Yet another wooden bridge made up her path, but Day was in no condition to be overly cautious. Keeping a hand on the railing, she watched her feet, tucking her chin into the sweater's collar. The bridge seemed to keep going… and going…

"Human! You made it!"

Papyrus and Sans stood at the opposite end of the cliff that was joined by the narrow bridge, and she stopped as soon as she spotted them, several feet away. The wind was now howling, so she clutched the railing for dear life; to its credit, the bridge seemed much more stable than she had expected. It didn't even give beneath her feet, nor the railing under her grip.

"Now human," Papyrus began, "This is your final and most dangerous challenge! Behold: the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror!"

He hit a button mounted on a post near the end of the bridge— and with a series of creaking gears and metallic shrieks, the trap sprung to life. A pillar of fire shot up from the abyss below, missing the bridge by a matter of inches. Two massive crossbows rose, arrows aimed directly at her. A cannon popped up, the barrel thunking into place. Above her head, a swinging metal ball on a chain whisked by, decked out with several deadly-looking spikes.

Day was flattened against the railing, staring at the weapons in terror— this was nothing like the other puzzles!

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Papyrus stated proudly, "When I give the word, it will fully activate! Cannons will fire! Spikes will swing! Blades will slice! That little white dog on a rope—" It yapped upon being addressed, "Will continue to dangle ominously! Each part will swing violently up and down, leaving only the tiniest chance of victory!"

This is bad. This is going to end very badly.

She turned to Sans for help, hoping he had another hint to offer. He only shrugged.

"I hope you're ready, human!" Papyrus announced, "Because! I! Am! About! To do it!"

Her eyes flew to him in a panic, silently pleading for mercy.

His hand wavered just inches from the button, and he watched her attentively, the triumphant smile missing.

For a moment, no one moved. The weapons sat idle, poised for attack.

Sans glanced at them both, then settled his attention on Papyrus.

"… Well? What's the hold up?"

Papyrus jolted out of the frozen state, "What?! What hold up?! There's— there's no hold up! I'm— I'm about to activate it now!" He shook the hand positioned above the button, "See? I'm about to do it!"

Despite his confident claim, Papyrus turned to her again, indecisive.

Day trembled from fear and cold, locking eyes with him.

Please don't hurt me, she silently prayed, Please…

Papyrus kept staring, internally mulling over his options. His hand would gravitate towards the button… only to draw back a moment later, hesitant.

Sans glanced up at his brother, "… Pap? That, uh… doesn't look very activated."

"Well!" Papyrus blurted suddenly, "This puzzle! It seems… maybe… a bit too easy to defeat the human with, I think." He whipped his hand away from the button, "Yeah, that's it! We can't use this one!"

Day let out a breath of relief, nearly collapsing from the instant release of tension.

Papyrus too seemed less on-edge, and continued to spout excuses, "After all, I am a skeleton with standards! My puzzles are very fair, and my traps expertly cooked! But this method is too direct— no class at all! Away with it!"

"If you say so," Sans relied, activating a separate button, which caused the intimidating weapons to sink back below the bridge.

Papyrus gave no further commands, so Sans cleared his throat, "Well? Now what?"

Papyrus nearly jumped, "What?" He was reminded of Day, "Oh right." With a mitten, he stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Hm… Perhaps we could… No, not that… But maybe… Hm…"

"You want to know what I think we should do?"

"I suppose so— what is your idea, Sans?"

"Well, the human's right there, and she can't exactly get anywhere with us blocking the way."

Papyrus blinked, "So… she's trapped?"

"Looks like it."

"But what good does that do? All we could do is—" He halted, "… Oh! We could… we could finally capture her!"

Sans nodded, "That's the idea."

He broke into a grin, "At last! Sans!" Papyrus grabbed his brother by the shoulders and hoisted him into the air, "Sans, I can finally capture the human! I finally did it!"

"Yep," he replied simply.

Despite his unbridled joy, Papyrus set his brother down with deliberate gentleness, and rushed over to Day, who held herself up near the center of the bridge.

"Human! The time has come for I, the Great Papyrus, to capture you!" he announced boldly, then paused, and continued in a much quieter manner, "So… if you wouldn't mind… letting me capture you, please?"

She nodded.

"Nyeheheh! Excellent! In that case, I now dub you my prisoner! Prisoner, follow me!" Papyrus strode off, head held high.

Sans waited for her to clear the bridge before joining them, trailing behind a ways (she expected he was cutting off her most optimal route of escape).

Soon, they arrived at a long-awaited sight: civilization. The area was alight with a warm orange glow, cast from lanterns that hung at the front of houses. The structures themselves were made of a dark wood, most rather modest in size, but they gave off a cozy vibe.

But not as inviting as Toriel's…

A few monsters conversed with each other outside, and upon seeing the skeletons' approach, drew closer to the path in curiosity— several gasped upon catching sight of Day.

The majority looked to be the same type of monster as Kevin: long eared, furry, and rabbit-like, but there was much diversity among the crowd. A small, large-eared monster hopped up and down to get a better view, almost completely hidden by a thick woolen scarf. A slender, horned monster watched silently, cloaked in a bright orange garb, revealing nothing but a pair of dark hooves beneath. There was an unsettling smile stitched into the hood, pulled down over its face.

She found herself gravitating away from the onlookers and closer to Sans.

"Don't mind these guys," Sans told her, "They're nothing to be afraid of— most of 'em have never seen something as weird as a human."

The monsters continued to mutter in hushed tones around her, making Day a bit self-conscious; she held the stick close at her side, head down, trying to keep her shivering at a minimum.

A curious monster, a yellow lizard-like creature, ventured forth from the crowd to get a closer look.

"Yo!" it exclaimed, coming within inches of Day's face, "What's up?"

It was only as tall as her, but it frightened Day nonetheless; she yelped, ducking behind Sans for protection.

He stared at her oddly for a moment, not sure what to make of the child clutching his jacket for dear life. Eventually, he shifted his attention to the small, confused monster.

"Might wanna keep your distance from this one, Stripes," he warned with a teasing smirk, "She bites."

The monster grinned, "Yo, awesome!"

Once it had run off, Sans glanced down at Day with a blank expression, saying nothing. She took the hint and released his jacket with a meek apology, but kept him between her and the other monsters.

"… Alright, alright," he finally said, "Just a little further, kid. You can sign autographs for your fans, later."

Day followed, taking extreme measures to ensure she didn't make the mistake of touching him, again.

They passed by a large, two-floored house, the roof decked with colorful lights and white under layers of snow. Two mailboxes stood beside it, one plain, the other overflowing with letters (judging by the bright colors and obnoxious fonts, she assumed it was just junk mail).

"Here it is!" Papyrus presented, "It is known by many names: The Doghouse of Danger! The Capture Zone of Catastrophe! And finally… The Shed!"

It was a light-wooded shack, no windows, and only a single sturdy door.

"Nyeheh! I can see you shaking in your boots already, from the sheer terror it inflicts!" Papyrus observed, "Well, there's no time to wait!" He opened the door, then with a sweeping gesture, made way for her to enter.

Day ventured inside slowly, trying to make out what lied within.

"Oh! Here you go—" He pulled the cord to a hanging light bulb, dimly illuminating the room.

She was… underwhelmed.

"It's equipped with everything a human needs!" He pointed to the corresponding item as he listed them off:

"A bed for sleeping!"

It was a dog bed.

"Proper sustenance!"

It was a dog bowl filled with kibble.

"And even a toy to pass the time with!"

It was a squeaky toy… meant for a dog.

Day wasn't one to make rash assumptions, but it seemed as though he'd been a bit misinformed on the needs of humans.

"Now, as a prisoner, you are to wait here until I return with Undyne, and we will both take you to the king's castle! Understood?"

For now, she was out of the cold, even if only slightly— she could wait.

"Yes."

"Excellent!" he said, "Very well then, human! Stay here, please!" Papyrus had almost shut the door when suddenly, he flung it open again.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He joined her inside to show her a latch on the door, "The door locks from this side— that way, if there's an emergency and you need help, you can come find me and I'll help you! Okay?"

Day knew this design was highly impractical for him as a captor, but she still found it sweet; she nodded.

"Good! Now… stay! Here! I will return shortly with Undyne!"

The door was shut loudly, and Day wasted no time: she put her ear against the wood, listening closely.

"— immediately!"

"You sure you wanna go out now? It sorta looks like the wind's picking up… maybe you should wait until tomorrow, at least. I mean, the kid's not going anywhere, right?"

"… Well, I suppose… just a little while wouldn't— no! I must alert Undyne as soon as possible! She's counting on me to deliver the human, and I won't disappoint her! Besides, I've visited her in Waterfall lots of times; there's no way I could get lost!"

There was a pause.

"… Alright. You know what's best."

"Don't worry, Sans! I will return shortly with Undyne! Until then, could you please make sure the human doesn't escape?"

"What, out of this impenetrable place?" The door rattled briefly, "You got it."

"You're not going to fall asleep on the job, are you?"

"What? Pft, of course not… I'd never do that. I'll be sure to keep an eye on her."

"If you say so— so long, brother!"

"Be careful out there."

"Nyeh! No one would dare confront the Great Papyrus! You have no need to fear for my safety!"

There was another much longer pause.

"… Yeah, well it ain't gonna stop me." It was low, and Day almost missed the statement entirely. A moment later, she heard a nearby door shut.

Day left the door, glancing back at the dark shed. Now that the blistering cold had begun to die away, she realized how exhausted she was. Her eyes passed the shabby dog bed, and for a moment, she was almost tempted.

Absolutely not, she scolded herself. Instead of giving in, Day sat where she was, crossing her legs beneath her.

Well, now what?

She had a few options, some more plausible than the others. The first and most appealing was simple: wait there. It was out of the wind, there were no monsters lurking around (at least, none that she could see), and… well, the squeaky toy was a plus. The issue with that plan was the prospect of what was to come: what had Papyrus said about her being taken to the capital? And who was Undyne?

Those questions aside, she did have another option: she could make a run for it. Yes, it was out in the cold, and even if she made it back to the doorway to the ruins, there was no guarantee it would open. And she had a feeling that if either of the brothers caught her, they wouldn't be very happy— and who knows what that would result in?

So far, the first plan seemed the safest and most comfortable. The shed wasn't that bad, really; it sure beat freezing out in the snow.

Day shifted to sit more comfortably, and the contents of her pockets spilled out onto the floor. She collected them hastily, almost concerned they'd be lost the moment they left her sight.

A few pieces of candy remained, and there was a single golden coin from Sans' previous trick.

I should probably return that to him, she thought offhandedly.

She returned the encouraging nice cream wrapper to her pocket, the phone (she'd completely forgotten about that— and she was so excited about receiving it, too!) but held onto the note a second longer. She unfolded it and read again:

For my sweetie pie!

I miss Toriel.

Day felt her stomach knot up uncomfortably, so she brought her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. Maybe she should've just stayed in the ruins— it was a lot different out here, and like Toriel had warned, there were a lot more monsters. Of course, Sans and Papyrus were nice enough, but… well, she was their prisoner, after all. Toriel had treated her like her own child, and right about now, a warm slice of pie would've hit the spot nicely. Why had she left Toriel at all?!

Because you want to go home.

She hesitated… but the thought rang true.

Home. She had to get back home. The surface. That's where she belonged. Chances are, if she was locked away in a capital somewhere, it would be a lot harder to find a way to do so.

Day took a breath; if she was going to make an escape, she had to do it before Papyrus came back.

Standing with renewed determination, she reached for the latch that he'd pointed out, only able to lift it free by standing on the tips of her toes.

"I can't wait until I get taller," she breathed shortly.

As soon as she pushed the door open, the wind hit her square in the face— the sting in her limbs that had just begun to defrost reared up once again, and she cringed.

Going back was definitely still and option.

She ignored the urge to back up, and instead shut the door behind her, a hand over the gap to muffle the sound.

Day cautiously glanced at the area around her; there was no sign of Sans anywhere. Guess he'd wandered off— she didn't blame him.

Day realized that, once again, she was on her own. Her grip tightened around the stick, remembering all the monsters that had surrounded her earlier. First it was a flower, and now an enormous bunny that haunted her thoughts. And yet somehow, she'd befriended two skeletons and a ghost— when she got back to the surface, her stories were going to be a lot more interesting.

If she got back.

No, she assured herself, when! I'll get back eventually…

Somehow…

… probably.

Her optimism was beginning to waver, so she figured the best time to set out was now. With her back to the town, Day set off down a narrow path, leading towards a set of tall, rocky structures in the distance.


A river rushed by noisily next to the path, and she could spot the dark rapids through the thinning tree line, a large hunk of ice floating by every so often.

The snow on the path had begun to flatten, but she wasn't about to get off so easily: no longer under the coverage of trees, the wind picked up, blowing fresh flakes into her face. A heavy fog accompanied it, thick and cold, and with elements raging, Day could hardly make out the path in front of her. She held up an arm, hoping to block the snow being flung into her eyes.

All she could distinguish was the silhouette of the jagged shapes in the distance, and barely heard the nearby river over the raging winds (the last thing she wanted to do was take a dive into that).

"Come on," Day tried to encourage herself, "It's not that cold out…"

Sure, if she ignored the prickling sting of her fingers, ears, and the majority of her face, it wasn't bad at all.

The wind was strong enough to present a fair deal of resistance, forcing Day to dig her heels deep into the snow just to avoid being blown backwards. She even resorted to using the stick as an anchor of sorts, plunging it into the ground to pull herself ahead, a few feet.

Day sunk into her sweater, taking only momentary glances at the area at a time. Her cheeks were chapped, her eyes itchy, the gross dripping had started from her nose again—

Something large blocked her path, and she sprung back to identify it.

Papyrus was sitting alone in the snow, chin in his hands. With his back turned, he didn't see her.

Day stood a ways off, but when her presence wasn't acknowledged, she inched closer.

"… Papyrus?"

Her voice was lost in the wind, so she walked within an arm's reach.

"Papyrus, are you okay?"

The skeleton sprung to life, nearly jumping out of his skin.

"WHA—" He had landed several feet away, but upon recognizing her, relaxed greatly.

"Oh! It's you, human! Boy, am I happy to see you—" He halted in realization, "WAIT! You escaped my escape-proof Capture Zone! I am NOT happy to see you!"

Day frowned, and the expression became contagious.

"Oh, that sounded mean— I didn't mean it the way it sounded! I am very happy to see you safe and not dead! But... well…" Papyrus wrung his mittens together thoughtfully, and turned to avoid her gaze, "… Human. Allow me to tell you about some complex feelings."

He drew in a breath, "Feelings like… the joy of finding another pasta lover! The admiration for another's puzzle solving skills! The desire to have a cool, smart person think you are also cool! These feelings…" Papyrus faced her with a smile that seemed stretched, "They must be exactly what you are feeling right now!"

Despite the cold, she managed to match his smile.

"I see you agree! And I cannot blame you: after all, I am… ahem… very great! I cannot imagine what those feelings must feel like… I don't ever have to wonder what having lots of friends feels like, for I, you see, have many friends! I pity you, lonely human… oh, but worry not!" Papyrus approached her warmly, "You shall be lonely no longer! For I, the Great Papyrus, shall be your…"

There was a sudden cease in his movements, and the smile sank on one side.

Day was confused; had she done something wrong?

"Papyrus?"

He retracted his hand, almost hesitantly.

"… No, no! This is all wrong! I-I can't possibly be your friend!"

… Oh.

The words possessed a sting even more potent than the cold: her stomach knotted painfully.

Even still, Papyrus couldn't bear her expression, "It is not that you're a bad person! On the contrary, but— you're a human! I must capture you! It is the only way I can fulfill my lifelong dream! Things have to be this way!"

He faced her squarely, as if prepared to battle, "I am sorry, human, but I need to capture you, again! I will be powerful! Popular! Prestigious! That's Papyrus! Soon to be the newest member of the royal guard!"

Something orange flashed deep within his sockets— a moment later, several bones began to swirl above his head. It was an idle motion at first, but gradually the movement became quicker, the bones blending into a white blur.

Day was reminded of the deadly white pellets— she froze in terror.

"Let's see if you can handle my fabled blue attack!" he challenged, and the bones shot forward, emitting a bright blue glow.

Blue attacks… blue stop signs!

She remained rooted to the spot, and the projectiles passed through her harmlessly.

I guess the hint was easier to remember than I gave Sans credit.

Papyrus was impressed, "Oho! It looks like you can handle them! But don't think you've won yet!" The orange flash returned, and another batch of bones materialized in the air above him. They lingered, then rocketed towards her, aimed much lower than the others.

Day dodged the first few, hurrying to one side, and was only nicked by the last.

Once the wave had passed, Day dropped her guard— only to meet the next group head-on. The first swept low near her ankles, so she hopped up, tucking in her legs. When she landed, a shock jolted through to her knees, making her stumble. In an off-balanced panic, she swerved from side to side, avoiding the onslaught of attacks, and remembered to freeze only seconds before the blue bones reached her.

"You may have made it this far," Papyrus observed almost jovially, "But don't make me use my special attack!"

More bones: Day ducked, dove, and dodged them all, fueled with determination and adrenaline.

Papyrus had begun to attack a bit carelessly, flinging the bones without aiming, "I can almost taste my future popularity! Papyrus: head of the royal guard! Unparalleled spaghettore! Oh, Undyne will be so proud of me!"

Unbeknownst to him, Day's luck was beginning to run dry. She was breathing heavily, and it was becoming much harder to remain upright.

"Pap—" Her plea was cut off as she leapt to avoid a spiraling bone, "Papyrus!"

"Yes, me! Why, I bet the king himself will even trim a hedge in the shape of my smile! Yes! And my brother— hm. Well, I doubt he'll change very much."

The bones had begun to encircle her, a mixture of blue and white, trapping her where she stood.

She felt she could vaguely hear Flowey's mocking laughter— her heart hammered in her chest, ready to burst.

"P-Papyrus!" she begged.

"I'll have lots of admirers! But…"

The spinning bones began to slow.

"… But will anyone like me as sincerely as you?"

They stopped completely, then dissipated into thin air. Papyrus remained where he was, lost in thought.

"I mean, someone like you is really rare… and being friends might be kind of hard, after you're captured and sent away."

Day watched hopefully; this could be it! Maybe now he'd let her go!

But her hopes were dashed the moment he returned his attention to her, frowning grimly.

"Urgh, who cares? Just give up!"

Bones were flung at her faster than she could side-step— Day threw up the stick, able to block a femur or two.

Papyrus made a noise of frustration, "Come on, please give up! Or I'll have to use my special attack! Yes, that's it! Very soon, and I'll use that special attack! It isn't too long, now!"

Day was starting to feel dizzy; she shook her head to be rid of the sensation, and briefly, she succeeded.

A bone swept her legs from beneath her, and Day tumbled forward. She threw out her hands to soften the impact, and winced as the jagged ice clumps dug into her reddened skin. The attacks hadn't let up yet: there was a shrill whistling as they whizzed by only inches from her head. Day flattened against the snow, waiting for the wave to die down.

She glanced up— Papyrus' jaw was locked, fists held devoutly at his sides.

"I didn't want to have to do this, human…" He told her sternly, "But you leave me no choice!" The orange glow arose in both sockets, and he plunged a hand into the air, "This battle will end now! Behold, my special attack!"

The two stared at each other in uneventful silence.

Papyrus waggled his fingers impatiently, waiting for the summoned attack. Day took the opportunity to slowly climb to her feet, keeping her eyes glued to Papyrus' empty mitten.

"What the heck?" He wondered aloud, "Where's my special attack? That usually works!" Papyrus searched the area around him, "Did it get lost? This has never happened before—"

"Yip yip!"

A small white dog wagged its tail with delight, a massive bone held proudly in its jaws.

"Hey!" Papyrus snapped, "That's my special attack!" He went to approach the dog, and it trotted backwards, just evading his grasp.

"Hey! Stupid dog! Do you hear me?" He called after it angrily, "Stop munching on that bone! It does not belong to you!"

In reply, the dog gnawed furiously, claiming his prize.

"I said stop it!" Papyrus cried, making another grab for it, "Give me that—"

The dog bounded away, yipping in a manner almost taunting.

"GET BACK HERE!" Papyrus sprinted after him, paying no heed to Day, "Hey! Get back here, you fluffy white menace! Those bones are not yours to steal!"

He disappeared into the fog, leaving Day alone on the path. She saw the chance and took it; she made a mad dash for the rocks.

"DON'T THINK YOU'VE EVADED THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DOGGY—"

There was a loud splash, followed by a scream.

Day skidded to a halt, the sound sending a shockwave of fear through her.

"Papyrus?"

No one answered.

She spun on her heels and ran right back to the area she'd just fled, "Papyrus! Are you okay?!"

The fog gave way to reveal the white dog, bone still displayed with pride. He was lounging next to the river bank, but there was no sign of Papyrus anywhere.

Day searched the ground for a clue to his whereabouts. The snow revealed a hasty set of footprints leading towards the river, and upon following them closely—

"Human!" He sprung up from the stream with a spray of icy water, gasping for air.

She yelped, caught off guard.

"Fear not, human!" Papyrus assured her, arm wrapped around a grounded rock in the riverbed, "For I will—"

His grip began to slacken, "I will—"

With a crack, the rock shifted under the strain, and Papyrus lost his hold, "The Great Papyrus cannot swim well!" In seconds, the current had swept him under, only to throw him sloshing back to the surface. "Please, save me human! Save me so that I may capture you!"

Day watched helplessly as he was pulled further down the stream, tossed about like a doll.

"Oh my— oh no!" she panicked, "No! Papyrus!" Day spun around in circles, searching for anyone within earshot, "Someone help! Please! Someone help us—"

The dog cocked its head, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, and the long bone stuck out comically to one side.

She stared at it, an idea emerging.

"Here puppy," she coaxed, trying to pass off her fear as friendliness, "Let me see that—"

It growled at her approach, and she jerked her hand back.

"HELP ME!" Papyrus screeched, dangerously distant.

Day was becoming desperate, "Please, puppy, please! I need it! I just—" She stopped, then waved her stick, "You want this instead?"

The dog's eyes lit with temptation, and his tail rose high, signaling his interest.

"You have to go get it, though!" She reared back, flinging it into the fog, "Go on! Go get it!"

It didn't need to be told twice; bone discarded, the dog ran off in a storm of yipping.

Day grabbed hold of the bone, and tucking it beneath an arm, rushed down the riverbank in search of Papyrus.

"Papyrus!" she cried, unable to find him amongst the dark and violent waves, "Papyrus! Say something! Where are you?!"

Over the roar of the water, she caught a voice— Papyrus battled the current, a few feet upriver from where she stood.

"Papyrus!" She held the bone out over the water, "Grab onto this, okay?"

He was swept beneath her only seconds later— a red mitten shot out of the water, latching onto the bone. Day was jerked forward, almost plunged into the river along with him. She struggled to root herself into the earth, bringing them both to a painful and stunted stop.

Her grip on the bone was beginning to fail— Day gritted her teeth, determined to hang on just a minute longer. It was slipping!

No no no! Come on, you can't! Just hold on! Don't— DON'T—

Papyrus anchored a hand into the riverbank, then the other, and fought to pull himself ashore. Day dropped the bone and took hold of his arm, doing her best to aid him.

"Are you okay?!" she asked.

He coughed up a colorful fish, "Why of course! It will take— much more than that to defeat the Great Papyrus!"

She let out a breath, falling to her knees in relief and exertion.

Papyrus stood erect, trying to shake off the freezing water, "My, that was very— that was refreshing! And also, completely according to plan!" He wrung the water from his scarf, and it hung limply to the side, "Nyeheh! Of course! I fear the trick is on you, human! For I, the Great Papy—"

He suddenly sneezed, a hand flying to his face to shield it.

"Bless you."

"Thank you." He sniffled, "Now, as I was saying—" It was interrupted by another sneeze, one more violent than the first, "As I was saying, I, the Great— ACHOO! The Gre— ACHOO! The— ACHOO!"

Unable to get so much as a word out, Papyrus sighed sadly, "Oh… who am I kidding?! I wasn't able to stop you, no matter how hard I tried! I'm a failure!"

Day frowned, "No... no you're not…"

"Yes I am! I couldn't even catch a small dog! That's how much of a failure I am!" He sniffled again, reduced to shivering, "Un-Undyne's gonna be disap-pointed in me! I'll n-never join the royal guard! And— and…" Papyrus rubbed his sockets with a wet mitten, "M-my friend quantity will remain st-stagnant!"

He plopped on the ground, hiding his face pitifully, "Who w-would want to be friends with a l-loser like me?!"

Day could only watch, unable to speak. What could she say? Nothing was coming to mind— other people were so good at this, how did they do it?!

His quiet sniffling was jostled by intense shivering, and water still dripped from every bone— some had even begun to visibly frost over. He was freezing, even worse than her.

In sympathy, Day removed her arms from the sweater, pulling it up over her head. There was only a thin t-shirt beneath, and it would do a horrible job of retaining heat, but Day ignored these things. Sweater in hand, she crept up to Papyrus, putting a hand on his arm.

His head flew up quickly, and he hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks, as if he had any chance of hiding them.

"Y-yes?" he asked, sounding choked, "What is it, human?"

She held out the sweater, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Here."

"… What is this?"

She unfolded it to reveal the sweater in full

Papyrus was confused, "What? Are you… are you giving this to me?"

Day nodded.

"Why?"

"Because you're cold."

"But… but I tried to capture you!"

"I know."

"So why would you help me?"

"Because… you're my friend."

Papyrus gasped, taken aback, "I am?!"

"If you want to be."

His face lit up suddenly, "Really?!"

Day smiled, "Yes."

"Wowie! And you're even giving me a gift, too!" He took the sweater gratefully, "Hm… it might be a bit small, but…"

Papyrus wriggled his way into the sweater, one arm through a sleeve while the other searched blindly for its partner, head halfway through the collar.

Day giggled at the spectacle, but began to feel the pangs of cold at her exposed arms. She rubbed them to dispel the feeling, but it had no effect. The tingling spread from her fingers up her arms, already past the elbows, and still growing.

"There!"

She returned her attention to Papyrus and withheld a laugh— the sweater was obviously far too small, stretched comically to fit his oversized form.

"How do I look?" he inquired, "Do I look like a fierce warrior?"

She nodded.

"Nyeheheh! Of course I do!" He flexed, which might have been more impressive if he had muscles to flex, "Why human, I appreciate your thoughtful and flattering gift! I will be sure to remember this act when I become head of the royal guard! When I capture you, I will ensure that you receive the most comfortable cell to spend the rest of your days in!"

Hey, wait a minute! That wasn't part of the deal!

Day opened her mouth to argue, but even her voice felt frozen in her chest— she shut it aimlessly, beginning to succumb to the cold.

"And every so often, I will take the time from my busy royal guard duties to visit you, surely lifting your broken spirits with my presence!" Papyrus continued, "And, on special occasions, I may even bless upon you the culmination of my talents as master chef— my very own elaborate and flavorful recipe for spaghetti—"

She sneezed loudly.

Papyrus stopped briefly, "Human, I wish you wouldn't interrupt me while I'm monologuing!"

Day sniffled, "S-sorry."

"Well, it's quite alright. Anyway, as I was saying—"

She sneezed again, nearly losing her balance from the strength of it.

"Human, why do you keep doing that?"

The world was beginning to go fuzzy again, so she shook her head, only intensifying it.

"S-sor— I'm sorry."

Papyrus stared down at her curiously, "Human… are you cold?"

"No, I'm ok-kay."

"But then why do you look cold?" He knelt down to examine her closely, "I think you are cold but may not know it."

She couldn't answer— shivers rocked her small form, impossible to miss.

Papyrus rubbed his chin, "Hm… perhaps it would not be best to bring you to Undyne in this state! First impressions are everything, you know!" He sprung up, "Never fear, human! You have done me a large favor by saving my life, and I, the Great Papyrus, shall do a favor for you in return! Come! I shall guide you back to warmth!"

He set off for the path, and Day struggled to move her legs, knees locking up stubbornly. She was able to power through it, catching up with Papyrus.

"You know, human, you are very lucky to have been found by me!" he told her, walking forward without so much as a glance back, "Why, it would have been very cold and lonely and scary out here all on your own! Who knows what…"

The sound died entirely to Day, giving way to a high-pitched ringing. She didn't have the proper mindset to be concerned— instead, she reached out weakly, catching hold of Papyrus's scarf, dangling low to the ground. He didn't seem to notice in the slightest.

"Do not worry, small and cold human! It is only half a mile to my fabulous home! Well, I suppose technically it is also Sans' home, but it's mostly mine! Yes, only half a mile through ice and snow and biting winds— it is quite fortunate for me that I am tall and have little to worry about, concerning the height of the snow—"

Papyrus felt a steady pull at his scarf, so he turned in surprise. Day's hand was locked around the tip, eyes cast down to the ground; the snow was up to her knees.

"Human?" He noticed that she was shaking, "You do not look like you feel good. Do you not feel good?"

Day's strength finally gave out— she dropped to her knees, then sat limply, slouched over her lap.

"Human! Now is not the time to sit!" he scolded, "You will get sick if you sit in the snow like that! Why did you not dress more appropriately for this weather?!"

She couldn't hear him, and her eyesight was beginning to fade along with it. Everything was cold, everything stung. Day started to drift off…

When she didn't answer, Papyrus became concerned.

"Oh dear…" He thought for a moment, then exclaimed, "I know! Do not worry, human! I shall aid you!"

Papyrus scooped her up easily, able to support her with a single arm. He held her like an infant, shielding Day from the wind.

"There we are!" He smiled down at her, "I must say, human, you are very lucky that I am here to look after you! Don't you agree?"

The question echoed as if it came from a great distance— she had just enough sense left to manage a nod.

"Hm. You are very quiet," Papyrus observed, "But not to worry; I will do the talking for the both of us!" He continued walking, "It just so happens that I, the Great Papyrus, am also very great at having conversations with myself! I have had much practice with! Why, I would even say that I am the greatest at…"

Day lost the last of her energy; her vision went dark, and she slipped into unconsciousness…


Sans was halfway out the front door when Papyrus emerged from the icy fog, something clutched to his chest.

He let out a breath of relief, and managed to smile again.

"Hey Pap," he called out calmly, "I was just heading out to look for you. Man… you looked chilled to the bone—"

"Sans! This is not the time for your jokes!" Papyrus brushed by him to enter the house, "I have recaptured the human!"

"Recaptured?" Sans couldn't say he was too surprised; the door locked from the inside, after all, "Really?"

"Yes! And if you had watched her more carefully, perhaps she wouldn't have slipped out!"

"Hey, all I said was that I would keep an eye on her… that's kinda hard to do without eyes, y'know."

Papyrus scoffed, "Well anyways, I have her right here, and—" He glanced down at the form in his arms, "Human?" With no response, he shook her gently, "Human, why aren't you speaking? Or moving?"

Sans could just make out the girl, eyes closed, an arm dangling limply on one side— the tips of her fingers were blue.

"Uh oh," he muttered.

Papyrus caught the comment, "Uh-oh? What's wrong with her?! Why is she not moving, Sans?! Did I break her?!"

"No, you didn't," he assured.

Yeah, I had a feeling this was gonna happen… kid, why couldn't you just stay in the shed?

"It's fine, she probably just—"

"No! I have betrayed the trust of my human friend!" Papyrus wailed, hugging her close, "She gave me a gift and I let her perish in the cold! I am a terrible friend!"

"Hey— Pap, it's alright," Sans tried to cut in, "It wasn't your fault—"

"Sans, is she going to be okay?! Is this bad?!"

"Here, lemme see her."

Papyrus passed her off, and Sans' legs nearly gave out under her weight; she was considerably heavier than he'd anticipated.

"I do not deserve to be head of the royal guard!" Papyrus went on, "How could I protect all of monster kind if I cannot even protect my human friend?" He shook a fist at the sky, "Curse you, cruel snow!"

Don't drop the kid, Sans mused, That's the last thing she needs… alright, now just get her to the couch…

As Papyrus lamented behind him, Sans managed to lay her out across her back, placing her arms neatly at her sides.

"There we go," he exhaled, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Her chest rose and fell, so at least he knew she was alive for the time. That was a plus. Sans lifted one of her hands; the blue coloring didn't even rise to the first knuckle of her fingers, isolated mainly to the tips.

"Looks like they won't fall off yet, kid," he joked lowly, though he was almost certain she couldn't hear the quip. Strangely enough, something else seemed out of place about her— all the limbs were there, no facial features blown off, so what was it?

He glanced back at Papyrus to question him about it, and was immediately struck by the answer.

"Bro. What are you wearing?"

Papyrus sniffled, clutching the pink and purple sweater, "It was a gift from my dearly departed human friend! I shame it with my betrayal!"

Sans took a long look and couldn't help himself— he snickered.

"SANS! This is no time to laugh!" he blurted, aghast, "What are you thinking?!"

He managed to collect himself, "Hey… you know you can still fix this."

Papyrus' sniffling ceased abruptly, "I can?!"

"Yep," He held out a hand, "Gimme the sweater."

Papyrus instead gave him a strange look, "Why?"

"You'll see."

He didn't seem convinced, but complied anyway, worming his way out of the severely undersized sweater, "Okay, but I'm not sure how this will help!"

"Just trust me," Sans assured, rolling the sweater into a sloppy ball. He absently raised a hand and felt the familiar glow in his left socket; the kid's head levitated slightly, and he was able to slip the makeshift pillow underneath.

"There you go, kid," he muttered, "Better than nothing."

"… Sans!" Papyrus blurted impatiently, "It's not working!"

"That's because I'm not done yet," he reasoned, sliding an arm out of his coat. Sans hated taking off his jacket— the t-shirt beneath did a sorry job of keeping in heat and, frankly, he just wasn't one for sharing.

"Now don't you go running off with this," he warned, throwing it over the kid like a blanket. It was able to cover her entirely, even partially masking her face.

… Yeesh, this kid is small, he realized, How the hell did one this young get underground? There's no way she couldda made it all the way through the ruins on her own…

"Now what, Sans?" Papyrus interrupted his train of thought.

"Now, my friend," he informed, "All we gotta do is wait."

"Wait?! For how long?"

"Well, you want her to get better, don't you?"

"Yes! Of course I do!"

"Then—" He went to pocket his hands, but they slid stupidly across the shirt, "Oh yeah. Then you gotta wait for a while."

"But why?" Papyrus inquired, almost childishly.

"Well…" Sans searched for a simple explanation, "… Okay: so human souls are stronger than monster souls, right?"

"Of course!" Papyrus rolled his eyes, "Everyone knows that, Sans!"

"Well, true as it is, when it comes to the weather, for some reason humans aren't very strong at all— something about their bodies needing to be a certain temperature to work properly. If they get too hot or too cold, they stop working for a little while." He readjusted the jacket, mostly to make a point, "And to fix 'em, you just gotta make sure they're comfortable, wait for 'em to wake back up again, and then they'll be back to normal."

Papyrus stared at him blankly.

"… Humans are very strange."

Sans scoffed, "Yeah, tell me about it."

Well, now that he knew his brother was out of the storm, there was little reason to keep wandering around— Sans headed for the stairs.

"Now don't mess with her while she's sleeping," he advised, "Might be a good idea for you to go to bed, too. Also, maybe tonight you should lock your door, in case—"

"I will watch over her vigilantly until she wakes!" Papyrus declared, "That way, as soon as she does, I can apologize for making her malfunction so!"

Sans paused at the first step, turning back to the living room.

"Uh… it might take a while, Pap," he tried to dissuade, "I don't think you need to—"

"Time is no matter when it comes to the task of restoring friendship!" He sat cross-legged against the arm of the couch, refusing to budge.

Sans crossed his arms in return, "Papyrus. Really, you gotta sleep—"

"The Great Papyrus will succeed in his mission!" he interrupted passionately, "No matter the time it takes!"

This argument was going nowhere— Sans sighed in defeat.

She's gonna be out for a while, he reasoned, probably until tomorrow. And he's gonna fall asleep within the hour.

"… Fine," he gave in tiredly, "Have fun with that."

Sans wordlessly plodded up the staircase, glancing back at the two every few seconds.

Look, he told himself, even if the kid does happen to wake up, she's not gonna be in any state to cause trouble. And Pap clearly overpowered her once, so he can do it again, no problem. There's nothing to worry about.

Even still, when he finally reached his bedroom, Sans left the door wide open; he would not miss a peep out of either of them. He couldn't afford to.


Thank you for taking the time to read! I'd appreciate any feedback you have- that's what keeps me writing! ^-^