hi everyone! it's been about a month, sorry about that! ive been swamped with schoolwork i missed during my four-day absence when i had stitches. it wasn't fun but im much better now and it's almost break time so! that'll be fun! anyway let me know what you think! im not too sure if i like this chapter but whatever! thanks for reading!


Sloth, Diligence, Patience

She glanced down at her palm. A loose chain around her neck held a small, heart-shaped charm. She hid it beneath her sweatshirt, playing with the device around her wrist, running her index finger over the similarly heart-shaped indent. This was how she could LOAD now. That was what it said.


The creature was named Charos. It was a CORE Custodian. As the name implies, it watched over the CORE and ensured it continued to function properly. Charos described it as one of the most important types in its race, the Faces. She had plenty of questions, but they could wait.

For now, she was grateful for the second chance.

She'd practically jumped off of the skeleton brother's couch with unfounded enthusiasm and just about scared the wits out of Papyrus. The taste of his spaghetti for breakfast could do nothing to deter her from the hope she felt.

She could save them.

Frisk.


She knew she had to be at least a little subtle. She couldn't let off that she knew more than she should. Charos stuck around to make sure she didn't mess up, and she was happy for the company.

She nearly cried with joy at seeing her sibling walking through Snowdin.


There was no rush this time.

She wanted time to wipe the image of blue and purple stripes stained with red.


Frisk was mesmerized by Charos. Small and cat-like, they found it cute (it didn't help that their parents never wanted to see pets in the house). Charos allowed them to hold him as they walked through the Underground together.

Nothing was surprising to her anymore, and she had to catch herself multiple times in order to keep up the act.

If Frisk was comfier with her being as foreign to this place as them, so be it.


Befriending people she had already befriended was boring. Leaving her friends behind was tougher.

She found a toy knife in the garbage dump, and pocketed it.

Just in case.


They killed a Vulkin by accident, and she pretended not to see Charos' eyes glint.


Mettaton's house explained so much.

Frisk killed him anyway.


Sans looked directly at her as he spoke of the LOVE they'd gained.


She'd failed again. She was too slow, there was a fight, they had gone ahead. It was stupid, so stupid now. She didn't even remember what they were fighting about.

Asgore had smashed her LOAD-er. The heart laid in small fragments of what it once was before her.

She was stuck.

There was no going back.

Just like everything else she tried to fix, she made it even worse before she even started.

Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She didn't care anymore. The whole world could have rot at that instant and she wouldn't have cared.

It wasn't even worth trying.

Everything she touched, she ruined.

Charos stood before her.

You not only have the ability to LOAD. You can PAUSE as well.

Asgore looked still as a statue, he wasn't even breathing. Frisk was already dead. Frozen in time there was no difference.

Think on it. I'll take your soul once more if you wish.

Hope pooled into her heart once more. She was so gullible. She nodded slowly, solemnly. Might as well, right? If she screwed up again maybe she could just throw down her soul for Asgore to take like cookies and milk for Santa every Christmas Eve.

Her soul was blue this time. A light blue, almost aqua. She wondered if that meant anything.

She still wasn't used to time travel.


She awoke back on the skeleton brothers' couch. Papyrus was making spaghetti for breakfast, and Sans looked at her with the usual smile and a wink as he walked downstairs.

Just like last time.

She reflexively shoved her hands in her sweatshirt pockets as she stood awkwardly, trying to think of the words she'd said the first two times she'd tried this. Her hands found the toy knife.

Her eyes widened. No, she couldn't... but if it came to it...

She'd do what she had to.

For Frisk.


welp that about wraps up chapter 2! im gonna try and write a little more tomorrow but for now it's really late so! again sorry about the delay and let me know what you think! predictions are absolutely a-okay too by the way!