was above you. Glancing up with squinted eyes you vaguely wonder how you managed to survive such a high fall with nothing more than a couple bruises. Shakily you get to your feet, feeling a bit weak as you adjust to your new settings. Flowers stood proudly beneath you, the soft soil beneath your feet indicating that they had been watered quite recently. You stepped out of the flower patch, kicking up soft dust from the path that stretched out in front of you. With no way to climb up, and a small part of you curious about the path, you start off.The walls around you quickly start to develop into a corridor, and your hand trails along the packed dirt absently. The corridor ended with a doorway, with an emblem carved over the threshold. Hesitantly, you step through it. Somewhere, a light source illuminated a single patch of grass among the dirt, almost as if waiting to present something to you.To your surprise, a golden flower popped up from the patch of soil.Only…This “flower” clearly had a face- and was currently eyeing you with a hint of amusement. “Well, this sure is a surprise.” It said with a small chuckle. “You must be so confused.”“I uh…I guess I am.” You admit with a slight tilt of your head. To be frank, this was by far the weirdest thing to have happened to you, and you weren’t too sure how to approach this being in conversation. Instead of asking the obvious questions, you stuck with asking about the reason you were here in the first place. “I-I’m looking for Frisk.”With that, the flower’s eyes seem to twinkle with recognition. He let out a harsh laugh. “Frisk, huh?”Hope flutters in your chest. “Yes! Have you seen them?”The flower snorts dismissively, his expression melting into a malicious grin that contorted the shape of his face. “Does it matter? You won’t live long enough to see them again.”“What do you mean…?” The settings around you flickered dark and you found yourself staring at an inverted color version of the flower, who seemed unaffected by the sudden change of scene. A teal light blinded you for a moment as you felt a tug at your chest. A small bluish heart floated in front of you now. “See? Not even a hint of DETERMINATION.” The flower sneered. “You won’t last as long as the others, nevermind your dear Frisk.”  White pellets circled you and you reached for the light in front of you, hoping it would somehow protect you. Cowering under the threat before you, you felt your throat tighten as tears threatened to spill from your eyes. An awful laugh echoed off the empty walls of the cavern, sure to haunt your dreams for years to come.“Actually, you know what? That’s too boring.”The settings returned to normal, but you stayed in your kneeling position in shock as you stared at the flower with wide, tearful eyes. The flower winked cheekily. “As much as I’d love to be the one to take your SOUL, I’m pretty sure it’d be much more fun to see how you stand up to the others. Especially after what the precious child has done.” With another mocking laugh, the flower dove back into the dirt, leaving you shaking uncontrollably on the ground.You felt your stomach twist horribly as you realize that the myths you heard as a child were true.Mt Ebott was indeed the home to all monsterkind. The area was strangely quiet, you notice as you walk through the Ruins. The name on the sign was accurate, as everything around you was crumbled and neglected, with piles of dust everywhere you turned. It felt like you had been walking for hours, forcing your way through odd puzzles and mazes, until you found a decent house tucked away from the rest of the Ruins. You politely knocked on the front door, waiting awhile before inviting yourself in. The door had been unlocked, and creaked quietly as you stepped in, with no sign of anyone else in the home. It was rather spacious, and warm, too. A nice fireplace blazed quietly in the living space, and a fresh pie sat on the countertop in the kitchen, only one slice cut from it. With no one around, and your stomach growling hungrily at the sight of food, you forgot your manners and cut yourself a slice. The grumble in your stomach grew as you caught a whiff of the pie. It smelled of butterscotch and cinnamon-- an odd combination in your opinion, but one you were more than willing to try.The baked dish was soft and warm, as if it had just come out of the oven not too long ago. The ache in your body was relieved the moment you swallowed the first bite, and you could’ve sworn you felt the bruises on you melting away. A fuzzy sensation nuzzled itself into the center of your chest and stayed there long after the pie had been finished. You felt as if you had eaten a whole meal, and sleepiness started to weigh you down. You made yourself comfortable in the huge recliner in front of the fireplace, former worries and stress having been forgotten for the time being. With a sigh you settle deeper into the chair.Just a quick nap, you resolve, and you’ll be back on your feet in no time……The fire was still burning when you woke later.You yawned and stretched, basking in the wonderful homey feeling this place gave you. You felt safe and secure.
Frisk would love this place…
The thought made you stiffen with cold realization. You jumped to your feet, horrified at how easily the home had secured you, how it made you forget everything, including your poor little sibling. You couldn’t stand to imagine the horrors he might have had to face down here, while you sat here kicked back and lazing about in dreamland without a care in the world. You rubbed your face angrily, kicking yourself mentally before letting out a sigh. You’ll beat yourself up later after Frisk is home safe.You carried on exploring the rest of the house, now sure that there was no one here for the time being. You hoped to find a map or some sort of clue that could lead you closer to your younger sibling. Unfortunately, all that you discovered was a journal full of silly puns and jokes, small libraries with facts of snails, and a dusty child’s room that looked untouched. Having searched through the main floor of the home, you made your way downstairs. The stairs revealed a long hallway that seemed to go on for a while. With no other choice but to push forward, you did, after a while coming across a huge metal door. As heavy as it looked, it seemed like it had been pushed open just enough to let someone small through. Maybe even Frisk, you thought to yourself. That small flutter of hope from earlier resurfaced inside of you, coupled with a small bit of fear.Frisk had already been here, it seemed, and you were right behind him. At least you had hoped so.A brisk breeze drifted from the opening, and you shivered, rubbing your arms in anticipation to leave the warm house. Steeling yourself, you stepped over yet another larger pile of dust and pushed the door open wider to accommodate yourself.It was like stepping into an entirely different world. Snow fell softly from a dark sky, but light reflected off from somewhere, creating a decent amount of luminance for you to feel comfortable travelling ahead. It was colder than the house, but you could manage for now. A small part of you wished you had enough foresight to bring a thicker jacket. It was warm this time of year, but you still scolded yourself for not knowing better than to prepare for the worst.You supposed you still hadn’t learned that lesson by now.You followed the path up towards a short bridge, with a fence across it just barely big enough for you to squeeze through. As you crossed, a chill ran up your spine, making you shiver violently.
You were being watched.
You spun on your heel and faced the open air, paranoia coursing through you. Things had been silent since your interaction with the flower, but that didn’t mean the entire place was completely devoid of monsters. There had to be some reason why there was no one here, and there had to be a place where they were all currently gathered, you were sure of it.Snow frosted the piles of dust scattered along the path. Your chest tightened for some reason as you glanced at each pile, wondering why there were so many of them. Each varied in size, but you found it harder and harder to ignore them with each pile you stepped over. It made you very uncomfortable, though you didn’t understand why.A very long bridge and several completed puzzles later, you found yourself in a place called “Snowdin Town”, if the sign was anything to go by. It looked like it could’ve been a lively and cheerful place, but once again, it was silent and empty, which made the uneasiness in your gut grow. Frozen hands rubbed at your arms through your sleeves and you shivered violently. Goosebumps pebbled your skin, and you couldn’t help but to glance around you suspiciously. Knocking at each door you came across proved to be futile. The air was silent save for the sound of your own pulse in your ears, driving you slowly but surely to madness.Something was most definitely wrong here.It wasn’t until you moved past the town that the cold really began to seep into you. All the warmth from the pie was long gone now, and exhaustion rested heavily on your shoulders. Each step was unusually draining, feeling like your legs weighed a ton as they started to drag underneath you.There was a bigger pile of dust in front of you, perhaps bigger than any that you had seen so far. Unlike the others, however, this one had some sort of clothing on it. Stepping closer to investigate, you noticed what looked to be thick body armor, boots, gloves, and a scarf. It was so out of place it was unnerving, and you didn’t dare to disturb the pile in fear of why it had been laid out on top of the pile of dust, as if someone had tried to dress it unsuccessfully like they would a snowman.Your chest began to feel tight at this point, paranoia and fear and exhaustion starting to cloud your mind. You tried to push through it, tried to steady your breath and trudge on, but dark spots began to dance across your vision and your body started to weigh itself down. You sank to your hands and knees, fingers numb to the cold snow as you gripped and clawed at it in vain attempt to get back on your feet. It was no use. Using the remainder of the strength you had, you rolled yourself onto your side, staring at the annoying red clothing against the pure white of the snow, hoping that you weren’t going to die of out here.…And hoping Frisk was still okay…
Sans had felt the presence of a new SOUL in the underground when it first fell. He had watched her emerge from the Ruins, unscathed but put off for some reason. Even with the fear and uncertainty radiating off her SOUL, she pushed forward. He couldn’t see any LV on you, which was the only thing keeping him at a curious distance now, watching her from afar and shortcutting each time she came close to spotting him. The further she progressed the more uneasy she became, like she sensed something was wrong.

It wasn’t until she got to Snowdin that she had started to slow down, most likely from the cold, he reasoned. The jacket she wore was too thin for this weather. Her cheeks started to flush, and your body continued to shiver in efforts to regain body heat. He was closer to her than he had been before, but she failed to notice as she discovered the pile of dust that laid in the middle of the path before her. He glued his sight on her, hand clutching his jacket as his SOUL ached knowingly. He watched as she hesitated over the pile before trying to move on. At this point, however, the exposure had started to take serious effect on her body as she collapsed almost at his feet. The struggle to get back to her feet had led her to sink down into the snow, exhaustion and resignation washing over her SOUL as she seemed to accept her fate. She had laid unmoving for several minutes before he approached her.

Now that he was closer, he could see the resemblance between her and the kid. That discovery alone made him want to leave her there. And he had planned to, turning away from her and preparing another shortcut. Just as he was about to leave, however, he felt something tug at his SOUL urgently, keeping him in place for a moment.

Sans glanced over his shoulder, eye sockets widening as he saw her SOUL hovering above her body, thrumming and swaying desperately in the cold. The tug at his own SOUL grew a tiny bit stronger with hope as he acknowledged it’s pleading call for help. Its hue was a mix of Integrity and Kindness, which created a color like that of Patience, but darker. Not a bit of DETERMINATION could be found in there, unlike the kid’s SOUL. He had seen that color enough times to have the violent blur burned into the back of his eyelids. Looking at her SOUL in comparison made him relax, letting a small breath escape his teeth as he once more approached the body.

Hesitantly he let his blue magic surround the SOUL, gently pulling her limp body from the snow with a slight lift of his hand.

The whole situation was unusual, and he knew it. A human SOUL never left its vessel unless confronted by a monster. He had no intention of confronting her, and there was quite literally nobody else around to do so either. And how it had managed to call him for help so strongly was beyond him. None of the other humans had this sort of control over their SOUL, not even Frisk. Yet, while still unconscious, her SOUL instinctively called out to his, pleading and persuading him to help her.

This human was certainly something of an anomaly.

The thought was put to rest for the moment as he concentrated on getting the human to a warmer spot. Reluctantly, he settled for his own home. The shortcut was brief, and her SOUL squirmed uncomfortably at the sensation. Her body was laid out across the couch cushions, and he pulled a thick blanket over her before stepping back to give her space. Her SOUL was gone now, establishing itself back into its rightful place.

He rubbed at his forehead silently, mulling over the fact that this girl, who was clearly related to Frisk, was now curled up comfortably on his couch.

…He could still faintly remember the timelines Frisk brought them up to the surface, only to get bored and drag the lot of them back into this hellhole, with only him being aware of it. It nearly drove him mad to think about, but at the same time, filled him with a complete sense of hopelessness. Frisk had too much power, too much DETERMINATION to be stopped by him or anyone else, and Sans was fully aware of that fact. How many timelines had Frisk killed his brother now? How many times had they offed Sans now? That they killed everyone and everything in their path, only to bring it back just to do it all over again?

What kind of sick human was this kid that she was related to? Was she even aware of the true monster the young child had become?

Regardless, how she was even related to Frisk in the first place was a mystery to him. Her SOUL was much too kind, he could tell, to harm even the smallest creature. Her LV was nonexistent, and there was no part of her that seemed threatening in the least.

Of course, he had been wrong before about Frisk.

He shook his head, glancing over her again. Her face was relaxed now, as if she hadn’t almost frozen to death outside mere moments before. Although he didn’t understand why, a small part of him was glad she was alive now, though he wouldn’t admit it to himself.

For now, Sans needed to go check on Frisk’s progress through the Underground, resolving to come back when she was awake. Perhaps she’d be the one to set things straight around here.
He hoped you would be.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was a beautiful summer day.

You grinned softly to yourself, eyes closed as you basked in the warm of the sun. It had been too long of a winter this year, bleeding into the springtime before finally melting away with the summer heat. You had been glad to store the shovels and snow gear, excited to dig out the lawn chairs and pool noodles from the dusty old shed in the backyard. You and Frisk didn’t live too far from the community pool, so the two of you would walk up each day, spending the entire afternoon in the water before the sun started to set.

This was where you lay now, resting on the side of the pool with one leg dangling in the cool water. This was what life should be like, you thought to yourself. No worries, no responsibilities; just you and Frisk, enjoying everything life has to offer.

Oh, how you wished to make moments like these last forever…
A sudden groan from your stomach pulled you towards consciousness. The bright and sunny day slowly faded into darkness, a small chill running through you. Your head ached terribly now, and you clenched your eyes shut tighter, rolling yourself into a tight little ball. The thick blanket was curled into your fist and pulled tighter over your shoulder as you shivered again.Vaguely, you remembered passing out in the snow. A part of you, however, chalked it up to be some twisted nightmare, and you had just fallen asleep on the couch in your home. The stiffness in your joints protested otherwise, and the angry growl of your stomach finally encouraged you to sit up and face the reality before you.The living space you sat in was quite humble, in that there wasn’t a lot there. A decent-sized television stood across the room from you, and the table on the side of the couch held a single book. Against the wall to your other side stood a longer (dining?) table, and on that sat a rock on a plate. The room however, felt cozy, and it wasn’t that hard to imagine folks living here. You assumed whoever lived here was the one that brought you out of the cold, but they didn’t seem to be anywhere nearby.A bit of exploring brought you to a small kitchen, of which the proportions baffled you. The sink and counters towered a good foot or two over you. One of the burners on the stovetop was blackened and charred severely, while the other three looked brand new. The small refrigerator to the side was filled with containers labeled “LEFTOVER SPAGHETTI”, which took up every inch of the shelf space.Deciding there wasn’t much else to see in the kitchen, you took to the stairway, climbing up to the second floor. There were only two doors up here, spaced out so that they stood on opposite sides of the wall. A picture of a bone was framed and hung between the two doors. The first door had yellow tape and other caution signs hung on it, and with a jiggle of a handle you found that it had been locked. Not surprised, you walked to the other door, hoping it would be a different story this time. Your curiosity peaked upon noticing a bright light dancing under the door frame. Your hand grasped the doorknob, turning it slowly.“y’know, some people wouldn’t be too keyn on strangers snooping through their things.”You squawked in surprise, jumping away from the sudden presence. Heart pounding in your throat you dare yourself to look at the person who had startled you.You weren’t too surprised that he was a monster. You were, however, surprised that he looked like a skeleton. Suspended in the dark space of his eyesockets were two small pinpricks of light, of which glanced over you once before his grin widened and his head tilted slightly in amusement. Your face warmed up with embarrassment as you realized the awkward sound that had erupted from you moments before.  He stayed quiet as you sputtered, trying to gain back at least some of your dignity.“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be nosy!”“well, at least one of us can say that.”It took you a moment to process his comment. He was…joking with you?“the name’s sans.” he continued, stretching a gloved hand out to you.  He noted your hesitation, your eyes glancing between his hand and his face. “aw, c’mon kid, it’s just a handshake. don’cha know how to greet a new pal?”He seemed patient, waiting for you to shake his hand. Slowly you reached your own hand out to grasp his, squeezing politely and shaking his hand. A high-pitched squeak emitted from your palms - something akin to flatulence, and you couldn’t hold back an amused snort as you pulled away to notice a small whoopie cushion in his hand. He chuckled lightly with you, stuffing his hand back into the pocket of his hoodie.You had relaxed enough now, sure that he wasn’t going to hurt you, and you told him your name. He acknowledged this info with a small nod, right before your stomach interrupted your conversation with a rude grumble. You held your stomach, flushing with embarrassment.“I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten anything.” You mumbled.“s’fine.” He shrugged. “makes sense, after ya almost froze to death in the snow. c’mon, there’s some leftovers in the fridge.” He gestured for you to follow, turning on his heel and leading you downstairs.As you followed Sans, you couldn’t help but study him a bit. He was just about your height, give or take an inch. Despite having the appearance of a skeleton, his clothes were filled out instead of hanging off him like you would’ve expected. It both unnerved and intrigued you, and you had to stop the questions that flooded your mind from dripping off your tongue.Within no time at all, Sans had sat you down at the table, setting a plate of spaghetti and a glass of water in front of you before taking a seat across from you. He avoided your gaze, seeming oddly focused on the sprinkle rock that sat not too far from you. Your stomach grumbled again at the sight of food, and you didn’t hesitate to dig into the spaghetti, momentarily ignoring the skeleton in front of you.The taste was…indescribable. You knew your face was twisted into an expression you’re sure you’ve never made before. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t exactly the best thing you had eaten. Still, you weren’t sure when you’d be able to have access to food again, so you did your best to eat as much as you could.“so,” Sans spoke up suddenly, his eyelights sliding up to focus on you. “what brought you down here in the first place?”You swallowed the food in your mouth and set the fork down on the table, glad to have a distraction from the food. “I was looking for my little sibling. They went missing a few days ago, and I fell down here when I went to look for them.”“what’s the kid look like?”“Uhh, kinda small for their age. Short, brown hair. The last time I saw Frisk, they were wearing their favorite striped sweater and shorts.”It was hard not to miss the flicker of light in his sockets, or the way his expression tightened a bit as you mentioned Frisk’s name.“Have you seen them?” you asked, feeling your hope bloom a little in your chest. Sans looked uneasy, avoiding your eyes again as your stare intensified. “I’ve been worried sick about them. If you know anything, anything, please tell me.”“i’ll be honest with ya, kid, you don’t need to worry about Frisk.” Sans breathed. “pretty sure the kid’s alive an well.”“Really?” You felt the tension in your chest dissipate with his words, standing to your feet with renewed vigor. “Do you know where they are? Can you take me to them?”Sans was silent for a moment, looking conflicted with himself. It made you nervous, waiting for his response. “Sans?”   How do you tell someone their family member is a murderer?Sans struggled within himself to find a decent way to bring this point to light. It wouldn’t be easy for you to take this sort of news, and a part of him accepted the fact that you weren’t going to believe him. Still, if he was going to maintain the hope that you’d be able to put a stop to Frisk’s repeating cycle of death, you had to know what they were doing.Sweat built up on his skull and he sighed heavily before speaking. “listen, kid. frisk isn’t…they aren’t what you think they are.”“What do you mean?” the confusion was palpable in your voice. He had to make his point quick before you dismissed him.“m’sure you’ve seen the piles of dust outside, right?” he asked, watching you nod slowly. “monster’s turn to dust when they…when they die.”You were quicker to piece things together before he could explain further. “You think Frisk did that?”“i know they did.” He corrected. “look, i know it’s not the easiest thing to hear but-““Frisk would never hurt anyone.” You countered firmly before he could finish. He looked up at you, surprised at your calm manner. Your expression was set stubbornly as you looked away from him. “I really appreciate your kindness, but I need to go. Now that I know for sure Frisk is here, I need to go find them.”Sans knew there wasn’t anything he could say in this moment. When you headed for the door, he didn’t try to stop you. When the door shut roughly behind you, he hardly flinched. The nagging pinch of déjà vu kept him from doing anything else besides watching you leave.He rested his skull in both his hands for a long time after you left.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sign you had read a few minutes back read “Hotlands”. Considering the fact that Snowdin had snow, and Waterfall had waterfalls, you should’ve been more prepared for the heat that was currently pulsing in the air around you.You weren’t.Dying of heatstroke mere hours after almost freezing to death was ironically hilarious to you.Your hand clenched tightly around the dry throwaway cup, wondering what kind of monsters could survive this kind of temperature. Or how Frisk did, for that matter.Despite the heat, a small shiver curled down your spine as you momentarily recalled your conversation with Sans. He had insisted Frisk had something to do with the strange absence of monsters, as well as the insane amount of dust scattered through the areas. You didn’t want to accept such a thing, though. You prided yourself on knowing Frisk better than anyone, having been the only one they were willing to open up to. Even though they were unique in their own way, those accusations were far from the truth.You didn’t even know why you were being so caught up about it. You knew Frisk wouldn’t be capable of such violence, so what did it matter what a strange skeleton you had just met said?The thought was momentarily discarded as you came across an oasis in this desert of a terrain. A tall building stood before you, with a sign over the entrance labeled “LAB”. Eager at the thought of finding shelter and air conditioning inside, you pounded your fist against the door a little rougher than you would’ve liked.There was no answer.Desperate, you tried again, calling out this time. “Anyone in there? Please! I just need a few minutes out of this heat!”There was no answer for a long while, and you had just about given up before you heard the gears in the door. The entrance was suddenly opened to you and you stepped in, grateful for the cool air that graced your skin.The door then closed behind you, however, leaving you in complete darkness.Not complete, you corrected yourself, your eyes beginning to adjust to the dim lighting. The “LAB” was indeed a laboratory of sorts. Your hand felt along the smooth cold wall as you walked forward, making out small details in the shadows. There was a big monitor mounted to the wall. Next to it was a desk with a smaller computer monitor set on it. The screen was idle now, giving off most of the light in the room. Papers piled the desk and chair, and even stacked up high against the walls. Squinting, you could even make out a small fridge standing against the wall farther down.“Hello? Is anyone there?” You called out in the darkness. You inhaled a strong odor of instant noodles and coffee, the combination making you cringe with distaste.“S-so you’re really n-not Frisk.” A small voice stuttered. You jumped a bit in surprise, searching the darkness for the source.“No, I’m not…Frisk is my little sibling.” You explain softly.“S-so you’re…you’re related to them?”“Yeah,” you confirmed. “Where are you?”“Wait j-just a minute, I’ll get t-the lights.”You heard someone shuffling a bit in the dark, blinking a couple times as a couple lights above you illuminated the room. You met eyes with a small yellow lizard monster.She looked exhausted. Dark circles sat under her eyes, and the whites of her eyes were almost bloodshot, as if she had been crying. The constant wringing of her claws made your heart sink. “Hey, are you okay?” you asked softly.“I d-didn’t know Frisk had family.” She muttered to herself, ignoring your question. “The cameras h-have been deactivated f-for a while, so I didn’t e-expect anyone else to be here.”“Are you alone?”Her front teeth worried at her bottom lip as she hesitated to answer. “N-not exactly, but m-most everyone e-else has been evacuated, I th-think. Mettaton was supposed to do that b-before he…”You listened as she trailed off, her expression unreadable. “It’s pointless now, I guess.” She sighed.Your brow furrowed with concern. She was obviously not in the best condition, and a part of you figured the dust had a factor in it. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”She looked a little shocked at your offer. “H-help? Help with w-what?”“I don’t know,” You admitted, “but you don’t look okay. Maybe we could help each other out?”“Y-you mean help you find F-frisk?” she shuddered a bit.“Yeah! I mean, you seem to be under a lot of stress, so you don’t have to.” You said, closing the distance between the two of you a bit. She took a couple steps back, watching you wearily. You stopped.“I’m (Y/N).” You introduce yourself, hoping this would ease her a bit. “What’s your name?”She hesitated. “Alphys.”“Nice to meet you, Alphys. Do you work here?” Alphys nods a little. “It’s really nice. It reminds me of my old science labs back home.”Alphys doesn’t respond, still wringing her hands. She’s slouched over herself, you notice, and you could imagine that if she stood to her full height she might’ve came up to your shoulder.Finally, Alphys spoke up, not meeting your eyes. “I don’t think I can h-help. The cameras a-aren’t working anymore, s-so I can’t tell wh-where they are. But if…if you wanna go look for them y-yourself, the exit is j-just ahead.”You nod solemnly. “I appreciate it, Alphys.”The yellow monster nods, stepping aside to let you move forward. You hesitate, wanting to help the poor thing. But it seemed like she didn’t want any help, nor was she willing to do much to help you. Sans’ words echoed again in your head and you frowned. Frisk was just a small helpless kid. There was no reason for Sans or Alphys to be so weary of them.You walked past Alphys, noting how she avoided your gaze once more as you passed, almost cowering a bit when you got close. You continued past, stopping when you reached the exit. This time, the door opened for you almost automatically.But something nagged at you, rooting you in place. There was a whoosh of air as a door behind you opened and closed, and when you turned, Alphys was nowhere to be found. Curious, you stepped away from the door, going back to where Alphys stood before.Now that you could see a bit better, you noticed a few more details in the room you had missed before. A huge bag of dog food was slumped against the wall. A small trashcan by the desk was filled with discarded anime figurines and noodle cups. There was another door on the wall, one that you assumed Alphys went into. This one refused to open to you however, so you moved on. Escalators framed the walls, leading up to another level of the lab. You resisted the urge to go snoop upstairs, instead turning your attention back to the computer screen.The screen lit up when you brushed your hand against the mouse. You flinched a little at the sight of yourself on the screen, surprised as you watched your reflection do the same. It took a moment to realize the small camera atop the monitor was on and was currently capturing your every move. Glancing up to see that Alphys had not yet returned from wherever she disappeared, you turned back to the monitor.You stopped the recording. The screen changed and the video that had been recording started to play back. You would’ve stopped it, but curiosity made you pause. Alphys was on screen, hesitant and looking away from the camera. Her condition seemed worse now, tears flowing almost freely, and her body seeming to shake a bit with the effort to hold them back.“I-I’m the only one left now, I think. Besides the amalgamates.” Computer Alphys stuttered. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her lab coat. “I don’t know what t-to do. I-I’m not a fighter. That’s why I accepted to be the royal s-scientist.” You took a seat in the chair, watching the Alphys on screen fidget.
“Mettaton just went down. I th-thought he was going to evacuate everyone else. I-I was too nervous to do it myself. Nobody w-would’ve listened to me, I think. I knew they’d l-listen to him though. B-but he tried to face the human himself…”
“Frisk?” you asked aloud to yourself.“Now he’s gone too.” A small sob escaped her, and she covered her mouth. Your heart ached for the monster, and you glanced at the door again, hoping Alphys would emerge any moment now. You might have to admit to being nosy again, but that was something you were going to have to deal with. The situation clearly was weighing her down, and she had no one to turn to.  
 
Alphys went silent in the video, her brow creased in thought as she wiped the stray tears. “I-I’m gonna do it.” Her breath caught for a moment before she forced a breath and repeated herself, louder this time. “I’m gonna do it. There’s n-nothing left for me here. Most of the underground is g-gone, and in only a few hours, the k-king will have to face the human himself.”“I h-hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” She whimpered softly. Finally, after looking at everywhere but the camera, her eyes met yours through the screen. Her tear streaked face scrunched up a bit.
“I don’t want to die…”
Something inside you clenched horribly at her pitiful tone, watching as she let herself dissolve into a fit of choked sobs. It lasted for a little bit, until she gasped at a sudden knock at the lab entrance. “They’re here!” She squeaked fearfully. “Th-they came back for me! Oh stars, I didn’t think it would end like this! …B-but maybe it’s better this w-way. I’m too much of a coward…” You heard the knock again, followed by your own voice. It made Alphys stop mid-sentence in her nervous rant, but you paused the video before she could say more.Your stomach was twisting fearfully, a numb sort of shock washing over you. Alphys thought you, or someone had come for her specifically. It didn’t take much guessing to know that she was expecting her death when you walked in. And while it might have confused her when you didn’t, you could see she was considering an alternative.You re-approached the door, knocking on it insistently. “Alphys? Are you in there?”  There was no answer.You knocked heavily, tears coming to your eyes. “You don’t have to do this, Alphys! I can help you!” You shouted through the door. “Please don’t do anything irrational.”This went on for some time. An hour later you were huddled by the door, leaning on it a bit as you pressed your ear to the cool metal. There was no sound besides the consistent hum of the building. You had begged and pleaded through the door, tearful as you realized how helpless you were in this situation. You had no way to get through the door, and Alphys refused to come out. At this point, you weren’t sure if there was even anyone on the other side of the door to answer you…

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Most monsters enjoyed the Last Corridor. The artificial light from the core shone through the stained glass windows almost like the afternoon sun. The golden tiles reflected it against the walls and pillars that lined the walkway. Those very same pillars almost dwarfed the skeleton monster standing amongst them, the grand splendor of the hall lost on him. He couldn't count how many times he had seen these very walls splattered with blood, or how many times he had shattered these proud pillars into dust with the force of his attacks. He could only imagine how many times his own dust had been scattered across the golden floor. The very thought of it made his SOUL twinge nervously. He couldn't count how many times he and Frisk went head to head like this. He had lost count after the first several times. He didn't have it in him to keep track after that, his HoPe weakening each time. His mind drifted to you for a moment. Even though you didn't believe him now, a small part of him held onto the hope that you might be able to see the truth soon. Even if it wasn't in this timeline. Footsteps echoed in the empty hall and Sans could feel himself tense up. A small child entered the corridor, flashing Sans a cocky smile. They didn't seem so threatening at first glance, but the dust that clung to their sweater said otherwise. Frisk never spoke during these encounters, but he could read their expressions like a book. They flexed the hand that held their knife - their choice weapon, and tilted their head to Sans. Asking if he was ready. Sans wasn't. He never was."heh. you've been busy, huh?" he chuckled mirthlessly. He went on with his usual spiel, the speech almost robotic with how much he's delivered it. It made him further question how many times Frisk had put them through this. But Frisk never interrupted him, only waited until he challenged them, stepping closer to him when prompted. Frisk was too ready when Sans began his attack, dodging the bones and blasts with ease and countering fiercely. As Sans slide out of the way of Frisks knife, he waved his hand, summoning a Gaster Blaster. The attack caught the child off guard, and Sans stumbled a bit as he caught himself, breathing heavily as he eyed the ash that stood in their place. It was a dirty move, cutting into his opponent's turn like that. But after what Frisk had put them all through, this was the least Sans could do to return the favor. It didn't last long, however. The room blackened for a second, and Sans found himself back where he was, facing Frisk once again. Their eyes reflected their angered shock, and the knife in their fists quivered. They didn't wait for Sans' prompting, rushing forward with a grunt. Sans dodged it, taking a breath. It had begun...    The hallways looked as if they had been drained of all the life that was in them. It was funny how you were beginning to feel that way too. You spent so much time sitting outside of Alphys' door that you felt your entire body ache at the stiffness in your joints. She never did come out, and you had no way to get inside. You pushed the thoughts away again, your stomach feeling queasy. It grumbled hungrily, but you didn't have the heart to eat. Instead, you pushed yourself forward, hoping you'd run into Frisk soon. That proved to be difficult at this time, however. The walls told the story of the first fallen child in the Underground, one that had been adopted into the Royal Family, but had ultimately died. You felt like you were going in circles at this point, rereading the same story over and over as you pressed forward. The maze of corridors had to end soon, and hopefully it would be before you collapsed again. Finally, after what felt like forever, you came across a different doorway. The golden arches above the door were breathtaking, and you took a moment to admire the piece. The moment ended when the silence was pierced by a violent sound, one that you could only liken to that of an intense thunderclap. The air buzzed with an odd energy that you hadn't felt before, making your skin tingle. Your heart raced with a sudden fear, gripping one of the columns nearby for support as the ground shook from another blast. You really didn't want to know what made that sound, but at the same time, you couldn't help your curiosity. You carefully stepped through the entry, peeking your head in.You couldn't have prepared yourself for what you were seeing. Grand pillars had been toppled, crumbling across golden tiles. Dust floated in the air like a hazy smoke. Burn scars littered the walls and floor and the ceiling had cracks and bones sticking out of it. But what surprised you the most was your little Frisk, swinging a sharp knife at Sans' head. The sight made you gasp violently, drawing both of their attentions to you. Sans' eyes went wide as he saw you in the doorway, waving his hand and throwing Frisk to the other side of the room. You shrieked, flinching at the sound their body made as it made contact with one of the few erect pillars. They slid down to the floor, slumped over. Sans was in the middle of speaking, but you heard nothing as you pushed past him, throwing yourself to your knees as you reached out to cradle Frisk. Their head lolled to the side as you pulled them to your chest, sobbing heavily as you shook them gently. They didn't respond. You could hardly see their face through your tears, but you could make out distinct scars and blood streaked across their face. It broke your heart to see them like this. The room darkened and you found yourself in the grayed out hallway again. The sudden transition made you almost hurl. Your mind tried to process everything at once. Frisk was dead, weren't they? 
Weren't they?? 
You saw it happen with your own eyes. Sans had killed them.Yes, you had seen Frisk attack first, but the cuts on their body made it clear that it was only in self defense.You had to get back to that room. Feeling a new sense of determination, you darn near sprinted through the hallway, ignoring the story on the walls, focused on making your way through the hallways. You made it back to the golden arch quickly, just in time to grab onto a column as the thunder cracked in the next room. Once the earthquake had passed, you threw yourself into the room. "Stop it!" Sans' head snapped towards you this time, shocked and ready to throw Frisk again. The protest in your throat died as he doubled over in pain this time, collapsing as Frisk stood triumphantly over him, knife in hand. "Frisk!" You shrieked, covering your mouth in horror at the sight. Frisk turned their head to you, tilting their neck a bit as if looking at you with interest. Red eyes almost glared at you from under Frisk's bangs, and a snarl twisted their little mouth. 
That was not your Frisk. 
You took a step back as they stepped over Sans towards you. Their little fist wielded he sharp knife threateningly towards you, and you had never been so scared of the young child before. They lunged at you suddenly, and you screamed and cowered in on yourself, arms covering your face as you braced yourself. The blow never came. You dared yourself to look up. Frisk was struggling in some sort of telekinetic hold. Across the room, Sans grunted with effort, his outstretched fist clenched tightly.  Both his fist and Frisk were surrounded by a faint blue glow. You were speechless as you watched once more as Sans threw the child across the room, this time piercing their body with bones. Your stomach heaved, and you clenched your jaw tightly, swallowing heavily. A breathy call of your name brought your eyes away from the lifeless body pinned to the wall. Sans was sat up against a broken pillar, his arm wrapped tightly across his chest. Weakly you crawled over to him. "you...you have to change this," Sans wheezed, his eyesockets closing as you drew near. "there's something wrong with them. they can't fix this on their own." "W-what can I do?" you manage through a hoarse whisper. "I can't change this." "the RESETS. you gotta take control of the RESETS." he said. "otherwise they're gonna drag us all back here again." "How do I do that?" Sans winced, slouching a bit further into himself. Blood began to seep through his gloves. He tilted his head towards you, eyes lidded. "i...i can't be sure, but i think it's their Determination. if you have enough of it, you could take control of the timelines." 
"See? Not a hint of Determination." 
The flower's words cut into you once again. "I don't...I don't have any determination."  The skeleton's face fell at your words, his sockets closing again. He forced a sharp "heh" and sighed. The hopelessness in his expression hurt. You felt the tears streak your cheeks as you went to place your hand on his shoulder. His shoulder gave way to your touch, his whole body crumbling in front of you until there was nothing left but a pile of dust and his hoodie.    You were tired. Tired of crying. Tired of mourning.Alphys was gone. Sans was gone. Frisk was dead.The whole Underground. Gone. You were tired of being helpless. You rose to your feet, eyes having been dried of tears long ago. You looked around at the destruction that laid before you. You recalled each pile of dust you stepped over. Each empty town and forgotten home. 
You wanted to change it. 
Frisk had changed. Something was wrong with them. They never would've attacked you. They never would've caused this much damage and pain. 
You wanted to Save them. 
Sans had tried to tell you. He had hoped that you would be able to stop Frisk. 
And you let him down.

But no more.

You were going to change this. You were going to make things better. For all of them. 
You felt something stir in your chest. You closed your eyes and focused on it, focused on the thoughts that raged in your mind; the flurry of your own screams and cries of helplessness deafening you. From behind your eyelids you noticed a bright red light flooding the room. You took a breath and opened your eyes. Your SOUL floated in front of you, buzzing with a renewed energy. A vivid red swirled with the blue and greens of your SOUL, and you couldn't help but grin. 
*Your feelings of helplessness have spurred you on. You are now filled with...DETERMINATION.
  
R E S E T.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Your body ached as you came to, eyes adjusting to the dusty air settling around you.But you’ve seen this before.You sit up slowly, your mind slow in piecing your thoughts together. A quick glance up to the hole in the ceiling told you that you were back in the Ruins somehow. It seemed the Reset had worked. Questions as to how it did would have to wait, however.Your heart catches in your throat and you flinch away from the small child next to you. They’re turned away from you, curled over themselves in a way that makes them seem smaller than normal. Their shoulders shake a bit, and you gather the courage to reach out, tenderly resting your hand on their shoulder.They jerk, twisting to face you. Your name slips off their tongue breathily and tears flow freely down their face. Your eyes lock onto theirs and...Frisk’s eyes aren’t red anymore.The shock fades into a numb surprise. Now, seeing your younger sibling distressed like this tugs at your heart, and you pull them to your chest in an attempt to comfort them. Frisk automatically clings to you, shudders wracking their body as they sob heavily against your shoulder.“I-I’m sorry....I’m so sorry....” they gasp between tears, and your heart falls because you know exactly what they’re apologizing for.You fight against the awful memories surfacing and wrap your arms tighter around the small child.
“Well isn’t this a touching scene.”
You both stiffen, and your eyes glance up to a golden flower that has sprouted along the path in front of you. It’s mouth twisted into an amused smirk as it’s stem twitched from his chuckle. You tense as the flower eyes the both of you, holding Frisk tighter to you. Frisk doesn't allow you to, though, climbing out of your lap and turning to face the flower."What do you want, Flowey?" Frisk asks, their voice tense. The change in attitude unnerved you, but you got to your feet alongside them, pulling them back towards you a little. You shivered when Flowey's eyes meet yours.For a moment, you could've sworn the flower looked a bit nervous as Frisk stood up to it. But it was gone as quickly as you noticed it. "Golly! I have to admit, I'm a bit curious about your big sister now, Frisk." Flowey giggled. "Even though their Soul had no Determination in it whatsoever, they managed to pull enough together to overcome yours. Now she controls the timeline, and you're going to be stuck along for the ride. Gee, I wonder how that feels." The flower's tone turned annoyed towards the end of it's speech, rolling it's beady eyes to punctuate their sentence. "Anyways, I'm absolutely dying to see how this turns out. Nothing like some good old sibling rivalry to liven things up a bit." Flowey chuckled again. "Guess I'll be seeing the two of you later." With that, the flower was gone. You relaxed slightly, letting out the breath you had been holding. Frisk hadn't said anything since challenging Flowey, and their body was stiff and tense underneath your grasp. You let them go, stepping back. You wanted to ask them so many questions, but the sheer number of such had left you speechless as you stared at the back of their head. "Frisk, I-""Is anyone down here?" A soft voice calls from the next room. You reach for Frisk again to try to put them behind you, an instinctive effort to keep them safe, but they duck out of your grasp and head for the doorway towards the voice. You follow, watching them disappear into the next room. "Oh! I thought I had heard voices." You hear the tender voice as you assume they address Frisk. "How scared you must be, falling into such a place. You need not be afraid anymore, my child." You stepped into the room yourself, catching her off guard with your presence. "Another human?" She raised a brow. "And an older one at that..." She was a good foot or so taller than you, and seeing her dwarf Frisk made you uneasy. She held herself proudly, but her eyes were kind as they took you in. Frisk seemed to beam happily up at her though, grabbing onto her purple dress fondly as if she was their mother. "You do not need to fear me, my child." she addressed you, noticing your tension. "I am Toriel, the caretaker of the Ruins. I walk this path most every day to see if a human has fallen down here. You are the first humans to fall in such a long time."I understand that you are weary of me, but if you would like, I can guide you through the catacombs. It would be careless of me to leave you to wander on you own, would it not?" You looked between her and Frisk, but a part of you had already softened at the idea of letting her guide you. Her gentle voice soothed your worries almost effortless. "Okay." you nodded a little, a small grin pulling at your lips at Frisk's own excitement as Toriel took their hand and gestured for you to follow. You obliged, forcing the nagging of your thoughts to the back of your mind.   There was no doubt Frisk had met Toriel before. As the caretaker guided the two of you through the old hallways, it was clear that the child was indeed familiar with this process. Especially with how quickly they accomplished the tasks Toriel set out for them. When the first monster confronted the two of you, Toriel barely had to instruct Frisk on how to handle the encounter. And when Toriel left the two of you to sit and wait for her return, Frisk gladly took your hand and led you through the halls with ease. Eventually you ran into her again, just outside of a cozy little home tucked away from the rest of the Ruins. You tensed upon seeing the familiar home, those nagging thoughts from earlier returning. Frisk seemed to stop too, oddly focused on one of the bushes outside of the home. They pull themselves away after a moment, grabbing your hand and pulling you eagerly towards the house. Toriel closes the door behind you, and you inhale the sweet cinnamon that hangs in the air. Toriel asks you to wait a moment in the living room while they take Frisk to bed for a nap. They didn't look very tired, but they didn't protest either as they were led down the hall. You stand quietly in the room, eyeing the fire as it dances gracefully in its place. As pretty as it is, it doesn't distract you from your thoughts. You can't deny the truth, as much as it sickens you to accept - Frisk has killed everyone you've encountered at least once before; including Toriel. Which doesn't make any sense to you. The goat monster has been so kind and patient with the two of you, going so far as to welcome two humans into her home without hesitation. She treats the two of you with such fondness and concern that it makes your heart ache horribly to imagine someone hurting her in such a way. Frisk has been so cheerful, and so happy around her, to consider that she had met her end at their hands is sickening. It makes you wonder if it's all just an act.You're so caught up in your thoughts, you hardly notice that Toriel had joined you in the living room. You flinch at he sudden appearance and her kind smile fades a little. "I assure you, you have no reason to fear me," she says softly, almost pleading with you. "I don't," you protest immediately. Because you don't - your weariness of her had melted long ago. "I just...I have a lot on my mind." "I see." she nods. "Would talking about it help?" Instead of waiting for your answer, she guides you to sit at a little dining table in the corner. After scooting your seat closer to the table,  she takes the seat next to you. Her hands are folded politely in the space in front of her, and she waits for you to speak. It takes you a few moments to collect your thoughts; you wanted to avoid mentioning Frisk by name, or mentioning her death in the previous timeline. Something inside of you whispers that you shouldn't mention any part of the last timeline. Instead, you start with a question. "Have you...have you ever had someone suddenly change? Like, someone you were close to did something that you never thought they'd do, and it changed the way you looked at them? And you...didn't know what to do about it?" Her patient smile is replaced swiftly with a pained grimace, "Yes," she answered quietly, looking down at the table. "Unfortunately I have." You frown at this, unsure at the somber tone in her voice. "...what did you do about it?" She takes a moment to speak, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. "I didn't handle it well. I do not wish to go too deeply into details, but...I reacted horribly, and in a way that I wish I hadn't. But one cannot take back their actions, and I am to live with mine, just as he will live with his." You don't question who this 'he" is. Instead, you reach out to rest your hand on top of hers. Her cold expression melts as she looks back to you, and she smiles sadly. "I can guess by the way you ask that this has also happened to you. However, I implore you to think rationally before you do or say anything to this person. Perhaps you have not considered everything?" She sighs. "I understand that it is easy to act impulsively, especially when ones acts have been...especially troublesome. But do not do something that you will regret, especially if you love this person."You weigh her words. True, you don't know why Frisk did what they did. And you're still unsure of them now. But they're not acting the same as they did before. Maybe the Reset reversed whatever changed Frisk? Maybe it was best to be careful around them until you could have a proper talk with them. Toriel let you think to yourself for a bit before taking your hand in hers and squeezing it comfortably. "I hope that helps, my child. If you are up to it, I may have something to lighten your spirits a bit? Wait here." She gets up and retreats into the kitchen.You somewhat doubt much will help with the anxiousness building in your mind, but you wait at the dining table as she 'd asked, lightly drumming your fingers on the wood surface as you waited. She emerges from the kitchen after a few minutes, presenting a hefty slice of pie. When she sets it in front of you, your mouth begins to water, and you can't help the rumble of your stomach. The first bite tastes like heaven, and soon the tension and stress is melting from your body. You feel at home, safe and protected from anything that may harm you. It's almost as if your heart grew a bit with every bite.You slow down about halfway through the slice, looking up at Toriel. "Do you feel better?" Her smile has grown again, and the tenderness in her gaze makes you feel happy. You nod. "Magic is a wonderful thing, is it not?""Magic?" She nods. "Monsters are made of magic, body and Soul. Technically speaking, I suppose, as the word 'magic' contributes a different meaning to humans," she explains. "It's the energy that flows within us, and takes different forms, depending on the monster type. My own magic stems from heat elements, and is greatly affected by my emotions. I'm sure you've heard of the saying, 'made with love'?"You nod a little as you swallow another bite. "But you mean it more literally, don't you?" you ask, glancing down at the pie thoughtfully.She hums in confirmation. "Food in the Underground will taste differently than you are used to on the Surface. The monster who prepares the food will have poured their Soul into it, and the taste will reflect whichever emotion they are feeling." Oh. The realization dawns on you as you look up at her again. You feel a few tears prick the corners of your eyes, and you feel your lips curl into the biggest smile you can manage. Before you can stop yourself, you've stood, wrapping your arms around her. She seemed to be expecting it, however, for her arms have pulled you close into her chest without hesitation, and she holds you like that for a long while. When you let go, she releases you as well, smiling down at you. She dismisses herself back to the kitchen then, allowing you to go back to finishing your pie. You wipe your eyes, sitting down once again. Instead of going back to your pie, however, you notice a faint glow in the hallway. Glancing towards the kitchen, then back towards the mysterious glow, you get back on your feet, heading towards the hall. A bright yellow star hovers in front of you, sticking out like a sore thumb among the potted plants and bookshelves. But it's presence is almost breathtaking, drawing you to it like a moth to flame. Without hesitation you reach for it, curious as your hand goes through it. But you feel something stir in your chest, and your strength feels fortified. The empowerment leaves you breathless for a moment and you pull back from the light.
Your heart-to-heart with Toriel fills you with DETERMINATION.

S A V E.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You were sitting on the floor beside Frisk's bed when they stirred. Their hair was messed up from their slumber, and with a small smile you reached out and fixed it for them as they sat up and stretched. They looked at you contently, smiling happily as they leaned into your touch. You smoothed down the last of their hair, caressing their cheek. "Sleep well?" Frisk nods calmly. "Toriel went out for a moment, but she asked me to give you a piece of pie when you woke up." They perked a bit, tossing the thick quilt off of them and moving to get to their feet. You stood with them, holding the plate out towards them. They don't take it immediately, instead crouching beside the bed and grabbing a small drawstring sack from underneath it. Then, they take the pie from you wordlessly, brushing past you and out the room. You follow them curiously, watching as they enter the kitchen, setting the plate on the counter. They reach into a drawer and pull out a roll of clingwrap. With skill you didn't know they possessed, they wrapped the pie neatly, setting it into the sack carefully and setting the empty plate in the sink. "How many times have you done this before?" you blurt suddenly. Their back is turned to you, but you notice their shoulder stiffen and their spine straighten at your question. Silence fell between the two of you, and you cleared your throat. "I only ask 'cuz...you really seem to know what you're doing." They relax a little at that, turning around to face you. They wring the neck of the sack between their small fists as they consider your question. "I don't know." Frisk answers quietly. You don't really know what to say to that, so after another pregnant pause, you sigh. "Are you ready to go then?" "Go?" Toriel's voice startles you and you turn to face her. Her smile doesn't reach her eyes as she looks the two of you over. "Where are you going?" You calm yourself with a hand over your fluttering heart. "Home, I think? There's a door downstairs, and I'm sure there's an exit to the Underground, right?" Frisk makes a small noise behind you, but it's lost on you as Toriel's expression constricts with a jumble of emotions. "B-but are you sure you wouldn't prefer to stay?" You frown a bit. "Miss Toriel, you've been really kind, but we can't stay here." Her smile finally falls, and her brow furrows deeply. "I...I see. If you would excuse me a moment. I must do something first." She says, turning briskly and walking out of the kitchen. You turn to Frisk to see if they have any input, but are almost knocked over as they run past you after Toriel. They grasp the edge of your shirt and drag you behind them with an impressive amount of force. "Frisk? What are you doing??" you ask, catching yourself before you fall. They don't answer, leading you downstairs. Toriel hesitates at the foot of the stairs, glancing over her shoulder at the two of you as you follow her. "Please, go back upstairs." "Toriel, what's going on?" you ask her. She pauses, her back to you. "You wish to return home, do you not? As you've found out, the exit to the Ruins lies ahead of us. I am going to destroy it." Frisk snatches your hand and squeezes it as you flinch at the hardness in her tone. "But you can't! We have to go home!" "Go back upstairs. Please." she requests softly, continuing forward. "But Toriel!" You both follow her, struggling to keep up with her pace. It isn't until you've cornered her against the tall metal door that she finally turns to face you again."You don't understand!" She cries, her mouth twisted into a snarl. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I've seen it again and again: they come, they leave, and then they die.""Toriel..."Her eyes become glossy with unshed tears. "If you two leave this place...Asgore will kill you. Do you understand? I just want to protect you. Please...please don't try to stop me." You're speechless now. The pain in her expression strikes you deeply, and you feel your own eyes well up with tears. Frisk steps forward boldy, surprising the both of you. "I see...you wish to leave so badly, then?" The warm lights in the corridor melt into darkness, and you find yourself in a three-way confrontation with Toriel. You choke a bit as you see your Soul float from your chest, and panic at seeing Frisk's do the same. The both of you are exposed now, and you grip Frisk's shoulder to try to pull them back behind you. They don't budge, shrugging your hand off of them. Toriel's paws ignite with a hot flame, reflecting against the tears in her eyes. "I see only one solution to this. Prove yourselves to me. Prove that you are strong enough to survive." The onslaught of fireballs and attacks leave you breathless as you try to dodge them. Any attempts to talk to her is disregarded, and all you can do is Spare her every opening you get, hoping this will end soon. Frisk, on the other hand, takes minimal damage. It's almost graceful, the way they twist and dodge her attacks. Neither of you fight back, focusing all your energy on not being hit. After the first few hits you take, however, Toriel's attacks change. They start to avoid the both of you, giving you a moment to breath. Toriel's eyes no longer are on either of you, instead on a particular point behind you that you don't bother to look at yourself. Instead, you notice the tear trails down her cheeks, and the dying flames on her fists. Those flames do eventually extinguish, and Toriel's sorrow is palpable as she collapses to her knees before the both of you. Your own face is wet, and you sniffle a bit, chest aching as she wipes her eyes. "Pathetic, is it not?" She says softly, almost to herself. "I can't even save one person." Your Soul constricts painfully and you go to approach her, wanting nothing more than to comfort her.Frisk reaches her first, standing just a few feet before her. She looks up at them. Her sad expression quickly turns to confusion as she eyes them. "My child...?"You don't get to react fast enough as they slash Toriel across the chest with a knife, causing her to stumble backwards, clutching the wound in surprise and shock. Her eyes widen for a moment, but then close as she winces. "You...at my most vulnerable moment...?" she coughs hoarsely. "And to think...I was worried you weren't going to fit in out there..." A breathy chuckle escapes her as her body begins to disintegrate. You can only stare in horror at the pile of dust that now lay before the both of you. A sharp clatter interrupts the silence, and Frisk is breathing heavily. They fall to their knees before the pile, clutching their head. "No...not again..." they sob. They turn to look at you, eyes blown wide. Their mouth opens to speak to you. You don't give them a chance. 
L O A D
 "Are you alright, my child?" Your head snaps up to the kitchen. Toriel has peeked her head into the doorway, watching you with a concerned expression. You don't answer, looking back down to your hand, which is still caressing the bright glowing star. Your whole body is shaking violently. Toriel notices this and crosses the short distance to wrap you in a comforting hug. You take it gratefully, clinging to her. She lets you, although her confusion is quite clear. She doesn't press the matter, thankfully, instead waiting until you've calmed to pull away. "Perhaps you should rest for a while, my child?" she suggests. She guides you with a hand on your back to the hallway, walking past the bedroom Frisk is sleeping in. She gently pushes you into the next room. "I do not mind if you rest in my bed for the meantime." You wordlessly sit on the edge of the bed. Toriel frowns softly at the sudden change in attitude. "I must leave you for a little while. There is something I must tend to in the Ruins. You will be okay until I get back, will you?""Y-yeah. I'll be okay." You manage. She seems satisfied with this for now, leaving you to your own devices. You wait until the front door shuts firmly before you leave her bedroom, ducking into the room Frisk is in. You're not surprised to see them sitting up already, blankets thrown askew and their head in their hands. They're crying again, but you don't move to comfort them this time. "Why?" you ask. Even though it's barely above a whisper, you feel like you tone conveys the complicated blend of emotions swirling around inside you. "I don't know!" they cry, voice breaking as they try to calm themselves down. The way they're crying is almost hysterical, their sobs loud and pathetic. You can't keep yourself away from them for too long. Soon your arms are wrapped around them, your own tears staining your cheeks. "You can't keep doing this." you tell them. "I can't control it," Frisk blurts. "It was an accident the first time! i didn't want to do it again after that, but then...then I got curious and did it again. I thought that since I could Reset it wouldn't matter! But I couldn't control myself after that!" You realize they're talking about their past timelines and your arms loosen around them a bit as you consider this.They hiccup your name, drawing your attention to them. Their tears and snot have stained your shirt, and their eyes are red and swollen. They look at you pleadingly. "I don't know how to stop it. It-when you Reset, I thought it was better. And it is! But I don't want to hurt anyone else. I don't want to lose control again. You have to help me." "But how?" you frown deeply, wiping your eyes and using the hem of your shirt to dry their face. Tears still leak from their puffy eyes, but the worse of their crying is over. They hug you tightly as they consider their answer. "You have to stay Determined. You can't let me get control of the timeline again." You don't know how to do that. You don't know how to tell them that. How could you tell them something that would extinguish the tiny bit of hope they've created for themselves? You swallow heavily. "Yeah...okay. I will." The lie doesn't weigh so heavily as relief washes over their expression, causing a new wave of tears to fall from their eyes. You comfort them as best as you can.   When Toriel comes back, you're ready. You've triple checked Frisk for any weapons, and keep a heavy eye on them as Toriel greets the two of you. When the subject of going home comes up, you're ready to follow her down to the lower level, cornering her once again. You've a better sense of her attack pattern, and soon she is crouched before you again, her face scrunched in hopelessness and sorrow. This time, both you and Frisk comfort her, sandwiching her in a hug between the two of you as you Spare her for the last time. The hallway gains it color back and your Souls melt into your chests again as she wraps her big arms around the both of you."You two are stronger than i thought..." she mumbled softly. She lets the two of you go, standing to her full height. She glances to the door behind her, then back to you and Frisk. "When you go past this door...keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach the exit to the Underground. Do not let Asgore take your Souls...Promise me that you will not allow his plan to succeed?" You both nod solemnly. She nods slightly as well. She wipes her eyes again, pulling you into a hug. The gently way she squeezes you almost pulls another cry from you, but you swallow the tears down as you hug her one last time. When she lets you go to do the same to Frisk, you have to dry your eyes again. "Be good, will you?" she asks Frisk softly. Frisk hums their promise, letting her go. Toriel brushes past the two of you, sparing you both one last longing gaze before she heads back upstairs. You want to follow her, taking a step in that direction. Frisk grabs your hand, though, grounding you again. The both of you share a look before agreeing silently between yourselves to move on. The big metal door gives way to both of you easily, and a brisk breeze chills you as you step out into freshly fallen snow. You sigh as the door closes behind you, the click of the hinges finalizing your decision. You have to pause Frisk's advancement though, stepping off the path towards another bright star. Frisk doesn't say anything as you grab the light, a renewed energy coursing through you. 
Being able to Spare Toriel's life fills you with Determination.

S A V E.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“You think you’re so clever.”
You and Frisk paused in your trek and turned, finding Flowey sprouted in the middle of the snowy path. The flower's smug grin stretched as they saw Frisk tense beside you. "I know you killed her again, Frisk. And then you let your big sister clean up the mess." Flowey cackled. "It's pathetic, really." Frisk winced, and you glared at the flower. “Stop it.” You warned."I don't know why you even try. Frisk is a lost cause by now. You've seen what they're capable of, I'm sure. So why bother? Why waste time on trying to save them?" Flowey mocked.  "Stop it." you repeated in a growl, pulling Frisk closer to your side. "Leave Frisk alone." "Or else what?" Flowey challenged, his expression darkening. "What're you going to do about it? News flash, big sister, you can Reset and Load all you'd like, but there's no way you’re getting rid of me. I hate to disappoint you, but you're just as weak and pathetic as the rest of these idiots. Just because you have a little bit more Determination than the rest of us doesn't change anything. Eventually, your Determination will run out, and you'll suffer along with the rest of us as Frisk regains control. They're going to get tired of your little Pacifist game sooner or later, and I can't wait to watch you destroy each other."With another cackle, Flowey disappeared into the ground. You glared at the spot he was in for a moment before turning to Frisk. “Don’t listen to him.” You said, pulling them into a hug. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”Frisk nodded weakly against your shoulder. You rubbed their back a bit before straightening, pulling them up into your arms. Their arms wrapped around your neck and as you supported them by your forearms, their legs hung loosely around your waist. You resumed walking, holding Frisk closer to your chest. The body heat shared between you kept you relatively warm as you went. The path went on for a little while, the tress parting to let the trodden path wind its way between them. The same brisk breeze that chilled your face also whispered through the trees, the rustling and natural creaking of the wood making you relax a bit. Eventually you saw a small bridge ahead, with wide bars built across it. It made you smile a bit at its redundancy as you stepped over a few fallen branches in your walkway. A sharp crack pierced the air after you had gone a ways, sending an eerie chill through you. Frisk had also flinched at the sound, looking up drowsily from your neck. You glanced behind you, seeing that all the branches that you had stepped over were now broken, even the thicker ones. You were rigid as you looked over the debris, taking in a deep breath to carefully survey your surroundings. Nothing. Frisk could feel how tense you were as you continued, your pace quicker than before, but not quite a run. The bridge wasn’t too far now, but they stopped you, wiggling in your arms as a sign that they wanted to be put down. You reluctantly allowed it, letting them slide down from your arms and gain their bearings on their own two feet before progressing. They kept hold of your hand, keeping up with you until you had finally reached the bridge. Then you both stopped.It wasn’t that you wanted to stop, but your feet felt like they were being held in place. Frisk was the same beside you, their grip on your hand relaxing. Footsteps echoed behind you, and you tensed. Your mind immediately conjured up the scariest creature imaginable, stalking towards you slowly, teasingly, knowing that you would be unable to stop it. Anxiety built in your gut as you felt someone- or something, get closer. The footfalls stopped, but the presence behind you remained. The suspense was killing you now, and every nerve in your body screamed at you to turn around. Frisk did so first, making the creature behind you shuffle a bit in surprise. Silence fell between you, save for the pulse in your throat. Frisk shifted out of the corner of your eye. You didn’t know what you were expecting, but a fart noise was not one of them. “heh. the whoopee-cushion-in-the-hand trick is always funny. seems like you’ve already heard this one before though, huh? anyways, who’s your friend, kid?”Frisk tugged at the edge of your shirt, but you were already in the middle of turning around, mind spinning as you realized you recognized that voice. You met Sans’ eye lights with a small gasp. A vivid memory of watching the skeleton dust before you flashed in your mind, and you flinched. Sans’ grin lessened at your reaction. “aw, c’mon bud, don’t tell me this ol’ bag of bones scared you out of your skin.”Despite the horrible memory, you smiled. “No, sorry. I just...it’s nice to meet you.” You extend your hand for him as you introduce yourself and Frisk. Sans introduced himself and shakes your hand without the whoopee cushion. “so you two are human, right? that’s hilarious.” Sans continued. “i’m actually supposed to be on the lookout for humans, but i’m not really interested in capturing anybody. my brother, on the other hand, is a human-hunting fanatic. speaking of which, i think that’s him up ahead.”“Your brother?” You asked as he gestured for you and Frisk to move forward to cross the bridge. Once on the other side, you took note of the stand erected on the side of the path, along with a small assortment of rocks and a lamp that oddly enough looked like Frisk. As if you shared that thought, Frisk let go of your hand to situate themselves behind the lamp. It baffled you how well hidden they were. But then again, you wondered why they felt the need to hide themselves in the first place. Sans looked you over with an odd look and a lazy shrug. “sorry, kid. don’t have any convenient hiding spots for you.””SANS!”The exuberant voice made you jump, stepping closer to Sans as another skeleton came bouncing up over the horizon. Even though he stopped quite a ways from you, it was quite easy to tell that he towered over you. Strangely enough though, you didn’t feel threatened by the lanky figure. “SANS WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU STILL HAVEN’T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES, AND IT’S BEEN 3 DAYS!” Sans wasn’t fazed. “sorry paps. guess I got too caught up in catching humans.”“DON’T PLAY WITH ME SANS. I WOULD KNOW A HUMAN IF I SAW ONE. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL!” Sans nodded to you, and Papyrus followed his gaze. You waved shyly. Papyrus stared at you with deep scrutiny before realization dawned on him. “WAIT! OH MY GOD, SANS YOU WERE SERIOUS?? YOU ACTUALLY DID YOUR JOB FOR ONCE?!””heh, what can I say, bro? i have an eye for these things.” “DON’T RUIN THIS FOR ME SANS. I THINK I’M GOING TO CRY!””don’t cry in front of the human, pap.””YOU’RE RIGHT SANS! I MUSTN’T SHOW WEAKNESS!” Papyrus straightened himself, thumping his broad chest with his fist as he posed dramatically in front of you. “HUMAN! PREPARE TO BE CAPTURED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! CONTINUE IF YOU DARE!”Papyrus paused suddenly, his dramatic flair deflating a bit as something occurred to him. “Actually...I Don’t Have Anything Prepared For You To Be Truly Japed By...” he mulled over it a moment, his voice only slightly quieter as he talked to himself. You raised a brow, glancing at Sans. The smaller skeleton looked like he was about to fall asleep standing. “HUMAN!” Papyrus snatched back your attention. “BECAUSE I NEED TIME TO PUT TOGETHER A PUZZLE THAT WILL PROPERLY CAPTURE YOU, YOU MAY STILL PROCEED, BUT I ASK THAT YOU DO SO SLOWLY, SO AS NOT TO RUSH MY CREATIVE GENIUS.” “...Okay?” Papyrus nodded triumphantly at your “agreement”, posing once more. “PERFECT! I SHALL MEET YOU UP AHEAD THEN! EVENTUALLY!”With that, Papyrus took off back the way he came, cackling to himself. You couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Papyrus was the farthest thing from intimidating, but his enthusiasm was admirable. Sans also chuckled. “papyrus is so cool.”Frisk hummed their agreement as they emerged from behind the lamp, their face stretched with an excited grin. You mirrored their expression, genuinely curious to see what Papyrus had in store for you. “welp, guess i’ll let you two carry on then. i’ll meet’cha up ahead.” Sans said, sauntering off in the opposite direction of Papyrus. You looked over to Frisk for an explanation, and they shrugged. You decided not to question it too much, allowing Frisk to take your hand again to lead you forward into the Underground.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The familiar wave of deja vu that washed over Sans was not quite as bitter as it usually was. It was easy enough to remember Frisk. After all, they had met more times than either of them could count. It was a never ending circle. But now, the timeline seemed to be seasoned with a dash of unpredictability. There was something unusually unique about her. And familiar. But the skeleton was almost sure he had never met her before. If he did, he would've remembered, right? He was still questioning it as he repeated her name under his breath once again. It was indeed familiar to him, yet unfamiliar at the same time.It was a weird feeling that was impossible to shake off, so he followed the two humans during their trek through Snowdin Forest, occasionally making an appearance with Papyrus during his attempts to "capture" them. It seemed she caught onto the fact that despite Papyrus' attempts, he was virtually harmless to the both of you, and willingly played along. He had to admit though, that he didn't find much humor in the concern that flitted across her features as Papyrus revealed his "puzzle" to them as they stood over the deep canyon. He too let himself relax when the devious-looking devices were put away, and you were free to cross without further delay. And when they finally reached Snowdin Town, and faced off with his brother in a three-way confrontation, he was relieved to find that she prohibited Frisk from taking any turns, like she knew what the small child was capable of. The encounter ended swiftly with you offering to be friends with his brother, and the indescribable joy that etched itself across Papyrus' face put Sans just a little bit more at ease. With the new unpredictable factors she brought, Sans was starting to gain the tiniest bit of hope that this timeline would be different.      You chuckled a bit as you trailed behind Papyrus, who was carrying Frisk around on his shoulders as he laughed gleefully."WOWIE! NOT ONE, BUT TWO NEW FRIENDS! AT THIS RATE, MY FRIEND LIST MIGHT ACTUALLY REACH THE DOUBLE DIGITS!" Papyrus beamed. Frisk hummed in agreement, clinging to the tall skeleton as they bounced on his shoulders. Eventually he stopped in front of the big cabin, pushing the door open for you to enter. Once you passed, he ducked his head under the threshold to keep Frisk from bumping their head."WELCOME TO MY HUMBLE ABODE!" Papyrus announced, putting Frisk down on their own two feet. "I AM SURE THAT YOU WILL FIND DELIGHT IN THE TASTEFUL DECOR THAT MY BROTHER AND I HAVE PUT TOGETHER." "It's lovely Papyrus." you smile up at him. His eye lights shimmer giddily. "THANK YOU! WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE KITCHEN!" He said, taking you by the hand and leading you through the living area to the little kitchen in the back. He then began to point out different aspects of the kitchen, including some doors that led out to the balcony, before going off on a tangent about food at the delicate but passionate art of cooking. You however, had been distracted from the moment you stepped into the house. It looked a little bit different than the first time you had been here. Little post-it notes and a sock sat beside the TV stand. Picture frames of what looked to be a younger Sans and Papyrus were hung on the walls, along with little mementos that sat on the shelves above your head. None of that was present when you were here before, and although you could probably guess why, you couldn't bring yourself to mentally confront that possibility. Papyrus was here now, and you needed to focus yourself on that. When you looked up, Papyrus was looking down at you expectantly, his brow bone lifted."What?""YOU MADE A FUNNY NOISE. I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO GET MY ATTENTION, SO I AM GIVING IT TO YOU." "What noise?" A low grumble from your stomach made you sigh. "Oh. That noise. I'm just hungry, Papyrus. I haven't had anything to eat since we came out of the Ruins."Papyrus squealed and you cringed at the pitch. "THIS IS FANTASTIC! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A MORE PERFECT DAY!" His enthusiasm brought Frisk into the kitchen, curious to see what had excited the skeleton. Papyrus sat the both of you at the dining table to keep you in his sight as he prepped the kitchen.”DIVINE!! THIS WHOLE DAY IS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION! I MUST PREPARE MY FINEST DISH!”You looked at Frisk, who was watching Papyrus with an amused grin. “Spaghetti?” You guessed. Frisk nodded, and you inwardly cringed a bit. Disregarding the frozen plate of pasta Papyrus had tried to capture you with earlier, you still remembered what Papyrus’ spaghetti tasted like when Sans served you a plate last time. And while, yes, it was edible, it wasn’t something that you were excited to taste again.A bright light interrupted your thought, and you peeked from your place at the table into the kitchen with curiosity. Tall flames from the stovetop threatened to lick the ceiling, engulfing the pot of water Papyrus had set on top of it. You shrieked, jumping from your seat. Papyrus seemed perplexed as you shut off the stove, grabbing a towel off the counter beside him to try to fan the smoke towards the kitchen window. “Papyrus, why was the stove that high?!” You turned to him. He blinked, staring you down for a moment as he tried to understand. “But Undyne Said That The Flames Should Represent My Passion, And My Passion Is Very Bright And Hot.” He answered, his usual exuberant pitch lowered a few pegs in his confusion. “You...you can’t...” you struggle to find the right words as you slowly start to calm. “You might set the house on fire, Papyrus. That’s kinda dangerous.””OH, BUT I COOK LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME!” He perks, trying to reassure you. His efforts are in vain however as you look over at the charred remains of the stove top. “I can see that...” you trail off, rubbing the back of your neck. It would be rude to tell Papyrus what he can and can’t do in his own home, but it would be reckless to allow things to continue this way. He seemed to have his heart set on making you food, so maybe if you were clever enough, you could fix both problems. “What if I help you cook?” You offer. “Maybe I can...show you some insight as to how humans cook?”It sounded lame, even to you, but Papyrus looked like he was going to burst from his newfound excitement. “COOKING?? WITH FRIENDS??? I WAS WRONG!! THIS DAY HAS JUST GOTTEN EXPONENTIALLY BETTER!!”You almost got whiplash from how sudden the skeleton pulled you into a hug, spinning you and him around the small kitchen space before setting you down. You wobbled dizzily, but relief filled you as you moved to help guide Papyrus with safer cooking habits.   It was a success. Even Sans seemed surprised at the improvement of Papyrus’ dish. Granted, the noodles were a little overdone, and the pasta sauce was almost burnt in Papyrus’ eagerness, but it was still an improvement nonetheless.
You helped Papyrus clear the table after you all ate. Sans sat with Frisk, cranking out pasta puns left and right to Frisk’s amusement and Papyrus’ agony. You chuckled at them, rinsing the dirtied dishes and setting them in the sink per Papyrus’ request.
When all was clean, you scooped Frisk into your arms. “Thanks for the meal, guys. We’ll let ourselves out.”
Both brothers perked with confusion. “WHERE ARE YOU GOING? IT’S GETTING LATE?” Papyrus asked.

“We’re just gonna go down to the inn.” You explained. “It looked nice enough, and I should have enough for the two of us to stay the night.”

“NONSENSE! AS OUR NEWEST FRIENDS, IT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS FOR US TO MAKE YOU SLEEP AT THE INN WHEN YOU CAN STAY IN A PLACE WITH SO MUCH MORE CLASS. YOU CAN STAY WITH US TONIGHT!” Papyrus gasped loudly. “WE CAN HAVE A SLEEPOVER!!”

“A sleepover?” You asked. “Are you guys sure? Like, we wouldn’t be intruding?”

“NONSENSE! TINY FRISK CAN SLEEP IN MY AWESOME ROOM, AND YOU CAN SLEEP IN SANS’ ROOM!”

Sans’ room? You glanced over questioningly to the other skeleton.

He shrugged lazily. “i’ll sleep on the couch. ‘s no big deal.”
“Well...” you looked back to Papyrus, who was giving you a pleading look, his dark sockets shimmering magically. Frisk bounced excitedly in your arms, nodding their agreement. You sighed with a grin. “Alright.”  
You let Frisk settle into the thick pile of blankets and fluff that Papyrus dumped onto his race car bed, tucking them in and smoothing back their hair. They looked content, smiling up at you with half lidded eyes.
“You doing okay?” You ask them quietly. They hadn’t said much since your first encounter with Papyrus, and insisted that you took control of every encounter. They were most active during the meal with the brothers, laughing with Sans and complimenting you and Papyrus. It felt natural. It made your heart swell to think about it.
Frisk nodded, leaning into your touch as you caressed their cheek. “Good. Just wanted to make sure. If anything happens, you know where I am.”

They grabbed your hand before you could get up, and you saw hesitation in their eyes. “What is it?”

“Could you sing to me?” They asked.

You blinked, too surprised to respond immediately. They hadn’t made such a request in years.

“What Is This I Hear About A Song?” Papyrus entered the room with a softer voice. He had traded his battle armor for some soft pajamas adorned with little bones, complete with a little hat sitting atop his skull.

“She’s gonna sing to us.” Frisk grinned as they cozied themself in his bed. Papyrus looked eager as well.

“Really?? That Is Good, Because Sans Has Already Fallen Asleep On The Couch. He Didn’t Even Finish Setting It Up!” He tisked with disappointment as he shut his door behind him, then going to bury himself in the big nest of blankets he crafted for himself. “This Will Be A Great Replacement For My Usual Bedtime Story!”

“I see.” You pursed your lips, exhaling through your nose. You supposed it wouldn’t hurt; Frisk never cared about the condition of your voice, but you weren’t sure if that would extend to the skeleton nested on the floor beside you would feel the same.
Still, you don’t have the heart to argue, not when Frisk and Papyrus are staring at you expectantly. You clear your throat, taking a minute to remember the words to the song you used to sing to Frisk when they were younger.
It starts off rusty, and you pause after the first few notes to regain the tune in your head. Frisk pats your hand patiently, and you smile. You start again, the song flowing easier this time.
By the time you’ve finished, Frisk is asleep. You make sure they’re tucked in and press a soft kiss to the top of their head. They shift a little, mumbling softly as they roll over and fall asleep again.
Papyrus is sleeping as well. It’s endearing to see him curled up in his blankets, his arms clutching a tiny teddy bear to his chest. His nose cavity whistles softly as he snores in his sleep. You make sure he’s tucked in comfortably before you exit the room, shutting the door behind you.

You almost trip over Sans as you turn to face the hall. He’s slumped over against the wall, snoring heavily. Without his jacket, he looks unusually small, and it doesn’t help that he’s slouched over himself. You debate for a moment whether or not you should move him, ultimately deciding to leave him be. You carefully step over him and make your way to the room at the end of the hall.

Papyrus insisted on tidying up the room before you entered, and even with his last ditch effort to make it suitable for guests, you can see that this room has seen better days. The bed is just a mattress in the corner, with a couple blankets folded over it. There’s a pile of clothes draped over a treadmill in the opposite corner. And somehow, twirling about against the wall is a little tornado of sorts. With closer examination, you see that there’s a strange assortment of junk swirling around in the tornado, including socks and trash pieces. It’s strange, but not necessarily the strangest thing you’ve seen.
Curiosity quenched for the moment, you situate yourself on the mattress. Pulling the comforter over you, you curl up on your side and let yourself relax.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A few hours pass and you’re still awake. You don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve last slept, but despite that, you’re restless right now. You throw the comforter off of you and get to your feet, wrapping a smaller blanket around your shoulders.When you step out into the hallway, Sans isn’t there anymore. When you head downstairs, you find him curled up on the couch. Papyrus wasn’t exaggerating earlier- the blankets and pillows set aside for Sans’ sleep on the couch were thrown haphazardly onto it, and most of it was already threatening to fall onto the floor. He didn’t seem to mind it.You tiptoe quietly past him towards the kitchen, curious about the balcony Papyrus had pointed out earlier. The hinges squeak softly as you pull the door open, and a brisk breeze caresses your face. You shut the door behind you, pulling the blanket tighter around you as you step out into the cold. The balcony is cleared from snow, with exception to the railing. There’s not much here otherwise, but you weren’t really expecting much either. You settle for brushing off some snow from the railing, then leaning over it a bit as you look over the town.
It feels late, even without the sun or moon for reference. You haven’t seen a clock anywhere either. But there’s a heaviness in your bones that tells you that it’s late. Above you, there’s an array of sparkling lights. If you didn’t know you were underground, you’d have mistaken such lights as stars. They were pretty, sure, but you couldn’t help but miss the real night sky.

There’s no one out either- all the residents you had met earlier were now cozy in their homes as they rest for the night. The silence that weighs in the air doesn’t help your mood, either. Instead it reminds you of the first time you walked through this town, and that is definitely not a thought you want to have right now. 
A soft squeak sounds off behind you, but you don’t bother to turn around. “Did I wake you up?””nah. you okay?” Sans asks as he stands in the doorway.“Yeah, I’m fine.” You respond quietly. Sans doesn’t say anything, so you glance over your shoulder at him. He doesn't look convinced. “you look like you got a lot on your mind.”“It’s just been a long day.” You shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.””i see. mind if i keep you company then?” He offers, leaning against the door frame. You consider his offer for a moment. “I wouldn’t be interrupting your sleep time, would I?”“i take naps throughout the day.” Sans shrugs with a light chuckle. “besides, papyrus says i sleep too much.”You smile a little, touched by his offer. “Then I guess I don’t mind.””cool. do ya mind if we go inside though? kinda chilly out here.” he makes a show out of shivering, rubbing the bare bones of his arms.”What, you mean the cold doesn’t go right through you?” You tease with a snort, stepping back inside with him. He feigns an indignant expression. “heyy that’s my line. it’s not ice to steal people’s punchlines.””Oh please, those puns are so predictable.” You giggle as you take a seat at the dining table.  “there’s snow problem in having predicable humor.” Sans winked. You rolled your eyes, sitting back in your chair. Sans stood awkwardly for a moment, silence falling between the two of you.  
“i’ll uh...make some tea.” he excused himself to the kitchen.
    
The water was taking forever to boil. Sans tapped his phalanges impatiently against the box of tea.

Contrary to what the human may have thought, she didn’t wake Sans up. It was hard for someone to wake him up once he was down for the count- Papyrus had confirmed that fact a long while ago. 
No, something else disturbed Sans’ sleep tonight, just as it’s done every other night. But fortunately, he didn’t have to be alone with his thoughts tonight.

It was really late, and Sans was convinced that something had to be bothering her if she was still up now. She looked ragged in her exhausted state, leaned against the railing and staring into space. Even when she laughed at his jokes, her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Even though he was sure neither of them would talk about what’s really bothering them, it’d be better than being alone.

The water finally brought itself to a boil, so Sans prepped the tea into two small mugs. The excess water was left on the stove as Sans carried the cups out of the kitchen.

She thanked him quietly as he slid her mug in front of her, taking it between her hands. She stared down at it as he took a seat across from her. He stared down at his own mug for a moment, watching the water dilute the tea leaves.
The silence between the two of them was starting to become suffocating.
Sans cleared his throat. “so, how’d you and frisk end up down here? if you don’t mind my askin’?”
She stared down at her tea, her mouth forming a deep frown, and Sans inwardly cringed. What a way to start the conversation, right?“I went looking for Frisk.” She started with a sigh. “They ran off, and didn’t come back for a few days. I went looking for them, and I fell too.”
“you and the kid are close then?”

She nods. “I’m their older sister. I’m kind of the only family they have left now.”

Sans nods in understanding, lazily stirring his own tea. “kinda like paps and i.”

“You guys don’t have any other family?” She asked curiously. She finally looked up from her cup towards him.

He shrugs. “been like this long as either of us can remember.”

“Was it rough? Being on your own, I mean?“

”it wasn’t necessarily rough. i mean, the town came together and helped make sure paps and i were safe.” Sans explained. ”i guess the hardest part was raising my bro.”

”I understand that.” She said softly. “I had to do the same with Frisk. They’re still pretty young, so I can’t imagine they’d remember our parents that well.”

Sans noticed her expression was unreadable as she spoke. She paused after she finished, staring back at her cup. She stirred its contents a bit, taking a sip.

“I wonder if that had something to do with their running away?” She wondered aloud, looking up at him. He didn’t answer. She looked away and sighed. “I just...think back sometimes, and wonder if there was anything I could’ve done to change things. In reality, I know a lot of things were out of my control but...I didn’t want Frisk to be exposed to a world like that.”

He understood more than he could probably say in that moment. As far back as he could recall, Papyrus had always been his everything. He sacrificed a lot for his younger brother, including his own childhood. To see that someone else shared that sort of experience comforted him a bit.

“I don’t know what I did wrong, though.” She continued softly. Tears started to gather in the corners of her eyes.

”woah, who said you did something wrong?” Sans raised a brow bone.

“I don’t know. Things were going well, and then suddenly...Frisk just up and disappears. And now they’re...different. I don’t know why or how, and I don’t know how to help them. I just,” She wipes her eyes. “I hoped that if I managed to get them back home, things could go back to the way they were.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond. It seemed she knew more than she let on about Frisk, but digging into the subject seemed to distress her.

So he let that thought drop, instead settling for trying to comfort her. “hey, i know it ain’t easy takin’ care of a kid. but you said so yourself: a lot of things were out of your control. th’ kid’s gonna make their own decisions, and ya can’t blame yourself for what happens.”

it might just be easier not to care, he thought to himself.

“i get the same thoughts ‘bout Papyrus every now and again.“ he admitted. “probably the best thing to do is focus on what you can do for ‘em now, instead of worryin’ about what you could’ve done.”

hypocrite...

She considered his words for a bit. “Yeah...I guess you’re right.”

was he?

She downed some more of her tea. “I’m sorry for getting so personal. But I appreciate you listening. Sorry it had to take away time for you to sleep, though.”

He dismissed her apologies with a slight wave of his hand and a slight grin. “don’t worry ‘bout it.”
  
You smiled at Sans, finishing up the last bit of your drink in the silence that fell between you two. It wasn’t as awkward as earlier, and now you were finally starting to feel sleepy.

“Thank you for this. I feel better now.” You say as you stand. Sans stays seated.

“heh, i didn’t really do anything.”

”Well, I appreciate your encouragement.” You say. You disappear into the kitchen briefly to set your cup in the sink. Sans hadn’t moved to get up, staring down at his cup.

“And for the record, I think you did a fantastic job raising Papyrus.” You assure him, patting him on his shoulder.

A sharp shock emits from your fingertips and you both jump. You snatch your hand away from him, your heart pounding from the startle.

“Oh geez! Sorry about that! I hate when I do that.” You shake your hand a bit, examining your fingertips. It was a hearty shock, and your hand felt a bit tingly after that. Strange that you built up such a charge just walking from the kitchen, but stranger things have happened.

You look up towards Sans, flinching a bit when you realize he’s gone. His sudden disappearance puts you on edge a bit, and you glance around for him. You were fairly sure he could teleport at this point, seeing that he’s done this disappearing act before in front of you and Frisk. Whatever had prompted it, you weren’t sure. Maybe they didn’t have static shocks like that here? You’d have to apologize and explain it to him the next time you see him.

You don’t worry about it anymore, instead heading back upstairs.

When you enter Sans’ room, a new golden star shines brightly besides the trash tornado. You reach for it.

*Sans’ encouragement fills you with Determination.

S A V E.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You still felt tired when you woke up the next day. But the exhaustion that previously weighed you down had lightened up some, and you were eventually able to pull yourself from the mattress. Downstairs, the kitchen was already alive with energy. Frisk sat perched on Papyrus’ shoulders again as the skeleton bounced around the kitchen preparing breakfast. “Good morning.” You greeted them with a smile. Papyrus and Frisk turned to face you in the doorway. “GOOD MORNING, FRISK’S SISTER! IT IS GOOD TO SEE THAT YOU ARE UP!“ he grinned as he set Frisk down on their own two feet. The child quickly ran up to you to greet you with a tight hug around your waist. You returned the hug. “BREAKFAST IS READY!” Papyrus announced, setting three places at the table. You and Frisk sat along with Papyrus to eat. A bowl of oatmeal sat in front of each of you, each decorated with little white eggs. “Are these..?””DINOSAUR EGGS?” Papyrus finished for you. He giggled gleefully as he shoveled a spoonful out of his own bowl. “YOU WOULD BE CORRECT, FRIEND! THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOOD, AND IT BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU!”Papyrus’ excitement was adorable as he ate his breakfast, checking each of the eggs and naming each dinosaur with surprising accuracy. Frisk combed through their meal, eating each individual egg before starting to scoop spoonfuls into their mouth. You weren't the biggest fan of oatmeal, honestly. But just after the first bite, a burst of energy filled you, with an excitement that you've never felt before rising to the surface. You relished in the joy the oatmeal gave you, surprised that such a simple meal could hold so much magical emotion. With a wide grin you wondered if this is how Papyrus felt all the time."Where's Sans?" Frisk asked between bites. Papyrus hummed, looking over at the empty seat next to him. "WELL, SINCE MY BROTHER IS NOT HERE, NOR CAN HE BE UPSTAIRS, I CONCLUDE THAT HE IS EITHER AT THAT GREASE TRAP DOWN THE STREET, OR GETTING A HEAD START ON SWINDLING PEOPLE TO BUY WATER SAUSAGES HE CLAIMS TO BE HOTDOGS.""You don't like hot dogs?" you asked. Papyrus' face scrunched a bit. "EVERY MEAL CONSISTED OF THOSE THINGS WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER. I WOULD MUCH PREFER ANYTHING ELSE THAN EAT ANOTHER HOTDOG IN MY LIFE.""Fair enough," you nod, savoring the last few bites of oatmeal on your plate. "I PROPOSE THAT WE GO ON AN OUTING TODAY!" Papyrus announced as he finished his bowl. "THERE ARE MANY SIGHTS IN SNOWDIN THAT ARE ALMOST AS GREAT AS I AM. IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF I NEGLECTED TO TAKE YOU TO BASK IN THEIR ALMOST-GREATNESS!" "I think that sounds nice, Papyrus." you agree. Spending a little time in the town wouldn't hurt. And by the look on Frisk's face, they seemed to agree. "PERFECT! I ALREADY KNOW THE FIRST PLACE-" The three of you jumped at the violent ringing coming from Papyrus' shorts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. You noticed a nervous gleam in his eye as he read the caller ID. His sockets met your eyes for a second before excusing himself and leaving the room. He didn't go very far, because you and Frisk could still make out the conversation. "Hello?" Silence. "...I Do Not Recall Sending You Messages Regarding Fallen Humans..." Papyrus said with a nervous cough. "In Fact, I Believe That Annoying Dog Stole My Phone Again, And Strategically Typed Out Those Urgent-Sounding Messages To You While I Was Distracted." You knew he was lying, but even so the waver in his usually confident voice gave him away. You assumed by Papyrus' silence that the person on the other end of the phone thought so too. "Okay...I Shall Meet You There Then." You waited for Papyrus to come bouncing back into the room. Instead, he poked his skull into the room. Sweat coated his skull as he gave a non-reassuring grin towards the two of you."ON SECOND THOUGHT, THIS HOUSE IS WAY MORE INTERESTING AND GRAND THAN ANYTHING OUTSIDE! SO I WILL LEAVE YOU HERE TO EXPLORE THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND I WILL BE BACK LATER TO QUIZ YOU ON WHAT YOU'VE FOUND!" You didn't have a moment to protest as the tall skeleton left once again, his boots thumping against the hardwood floor as he hastily exited the house. The door shut tight behind him, and silence filled the air. You glanced at Frisk to confirm that, yes, that did just happen, and something was wrong. Frisk sighed a bit, pushing their bowl away from them as they moved to get up from their seat. "Where are you going?" "We gotta go see Sans." they said simply. "But Papyrus wanted us to stay here...for some reason. Do you know who was on the phone? Has that happened before?" "I think I know who it was, but it'll be okay." they tried to assure you. They took your hand and pulled you out of your seat. While you were indeed hesitant to ignore Papyrus' request, you did remember that Frisk had a better grasp on the situation than you did. As long as they didn't hurt anybody, you would allow them to guide you through the Underground. And if that included leaving the skeleton house when one of them subtly implied that you shouldn't, well...You'll go along with it for now.  The walk through town was pleasant. Monsters regarded you both kindly with smiles and waves. You returned their gestures, pleased to see so many friendly faces. It warmed your heart to see everyone so cheerful. The brisk air eventually merged into a warmer humidity, and you rolled your sleeves up a bit as you continued forward. Not a word had been spoken between you or Frisk as they guided you forward. You were grateful for the distant sound of rushing water that filled the silence, squeezing their hand comfortably. Their grip on your hand tightened as well, right before they veered off the path so suddenly that you fell to your knees among a thick brush of weeds. Letting go of your sibling's hand, you stretched your arms out instinctively to catch yourself before you planted face-first into the mud. The plants that weren't crushed under your weight grazed against your exposed skin, and you waved a hand in front of your face to brush away any that threatened to tickle your nose. You made a noise of protest towards Frisk, who shushed you immediately. While you sat on hands and knees, they were crouched next to you, gently pushing aside the tall weeds and making a little pathway for you to follow them in. You grumbled to yourself, crawling behind them as you tried to re-convince yourself that letting Frisk lead was a good idea.They stopped suddenly, twisting their head to you and putting a finger to their lips. You heeded their instruction, keeping silent as they leaned forward a bit. They pulled some of the stalks aside to let you both see through the little window they had created. In the near distance, you could make out a figure standing silently in the shadows. What little light there was in the area glinted off their body. With a squint, you could make out the thick armor that covered every inch of their body. Or at least you assumed it was armor. It could've been scales or something attached to their actual body and you wouldn't have been any wiser to it. Frisk elbowed you a bit, nodding towards another figure approaching. The lanky silhouette resembled Papyrus, but the body language was all wrong, His usual confident posture was replaced by a meeker demeanor. Hands were retracted in front of his chest instead of planted at his hips. Even his stride was slower, more careful, almost like he was confronting a sleeping bear or something. He stopped a few feet from the figure. "H-HERE I AM, UNDYNE. YOU...WANTED TO SEE ME?" His voice was louder than it was on the phone, but the certainty of it was not there. The other figure's voice was too quiet for you to hear. "D-DID I FIGHT THE HUMANS...?" Papyrus paused. "OF COURSE I DID BUT...""DID I CAPTURE THEM? ...No...I Didn't..."BUT! I AM PLEASE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE HUMANS ARE ACTUALLY REALLY NICE! THEY-" The other figure stomped, making Papyrus flinch at their aggressive stance. You could vaguely hear their voice, but couldn't make out any of their words. Whatever they said, it seemed to deflate Papyrus even more. "Wh-You're Going To Take Their Souls Yourself? But! You Shouldn't! I Mean..." Papyrus sounded torn, desperate as he tried to convince this person not to go after his new friends. He stopped mid-sentence, taking a step or two back away from the figure. They spoke a little longer before Papyrus' shoulder sunk a bit."I-I Understand. I'll Help You Any Way I Can..."The other monster seemed satisfied with his response, since their stance relaxed a bit. They dismissed Papyrus, who walked away with his head hung low. Your own heart clenched with despair, dread pooling in your gut. This monster, "Undyne", seemed to have it out for you and Frisk. You'd never imagine someone as boisterous and intense as Papyrus would be reduced to this timid, soft-spoken skeleton that you watched shuffle off. A part of you was angry at this Undyne, while another part of you feared them. You grabbed Frisk's shoulder to steady yourself, and they let the weeds fall back into place, effectively concealing you both. They also looked upset at the display. You frowned deeply, pulling them towards you in a brief hug. Maybe you could go back and comfort Papyrus? Let him know that you weren't going to let Undyne push him around like that-A shrill ringtone disrupted the silence. 
Your phone-!
You forgot that Toriel gave you this old beat-up flip phone back in the Ruins. It sat undisturbed in your back pocket, so small and insignificant before that you completely disregarded its existence. You regretted it now, clawing at your pants to rip the screaming device from your pocket. You didn't bother to look at the caller ID. Frantically you opened the device and rejected the call, fumbling to silence it. Your own heart now replaced the ringtone, thumping so loudly in your chest that you were sure Undyne could hear it. Heavy metal footsteps approached the shrubbery you had hidden yourselves in. You clung to Frisk desperately, shaking as your mind raced to consider all the possible ways Undyne was going to kill you and the small child in your arms. Tears sprung to your eyes and you clenched them tightly, bracing yourself for this menacing figure to discover you. Another body rustled the stalks around you, and you flinched with a squeak, trying to cover Frisk's body with your own. "Undyne!! Oh stars I can't believe it's really you!" a different voice squealed. You held your breath, unsure of this new development. "Whaat? There's a human out here! That's so cool!!" The voice paused. "But I wanna see you fight them! Please?? ...Fine, I'll go home..." The clunking of armor retreated into the distance after that, but you didn't move a muscle. It wasn't until Frisk wiggled uncomfortably in your arms that you released them. They seemed sure that Undyne was gone now, standing to their full height and offering you a hand. You ignored it at first, fist bunched in your shirt as you tried to calm your frantic breathing. Through the thin fabric you could feel your heartbeat. Your whole body was tense as you struggled to regain your composure. Eventually you accepted Frisk's hand and let them help you to your feet. You let out a deep sigh, willing the stress from your body. "That was too close.""I'll say! You almost got to meet Undyne too!" You glanced in the direction of the voice that had saved you. It belonged to a little yellow dinosaur monster, who stood just an inch or two under Frisk. Their bright eyes looked the two of you over as they bounced eagerly on the balls of their feet. "Man! Wouldn't you give anything to watch Undyne beat up some humans?? She's so cool!!" Their tiny body vibrated with their excitement. "Just a few more steps and you would've met her too! Sorry I got in the way, though. I got too excited from being so close to her. But can you blame me??" You and Frisk didn't respond, but it didn't seem like the little monster was waiting on you too. They turned suddenly, running off. "C'mon!" they cried over their shoulder. "Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" You weren't too eager to move forward, but Frisk encouraged you on. You held their hand tightly as you followed the dinosaur child. The pathway opened up into a spacious room-like cavern. A few monsters were gathered here, too occupied to acknowledge your presence. Frisk let go of your hand, stepping forward to look at a tall iridescent blue flower. You moved to follow, when a violent vibration made you jump. You snatched the flip phone from your pocket yet again. This time, you looked at the caller ID.Papyrus. You answered it this time. “Hello? Papyrus?””OH GOOD YOU ANSWERED!” He sounded relieved. “I TRIED CALLING EARLIER, BUT I GOT VOICEMAIL. I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT, DUE TO CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WAS BEST FOR YOU TO LEAVE THE HOUSE, BUT IT SEEMS YOU WERE ONE STEP AHEAD OF ME!” “What’s going on, Papyrus?” You asked with concern. “NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!” He laughed nervously. You huffed lightly. “Papyrus...””FINE!” He relented. “I Have A Particular Friend...And Her Opinion Regarding Humans Is Pretty...Murder-y...”You swallowed. “So...what do we do?””EASY!” His voice regained its usual exuberant tone. Honestly, you were starting to feel a bit whiplashed from how quickly he switched tones. “WE JUST HAVE TO DISTRACT UNDYNE FROM EVER SEEING YOU TWO!””That doesn’t sound so easy.”  You muttered skeptically. He grunted. “IT’S A GOOD ENOUGH PLAN UNTIL UNDYNE FORGETS ABOUT YOU.””is that papyrus?”You jumped, shrieking as you turned to see Sans standing behind you.”OH GOOD YOU’RE WITH SANS. HE’LL MAKE SURE YOU’RE BOTH SAFE!” Papyrus said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I MUST BE GOING NOW! I SHALL SEE YOU AND TINY FRISK LATER!”With that, the other line went dead and you sighed. “what’s up?”You pocketed the old phone. “Honestly, I don’t know anymore.””sounds like you need a break.” he observed, his grin casual. “luckily i was just about to take my government mandated break.” He jerked a thumb behind him, where an old hotdog stand stood. “Break time?” Frisk asked, coming around to hold your hand again. “that’s the idea, kiddo.” Sans winked at them. “c’mon. i know a shortcut.”Sans sauntered off, and Frisk followed after him. Instead of protesting, you walked after them, trusting that Papyrus was right about his brother.  The sudden change of scenery threw you for a loop. One minute you were heading deeper into Waterfall, and the next you were inside some sort of restaurant. Frisk seemed unfazed, splitting off from you and Sans to greet the dog monsters you encountered earlier. Sans took a seat at the bar, glancing back at you and gesturing for you to take the seat next to him. When you took the seat, a wet fart sound erupted from your seat and your face flushed as laughter rippled through the establishment. The skeleton snirked, trying to keep from laughing himself. “careful...weirdos out whoopee cushions in the seats sometimes.”You glared at him, standing a bit and pulling the cushion out from under you. “Looks like I’m the butt of the joke, huh?” You tossed it at him. He caught it with ease, a few chuckles  escaping him as he shoved the toy into his jacket. “don’t get too cheeky about it. could'a happened to anybody.”“I’m a little bummed, though.” You tried to keep a serious face. “I don’t think I’ll ever get to the bottom of it.”The both of you burst into giggles. Your embarrassment melted away and you relaxed a bit. Sans wiped a stray tear from his socket as his own laughter subsided. You looked up as a flame monster approached the two of you. He was dressed smartly, with a pair of thin glasses in his facial area. You couldn’t make out any distinguishing facial features. Frankly, it felt awkward trying to study features that weren’t there, so you directed your attention back to the skeleton beside you.”sup, grilbz?” Sans nodded to him. He looked over to you. “what'cha hungry for?””Eh, I’m not really hungry. Papyrus made oatmeal for breakfast.””aww. his favorite with the little dino eggs?” Sans smiled fondly. You nodded. “cute. hey grillby, i‘ll just have my usual.”Grillby nodded, walking off. “So, I wanted to apologize for last night. I know it’s not technically my fault, what with static and all that, but I didn’t mean to spook you with it.” You said. Sans grunted softly, his cheekbones dusted with a shade of blue. He looked away from you with a tight smile, coughing roughly and waving a hand dismissively. “don’t worry about it. ‘s no skin off my nose.” He said quickly with a weak chuckle. “anyways, papyrus was on the phone, yeah? what was he callin’ about?”You raised a brow at his deflection, but shrugged it off. He was probably just embarrassed that such a small thing got to him. You went along with it. “Yeah, he was saying something about Undyne, and how he was glad you were with Frisk and I.””that so?””Frisk and I saw them talking earlier. Is Undyne like Papyrus’ boss or something?”“close. she’s a friend of his.””A friend?” The idea of sweet Papyrus being friends with such a terrifying and intimidating person bewildered you. You never would’ve guessed they were friends.Sans shrugged, pausing when Grillby came back with a fresh burger and fries, sliding over a thick bottle of ketchup as well before walking off. Sans wrapped a hand around the ketchup, bringing it closer to him as he resumed. “undyne is the captain of the royal guard. my bro’s been tryna get into it for a while now, and in his efforts to do so, they’ve gotten closer.””I see. And the Royal Guard is responsible for capturing humans, I assume?””for the most part. haven’t been too many humans down here in a while, tho.” You watched in mild disgust as the skeleton tipped his head back, bringing the ketchup to his mouth and downing it like it was a soft drink. He sighed in content, grinning a bit at your expression. He offered the bottle to you with a lift of his brow bone and you shook your head. He set the bottle down again and pulled a crisp fry from the tray. “So Papyrus wants to be part of the Royal Guard, and Undyne...won’t let him?””she has her reasons, i’m sure. for now tho, he and i are just sentries. we report to her every now and again. i’m guessing she finally got his messages about you and the kid?”You nod. “She called him earlier, and when they met up she seemed pretty mad at him for not capturing us. She told him she was going to capture us herself. Should we be worried?”Sans took another swing of his condiment. The bottle squirted wetly as he finished it off, setting it down and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “nah, you’ll be fine.” He slid off the stool, slipping his hands in his pockets. “welp, i think my break’s just about over. i’mma head back.””Aren’t you gonna pay for your...food?” You gestured to the uneaten plate. “oh, you mean you weren’t buyin’?” He laughed at the panic that twisted your features. “i’m kiddin’. grillbz will just put it on my tab.”Well there’s that then. You lean against the counter and watch the skeleton walk out. The food sits untouched next to you, steam still wafting off of it. You sample a fry. Not bad. You don’t resist the urge to take another one. They have just the perfect crisp to them. You absently continue to pick from the basket of fries until none remain. Weird. You didn’t think you were hungry enough to finish them so quickly. Frisk giggles behind you and you turn in your seat to see them on the floor. A big fluffy dog is laying on their legs, lapping at their face as they rub its belly. A huge pile of armor sits just off to the side. You smile a little at the joy that has spread across Frisk’s face as they indulge the pup in more pats and belly rubs. What’s even funnier to you is that the rest of the dog monsters are eagerly waiting their turn, crouched around the small child. You look at the burger next to you, then back at Frisk. With a shrug, you grab up the sandwich. You’re gonna be here for a while, so why not enjoy it?    Finally, you were able to pull Frisk out of the literal dog pile that had begun to overwhelm them. The dogs, however, continued to follow you through Snowdin, only dispersing after you entered Waterfall once again. Frisk insisted you keep moving forward, so you didn’t argue. You couldn’t help looking over your shoulder every once in a while though. Even through your cautious paranoia, you tried to take a moment to appreciate how beautiful Waterfall was. The shallow water from the smaller waterfalls was cool around your ankles as you and Frisk waded through them, you pant legs rolled up and shoes in hand. It was dimmer than the other places, moreso than you remember it being the first time you walked through. Then again, you were so caught up in searching for Frisk that it was all too easy to overlook the natural beauty of this place.Funny enough, you think you would've remembered the big blue glowing circle that currently laid in your pathway. And the one that just appeared beside it....And...The patches of magic multiplied to create a circle around you. You hastily shoved Frisk forward, yelping loudly as your arm was grazed by the spears that suddenly sprouted from the ground. Frisk hit the ground on the other side, grunting upon impact. The rolled over to see you trapped, eyes widening in realization of your new predicament. "Run!" You urged them. "I'll be okay! We'll meet up later, just don't let her catch you!" Frisk scrambled to their feet, taking off a few paces before stopping suddenly and turning to you again. Through your pain, you mustered up a look that wordlessly told them not to argue with you. Their hesitance faded a bit and they turned, running off down the path without you. Now alone, you glanced around at the spears encircling you. Your arm still throbbed painfully, warning you not to touch them again. Your heartbeat picked up as you heard the familiar sound of clunking armor and heavy boots. "Ah-ha! I knew Papyrus was lying!" A gruff feminine voice roared. You spun to face her. Undyne was tall. Her stance rivaled that of Papyrus, and that didn't make you feel any less intimidated by her. You actually cowered a bit as she approached. Her face was still shielded by her helmet, but you could sense her confusion as she stopped in her approach to study you. "Wait...Papyrus said there were two of you? Where's the other human, human?"  Indignance sparked inside you, but you bit your tongue in favor of trying to find a way out. Even if you could manage to hold your own against her in a confrontation, you didn't want to. There had to be some way to distract her. "Talk, human!" Undyne spat, summoning another spear just like the ones that encircled you. She stepped closer, the only think between you now was her own barrier. "And don't even think about trying to brainwash me with your human tricks." You weren't going to ask about that. Instead, you pointed behind her, shouting, "They're right behind you!" As stupid as it was, your fearful tone conveyed the urgency perfectly, and Undyne spun on her heel, carelessly attacking the shadows behind her. Fortunately, the spears surrounding you sunk back into the ground, leaving you to escape while she was distracted. Unfortunately for you, the distraction didn't last long. You heard her cry out in anger, and the harsh clunk of her armor echoed off the walls. Your heart leapt into your throat, choking you as you willed your legs to go faster. You searched desperately for something, anything, that could conceal you from Undyne. You spotted a rusty old door in the wall, and slid to a stop in front of it. Not even daring to check how close your persuer was, you shoved the door open and dove into the room. The thick metal door shut loudly behind you, and you threw your body against it, hoping it was enough to keep her out. Undyne's battle cry nearly vibrated the door with its intensity, and you cried out in fear as you searched the room. Shelves of old junk lined the walls, bordering the room. They met in the middle, where along counter top stood. An old tortoise monster sat hunched behind the counter, squinting at you and chuckling to himself in amusement. No words were exchanged between the two of you- he waved a clawed hand at you, gesturing for you to approach. Not having much of a choice, you scampered over, glancing over your shoulder at the door. You expected it to come flying off the hinges as Undyne kicked the door open. The elderly monster grabbed your attention by gently hooking his hand into the crook of your elbow, guiding you around the counter. He sat you on an old seat cushion on the floor behind the counter, sitting himself back in his chair just as you heard the door open. The hinges squeaked in protest at the rough treatment, but from what you could tell, the door was still attached. Undyne panted heavily. "Gerson! There are humans on the loose!" She growled. "Are there now?" Gerson asked, unconcerned about what was clearly a big deal to her. "Yes! You haven't seen it have you?" She questioned him. Her voice was closer now, and you held your breath. Your heart was almost deafening as you both waited for the old monster's response. He grunted. "I ain't seen nothing, deary. Maybe ya should try lookin' in the Lantern Room? Plenty a' hidin' spots in there." Undyne slammed a fist against the counter. A small part of you was impressed that it held its integrity under her brute strength. The other part of you was mortified by the shriek it startled from you. But Undyne didn't seem to hear it as she huffed, "Of course! They're probably halfway to Hotland by now!" She mumbled a hurried farewell to Gerson. The loud slam of the door notified you that she was gone now. You collapse with relief, leaning back against the rough wall behind you. "Thank you." you breathed. Gerson gave an amused chuckle as he turned in his seat to face you. He offered you a hand and pulled you to your feet, letting you collapse in a rickety rocking chair next to him. You groaned in pain as he accidentally grabbed your injured arm. His amusement turned serious as he noticed your discomfort. "Undyne's attacks 're no joke," he said. His tone sounded fatherly as he stood to his feet, shuffling out of the room. "Stay here. I'll go prepare ya some sea tea fer that injury."When I get back, I look forward t' hearin' how ya ended up like this."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You sipped at the hot tea that had been handed to you. Despite the heat that tickled your nose, the drink slipped past your lips smoothly. The taste was something akin to salted caramel. It wasn't a bad taste. It warmed your throat and spread throughout your body as it filled your stomach. Your injured arm tingled in a way that felt like static filled your bloodstream. It flowed through your veins, the magic repairing the damage left by Undyne’s attack. You sighed at the sensation, wriggling your fingers to test it. Good as new. Gerson chuckled with amusement at your fascination. He cleared his throat after drinking from his own mug. "Now then, little lady. Mind tellin' me how ya ended up like this?" You swirled the liquid in your cup, trying to figure out how to put your adventure so far into words. "It's a long story." The monster pulled his wrinkled lips to the side in a smirk, sinking down deeper into his huge chair. Apparently he had all the time in the world. So, you relented, and told him how you and Frisk fell into the Underground, and that something had changed inside of the child. You left out the parts of Resets and Loads, as well as Frisk doing harm to any of the monsters. You told him about the skeleton brothers, and how they took the two of you in, and how the youngest was trying to protect you from the armored psycho that was currently hunting you down. You finished your story with you and Frisk being separated. "I see," Gerson mused. "That makes sense now why your Soul is so troubled, deary." "Troubled?" He took a swig of his drink, smacking his lips. "Yep! As you may already know, your Soul is the culmination of your being. In confrontations it represents your physical body. It can also reflect your mental and emotional state, but most monsters aren't attuned to human Souls like that. I can see that yer carryin' a lot on your shoulders there.""How can you read my Soul?" Gerson wheezed his laughter. "Darlin', when yer as old as I am, ya learn a few things here and there." You chuckled with him a bit. "You're really old then, huh?" "Old enough to remember the War, yes indeed." "The War between monsters and humans?" you asked. If he was that old, you couldn't even imagine the things he'd seen. That war was almost 100 years ago. You heard stories passed down through your family, but at the time, it never occurred to you that the tall tales were true."That very one." he nodded. His mirth faded into solemnity as he stared at his own cup. "Still remember it like it was yesterday.""But! That's a story for another time, deary. Now that that wound's all healed up, ya should go lookin' for that kid of yours." Geez, his tone changes were almost as bad as Papyrus'. Still, you had to agree. Now that you were better, you should go find Frisk before something happens to them. Or...they do something to someone else. You thanked Gerson for his kindness before you left. He wished you well as you carefully left his shop. With no sign of Undyne, you moved forward in the direction you saw Frisk go. It didn't take you long to run encounter more monsters. After each encounter, you asked them if they had seen Frisk, but it seemed no one could point you in the right direction. You could only hoped that as you moved forward, they would reveal themselves. "heya. where's the kid?"Sans startled you from your thoughts. He leaned up against the wall of the cavern, hands shoved into his pockets as he lazily watched you with one half-lidded eye. You glanced curiously at the telescope next to him. "What's that for?" you asked as you approached it. It looked really expensive, and you had to wonder how in the world Sans managed to get his hands on something so impressive. And...useless? There weren't any stars down here?" "stargazin'." he replied smoothly. It felt kind of rude to point out the obvious, so you went along with it. "it's normally 5000G to look through it, but for you i'll let ya for free." "Thanks." you chuckled a little, grinning at his generosity. You grabbed the eyepiece of the telescope delicately between your fingers, leaning over to look through it. You didn't expect to see much, but this was still disappointing. A red haze colored your vision, and no matter how much you adjusted the device, nothing would come to focus. When you straightened to complain to Sans, he had his glove pressed to his mouth, snickering heavily. Your brow furrowed. "What's so funny?" His eye lights darted up at you and he snorted, breaking down into childish giggles behind his hands. You looked back at the telescope, sure you were missing something. You examined the eyepiece again closely. Red paint was smeared on the lens, and even on your fingers. Which meant...You swiped your clean hand over your eye and almost choked at the drying paint that stained your fingers. Sans hadn't stopped laughing. In fact, your reaction worsened his condition. For a creature who didn't have lungs (to the best of your knowledge), he was really having a hard time breathing as he guffawed. Seeing him so caught up by his prank, you couldn't help but laugh with him. The both of you were doubled over in laughter for a bit, before you were able to regain yourself. Then, something occurred to you. "This isn't permanent, right?" You've never seen a skeleton look so ominous before.   "This isn't another prank, is it?" you groaned. You were still rubbing your face with a wet portion of your sleeve. Sans had claimed you had removed all the paint, but you didn't trust him. Your fingers were still faintly reddish, like you had just polished off an entire bag of hot Cheetos. You could only imagine the train wreck that was your face, and although your furious rubbing was probably not helping with the red tint, you didn't want to chance letting the paint set on your skin. Sans had definitely gotten an earful from you, even though he technically didn't have ears. "i swear it's not," Sans chuckled as he assured you. "we're just gonna stop and smell the flowers."  The flowers...? You took your sleeve away from your eye for a moment and noticed that there were indeed flowers, the iridecent kind that you saw Frisk interested in earlier. More were gathered here, grouping together along the pathway. For a moment, you forgot about Sans' prank and leaned closer to one of them to admire it. 
"Do you want to hear my wish...?"
You flinched back. The flower was talking to you??Sans moved to quiet you. "it's an echo flower." he said softly. "it repeats the last thing it hears." 
"Do you want to hear my wish?"
Sans motioned for you to follow him, letting you stop and listen to the passing conversation.   
"You have to promise not to laugh..."

"I promise."

"Okay...I want to climb on top of the mountain we're all buried under. I want to see the stars for myself." 
You heard laughter echo from the flower. 
"I'm sorry...I know I said I wouldn't laugh but...

That's my wish too."
The voices sounded young, almost as young as the little lizard monster you met earlier. It reoccurred to you then, that there was an entire generation of monsters that have never seen the night sky. They've never seen the sun rise, or the sun set, or watch the clouds float above them without a care. These monsters, young and old, were really trapped down here.You glanced over to Sans, who was unaware of the momentary grief you felt for his people. Instead, he was knelt down beside another flower. From this angle, it looked like he was listening to it. Curiosity compelled you to approach him, kneeling beside him as he motioned you closer. You leaned in closer, tilting your ear towards the flower. 
pbbbbttttttt
Sans had a cheese-eating grin on his face as you pulled back from the farting flower. You playfully shoved him, huffing as he burst into giggles again. "Oh come on! How'd you even make that sound?" "magic." he replied mystically, wiggling his gloves in a 'jazz hands' motion. You rolled your eyes, standing to your feet-
"Do you want to hear my wish?" 
You flinched at the sudden voice, pulling away from the flower. "it's an echo flower. it repeats the last thing it hears." Sans explained in a whisper. Wait. You've seen this before. Haven't you?You stared at Sans, bewildered for a moment. His brow creased a bit and his grin faded some with concern. "heh, you okay?" "Uh, yeah. I'm fine." you said softly. "It just spooked me a little." Sans relaxed some with a soft chuckle. "don't worry. it's harmless." He guided you along to listen to the conversation. But the intense wave of deja vu left you speechless for the time being. And when Sans motioned you over to the flower in front of him, you knelt with an ironic chuckle. "It's not some sort of fart is it?"Sans' smile disappeared for a split second- so fast that you doubted it had even left his face."heh, oh wow. am i really that predictable?" It nagged at you. You HAD seen this before. Not even a few minutes ago. But you don't remember LOAD-ing. Which meant...Eyes blown wide suddenly, you converted the cry that burst from your lips into a rough cough. Sans jumped up with you, hands flying up to steady you as you swayed. "woah! you sure you're okay?" You didn't meet his eyes. "Yeah, I think I might be allergic to these things or something." you coughed again, clearing your throat. "I just remembered, I have to go find Frisk. I'll see you later, okay?" You didn't let him reply, praying that he didn't stop you as you rushed away from him. Your eyes searched the shadows frantically. There had been a LOAD, and you weren't sure why. But knowing Frisk and their troubles, your Soul clenched fearfully as you assumed the worst. You were so wrapped up in your horrible thoughts that you almost missed the small body that flung itself at you. Frisk clung to your jacket, trying to pull you back. A neon spear barely missed your torso, making you shriek. "Found you!" Undyne barked pridefully as she approached you. "You thought you two would be so clever splitting up! I'm done playing around with you two. Face me, cowards!" The colors around you inverted, and Undyne summoned a spear into her fist. You slammed your hand on "Mercy", and Undyne prepared herself to attack. You and Frisk dodged the onslaught of spears that threatened to pierce through you. Her attacks were so intense and rapid that you barely had time to pull away from the Mercy option before she started up again. You were slowing down significantly, your HP dropping dangerously low after only the first few rounds. You reached to press Mercy again after her recent attack, clutching your side in pain. Frisk acted faster, the glint in their eyes dangerous as they threw themselves into the Fight option. Everything happened all to quickly. 
A flash of a knife was all the warning you got as you threw yourself between them. Pain shook you to your core, and you collapsed. Your eyesight began to get blurry and you could feel your Soul quivering in agony. 
Pain wracked your body, but it wasn't as intense as you had anticipated it. You grabbed your stomach in pain, collapsing to your knees between Undyne and Frisk. Frisk dropped the stick in their hands, tears pooling in their eyes and streaking their dirty face. The didn't meet your eyes, and you didn't reach out to stop them before they turned on their heel and ran off. Slowly, you looked up at Undyne. Her helmet obscured her face, but as she stepped back away from you hesitantly, you began to notice the confusion that radiated from her. Your surroundings turned back to normal and your battered Soul returned to your chest. The warrior looked down at you silently for a moment before she too turned away from you, walking off into the shadows. You were alone again.  You grunted with the effort it took to limp back through Waterfall. Sweat and blood soaked through your clothes, and you held your stomach tightly as you tried to put pressure on your wounds. You didn't dare try to check it, for the idea of seeing the damage the child dealt to you made you feel ill. Instead you focused on getting back to the little shop with the healing tea. Hopefully it would be enough to fix you up. AS you dragged yourself back through the field of Echo Flowers, you mind thought back to the conversation that you had heard. Every monster down here was affected. The second time around, as the flowers played back the children's conversation, you watched Sans' expression. It seemed you were getting better at reading the skeleton, for you noticed that he wasn't as unaffected as you initially thought. For a moment you wondered if he wanted to see the stars just as much as the others. The telescope he had earlier made you think it was so. True, he had used it to prank you, but it was still a super nice telescope. It couldn't have been a coincidence. You wanted to help them. Even through your pain, your Soul stirred inside you. The Determination that stirred inside you helped move a little faster. You had to get back to Gerson. Because if anyone had any idea on how to save the monsters, it would be him.   Gerson seemed to be waiting for her as she pushed open the heavy metal door with the last of her strength. He gathered her up and brewed some more Sea Tea. He sat patiently as she sipped at it, the healing magic seeping through her veins and repairing the damage that was done to her. Once her throat wasn't so sore, she set her cup aside. looking up at the old tortoise with a fierce Determination he hadn't seen in a long time. "I need you to tell me how to free the monsters."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So, ya wanna free us, huh?” His wrinkled lips curled into an amused grin. The young woman nodded firmly, sitting back in an old leather chair with her hands cupping the warm mug of tea he prepared for her. He scratched under his chin thoughtfully as he looked down at her.
She waited silently.
“Well, before I tell ya that, I prob’ly should tell ya about how we got trapped down here in the first place.” He started.
“You mean the War?”
He nodded, traces of amusement fading again as he recalled those memories. His memory had faded over the years, but that particular time in his life always seemed to come back crystal clear.“Nobody can tell ya how the War started.” He said with a hint of irony in his tone. “We know that it happened, and we ended up losin’. It’s no secret that humans are much more powerful than monsters. Ya take every Soul of a Monster and put ‘em together, ya might get the equivalent to ONE human Soul.”
She took this info in thoughtfully.
He continued. “When the Humans gained their victory through the Monster’s surrender, they took seven of their most powerful humans; mages, and used their Soul’s to seal us down here, ensuring their victory. As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s all too easy for someone to come tumblin’ down into here, but it’s a tougher feat leavin’. Although a human’s Soul is quite powerful, it ain’t nothing compared to the seven Souls that created the Barrier. It’s like...tryin’ to unlock a door with seven different locks, but ya only got one rusty key.”
“I think I understand.” She said softly.
“The King, Asgore, has already collected six of the seven souls needed to break the Barrier.”
“Is that why Undyne is trying to capture me and Frisk?” She asked softly. “To use our Souls?”
He nodded, studying the new look of concern that crossed her features. Her brow furrowed then, reflecting on what he had told her. "Why didn’t you just let her take me then? You all could’ve broken the Barrier with our Souls?”His easy smile turned down at the question, and at the fearful wariness in her tone. The old monster took a moment to gather his answer.“I never much liked violence after the War. And to see the King and his Guard takin’ the lives of the innocent ones that have fallen down here was somethin’ I never agreed with.““Is the violence because of the War?”“That’s a tricky question, deary.” He chuckled humorlessly. “The War affected all of us to some extent. For some, it had an even deeper impact. But I recon it was the events following that really set everythin' off.“The King and Queen did what they could to keep everyone’s spirits up after the War. We lost a lot of Monsters afterwards, and with our new prison laid out before us, it was difficult to see the brighter side a' things. After almost a year of settling into our homes underground, it was announced that the Queen was with child. After the young Prince was born, Monsters began to hope again. It was rumored that he would be the one to set us free. Then, the first human fell into the Underground; a young child. The Child befriended the Prince immediately, and that Hope grew upon seein' the Royal family accept the child into their home."The Child grew sick after a while, and unfortunately passed. The Prince, in his grief, absorbed their Soul and left the Underground, returning only to crumble into a pile of dust before his parents. He had been killed by humans while on the Surface. King Asgore, stricken with grief at the lost of his children, and angry at the humans responsible, promised to destroy all of humanity and bring his people back to the Surface. He passed a death sentence to any and all humans that fell into the Underground, and their Soul would be preserved to be used to break the Barrier.”The young woman shivered at his story, a deep frown pulling at her features.He continued. “Seeing the King so passionate about getting vengeance on humanity gave Monsters hope. And even though Asgore's rage and anger has long since faded through the years, to take back that promise would undoubtedly crush what little hope monsters have left.”
She was silent for a while, absorbing this information. It took her some time to speak up again. “Isn't there another way to give the monsters hope?” She asked softly.

“There’s always another way, deary." Gerson's smile returned reassuringly. "In fact, you’ve already started giving them hope."

"How?"
"You’ve already encountered a lot of monsters down here already, haven't ya?” She nodded. " And you haven't harmed anyone?"
"Absolutely not."

"Well, most monsters assume the worst when they encounter a human. Tales of the War have been passed down through the years, and even the younger generations have been cautioned about humans. For them to walk away from an encounter with a human, being Spared, that gives them the tiniest bit a' hope that things can be better,” his grin pulled up more, and a twinkle shone in his eye. ”Even the tiniest bit of hope can grow into somethin' stronger."

The young woman nodded slowly. “I think I understand." She set her empty mug down and took in a breath. "Maybe if I can get to Asgore, I can give him that same hope? Maybe I could persuade him to find another way to break the barrier?”

Gerson looked thoughtful, his old Soul swelling a bit at her visibly rising Hope. She paced the length of his shop for a second, muttering to herself. When she stopped, her eyes were brighter than before. With her Soul shining a bit brighter, she thanked him eagerly, setting out again.

The old tortoise felt his own Soul lift a bit, hopeful for the events to come.
  
Your talk with Gerson lifted your spirits significantly. Having more background on King Asgore and his motivation felt like a step in the right direction. If you could keep this momentum, and keep spreading hope to the monsters, perhaps that’d be helpful in getting the King on your side?

You didn’t have very many choices right now, but this felt right somehow.

You just needed to find Frisk first before you could proceed.

You found that it was hard to navigate on your own without Frisk to guide you. You felt yourself growing frustrated each time you recognized you had circled back around. After a while, you took to asking directions from the smaller monsters in the area as they triggered encounters with you. Although few could recall seeing a smaller human running around, they were all kind enough to point you in the general direction to keep you moving forward..

Now you were holding tightly to an umbrella, walking down a long corridor. The ceilings were high here, and water dripped down heavily from it like rain. You had to squint at times to try to see through the veil of water that rolled off your umbrella. Puddles were plentiful here as well, so you had to walk the path carefully. The water was unusually clear in the puddles, giving you a glance at yourself as you walked over the puddles.

Your hair was frizzy, and you looked tired. You still had a few faint streaks of red paint from Sans' prank across one of your eyes, and some even smudged against your nose. Overall, you didn't look too bad, but you were looking forward to being able to freshen up.

A soft melody began to echo not too far from you now. Curious, you hastened your pace.

Further up the path, a large statue took shelter beneath a shallow opening by the path. An umbrella was adjusted to cover what the opening in the cave wall didn't. You could barely make out the statue to be of a large creature, cradling something in it's lap. In its weathered and damaged state, you couldn't make out what it was holding.

Your eyes trailed from the statue's lap to the small child sitting in front of it.

“Frisk,” you sighed with relief. The small child, drenched in water, flinched at your voice. Their head turned to you, eyes wide and fearful as you began your approach. You tried to make your expression as soft and as kind as possible as you crouched beside them, offering to share the coverage of your rather small umbrella.

They backed away from you, face scrunched as water pelted their hair and face, mixing with the tears and snot that had already gathered there.

“Frisk...” You said softly, reaching for them. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” They kept themself out of your reach. You relented and pulled back, chest aching at their haggard state.

“I...I keep hurting you.” They said softly, staring down at their small hands. “I don’t even know why I thought this time would be different...”

Their voice grew softer with every word, drowned under the rain.

They didn’t say anything else. With your legs beginning to ache in their current position, you opted to sit fully on your knees. The pooling water soaked through the material of your pants, chilling you even more. For a moment you worried about how cold Frisk must have been, with their clothes soaked through and the brisk breeze that you suddenly became more aware of.

“I need to know, Frisk.” You said softly, drawing their attention back to you. “Why did you kill everyone in the first place?”

They trembled under your gaze, biting their lip and turning their head to look back to the statue. It took them several minutes to speak.

“I did it out of curiosity at first.” Their voice was level now, almost numb. “I had already brought everyone to the Surface. It was nice for a while, but...I got bored. I can’t really explain why, but...I really liked being down here. There were so many possibilities, having the ability to Reset. Nobody would remember but me, so I didn’t have to worry about permanently hurting anyone.

"The first time I Reset everything, I only killed smaller monsters. No one too important, I thought. Then I got bolder, and I...”

They paused, but you knew where they were going. You let them continue when they were ready, not wanting to rush them.

“I had just killed everyone for the very first time. I felt horrible at first, but I reminded myself I could just Reset and make everything right again.” They took in a shaky breath, their nerves wavering. “But just as I was about to Reset, something else happened. I met someone.”

“Who?”

“Chara.” They told you. They met your eyes, and for a split second you swore you saw their irises flash a bright red. It drove a shiver down your spine, and you gripped the handle to your umbrella even tighter.

“Chara was the first human who fell down here. They died a long time ago, but their Soul persisted, even longer than a normal human’s Soul. They were weak when I met them that day. But they said that with the LoVe I had gained from killing everyone, I was powerful enough to keep them alive using my own Determination. I felt bad for them, so I agreed to do what I could to help them, and I Reset.

“I...don’t know what exactly happened after that. But when I woke up in the Ruins again, I could hear Chara in my head. They didn’t know what exactly happened either. They just said that if I gained more LoVe, I could help them more. I could even try to bring them back if I had enough. So I put off fixing everything.

“It got out of hand.” Frisk’s voice broke. “I would black out sometimes, and when I woke up, monsters were already dead. Sometimes Chara’s Determination would be stronger than mine, and they could Reset on their own.

“When you took control of the Reset, Chara calmed down. But if they see an opportunity, I think they'll try to take it. That’s why I...hurt you earlier. I couldn’t control them. And when I realized what happened, I went back to my last Save Point and adjusted things so that I wouldn't...so I didn't kill you this time.

”I want to help them.” Frisk looked almost desperate as they met your eyes again. “They’ve been through so much...I just want to make things better for them. But I don’t know how. I've done so many bad things...I don’t know if I can even help myself.”

For a moment, Frisk looked much older. You didn't doubt at this point that they had seen so much for their lifetime. So many Resets, doing the same thing over and over again in desperate efforts to help someone. But they were going about everything wrong, and you felt sorry for Frisk.

You pulled the child into a hug, letting the umbrella fall to the ground beside you. The hot tears in your eyes was a stark contrast to the chill of the air around you. Frisk let you hold them for a bit.

“I don’t fully understand,” you admitted, brushing back wet strands of hair from their face. “But I promise you, I’m going to help you and Chara. On top of that, we’re going to find a way out of here, and we’re taking the monsters with us.”
You sounded a bit more confident than you felt, but the relief that flooded through the child’s expression reassured you.

“Yo! I didn’t know you guys hung around here too!”

You and Frisk both jolted at the sudden presence of another monster. MK waddled through the deep puddles, soaked with rain. Their lack of arms made it impossible for them to shelter themself from the rain, but it didn’t seem to bother them in the least.

“Mind if I hang out with you guys for a while? I lost track of Undyne, and I really don’t wanna go home just yet.””Sure.” You agreed, glancing towards Frisk. They gave you a tiny smile and a nod. With that, you pulled Frisk to their feet after helping yourself up. With all three of you soaked, it seemed redundant to keep the umbrella open. Instead, you folded it neatly and set it up against the wall beside the statue. MK filled the silence between the three of you. They eagerly filled you in on their school activity, how their recent holiday was, and how cool Undyne was."Why do look up to Undyne so much?" you found yourself asking.MK looked bewildered. "What do you mean?! She's the coolest monster in the Underground! She fights humans and bad guys, and her spears are so cool-"You exchanged a look with Frisk, still confused as to how MK still didn't realize you two were humans. Frisk shook their head, signaling you not to ask."-and then there was this one time when she came to my school and me and all my friends were hoping she'd beat up all the teachers! She didn't though, but I still think she's the coolest. I wanna be just like her when I'm big!"Their excitement was adorable, and you couldn't help but smile.The corridor started widening out into a larger cavern again, and the rain had lightened up considerably. MK gasped and nudged you and Frisk to look over to where their gaze had landed.One side of the cavern was carved out entirely, allowing you see straight through to the other side of the Underground. A large castle sat distinctly in the distance, proudly towering over smaller buildings that surrounded it. It was breathtaking, as well as overwhelming. Asgore was in that castle right now, and pretty soon you'd be going up to face him, hoping that you'd be able to persuade him to keep from killing you and Frisk."Isn't that pretty?" MK grinned. "My mom says King Asgore lives in there, and it's really far away. Which is kinda sad 'cuz I really wanna visit the castle at some point.""It doesn't look that far," you observed."I mean, unless you find the River Person, it takes, like, a few hours to walk to Hotland, and then it gets really hot, and my family doesn't like the heat. Maybe if it wasn't so hot, we could go see it?"Frisk was the one to pull you and MK away from the view and keep you all moving forward. Eventually the rain stopped, and you came to what initially appeared to be a dead end. MK assured you that it wasn't. They helped Frisk get a leg up onto the ledge, and did the same for you. You offered to help pull them up, but they politely declined."I don't really like being picked up. But I have my own ways of getting around. I'll meet you guys later!" MK started the other way eagerly, almost tripping over themselves in the process.You followed Frisk further along the path in silence. The lights here grew dimmer, with only a few lights here and there to keep you on the path. Eventually, you came across a bridge crossing over a series of pillars that extended far below into the darkness. The absence of guardrails or safety of any kind turned your stomach. Frisk walked ahead with no problem, but you hesitated, shaking a bit at the thought of falling into the abyss below."It's totally safe!" You shrieked and turned to see MK standing beside you. Frisk was already hallway across the bridge when they turned to look back at the two of you."Don't worry! I cross this bridge, like, all the time! There's nothing to worry about!" Mk gave you a big reassuring smile that somehow made you feel a little better.Telling yourself to avoid looking down, you stepped onto the wooden path. Despite its aged state, it was surprisingly sturdy, and you could almost convince yourself that you weren't in any danger."There you are!" A voice growled.All three of you turned. Undyne stood menacingly at the end of the bridge, spear in hand."Undyne!" MK cheered. "Now we'll really be safe!"Undyne seemed taken back by MK's attitude. "What are you-I told you to get home!" she said in an exasperated tone. "Get away from them!""Who?" MK glanced back at us before facing her again. "But these are my friends?"The warrior was definitely confused now. "They're humans! They're dangerous, and you need to get away from them, now."MK shrunk a bit at the order, but didn't move. Instead, the little monster turned fully to face you and Frisk. Their head tilted slightly as they studied us."Are you guys really human?" they asked cautiously. You both nodded, and they deflated a little, their eyes widening a little.They blinked in disbelief, their features falling with hurt. MK turned harshly away from you, making you feel guilty about not coming clean to the monster earlier. They hurried off towards Undyne's side of the bridge.Suddenly, they tripped over themselves in their haste, rolling towards the edge of the bridge. Both you and Undyne lunged for the child without thinking.You managed to catch MK by the collar of his sweater. The little monster cried out fearfully, and your stomach clenched as you both stared down into the abyss before you.Frisk came to steady you, helping you pull MK to safety. The little monster, once their feet were on the ground, buried themselves into your chest, sobbing quietly in fear.Undyne, now empty-handed, watched with obvious discomfort as you comforted the child in your arms. You looked up towards her, eyeing the black shadow of her helmet, hoping to meet her eyes and convey your innocence.Instead, Undyne looked away, turning briskly and walking back the way she came. Her armor clanked angrily as she stormed off, fading from view.MK was calmer now, pulling out of your embrace with a bashful look. Their eyes, still fresh with tears, stared down at their own feet. "I'm sorry for all those mean things I said about humans. Not all humans are bad," they admitted. "And I'm really glad to have you guys as my friends."The little monster nudged into you again in their version of a hug, then did the same to Frisk."I'm gonna head home now," Mk said, looking up at you and Frisk."Please be safe," you told them, patting the top of their head.Their smile returned. "Same to you. And if I see Undyne again, I'll tell her how cool you guys are."Both you and Frisk watched as they left, not continuing forward until they faded from sight.

You and Frisk walked in silence. The path before you widened and narrowed, sometimes dipping into water, and other times becoming so dim you had to walk carefully to make sure you weren’t going to run into anything, or run off into nothingness. But there always seemed to be bunches of Echo Flowers along the path, whispering fleeting conversations as you passed by.

You hardly noticed them now, consumed with your thoughts. You were fighting down the panic that surfaced when you realized you'd have to face Undyne sooner or later. It was inevitable that she'd pop up again, and you failed to come up with a plan to try to calm her passionate attempts to kill you. You hoped you had time to figure it out. Frisk led the way down the path, their neutral expression worrying you more. They didn't seem fazed by the predicament you two were sure to find yourselves in. Eventually, they paused and veered off the pathway for a moment. They reached out for something, and you felt the air around you change a bit. Frisk had finished Saving and turned to look at you. The two of you took some time to study each other. Frisk looked tired, with light scratches across their face. Their sweater was still damp from earlier, and so was their hair. Patches of fabric from their sweater were frayed and dirty from the mud you trekked through. You figured you didn't look any better. Having passed each others inspection, Frisk grasped your hand and led you further up the path. The cavern opened up briefly, with the path leading down into another cave mouth. You stopped on the outside of the next cave entrance, looking over the signage posted there. A grand neon light board pointed towards the opening, revealing it to be the entryway into Hotland. Already, the air started to grow humid, and, you vaguely worried about your sweat soaking your clothes. Angry armor clattering drew your attention behind you. Without warning, your surroundings were changed into an Encounter, and your heart lodged itself in your throat as you faced Undyne once again. The spear in her hands sputtered and flickered like fire. Her whole body was tense and her footsteps thundered against the echo of the cavern. "No more running." she spat, waving her spear over you. You Soul bobbed in front of you, its color turning into a solid emerald green color. Your feet became planted where they were, and panic rose within you. "Do you even understand what you're doing?" she asked. Although her tone was level, the passionate rage behind it was evident. "By evading my capture, you're prolonging the suffering of my people. Do you realize how long monsters have been imprisoned down here? If you do, you're absolute scum. And if you didn't, you're an idiot."

"I'm the only hope for monsters now," she declared. "I am going to take your Souls and give them to King Asgore. With all eight souls, we will finally be freed from the Underground, and can finally achieve our vengeance that is 100 years overdue. Your kind has made us suffer long enough." You struggled fruitlessly, trying to will your feet to move. Your desperate flailing amounted to nothing, however; whatever magic Undyne was using on you was much stronger than you. At this very moment, you were at her mercy. It was that same moment that Undyne ripped off her helmet, allowing the two of you to see her face for the first time. Undyne's face was fish-like, and yet human at the same time. Fins protruded from the sides of her jaw like ears, and her skin was covered in iridescent scales that changed from blue to green depending on the reflected light. Bright red hair was pulled back into a tight, military-style pony tail.You met her eyes. Well...eye. Across one of her eyes was a black eye patch. Although it covered a majority of the socket, deep scars peaked out from underneath the fabric, making her look more intimidating. Her other eye was yellowed, with a dark pupil that was narrowed at you. "It is useless to try to fight me," she warned, seeing your struggle. "On the other hand, I respect your wish to die with dignity."Suddenly, she snapped her spear cleanly in two, summoning a point on the other half and tossing one to both you and Frisk. You caught yours awkwardly, not missing how natural Frisk caught theirs. They held their spear across their chest in both hands, readying themselves. Undyne almost seemed to be amused as you mimicked them.She shook off her amusement, summoning another spear. This one was thicker, and the point glinted dangerously. The warrior glared the two of you down. "I have granted you equal ground in fighting me, in exchange for saving that kid's life. But this is where my Mercy ends, human. Don't expect me to go easy on you."With her warning hanging in the air, she lifted her spear, signalling the start of your battle. Frisk was the one to choose Mercy first, to which Undyne barked with laughter. "I'm not falling for that innocent act, kid." she sneered. With a lift of her spear, she lashed out, sending a wave of spears around Frisk. The smaller arrows surrounded them, but the child was quick to defend themselves. Frisk hit every one of the arrows head-on, making them disappear. When all the arrows had been dispersed, Undyne looked impressed. You chose Mercy next, having a better idea of what was going to happen next. You countered most of the spears right away, witgh one or two piercing your line of defence and wounding you. It didn't hurt as bad as you thought it would, but you didn't plan on taking any more damage. Suddenly, Undyne swiped at your Souls, and both you and Frisk's Souls turned their natural colors. "Look out!" Frisk shouted, yanking you back by your sweater. You yelped and jumped back, just in time to see a rather large spear come from behind you, causing a breeze as it whizzed past your head and disappear right before it reached Undyne. You didn't have much time to recover from shock, for Frisk grabbed onto your hand and pulled you away from the monster and into the next cave heading to Hotland.Undyne made a loud noise of surprise. Her shock only delayed her for a moment. The loud clanking of her armor urged the two of you faster. It was only a matter of time before she caught up with you, and you didn't know what'd she do now that you'd tried to escape her yet again. The neon signs pointed the two of you in the right direction, down the twisting length of the pathway. Undyne was hot on your heels, throwing arrows in your direction. You dodged them best you could, yelping when several hit you right in the back. It didn't help that the air was growing warmer the deeper you sprinted down the path.With adrenaline pounding against your ears and your breath coming in short raspy puffs, you nearly collapsed in relief seeing the end of what you now realize was a tunnel. The air was almost unbearably hot at this point, and you were all but wheezing now. Frisk pulled you forward, even though they looked just as worn and ragged as you were. Undyne shouted angrily as the two of you all but threw yourselves out of the tunnel, hurrying forward as you desperately searched for somewhere to hide. Your lungs would explode any minute now, you were sure of it. Undyne had slowed down considerably, but was still trying to advance on you. She was breathing even harder now, and the clunk of her armor wasn't as violent. Frisk finally stopped, having put a considerable amount of distance between you and Undyne. Her mouth gaped as she trudged towards you, her good eye half lidded with exhaustion. As you caught your breath, clutching your chest, you realized the genius behind Frisk's plan. Undyne was, quite literally, a fish out of water here.She collapsed to the ground with a thud a few feet from where you stood. She gasped and panted for a moment before she fell still. For a moment, you worried she was dead. But her breathing was still heavy, kicking up dirt and sand where she laid face down. Sure that she was unconscious, you had Frisk help you turn her over so she wouldn't suffocate. Her scales were flushed heavily, and the little slits where her nostrils were flared dryly. Her good eye was closed, and her entire face was relaxed. "She overheated," you observed, putting a and to her forehead. You hissed and jerked your hand back. Her scales had almost burned you with their heat. You could imagine she wasn't faring too well inside her metal armor. Figuring she'd be too heavy to drag back to Waterfall, you and Frisk settled for removing her armor before it cooked her alive. Fortunately, she was wearing a simple tank top and pants underneath, which you hoped would allow for sufficient air flow to her overheated body. She was still too heavy to move, though, even without her armor weighing her down. You and Frisk were on the verge of collapsing as well under the intense heat. Frisk sat themselves down beside Undyne's unconscious body while you pulled the dinky little cellphone from your pocket. Taking a deep breath, you dialed the only person you knew would help you. "Hey Papyrus? I, uh...we need your help."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Papyrus must've been closer than you thought, because after you got off the phone with him, he was hurrying through the tunnel about 5 minutes later. He took one look at everyone's ragged appearance and his worried expression deepened. He didn't ask what had happened. Instead, he scooped Undyne up into his arms and motioned for you to follow him back to Waterfall. Happy to do so, you made sure Undyne's armor was neatly stacked on the side of the pathway and hurried to follow the skeleton. Papyrus' long stride made it difficult to keep up with him, but if he noticed your struggle, he didn't draw attention to it. The cool air of Waterfall was almost overwhelming after experiencing the brutal heat of Hotland. You felt colder, your damp sweater clinging to you with your own sweat. Frisk didn't seem to mind it too much. They focused more on keeping up with both you and Papyrus. Papyrus led the two of you back the way you came. When you reached a certain point in the path, he took a sharp turn onto one of the many diverging pathways you'd neglected to explore earlier. Frisk had led you right past it, and you didn't argue, knowing that they had a better idea of where they were going than you did. This particular path diverged into two different paths. Papyrus took the left path, leading us to an odd-looking home. It wasn't hard to imagine it being Undyne's; the whole house took the shape of a fish head, with the bricks being carved into the shapes of scales. Fin-like shapes were sculpted into the sides. Two wide windows were placed strategically to look like eyes, and the door was oddly mouth-shaped. Papyrus had to duck a bit as he pushed the door open and stepped inside. You didn't know what exactly you were imagining Undyne's house to look like on the inside, but this was not quite it. Everything seemed to be thought out in terms of placement, from the cozy couch against the wall to the swords hanging off the wall in the kitchen. The open space was cozy, and oddly welcoming. Even the overall smell of the house was warm and inviting. Papyrus walked through the living room and kitchen, making a beeline for the back room. You proceeded to follow him, curious as to what her bedroom looked like. This room wasn't as tidy as the front space was. A large mattress was pushed against the farthest wall, set on top of a rusty metal frame, and across the room stood an old television set. Some high-tech looking electronics sat on top of the TV, none of them resembling any technology you had seen before. The most surprising aspect of the room, however, was the vast collection of anime merchandise. Some looked old, but others looked incredibly new. Posters were hung on the wall, and figurines of all kinds littered all surfaces. There were even some plush characters on the bed. Some you thought you recognized, while others you were sure you'd never seen before. Papyrus set Undyne on the bed, making sure she was comfortable before stepping back. It was touching, seeing how concerned Papyrus was for his friend, and how he did what he could to make sure she was okay. She looked a little better now that she was out of the heat. Her scales weren't as flushed, and her breathing had evened out, coming in faint whistles from her nostrils. It made you wince a bit from how painful it sounded. Papyrus turned to leave the room, flinching when he saw you at the doorway. "Sorry!" you said, backing up. "I didn't mean to scare you." "It's Okay," he said, his voice a lot softer than usual. He led you back out to the kitchen, where Frisk had passed out on the sofa. Papyrus looked at the two of you with the same concern he had for Undyne. "I'll Get Some Tea Started, And I'll Set To Healing You Two Up," he promised. You watched him step into the kitchen, opening one of the cabinets and pulling out a little tea kettle. He quickly filled it with water and set it on the stove top to boil. As he worked, you took note of the state of the kitchen. An old coffee maker sat by the sink, with a faded mug sitting beside it. Along the back wall of the counter, Undyne had neatly stacked up quite an arrangement of tea. Some of the boxes were labeled with only a sharpie marker, while others still had their original labels on them. Once he set the water to boil, Papyrus turned to you, gesturing for you to sit at the wooden dining set Undyne had set against the wall underneath the swords. Kneeling in front of you, Papyrus politely asked you to remove your sweater so he could examine the damage you took. You obliged, peeling the damp sweater off of you and hanging it on the back of the chair. Your arms were scratched and bruised from the fight. He took note of this and asked if there were any other injuries you were aware of. You shook your head, "I'm just a bit sore now."He nodded. "I'm Not Sure If The Tea Will Be Enough To Heal Everything At Once. Would You Mind If I Used Some Healing Magic On You?""I would appreciate that." you smiled. Papyrus' own smile returned a little as he took the seat beside you, turning it to face you properly. A focused look took over his features as he took one of your arms into his hands. It was then that you fully realized just how big Papyrus was compared to you - your whole forearm mostly fit into the palm of his hand. A light tingling sensation vibrated your skin as his hand began to glow a soft green. You could feel the bruises and scratches on your arms start to heal under his care. Papryus' tender expression reminded you of Toriel, and your chest ached at the thought of her. Leaving her had not left you unaffected. You could still see the sad longing in her eyes as you and Frisk left her in the Ruins. "Am I Hurting You?" Papyrus asked, bringing your attention back to him as he pulled away from you with worry. You blinked a few times, realizing your eyes had blurred with tears."I'm fine," you assured him. "I was just thinking about an old friend. I miss her."He nodded with understanding, relieved that he hadn't hurt you. He went back to healing you, gently massaging your healed skin to make sure he tended to the soreness you had mentioned.As Papyrus worked, you couldn't help but try to fill the silence between you. "Papyrus, how are you friends with Undyne?" You could tell the question threw him off his concentration for a moment, since the greenish glow of his hands sputtered out for a few seconds."What Do You Mean?" He asked before instructing you to flex your arms a bit to test the aches. You did, relieved to feel that the soreness in your arms was gone now. "I mean, she kinda acts like a bully towards you," you explained. "We saw how she intimidated you earlier when you tried to talk to her about us."The skeleton was silent, kneeling down in front of you to take one of your legs into his grasp. He took his time before he answered, almost finished with your other leg before he spoke up again. "Undyne Is A Complex Person," he said simply. "She's Just...Incredibly Passionate About Everything She Does. Friendship Especially. She Doesn't Quite Know How To Properly Show Platonic Affections.""But she wasn't really acting like a friend at all?" you observed. "It looked like she was intimidating you to follow her lead." Papyrus actually frowned at that, getting up from the floor to take his seat beside you again. "She Was Worried. About Me." he said. "And About The Other Monsters. Undyne Has Never Really Had A Good Interaction With Humans. I Don't Blame Her For Being Upset At Me For Trying To Lie To Her."You considered that as Papyrus left you to check on the water. The kettle was just about to signal its finish as he swiped it off the fire and onto the cool space next to it. He pulled several mugs from the cabinet and placed a tea bag in each of them, then poured the boiling water over each bag.You took the cup from the skeleton, setting it front of you. The steam from the water tickled your face as you leaned over, inhaling the bittersweet scent of it. As Papyrus sat down silently in front of you, you watched as a deep yellow started to taint the clear water in your cup. You took the string of the tea bag and dunked the bag a few times, watching the color saturate the water even more. You weren’t a tea drinker by nature, but you had seen someone do this before, and figured it was what you were supposed to do with tea."How did you guys become friends?" You didn't receive an answer right away, but you noticed Papyrus's concern had faded into warm fondness as he stirred his tea. "I Had Trouble Making Friends When Sans And I First Moved Into Snowdin. I Thought If I Joined The Royal Guard, It'd Be Easier To Make Friends. Undyne Was The Captain Of The Guard, So I Had To Try To Convince Her To Let Me In So I Could Be As Popular As She Was.""Did she let you?" "Not Yet," he sighed. "But She Made Sans And I Sentries, And She's Been Training Me And Giving Me Cooking Lessons In The Meantime, So I Think I'm Making Progress!" His hopeful tone made you smile as you sipped your tea. As bitter as it smelled, it tasted like it had been stirred with milk and honey, and made your body relax as a warm wave of healing washed over you. Any injuries or soreness Papyrus had missed was taken care of. Papyrus finished off his tea quicker than you did. He sighed softly and stood, setting his cup into the sink and grabbing a clean one from the cabinet. "I'm Going To Take A Cup To Undyne. I'll Try To Ease Her Into A Non-Murderous State of Mind So You Can Meet Her Properly.""Are you sure she's not going to attack us again?" "I Am 40% Sure." He said with faux confidence. He didn't give you a chance to say anything else, dashing to the back of the house with a fresh tea in hand. After finishing your own tea, you stood and went to check on Frisk. They didn't have any visible injuries on their body, but they looked incredibly exhausted. Faint dark circles sat under their eyes, and their face was still a bit red from crying earlier. You vaguely wondered when was the last time they slept properly. They sighed in their sleep as you gently smoothed their hair back out of their face. It felt a little ironic, that they'd sleep so peacefully in the home of the monster that had tried to kill them not too long ago. Trying not to disturb Frisk, you sat on the couch next to them, taking a better look at your surroundings. Undyne was actually a really neat person. Everything was definitely placed with careful consideration. The couch you currently sat on sat up against the wall, right underneath a window. Soft purple curtains framed the glass, pulled back by a red rope. The rug beneath your feet was a lighter purple color, complimenting the creamy color of the couches nicely. A loveseat sat across from you, and a small wooden coffee table laid between you. You had missed it earlier when you walked in, but behind the loveseat was an open space that eventually faded into the kitchen. A grand piano stood there, polished and shiny like a brand new car. It was obviously her prized possession, which threw you for a loop. To imagine someone as intimidating and mean as Undyne playing the piano almost made you laugh. "UNDYNE WAIT!" Came Papyrus' cry from the back room. The walls then shoot with another loud sound, one that you could imagine came from Undyne. Frisk twitched at the sound. You had no other warning before the fish monster came barreling down the hallway, shaking the ground with each step. She still seemed somewhat groggy, wielding her spear in hand with an angry glare. You snatched Frisk into your arms just as Undyne threw her weapon at you. It pierced the couch and dissipated as she summoned another one with another wild cry, stepping forward to attack."UNDYNE, NO!" Papyrus sprinted after her, throwing himself between you and Undyne. "Papyrus, what are you doing?!" Undyne shouted, her spear clashing with the bone that Papyrus had summoned"I'M PROTECTING MY FRIENDS." He said firmly."Get out of the way!" Undyne commanded him."YOU HAVE TO LISTEN FIRST." He said, solidifying his stance. "THESE HUMANS AREN'T OUR ENEMY!""Are you insane, Papyrus?! Of course they're our enemies! And they're the last Souls we need to finally break free from this place!" Undyne's eye was blown wide as she spoke to him. "I AM AWARE OF THAT," Papyrus argued. "BUT THESE HUMANS IN PARTICULAR ARE ACTUALLY INNOCENT, AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM GET HURT.""Papyrus..." Undyne's good eye met yours as you peeked out from behind the skeleton currently protecting you. Frisk was wide awake now, confused and dazed from being jostled so suddenly. Out of instinctual habit, you pulled them closer to you, heart racing as you silently prayed that Papyrus would be able to get you both out of this alive. "Undyne, They Saved Your Life." Papyrus said gently. "That Has To Count For Something, Right?"The warrior blinked at this information, while confusion and realization dawned upon her. Her spear lowered a bit, but Papyrus hadn't moved an inch from his rigid stance. "You mean, you had the opportunity to kill me...and you spared me instead?" It took you a moment to realize she was talking directly to you. "O-of course!" you stuttered.Papyrus relaxed a little as Undyne grit her teeth, her weapon dissipating. "Then, I guess, I'm obligated to return Mercy for Mercy. I'll spare you and the little human, for now." "OH THANK YOU UNDYNE!!" Papyrus squealed happily, tossing the bone aside and wrapping his arms around his friend. They were roughly the same size, so Undyne wasn't too fazed by the skeleton's antics. "I KNEW YOU WOULD BE WON OVER BY THE HUMAN'S FRIENDSHIP!""Woah, what friendship?" Undyne pushed the monster off her. "I spared them, I didn't say I'd be friends with them!""TRUE, BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THE VERY NEXT STEP!" Papyrus insisted. He paused for a moment, his skeleton grin twisting into a smirk. "...Unless Befriending A Human Is Too Challenging For You?""Challenging? You're joking," she scoffed. "I could easily become friends with those two. No- I could easily become BEST friends with them!""Prove It." Papyrus grinned at her, goading her with his tone. Undyne growled at him, narrowing her good eye. "Fine then! I will!" You squeaked as Undyne scooped you and Frisk into her arms suddenly, nearly throwing you into the kitchen seat. "Don't you dare move," she said. "We're all going to be the bestest of friends, and you're going to enjoy every minute of it."The two of you meekly nodded, looking over at Papyrus for reassurance as Undyne turned her back to the two of you. Papyrus seemed to have little stars in his eye sockets at his friend's development, not noticing your expressions. "Hope you like tea!" Undyne chirped, using the same kettle Papyrus did to boil some more water. She kept her back to you while she waiting, an uncomfortable silence falling across the room. You didn't dare say a word, in fear that you'd make Undyne change her mind about sparing both you and Frisk. After what felt like an eternity, the kettle finally began to whistle, and Undyne swiped it off the stove, quickly pouring water over four tea bags. A hot cup of tea was slid in front of both you and Frisk, and Undyne took the seat directly across from you. Her sharp, protruding teeth tilted into something that resembled a smile before she pulled the cup to her lips. You fought back a gasp as she chugged down the hot water right in front of your eyes. She set her cup down in front of her, empty, and looked at you expectantly. You looked down at the cup before you, hesitant. Afraid of unintentionally insulting her, you brought the cup up to your lips and attempted to follow her lead. You flinched away from the hot liquid, wincing at the pain. Frisk was in the same boat, struggling to drink the nearly scalding water. "You guys don't like it?" she asked, her smile turning down into a frown. "No! It isn't that," you started. "It's just...it's hot." Undyne burst out laughing. "Well duh! It's tea! You're supposed to drink it hot! That's how you get the best flavor!" "That's not what I-" Frisk kicked you under the table, making you yelp. It didn't hurt as much as it startled you. Frisk discreetly shook their head behind their cup, and you frowned a little. They ignored your stare and fought to take down the drink. You took a deep breath, willing yourself to try again. Undyne's grin returned as you slowly drank your tea. Instead of the milk and honey taste from earlier, this tea was bitter and gritty. It burned your throat and felt uncomfortably heavy in your stomach. But you were relieved when you finally finished it. Your tongue burned in your mouth, and you fought back the tears pricking your eyes. "Great!" Undyne barked suddenly. "I feel like we're so close already! Nothing like a great cup of tea to start off a great friendship, right?!"You hummed a half-hearted response, running your numb tongue against the inside of your cheek. You prayed you'd be able to taste food again soon. "You know what would make our friendship even stronger?!" Undyne stood up suddenly. "Cooking lessons! It's how Papyrus and I came to be good friends!""OOH! THAT'S A GREAT IDEA UNDYNE!" Papyrus congratulated her. "I'll start with you!" Undyne grinned at you. She snatched your arm roughly and pulled you up to the counter with her. "Now, first things first, you need to understand that cooking is all about PASSION! The more passion you cook with, the better-tasting your food will be!" "But I already know how to-"Undyne cut you off. "Let's start with the sauce!" She threw open one of her cabinets, tossing a couple tomatoes onto the counter. "Now, I want you to envision these tomatoes as your enemy. Gather all your human strength and smash those tomatoes with your fist!" You looked back at Frisk and Papyrus. Papyrus was watching you excitedly, while Frisk looked rather amused at your ordeal. You turned back to the food in front of you. Deciding that the only way you were going to get out of this alive was to comply with Undyne's crazy shenanigans, you did as she commanded. Gathering your wits and strength, you raised your fist to strike the poor tomatoes. It slipped from under your fist and splattered all over the floor. Undyne sighed with disappointment. "No, not like that!" She pushed you aside and raised her fists. With a war cry, she pounded the tomatoes into the counter repeatedly. Pieces of tomato flew everywhere, and there was nothing but a pile of red sludge when she finally pulled away. Seeming to understand that she went overboard, she gave you a sheepish smile. "We'll scrape that into the pan later. Now let's start on the noodles!!"A large pot was filled and thrown onto the stove quickly. She urged you to stand in front of it, shoving a box of pasta into your hands. You took the cue and poured the noodles into the pot."Perfect! Now stir the noodles! I've always believed that the more you stir, the better the dish is!! Now STIR!"Confused and eager, you grabbed the spoon in the pot and stirred the uncooked noodles as fast as you could without spilling the water. The noodles chattered against the bottom of the pan, and some even started sticking together.Undyne groaned. "You're not doing it right! Like this!" She summoned a spear and stabbed at the inside of the pot. It dented severely at her rough attention, spilling water all over the stove. When she was satisfied, she dismissed her weapon and turned back to you."Last, we'll turn up the heat!" She pointed to the knob to turn the stove on. It looked like any other stove, save for the fact that instead of levels of heat, it was labeled "HOT", "HOTTER", and "NOT HOT ENOUGH FOR SPAGHETTI, BUT CLOSE"."Let these flames symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams spark the flames!!"You turned the knob, igniting a small flame under the dented pot. The water that had been spilled earlier hissed as it made contact with the water. "Don't hold anything back!" She urged. "Hotter!"You turned the knob more, making the flame grow. You looked back to Undyne for confirmation. She shook her head roughly. "More!!" You hesitantly turned the knob on higher. The flames started to lick the sides of the pot now. "MORE! That's not nearly enough!!" The knob twisted a little more, and you felt the heat from the flames on your face. "NO! LET ME DO IT!" She shoved you out of the way, reaching for the knob and turning it sharply. "See?? That's how you do it!" You stepped back, horrified as the flames now licked the ceiling, charring it quickly. You heard the click of the gas from the burner and retreated back further. 
"Wait, Undyne, I don't think it's supposed to-"The stove top exploded, cutting you off once again. You brought your arms up to shield your face. remembering that you still hadn't put your sweater back on again. You jumped back away from the flames that were now racing towards the lot of you. You shrieked in fear, turning to grab Frisk and evacuate the burning home. To your surprise, Frisk was already at the door with Papyrus, shoving it open. You followed their lead, throwing yourself out into the cool air.  Undyne's home was in charred ruins. The windows were now drooped and melted, making it look like the poor house was in tears. Undyne hadn't said a word since you all had left it in a hurry. She was the last to leave, having been dazed by the explosion. Miraculously, she hadn't been too badly injured. Neither had you, thankfully, besides the heart attack the whole ordeal had given you. Papyrus had made sure you and Frisk were unharmed before checking on Undyne. He approached her meekly, resting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, stepping away from him. She looked angry. "Okay, so I can't make friends with the humans," she growled. "I really screwed this up, I know. You don't have to say it.""Undyne...""I can't make them like me, Papyrus!" She burst. "Some people just aren't meant to get along. And you know what, that's fine!"Her upset tone turned into an almost hysterical delight as she continued, her eye starting to focus in your direction. "That's fine," she repeated. "And you know what? If I can't make friends with them, it must mean that I can destroy them without regret!"Undyne shoved Papyrus out of her way, lunging at you and Frisk. Your surroundings went dark and dread grew in the pit of your stomach. Your Souls emerged from you, exposed to her new wicked glee. Undyne summoned her spear again. "I've been defeated and humiliated for the last time! I don't care if you spared me last time! This ends now! It's the only way I can regain my lost pride!!" She pointed her spear at you. "Now come on! HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!"Unsure and afraid, you checked through your options, which had not changed from before. You couldn't flee this time; it was way too far to Hotland for you to race her to, and with the wild look in her eye, you didn't think you'd get very far before she skewered you from behind. Sparing her probably wouldn't help either. And you refused to raise your fist at her. 
Unless...
Having an idea, you chose to act, and reeled your fist back dramatically as if you were going to swing at her. Papyrus gasped from somewhere behind you. Undyne grinned as you attacked, bracing herself. You lightly tapped her shoulder, startling her. Undyne stared at you with disbelief. "Was that...was that really all you could manage?" "I, uh...guess so?" you said shakily. Her anger softened as she continued to stare at you. "So...even at your full strength...you couldn't even muster any intent to hurt me?" "Of course not," you answered, growing bolder. "We're not enemies anymore, Undyne. Neither of us want to fight you. Sure, maybe this first time didn't go so well, but...maybe next time will be better?" She stared at you longer, and you started to clam up again, worried that you had assumed wrong about Undyne. If she had really wanted to hurt you two, she wouldn't have let you attack first and risk being killed? Maybe she had hoped you'd spare her again? For someone like Undyne, it was hard to distinguish where her heart was really at. Maybe Papyrus was onto something earlier. Undyne isn't mean...she's just passionate. And even though it almost got you all killed, it didn't seem like that was her goal. To your relief, Undyne dropped her spear. It disappeared upon impact, and she stepped closer to you. Your surroundings turned back to normal, and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I...guess I don't really want to hurt you guys either," she admitted. "I mean, at first I did...but the way you hit me, it made me think of someone I used to train with. That, compared with you sparing me and saving that kid from earlier, it doesn't feel right anymore to want to hurt you."So...can we try again?" She held her hand out to you, her one eye gleaming with a new shimmer of hope. "Friends?" Frisk nudged you forward, grabbing onto your other hand and squeezing it reassuringly. You took it as a sign to accept Undyne's offer. Your free hand reached out to grasp her cool, scaly hand, and you looked up at her with a smile."Sure, Undyne. Friends."  Papyrus had tried to insist that you spend the night at his house again, but you declined, knowing that you'd need a little space from their rowdiness. Instead, you opted to use the gold you had gathered from the monsters you had spared, and rent a room at the inn just up the road from Papyrus' house. By the time you were checked into your room, Frisk was dragging their feet with exhaustion. So you put them to bed and opted to use the complimentary shower to freshen up a bit. The water wasn't as hot as you'd wanted it, but by the time you pulled on your complimentary pajamas, you were beginning to feel better. A bright glimmer caught your attention before you left the bathroom. Another star hovered above the sink, drawing you close. You smiled and reached for it.
*A new friendship makes your heart grow bigger. You're determined to keep everyone safe. 
 
S A V E.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Frisk was so accustomed to the darkness, so when they opened their eyes to find that they were suspended mid-air, surrounded by a dark abyss, they didn't even flinch.

Instead, they focused their gaze ahead, expression numb.

"Missed me~?"

Frisk didn't answer them. They weren't sure how to, which made the figure in front of them huff in disappointment.

"Not responding when someone is speaking to you is incredibly rude, Frisk. You of all people should know that I don't like rudeness." With still no response, they continued. "What? Are you going to pretend you don't see me either? Are you really going to stoop so low as to purposefully hurt me like that?"

"You know I don't want to hurt you," Frisk interrupted sharply. Their gaze softened and they looked away from the figure. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Anymore." the spirit finished for them. "You don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

"I never wanted to hurt anyone in the first place, Chara. That was all your doing."

Chara scoffed. "Seriously? You're going with that again?" The red-eyed spirit leaned closer with a snarky grin. "We both know the truth. Your "big sister" isn't here for you to lie to her."

"It's not a lie!" Frisk argued, their stare hardening. "I didn't know any better. I was just...curious."

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that." Chara giggled. They disappeared from in front of Frisk, startling them with arms curling around them from behind. It almost felt like a hug, but Frisk knew Chara well enough to know that there was no feeling behind the gesture.

"I know it's tough," sighed Chara, resting their chin on Frisk's shoulder as they hugged them from behind. "This whole timeline has been difficult, dealing with your sister, that trashy skeleton and all those other monsters...I bet you're so tired of pretending."

"I'm not." Frisk said firmly. "I'm going to free the monsters for good this time. No more Resetting, no more violence -- I just want everyone to be happy again."

"But what about me?" Chara snapped, letting go of Frisk and shoving them forward. "Where do you think I fit in with all of this, huh?"

Frisk grunted with the force of the push. The lack of gravity made them feel ill as they spiraled head over heels in the empty space.

"You and I both know that there is no true happy ending. Asriel stays a flower, I stay a ghost, and you...you're stuck with all this power and nothing to show for it." Chara's tone had darkened considerably as they stopped Frisk's tumbling, clenching their arm tightly.

Frisk winced. "I-I'm working on that. There has to be some way to fix it-"

"Fix what, Frisk? I'm dead. There's nothing you can do to change that. You know that. That's why you let me share your body in the first place!"

"But I can't do that anymore!" Frisk wrenched their arm out of Chara's grip. They took in a breath, trying to be steady under the spirits spiteful glare. "We can't share my body for much longer. I don't know how I'm going to fix it yet...but I promise I will."

Chara's eyes narrowed, but they said nothing. 
"Frisk..."
Chara turned away from Frisk. "You should go."
"Frisk...it's time to wake up."
The voice was distant, but familiar. Frisk sighed. "I promise, Chara. Things will be different this time."

The darkness engulfed the spirit before they could respond.
 Frisk stirred, mumbling something under their breath as you gently shook them awake. You brushed their hair out of their face with a smile as they sighed and opened their eyes. "Good morning," you greeted them. "You ready to start the day?"Frisk nodded quietly, with an unreadable expression that made your smile fade a bit. You could feel something was off, but since they had just woken up, you felt it unnecessary to push the subject. Instead, you let them wake up at thei rown pace, stepping aside to get your own things in order. Your phone dinged in your pocket, louder than you had expected it to be. It was only fitting that the text that arrived on your phone had been from Papyrus. Papyrus: HUMANS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP BY THIS MORNING FOR BREAKFAST. SANS MADE BREAKFAST AND I FEEL IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT WE ALL SHARE THE MEAL"What do you say to stopping by at Papyrus' for breakfast?" you asked Frisk. The young child had just slipped from the bed, straightening their sweater absently. They half-heartedly acknowledged you, giving their approval. "Is everything okay?" you asked after sending an affirmation text to Papyrus. "Yeah...'m just tired." they said, following their statement with a yawn. It was obviously not that. Hopefully, whatever was bothering them would surface soon. Or perhaps Papyrus' cheery demeanor would liven them up a bit. You just hoped it wasn't serious.   "What's a quiche?" you asked as Papryus promptly sat you and Frisk down at the dining table. "Well, it's obviously some kind of fancy pie." Undyne said. "A pie that sometimes people have for breakfast. A breakfast that I'd like to eat sometime soon..."You chuckled at her pointed tone, and at Papyrus' tired huff. "UNDYNE, I TOLD YOU! IT WOULD BE VERY IMPOLITE TO EAT A MEAL WITHOUT YOUR GUESTS. PLUS, IT WOULD BE AWFULLY AWKWARD TO SIT AND WATCH THE HUMANS EAT JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE SO IMPATIENT TO PUT OFF EATING JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER.""Okay, but it's not my fault I've been up since dawn." "YOU DIDN'T EVEN SLEEP LAST NIGHT, UNDYNE! ALL YOU DID WAS SUPLEX THE COUCH OUT THE WINDOW. AND THE TV."Undyne grinned proudly, her shark-like teeth protruding past her lips. "It's fine! I'll buy you guys a new one. I don't know why you would want one, though. With all this space, you could easily put in a few pieces of equipment to help with your training. It sure would beat the garbage dump." Papyrus frowned, serving the quiche. "YOU KNOW I NEED A TV, UNDYNE! HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO WATCH METTATON'S SHOWS?!""Who's Mettaton?" you butted in, hoping to distract the conversation. "ONLY THE MOST TALENTED MONSTER IN THE ENTIRE UNDERGROUND. EVEN MORE SO THAN I AM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.""Yeah, Mettaton is a super-popular performer. I don't get the hype, but I guess some of his songs are pretty good.""OH YEAH, ESPECIALLY HIS NEWEST SONG, "I AM METTATON, WATCH ME POSE"? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LIKE HIM!""I could think of a few reasons," Undyne muttered as she dug into her quiche. "He's so nosy, not to mention that huge ego of his. I don't know how Alphys deals with him sometimes.""UNDYNE! DON'T EAT WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL!""Alphys?" You perked. "Oh yeah, you guys haven't met her yet, have you? I guess not since you barely made it two steps into Hotland," Undyne chuckled. "YOU SHOULD GO VISIT HER!" Papyrus suggested, "NOW THAT UNDYNE ISN'T HUNTING YOU DOWN, YOU'RE FREE TO EXPLORE THE REST OF THE UNDERGROUND!""Yeah..I think that's a good idea." You said softly. The whole table looked concerned at your fallen expression. "Everything okay?" Frisk asked. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Just...getting tired thinking about all the exploring we'll get to do now." You laughed lightly. Undyne and Papyrus seemed convinced, agreeing with you and going back to their food. You turned back to yours. You'd never had this dish before, so you had no idea what to expect when you took that first bite. It was similar to an omelette, only it had a pie crust. It wasn't the weirdest thing you had eaten, but it was definitely one of the better dishes you've had since falling down here. With exception to Toriel's pie, of course. A small chill went down your spine as you registered the emotions washing over you. Restlessness, with a deep sense of longing. For what? You didn't know. On top of that, you felt a small warmness pool in your chest, and butterflies fluttering in your belly. It brought a warmth to your cheeks as you reflected on it. Papyrus must've noticed the flush of your cheeks, because a small smirk twisted his grin. "I HAVE KNOWN SANS TO MAKE THESE ON OCCASION, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THESE JUST...TASTE A LITTLE DIFFERENT."Undyne chortled a little. "Seems like your brother finally caught on to the saying "cooking with love"?""IT IS A PECULIAR THING. I DIDN'T KNOW MY BROTHER HAD SUCH FEELINGS. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO HE MIGHT BE CANOODLING WITH..."Your cheeks flushed further, but not because of the pie. Was Papyrus and Undyne suggesting that Sans had a crush on someone? Well, by the look Papyrus was sending you - with audible winks and everything - it was all too obvious they were suggesting Sans had a crush on you."Who could know?" you brushed it off, opting to take the rest of your food with you. "Well, Hotland isn't going to explore itself. Thank you for breakfast. Ready to go, Frisk?"Frisk sent you a knowing glance, but still got up from the table. Undyne and Papyrus were still teasing when you left the house.  "Why were you upset earlier?" Frisk asked. You two had just reentered Waterfall, and it had been silent between the two of you up to this point. Memories of your last meeting with Alphys played in your mind. There was a tug at your Soul when you thought back to it. "The last time I saw Alphys...she was terrified of me. I saw some...videos on her desk when she left me alone in her lab. I didn't get the chance to talk her out of it..."Frisk was silent. "But, I'm glad I'll get to meet her properly this time," you said in a more uplifting tone. "This time, we're gonna make sure she's okay."Frisk only nodded.   The lab seemed a bit brighter than you remembered it. The big white building nearly blinded you as you approached it. The heat was a little more bearable now too, especially with those Nice Creams you and Frisk got a while back. The door opened automatically this time, but the interior was just as dark as before. The only source of light was a huge computer screen mounted to the wall. It looked like it was showcasing a similar scene of the lab, only with two figures walking along the screen. You and Frisk approached the screen, only to have the two figures on-screen do the same. Soon, the picture looked like an infinite loop of the camera focusing in on the computer screen. It took you a moment to realize that the screen was featuring a live video feed of you and Frisk. The lights came on then, startling you. A breathy whoosh filled the silence, and Frisk directed your attention to the door at the end of the lab. A short, yellow dinosaur monster had stepped through, so engrossed with the book in her hands that she hadn't noticed the two of you standing there. Your chest felt lighter and yet heavier all of a sudden, seeing her like this. The fear in her eyes was replaced with an excited glimmer. Her lab coat was pristine and white. And overall, she just seemed...happy. "Oooh, I can't wait for the new issue to come out," she muttered to herself, closing the book finally. She stopped only several feet from you and Frisk, though it took a few seconds of bewildered eye contact to process that. Alphys shrieked in surprise, almost throwing her book. "Oh. My. Stars. It's really you two!!" She stuttered. "Oh wow! I didn't expect you guys here so soon! I must have missed so much! Oh geez! I haven't showered, o-or dressed up or anything! I'm so sorry for the mess!"The shorter monster came up to your shoulder now, extending a claw with a hopefuk expression. "H-hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys."You and Frisk each shook her claw. She stepped back a bit, glancing over the two of you. "Eheh, I'm sure you're wondering about the computer, huh? D-don't be mad, but I've been observing you guys since you left the Ruins...""Why?" you asked. "W-well, at first it was to document your journey for the King's research on humans. But! As you two progressed, I found myself actually rooting for you guys! I mean, just watching how you saved Undyne like that and then made friends with her?? I just-"She cut herself off with an embarassed chuckle. "Sorry. I tend to rant a b-bit. Anyways, I want to help you guys out! With my knowledge of Hotland, I can guide you guys right through no problem! I-if you let me, I mean...""I don't see why not." You smiled at her."Great!" She grinned widely back at you. Her expression changed a bit then. She looked even more embarassed now. "Actually, there's one tiny little issue with that.""What's that?" "You see, a long while ago, I built this robot named M-Mettaton,""The superstar?" "Y-yeah. You've heard of him? A-anyways, he is an entertainment robot, built to perform for the monsters Underground. But you see, before I started rooting for you guys, I got an idea to make him more...useful?""Useful?" "Mhmm. Just a few adjustments here and there..." she started wringing her hands, a nervous look crossing her features. "Like an anti-human combat feature..."You frowned. "A robot to fight humans?" She nodded. "But don't worry! As long as we don't run into him, you'll be perfectly fine!" Dread filled you suddenly as an ironic heavy thud sounded off behind the wall, shaking the ground like a thunder clap. "What was that?" "W-what was what?" she asked, her stutter getting worse.Another thud sounded, this time closer. The walls shook with the intensity. You put your arm around Frisk. "Alphys...""Oh no.." she whimpered, bracing herself. "He's here."The wall seemed to explode then, and a retro-looking box leaped through the hole. It posed dramatically, microphone in hand. "That's right, Alphys! And welcome beauties and gentle-beauties!""This is Mettaton?" you ask, pulling Frisk away from the robot. "Right you are, human!" The robot posed again, and a spotlight appeared from the ceiling. "And it's time to play everyone's favorite quiz show, Trivia with Mettaton! Starring me, of course! Let's meet our contestants, shall we?"The room fell dark suddenly. When the spotlight came on again, you and Frisk were standing behind your own podium, just like in a televised quiz show. Alphys was no where to be seen. You shot a worried glance at Frisk, who's calm demeanor hadn't changed throughout the whole ordeal. You reminded yourself that they've been though this, and that you just had to follow their lead. "Let's give a big round of applause to our willing contestants, beauties!" Mettaton prompted, seeming to glitter under his own spotlight. A cheerful round of applause played from an unknown source. "Let's get things started, shall we? The rules are simple, humans. Simply answer the questions correctly, and you might not die!"Let's start with an easy one, shall we?" Mettaton pulled some index cards from a compartment under his screen. He cleared his nonexistant throat. "Question number one: What is the prize for correct answers?"The scene in front of you changed to feature a question board and four answer options. Your Soul emerged from your body, hovering in front of you patiently. A timer began counting down in the corner, inciting a new wave of panic from within you. Without hesitation, Frisk chose one of the options with their Soul. You followed their lead. "'More Questions' is correct! Here is your prize! Question number two: What is King Asgore's full name?" Frisk guided their Soul to the answer and you followed closely behind."Correct! You are good at this! Let's switch things up a bit! Question number three: In the newest episode of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, who is Mew Mew's newest love interest?""OOH! I KNOW THIS ONE!" Alphys squealed, startling you with her presence. It seemed she had been standing behind Mettaton the entire time. "It's obviously a trick question though, because Mew Mew is actually caught between TWO love interests. She was dating this one guy, but then she tripped and fell into the arms of the other guy, and now those two are in a battle to win Mew Mew's heart, but she realizes that she loves them BOTH and the episode eluded to a future pairing with all three of them! And there's some skepticism as to if this would work out or not, but personally I think-""Alphys," Mettaton interrupted her. "Are you helping the contestants out?" Alphys shut her mouth with an audible sound, looking at the robot sheepishly. "Let's hope not, because that would be cheating!" Mettaton sighed dramatically. "With Dr. Alphys helping out our contestants, I have no choice but to ask a question that even Dr. Alphys wouldn't dare answer loud. Who does the Dr. have a crush on?" Alphys' face flushed completely as Frisk's Soul flew over to the answer. You were too stunned by the answer to realize you hadn't moved to answer the question. Mettaton carried out a swift punishment, zapping your Soul with an electric attack that made your head dizzy." "That's correct, tiny human! Dr. Alphys has a crush on non other than the great Undyne! Well, that brings us to the end of our show, my beauties. Stay tuned for challenges to come soon!" The lights went out again, and when they returned, the lab was fully lit again, with Mettaton nowhere to be seen. "Where'd he go?""I d-don't know. But listen...you guys aren't g-gonna tell Undyne about this, are you? I can convince Mettaton not to air the show, b-but I just want to make sure...""Your secret is safe with us," you promised. "I wouldn't want news like that being broadcasted about me.""Heheh, yeah..." Alphys sighed. There was an awkward pause between the three of you before Alphys spoke up again. "Oh, that reminds me! I have new phones for you guys!""New phones? Alphys, you didn't have to-""I absolutely did! Sharing a phone between two people is just awful! Plus, you can't even do anything on that old phone but text and call. I've upgraded these phones to have internet access, games, and even a few neat little gadgets! But! there's no time to go over all of them if you want to be gone before Mettaton gets back."Alphys padded over to her computer desks, snatching up a few devices before shoving them into you and Frisk's hands. The phone was band new, and a bit bulkier than what you were used to. The home screen featured so many different applications, it would take you forever just to figure out what did what. "Now don't worry about programming any numbers or anything into it, I've already transferred the data for you while I was watching you- I mean, observing you through the cameras." Alphys chuckled nervously. "I even added my number so you can get ahold of me if you need to. Plus, I can use this to help guide you through Hotland! I can even get you to King Asgore himself!""That's...really helpful, Alphys. Thank you." you grinned, pocketing your phone. Alphys' genuine smile warmed your Soul.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Alphys was relentless in texting you and Frisk. Apparently, she had also set you and Frisk up with accounts on the Underground's version of Facebook. It felt like every few steps you were stopping to see why your phone had buzzed so violently at you. Her enthusiasm to interact with you was nice, but it was starting to feel like more of an obstacle than an assistance. Not to mention the horrible anxiety she got when she finally worked up the nerve to call you to help you through one of the puzzles in Hotland. Her stuttering and nervous chuckling made it so hard to understand her, you almost electrocuted yourself on the laser beams she had been guiding you through. Fortunately, she relented, and after many apologies, she suggested you and Frisk might be able to handle yourself a little better than she could help. You hated to agree, but she was right.An hour and several difficult puzzles later, Frisk assured you that you were almost through Hotland. Soon, you'd be at Mettaton's hotel, which was not too far from Asgore's throne, and the Barrier itself. You were slowly but surely making your way to the end. At least, you'd have to make it that far first. The intense heat and humidity that surrounded you were starting to get to you. It didn't make you feel better knowing that the path you currently walked along was literally suspended above a vast pit of lava. And to make matters worse, the Nice Cream you and Frisk had been saving had finally run out. Now you were left to tie your sweater around your waist and pull your hair back as much as you could to avoid collapsing from a heat stroke. Frisk didn't seem to be too bothered by the heat, minus the thin sheen of sweat that coated their skin. They had already assured you that you two would find relief soon, and you had no choice but to take their word for it. Sure enough, not too long after that, you came across what you could've mistaken for a mirage - a small wooden shack had been put up on the side of the path, complete with a roof full of fresh snow. How in the world the snow managed to last that long baffled you. Frisk led the way for you two to stand in front of the shack. Sans was dozing away behind the counter, his head tucked into his sleeves. "Sans?" Sans hadn't moved an inch to signal that he was awake. You and Frisk waited to see if he'd react. When a few moments of silence had passed, you shard a glance with Frisk. The younger child shrugged. You grinned a little as an idea came to you. You knocked twice on the wooden counter of the shack, careful to keep it light enough so as not to startle Sans if he was still sleeping.Apparently he wasn't, because one of his sockets had opened the tiniest bit to glance at you. You grinned at him, and even though most of his face was buried in his sleeve, the way the exposed socket crinkled made it look like he had smiled a bit as well."who's there?""Kale."Sans paused, socket narrowed as if trying to predict your punchline. "...kale who?""Since you've obviously got time to kale, could we hang out a bit?"It was awful to no extent, and you felt your face flush a little at the awkward silence that followed your delivery. Even Frisk quietly groaned at the pun. Still, terrible puns seemed to be the skeleton's specialty.Sans stared at you for a moment before snickering to himself, finally sitting up in his seat with a huge grin."that was awful.""As if yours had been any better," you rolled your eyes."you say that as if i don't relish the fact that my puns are awful. in fact, if you think you mustard take me seriously, you've got a lot to ketchup on.""Well, maybe its butter if I dont know.""sometimes, i feel like most monsters don't carrot all about good puns," Sans said smoothly, gauging your reaction. "i'm glad i donut have to worry about boring you with my egg-cellent taste in humor." "Alright, I give." You concede, chuckling. "I could never keep up with you."The skeleton looked smug as he took in his victory, sitting back a bit. "i guess it'd be pretty rude of my to decline your offer to hang out, especially after that gruesome defeat. that means it's break time for me then. you guys want a 'dog?""Like, a hot dog? Sure!" You nodded."or a hot cat if you'd prefer," he shrugs. Both you and Frisk opt for the safer, more familiar hot dog. Sans puts up a sign that has the words 'on break' written with a crude red marker before joining you on the other side of the shack. Frisk finishes their dog quickly before you have had the chance to even unwrap your food. They wander off a ways to interact with the monsters hanging around the shack, leaving the two of you alone. You both take a seat at a little bench off to the side. "so, how are you and the kid doing?""We're getting there. Slowly but surely," you sigh. "We did get to officially meet and befriend Undyne and Alphys, though.""i heard," Sans chuckled. "she has to sleep on our couch 'cuz you burned her house down.""Technically, she did that," you laugh a little. "I have a better idea of where Papyrus got his cooking skills from.""i'm flattered if you thought i had anything to do with it.""Oh no, after that quiche this morning, I'll never doubt your skill again," you grin.Sans made a small choking sound. "what quiche?""The one Papyrus served for breakfast. He said you made it last night."The silence that followed was incredibly awkward. Sans looked uncomfortable, avoiding your gaze with a light blue flush to his face.Memories of breakfast this morning resurfaced then - Papyrus and Undyne teasing about Sans having a crush on someone, and heavily inferring that the someone was you of all people. Then, you recalled Toriel's guidance on how food functioned down here in the Underground. Some of the emotions baked into that dish were starting to fall into place now. Even if that was the case, you definitely weren't ready to have that sort of conversation. Trying to free the monsters and break down the Barrier was your goal right now. You weren't even sure how you felt about Sans at this moment. And by the looks of it, he didn't want to address it either."Sorry, was Papyrus not supposed to tell us you made it?" You asked, trying to guide the conversation past this uncomfortable juncture. "I'm sure he was just proud of you for expending a little more effort into something than usual."He smiled a little at your obviously-trying-to-be-helpful tone. It seemed to put him at ease a little. "heh, something like that. takes a lot of work to be this lazy, y'know?""Definitely sounds like a full-time job," you agreed.The agreement between you two was unspoken. It was weird, thinking about the possibility of Sans liking you. And that you maybe had some...feelings for him. But as you had decided earlier, this wasn't the time to talk about it. Maybe, you thought, you could address it later, after you had brought everyone to the Surface.Frisk had returned to your side then, drawing attention over to them."welp, seems like my break is just about over," Sans said, getting to his feet. He definitely looked like he had fixed his composure. His grin was easy and laid back, just as it had been before your conversation. You moved to do the same. Sans paused for a moment, turning to you and Frisk. "listen, if you've met alphys, i'm pretty sure you've already met that hunk of metal she created, am i right?""Mettaton?" You asked. "Yeah, Undyne didn't seem to like him very much either.""i'm sure everyone has their own opinions about him. just...make sure you two are careful. you never know what he's gonna do next.""We'll be careful." You promise.Satisfied, Sans nods a little, looking between you and Frisk. You give him a small reassuring smile that he half-heartedly returns before turning and heading in the opposite direction of his shack. You and Frisk didn't question it. Instead, the two of you pushed forward. Not too long later, you were walking down a path that had widened out significantly. Usually, you would come across some sort of puzzle, or curious monster, but this time it was just an empty space laid out before you. The suspicion in your gut had been proven correct. How it was possible, you weren't sure, but it was like the space around you blinked out of existence for a moment. When your eyes adjusted to the sudden light, your surroundings had completely changed. Lasers blocked the way you and Frisk had just come, and seemed to enclose you into that large space you had just been inspecting. A platform rose from outside the boundaries surrounding you and Frisk, carrying Mettaton, a large desk, and a old-fashioned TV camera, which was focused on him. An upbeat news tune seemed to echo from Mettaton himself as he prepared himself. The top of the camera lit up with a red light, signaling that he was live. "Beauties and Gentle-Beauties!" He announced with dramatic flair, "It is that time once again to bring you our daily news report!"The boxy robot was fitted into a tight two-piece suit, holding a thin stack of papers. The desk was decorated with a little statue of himself, and a big red button. You didn't get time to worry about that."As usual, here in Hotland, it is HOT. But not as hot as the juicy story I've got for you all tonight!" Mettaton announced, flinging his papers into the air as he gestured grandly behind him. A giant screen rose behind him. "It turns out that we have a little love story brewing for one of our little humans!"To your horror, a picture of you and Sans were broadcasted on the screen. It was from a whole back when you had walked through the Echo Flowers together, and he had gotten you to lean in close to the flower.And then another, when you were having lunch with Sans at Grillbys.And lastly, one from just earlier today when you were sitting on the bench with Sans. It had been zoomed in to focus on your faces, and seemed to be edited to have the both of you looking flustered and nervous around each other. On top of that, all three pictures had been edited with a dreamy filter and stickers to make it p[ainfully obvious that there might have been something to the photos. It looked like a scene ripped straight out of a dramatic novel. "I have been watching you two through the cameras since you emerged from the ruins," Alphy's voice echoed through your mind. You felt your face burn as you imagined all the monsters currently watching this new feed. Mettaton continued. "I am just as excited as you are, my beauties, to see how far this rose of love blossoms!"But for now, its time for our sports segment!" Mettaton waved his arm, changing the screen to live video feed of you and Frisk in your current confinement. "Today's segment is sponsored by none other than me, of course! Our totally willing humans will be playing a high-stakes game of Capture the Flag! How is it high-stakes, you ask? Well, instead of flags, they'll be capturing and defusing bombs! Now! Release the bombs!"Different panels in the floor opened up at his command, and several objects emerged -- a manuscript, a basketball, and a few other assortment of items. Frisk had their phone at the ready and was chasing some of the bombs before you could even register what was going on. Your new phone buzzed with a notification. Your face still flushed from your earlier embarrassment, you glanced down at the phone. Alphys: Ur phone has a feature where u can defuse bombs!!You: How??Frisk bumped into you then, chasing what looked like a glass of water. You were pulled into a mock-Encounter, where the glass was now bouncing around in front of you. Frisk aimed their phones with careful precision, scanning it with a yellow beam. The glass of water stopped moving then, having supposedly been defused. Frisk ran off, chasing the remaining bombs.Having seen a demonstration, you decided to try it out yourself. The basketball bounced past you, almost taunting you as you ran to chase it. You pulled it into an Encounter just as Frisk had, aiming your phone towards it to scan it. Your phone's LED screen flickered to reflect the new "Diffuse" feature. After a few missed attempts, you were finally able to diffuse it an move on. "Times up!" Mettaton announced. "Looks like the humans successfully diffused all the bombs! Let's give them a hand, my beauties!" Mettaton clapped halfheartedly along with the fake applause track. "Unfortunately, that wasn't as amusing as I'd hoped it to be, so I've decided to extend our sports feature to include a little hand-to-hand combat. What do you say, everyone?" The cheer track that he activated was wild and enthusiastic, and he straightened in his chair. Mettaton fixed his suit. "Well, if that's what my audience wants.."The lights went out around you again. When they came back up, you found yourself in an arena with Frisk. Mettaton stood across from you, his suit now changed into a fancy wrestling outfit. The outfit was awkwardly stretched around his box-like structure. The whole situation felt so surreal, even Frisk looked confused by it. "Let the battle begin!" Mettaton announced. You and Frisk's phone's buzzed again. Both of you had received a text from Alphys. "Have him turn around?" You read aloud quietly. "Why?"Frisk's expression brightened. "Already?" they asked. "What do you mean?" "Nevermind." they dismissed you. They turned to Mettaton then. "Are you two finished? I already said it was time for the battle to start." He said tiredly."We're ready. But I'm surprised you said you were." Frisk said. "What do you mean? I'm in perfect condition!" "Actually, you have something right there." they pointed. Mettaton let out a dramatic gasp. "What?! Where?""Right there! It's gross!" Frisk made a face. "Use that mirror behind you to check it out!"Before you could point out that there CLEARLY wasn't a mirror behind him, Mettaton foolishly turned around, frantically searching for a way to get that disgusting something off his face. A very obvious switch on his back was now pointed at the two of you, and you gasped as Frisk jumped forward to activate it. Mettaton froze as soon as the switch was flipped. "Did you...just touch...my switch?" Mettaton turned back to you. "There wasn't anything on my face was there?! You just wanted to reveal my new body, didn't you?"Well, if you're soooo interested in seeing it, I might as well do the big reveal now.""Frisk...what did you do?" you asked the child quietly. Frisk only held your hand as Mettaton began to violently jerk and buzz.  There was an explosion of light then, causing you and Frisk to look away. And when you turned back, there was a new monster in Mettaton's place. You highly questioned what Alphys was thinking with this design. Slender legs connected to a shapely torso, which connected to a movie-star-quality face. His hair was already salon-perfect, and the sparkles and lights that surrounded him made him look like an ethereal creature. "Well? What do you think?" Mettaton posed dramatically. "I had been waiting for so long to be able to show off this perfect figure, so I really should thank you for starting my debut early. I guess I could thank you by ending your lives quickly. What do you say?"With every few words, Mettaton struck a new pose. His constant movements were making you feel sick. "Let the battle begin! For real this time!" the robot announced. Smaller robots were summoned by him, of which were blowing kisses that seemed to explode when they touched something. You and Frisk dodged those effortlessly. During your turn, you mimicked Frisk and pulled out your phone again. The screen had flashed brightly, changing your Souls to a vivid yellow color. With a press of the screen, you were able to shoot a magic bullet from your Soul. Using your new abilities, you were able to attack the smaller robots and aim towards Mettaton. With no further defense, and a few hits from you and Frisk, Mettaton swooned dramatically. "Oh no! You have bested me! I can't believe this! Woe is me..." He whined. With that, your surroundings cleared, and your Souls went back to their normal hues. Mettaton had vanished with a brief flicker of the lights, and the two of you stood there, bewildered. "Was it just me, or was that way too easy?" You said. "I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth, but...I don't have any idea what just happened.""Neither do I," Frisk said quietly, pocketing their phone and moving forward. You were about to do the same when your phone flickered and buzzed once more with notifications. sans: heya. meet me at the mtt hotel l8ter?Alphys: Sooo, Mettaton invited you and Frisk to his newest show segment as an apology for attacking you...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“You can’t be serious,” you say with disbelief into the phone. “Haven't we been on enough of his little "shows"? And, correct me if I'm wrong, most of those segments have involved some sort of plot to kill us.”Alphys’ stutter was so severe over the phone, you almost regret calling her. “I-I know, b-but I think it’d be a g-great opportunity! He says it's supposed to be l-like an interview this time. If you appear on t-the show, it’ll show m-monsters that humans really aren’t th-that bad, and you may even gain s-support in your favor!” She reasons. “P-plus, I’ll be there to make s-sure he doesn’t do anything to hurt you!”“But you see why I’d be a little skeptical to accept his proposal, right? I mean, he literally just tried to kill us, Alphys!” You were pacing now, while Frisk sat to the side and watched.

“U-Undyne also tried to kill you, and you’re friends with her n-now,” she points out.You hate that she’s right. You couldn’t deny the pattern. But something else nagged at you, and you didn’t want to disregard that feeling. Still, it was clear this wasn’t something that you could reason your way out of. Besides, Frisk had already been through this before and they survived. It wouldn’t be impossible to believe this was something that would impact you too severely. “B-before you answer,” Alphys spoke up again, a little calmer, “He's offered to arrange for you to stay at the MTT Hotel and Resort if you’ll appear on the segment.”Your mind strayed back to the other text you received. It just so happened to work out perfectly, didn't it? You’d get to meet Sans at the very place you’d be staying at, advance your journey into the Underground, and appear on Mettaton’s show and potentially gain more support before you plead your case in front of the king. “Fine,” you relented with a heavy sigh. “We’ll appear on his show, then.”“Great! I’ll let him know and make arrangements for the resort. I’m sending the show’s info and directions to the resort now.”Sure enough, your phone buzzed in your hand. After reviewing the details, you and Alphys hung up. Frisk was still sitting, watching your expression. You shot them a reassuring smile before turning your attention back to your phone. sans: heya. meet me at the mtt hotel l8ter?It was a simple question. Very straightforward and only required a very simple confirmation. It didn’t deter the nervous tingle that was bubbling up from the pit of your stomach as you typed your response though.Frisk looked up as you approached them again. “Ready to move on?” you asked them. They nodded, standing to their feet and taking your hand. “Good, ‘cause we’ve got a date at the MTT Resort.” 
Even though the resort wasn’t as far as you expected, it felt like it took you forever to get there. Apparently, Hotland was home to the world’s most confusing elevator and puzzle system, and even with Frisk there to guide you, it was super easy to get turned around.The hardest part of the trip was crossing paths with Muffet and her spider companions. While you could confidently say you weren’t really afraid of spiders, you were sure anyone would flinch at the thought of being surrounded by a whole army of them. And while you tried to be polite in your interactions with the money-hungry spider monster, it was very hard not to be affected by her “pet”. If it weren’t for Frisk’s impressive skill and pre-planning - they had purchased a pastry from her a while back and ate it outright to show it to Muffet- you were sure you’d still be standing in her webs, scrambling desperately for purchase as Muffet’s darling companion chased you down. This would be haunting your dreams for some time to come. After that ordeal, you refused to relax until the resort came into view. That being said, the building’s profile alone was enough to make your jaw go slack with awe. It was taller than you’d imagined it, almost reaching to the top of the cavern. It was certainly wide too, with only a small space on either side of the building. The entryway was excessive as well, looking akin to a 5-star high-end restaurant. It was even complete with a red carpet, lined with a velvet red rope. The front doors were made of pristine glass. With no handle to open it, and no monster attending the door as one would expect, you used your sleeve to push open the door. The lobby’s interior was elegant. The red rug under your feet led a path through the room, encircling a very expensive-looking fountain of none other than Mettaton himself. The yellow tiles were polished and shiny, almost as if they were gold. It seemed like the resort held more than just the hotel, as you noted the entrance to a burger joint across the room. It sat next to an elevator and another door labeled “Core”. To your right, you noted the hallway leading to some of the hotel rooms. To your left, yet another door, leading to what looked like a dimmer part of the resort.Frisk pulled at your sweater, urging you forward. You followed them, trying to take in as much detail as possible. It was very unlikely you would get the chance to be in a fancy place like this again. There was a monster at the check-in desk, one with a very large hand as a face. They regarded you and Frisk professionally as you gave them your info as Alphys instructed. They provided you with the key to your room and two meal vouchers. She directed you to take the elevator to your left to get to your room. Even Frisk was genuinely surprised upon stepping into the suite. It was bigger than you had anticipated, with plush carpets and expensive-looking décor. Nervous anxiety filled your chest as you entered further into the room, the same anxiety one might get when they feel out of place in their environment. You had to bite back your chastisement when Frisk carelessly threw themselves onto the huge bed. Their small frame sunk into the mattress and blankets, making the both of you giggle as they tried to dig themselves out. Curiously, you sat on the very edge of the bed, sinking into the surface yourself. It was definitely a very plush bed. You almost couldn’t believe Alphys managed to put this all together to entice you to agree to be on Mettaton’s show. Speaking of, you recalled Alphys noting that you and Frisk would be given outfits to wear for the show. Nothing too flashy, she promised, just something that didn’t look as worn and dull as your sweaters. You stood from the bed, crossing the room to the wardrobe. Sure enough, several outfits hung there. One was much smaller, obviously for Frisk. The other two looked to be your size. It didn’t make sense for you to be provided with 2 outfits until you noticed the tag on one of them. 
For your date, deary~ ❤
You sighed heavily. So Mettaton found out you were meeting with Sans, huh? You figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least see what you were working with. Between the two outfits, one was more extravagant than the other. The one that Mettaton had hinted you wear tonight was much less flashy, something you actually felt inclined to wear. You set the robot’s note aside and admired the outfit for a moment. Frisk came up behind you curiously, and you opted to hand them their outfit while you went to go try on the one in your hands. It shouldn’t have surprised you, but it fit rather nicely. Even though it wasn’t something you’d typically wear for a casual meet-up, you couldn’t find the motivation to refuse to wear it.
It’s not just a casual meet-up though, is it?
Would you be looking too much into it if you assumed it was a “date”? With how things have progressed, it wouldn’t be too far off to conclude that Sans may have some feelings toward you.And you…Well, you wouldn’t be too far off to say you had some sort of feelings for Sans as well.Then, your phone buzzed, drawing your attention. It was Sans.sans: show will b startin soonAttached to the message was a picture of himself, standing behind the curtain onstage. The curtain was pulled back just enough so that you could see that a table had been reserved close to the front. You assumed it was for you.You grinned, setting your phone into your pocket as you finished getting ready.Frisk was buried in the bedsheets by the time you stepped out. You couldn’t blame them. You hardly rested on your trek to the hotel.You made sure they were tucked in and comfortable before taking down a note for them if they woke up before you returned. You let them know you would be downstairs if they needed you. With that, you left the room, heading back down to the main floor of the resort where you agreed to meet Sans.

Walking into the restaurant that was attached to the resort's lobby was an abrupt change of scenery. While the lobby and most of the resort was decorated with vibrant yellows and oranges, the restaurant was much dimmer in light, decorated with elegant purples and reds. Overhead, soft music played, setting the atmosphere. Some monsters looked over to you when you entered, but you were quickly intercepted by a kind waiter, who guided you to your seat. Just as you suspected, the table in Sans’ picture was reserved for you. They handed you a menu and lit the candle that was centered on the table before stepping away to attend to the other guests.Overall, this place definitely fit your expectation of a high-class establishment. The stage you sat close to was illuminated by some spotlights, but it seemed Sans had not started just yet. The table was just close enough to the stage that you could see clearly, but far back that you wouldn’t distract the other monsters by your humanness. You were sure Mettaton had to have advertised you and Frisk’s upcoming appearance by now, so it would only be a matter of time before you were recognized. You just hoped it wouldn’t interfere with Sans’ show. Speaking of, the classy instrumental playing in the background started fading out now, signaling to the crowd that things would be starting shortly.Sans emerged from behind the curtain after a little while longer, drawing light applause from the crowd. The skeleton addressed the crowd with a few finger guns and a wide grin, glancing over the crowd. He shot you a brief wink as his eyelights met your gaze."eyyy looks like we've got quite the crowd tonight," sans starts into the microphone. "for those of you who are new, i like to start the show off with some obligatory skeleton jokes. it’d be a crime not to do that at the bare bones." Chuckles sprinkled throughout the audience, along with a few playful groans. “i’m sure most of you had heard the story about my fragile spine last time, so I'll spare you the details as it was about a weak back," This kicked up a little more reaction from the monsters. "heh, speaking of my spine, i was actually thinking of getting rid of it...i feel like it's just holding me back."You laughed with the crowd. Sans chuckled as well. "some of these have been used before so i'm just gonna crack them off rapid-fire:what is a skeleton's favorite meal? spare ribs!why don't skeletons freeze in snowdin? 'cause the cold just goes right through them!what did one skeleton say to the other skeleton? 'i have a bone to pick with you!'And lastly, how did the skeleton know it was going to rain?"This time he paused, drawing a couple of scattered answers from the crowd. All were a varied response of "he could feel it in his bones"Sans faked a heavy disappointed sigh. "he checked the weather forecast. and you all think i'm the numbskull..."You laughed at that one. You had to admit it, Sans was definitely in his element here. Even with the cringey wordplay and godawful jokes and roundabout humor, he presented the material in a way that still had everyone enjoying themselves. Throughout his routine, skeleton jokes and pins were sprinkled in between his stories. You were fascinated by how he held the crowd's attention, drawing out laughter and reactions from the crowd.All too soon, he finished his routine, disappearing behind the curtain once again. The applause eventually died down and the guests around you dispersed into their own conversations. The music overhead resumed as well. "Are you ready to order yet?" the waiter approached you. In your focus to pay attention to the show, you realized you had neglected to order from the menu laid out before you. "Oh, sorry!" you excused yourself, finally opening the menu. "I'll just need a few more minutes,"The waiter smiled kindly and nodded, leaving you to make your decision. You looked over the variety of choices with a small hum. It didn't take you long to realize that the entire menu was made up around Mettaton. There were steaks in the shape of Mettaton, parfaits with Mettaton charms, and even drinks with Mettaton ice cubes. You were glad you had been given a voucher because there was no way you'd be willing to spend so much gold on something shaped like Mettaton. Not that you could've afforded it anyways. "need some suggestions?"You yelped, throwing the menu down at Sans' sudden appearance. He was sitting comfortably across from you, a menu of his own in his hands. He looked over at you with a grin, not even having the decency to apologize for startling you again. Composing yourself quickly, you cleared your throat, bringing your menu back up. "Sure...what do you recommend?""honestly? literally anything else," he answered, flipping through the menu. "this menu doesn't even come close to grillby's selection.""I think you may be biased," you pointed out, reading over your options yet again. "Still, I think I agree with you. I don't really feel like eating Mettaton's face. But Alphys gave me and Frisk a meal voucher, and I'd hate to waste it when everything here is so expensive....what about the glamburger?""heh. i'll pass. edible sequins and glue aren't my thing.""The glue is edible too, right?" you asked. "Please say yes. This is literally the only thing that doesn't have anything to do with Mettaton's body parts."The both of you snickered into your menus. The waiter came back then, ready to take your orders. You settled for the glamburger and a simple water with no ice. Sans passed on ordering anything. The kind monster took both your menus and promised to be back shortly with your order. "speakin' of alphys, how did she manage to get you to agree to be on mettaton's show?""I figured everyone would've heard by now," you sighed. "word spreads fast down here," Sans assured you. "doesn't help that the doc posted all about it.""She did??" You reached for your phone, quickly scanning through your notifications. You were quick to mute all notifications from the social media account Alphys had created for you. Sure enough, she had tagged both you and Frisk in multiple posts advertising your appearance. All your friends had reacted to it in some way, and if you hadn't had turned off your notifs, you would've been aware of your status blowing up. "don't sweat it. at least it's finally overshadowed those poorly edited pictures of us," he chuckled lightly."I guess. Sorry about that."“’s not your fault. alphys and mettaton both have a flair for the dramatics. it’s not the first time they’ve posted oversaturated edits on the news.”“Really?”“I think one time they even edited one of the snow poffs with a temmie,” sans mused. "What's a temmie?" "that's a good question," he grinned.You waited for him to elaborate further, but after several moments of silence, it was pretty safe to assume you weren't going to get much more of an answer out of him."Alright," you cleared your throat, opting to change the subject. "Anyways, you did really good up there. I didn't know you did stand up, though I probably should've expected something like that from you.""i'll assume that's a compliment.""It is," you chuckled, "though I'm sure you've received mixed reviews in the past.""it really depends on the audience," Sans shrugged. "i could go into the science of why some individuals don't like witty word jokes, but that wouldn't be very punny."You snickered. "Pun aside, there's legit science behind it?""yup. it sorta narrows down to folks not appreciating having to process the wordplay. 'course, there's other reasons too.""I see. So if you know there's some that don't like puns, why do you keep telling them?""because whether or not someone likes the joke, i'll get a reaction from them. and that in itself is funny." Sans' smile grew a little. "though it's always nice when someone appreciates the joke.""I can imagine," you agree. "i can honestly say there's only a handful of reactions that really stuck with me, though," Sans continued. At your curious look, he continued, "pap's reactions never get old, for one."You hum in consideration. "I think that's just because you're brothers, though. Deep down, I think Papyrus might enjoy those kinds of jokes. I mean, he made a few unironically during his first few attempts to capture us.""heh, yeah i wouldn't doubt it. still, it's pretty fun to mess with him.""As one would expect from an older brother," you tease with a smile. "And the others?"The skeleton considered his thoughts for a moment. "snowdrake has some pretty fun reactions. i think he's aiming to be a comedian too," he said. "and then there's one that happened a while back that i still think about sometimes.""Ooh, I sense a storytime."Sans nodded, sitting back comfortably in his chair. "so i'm workin' my shift as a sentry, right? but you know we don't get many humans down here, so i usually use that time to practice some of my material. well, at some point, i find this really big door in the middle of the forest, and i can't help but think it'd be good to practice knock-knock jokes on. so of course, i can't pass up the opportunity.”i go to knock on the door, but before i can get on with the joke, i actually get a response: “who’s there?””He makes his voice a bit higher as he details the conversation between himself and the other person. Through his story, you feel a realization dawn over you. A door in the middle of Snowdin Forrest, and a mysterious person behind, someone not even Sans knows. You know he’s talking about Toriel, and you’re not sure how you feel.”-and she just howls with laughter, like it’s the funniest joke she’s ever heard,” he recalls fondly, “definitely one of the best audiences i’ve had. then she tells a joke, and we go back and forth with our best material. it’s hard to say, but i could’ve sworn we sat there for hours.”Then, his expression changes, ever so slightly, but just enough that you somehow notice.”before i left though, she asked me to do a favor for her.””A favor?”He nods. “now, don’t get me wrong, but i hate making promises. still, someone who genuinely likes bad jokes like that...they have an integrity that you just can’t say no to.”You nod slowly with understanding. “What did she ask you to do?”Sans doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he studies you for a moment, his grin faltering.“she asked me to watch over any humans that came through the underground.”You believe it. Something in you is touched by Toriel’s sentiment. At the same time, you feel a little sad knowing that Toriel hadn’t actually expected you to stay, even if she genuinely wanted to. You hoped you would see her again.It was quiet again between the two of you as he seemed to finish the story. He hadn’t taken his gaze from you yet. It was almost unnerving, the way he studied you like you were a puzzle to him.”I feel like there’s a reason you told me this,” you voice your thoughts aloud. “Are you okay?”“...is what you think you have to do really worth it?”With that, the lighthearted tone of the conversation had fully shifted. Sans wasn’t looking at you anymore. His mouth was pulled into a hard line, and his brow bone had furrowed. “Where did this come all of a sudden? What do you mean?”“…maybe sometimes it’s better to take what’s given to you,” he explained slowly, as if trying to choose his words carefully. “things down here…aren’t so bad are they? i mean, decent food and drink, a nice roof over your head, some quality friends…wouldn’t that be a pretty good life?”You didn’t respond.“it’s asking a lot, i understand that,” he continued. His gaze slowly moved up to meet yours, all while his hand gently reached across the table to find yours. Your very Soul leaped as he gently squeezed your hand. “but…would you consider it? would you consider staying?”There was something unspoken there. A hint that he was referring to staying for something greater than the mundane things he had listed. 
Would you stay…for me?
You were quiet, letting his words sink in. Even with the silence between the two of you, you could feel Sans’ anticipation. Several different feelings welled up within your chest all at once. Breathing suddenly became a chore as you struggled to find a proper response. A part of you wanted to accept his proposal, to stay here with all your new friends and give up on this risky feat of yours. Yet the other part of you was much louder, voicing her fears and worries of staying as well as her hopes and dreams of succeeding. Something like this wasn’t feasible. There were too many things to consider. First and foremost in your mind was Frisk. They were so young and yet had spent so much of their time in this place. To ask them to live out their lives would be selfish. Not to mention the struggle between the two of you for the timeline. Who’s to say Frisk wouldn’t take the first opportunity they got to Reset again? As guilty as you felt for assuming the worst about the child, it felt irresponsible to assume they would follow your lead. And then there was the fate of those around you. Opting to sentence all of monsterkind to stay in this prison when you could actively fight to do something about it felt wrong. Just the thought of doing so made you feel sick. Seeing you torn in your thoughts, Sans relented in his advance, pulling his hand from yours in defeat. You suddenly grabbed his hand again, causing him to meet your eyes again. “I want to,” you said quietly, feeling tears prick your eyes as you spoke. “Please believe me when I say that I would want nothing more than to stay here. With you.”“But,” you continued, squeezing his hand as his expression fell once more. “I have to do this. Even if it might mean sacrificing my soul, I can’t allow monsters to go on like this. If I can do something to change it, to make that difference so that all of you can truly be free, then I’ll do it.”The two of you regarded each other in silence for a moment.“…right,” Sans relented, “i guess you didn’t get this far just to give up, huh?” He pulled out of your grip once more. You didn’t try to stop him. “i know the feeling. determination is hard to come by these days,” he pushed his seat back, his hands settling in his pockets as he stood from the table. You met his eyelights. Sans’ default grin was back on his face. This time, however, you could tell it was fake. “so long as you hold onto that determination…so long as you do what you feel is right in your own heart…i’m rooting for ya." He cleared his throat oddly. "well...guess i'll see you and the kid around."With that, Sans cast his eyelights down, starting towards the exit.“I’m going to do it,” you promised, just loud enough that he could hear you as he brushed past you. “I'll break the barrier, and survive. And then...after that…we could…?”The words died on your tongue, but it didn't matter. You knew he understood your hopeful sentiment.From behind you, you heard Sans sigh gently. “heh…word of advice, babe. don’t make promises you aren’t sure you can keep.”You turned in your chair to face him again, only to find that he was no longer there. There was an odd shift in the restaurant now, and some eyes from the other guests lingered in your direction. You ignored them, your chest aching as you opted to forgo the meal and head back to your room with Frisk.   Frisk sat with their back against the headboard, pillows tucked behind them and one held tightly in their arms. Your note sat on the bedside table, letting them know that you were only downstairs if they needed you. “Is it worth it?” Chara hissed in Frisk’s ear. “Letting her exclude us from all the fun?”“Last time I checked, the dinner with Sans wasn’t very fun,” Frisk muttered. Which was true. For the countless times, Frisk had reset the timeline, meeting with Sans at the hotel was their least favorite event. They knew Sans was aware of the inconsistencies in the timeline, and that somehow Frisk was at the center of all of it. This put a huge strain on the two’s relationship, and they were sure Sans took great care not to miss the thinly veiled threat he disguised behind his easy-going façade. “Oh, I’m sure he’s not threatening your dear sister,” the spirit cooed mockingly. “It’s so nice to see everyone getting along so well.”“Nobody has died in this timeline. That’s all I care about.” Frisk said briskly. Chara giggled mischievously. “Ohh, so it does bother you that they’re close~!”“No, it doesn’t,” Frisk argued. “Well, it bothers me,” Chara sneered. “I can’t stand seeing that damn trash bag so happy.”Frisk was silent. Chara studied them for a moment, the mischievous gleam in their eyes fading into something more...sincere. They opted to seat themselves beside their companion. “I’m scared too,” Chara admitted stiffly. “Everything keeps changing.”“I don’t know what to expect anymore,” Frisk muttered quietly, hugging the pillow close. “It was fine with the smaller things, but now it…it feels like the story itself is changing.”“It doesn’t have to, though…” Chara nudged Frisk. “You could always take back the timeline. What with your LoVe, you could probably Reset to another timeline, one where she doesn’t come looking for you? Then we can go back to- ““To torturing our friends?” Frisk finished for them. Their eyes were glossy as they regarded the spirit.“To having fun.” Chara corrected them. Frisk huffed. “I don’t want any part of your idea of fun, Chara.”The other child frowned. Frisk continued. “I know you’re hurt Chara. I can’t think of any reason why else you would want to hurt those you once cared about-“
“That’s not something for you to reason,” Chara snapped. “I’m the only one that gets to decide why I feel the way I feel. It doesn’t matter who they are or who they used to be to me. I can almost guarantee that we’ll be able to Reset soon, and once we do, I’ll get to watch the world burn as many times as I want to.”
Frisk buried their face in the pillow, moving to ignore Chara’s hateful rant. “Tch. Fine. Whatever. I can wait. Eventually, you’ll come to see things my way, and we can go back to our fun.”The door to the suite unlocked and opened then. Frisk looked up to see you walk in. You looked worn, more so than usual. They vaguely wondered how your “date” with Sans went. Did he really threaten you as he did them? Maybe not, but something had definitely happened.  “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” you asked Frisk gently. They shook their head mutely. “I see.”You walked past the bed to the bathroom. When you emerged, you were wearing your old outfit. Wordlessly, you crawled into bed beside them, mirroring their posture against the headboard.After a few periods of silence, you opened your arms out in offering to the smaller child. They accepted the offer, sliding into your arms. You stroked their head gently, letting their head rest against your chest. You sighed softly, relaxing.“We’ll figure this out.” You said aloud. Whether this was comforting to them or not, you accepted you wouldn’t know. But at the very least, it was a promise to yourself.One that you were going to keep.