A/N: Aw, goodness, look at the time. Five months again, is it? I was so sure that I could have done it in two weeks, but then again I am horrible with my schedules. Somebody guessed five months ago that I would do this again, and I was thinking "Ooh gee, I hope I don't". And I did! Kudos to you sir/madam, and my apologies to everyone else, especially to you Jay Villanueva! I promised you two weeks, FOUR weeks ago, and I feel terrible about that.

I do have every intention of continuing this series, and in the past few months I've finally pushed myself to figure out where the hell ACT 2 is going to go from the start to finish, so that should help me pump out the chapters a lot faster this time around. I know I said this before, but I'm hoping to return to my regular update cycle if I can. I'll do my best, but if you still think I won't be sticking by it, I won't blame you. I'm not gonna give any excuse for this delay, just that I am very sorry about it. I never push myself to finish things and it's a part about myself that I hate the most. I'm going to try and fix it. Whether that'll work, is anyone's guess.

For those who are still around, I give you this, admittedly shorter, a bit of a filler chapter. I really wanted something more exciting to happen inside, but I'm afraid this is a necessary prelude for what I have planned.

So I hope you enjoy as much as you can, but ultimately you guys are always the judge.

On with the show~

Chara spent their time walking with Papyrus explaining to him what they could remember about their assault, detailing him their assailants as well as providing their made up theories on why they had been attacked. They knew those monsters had attacked them in order to obtain the final human soul of course, but they weren't about to disclose that little tidbit of information to a Guard of all people. Especially not to one whom Sans had described as a 'human hunting fanatic'. The fact that Papyrus thought they were an odd, never-seen-before monster was a good luck equivalent to finding a pearl while eating clams, and though they did question how on earth Papyrus didn't make the connection despite specifically calling them a 'skeleton with flesh', they weren't going to look this particular gift horse in the mouth.

Papyrus, throughout their explanation, listened diligently and even went as far as to write down notes so that he got a better picture of what had happened. Ice Cap and Jerry were the names that he gave, along with Snowdrake whom Chara already knew. All three attackers were children, teenagers who were in their typical rebellious phase: They were known for their rudeness, their cheap, often mean spirited pranks and their habit of spewing poorly constructed ice puns.

Besides those minor details, Papyrus had also provided them with the address of the three's families, and even had phone contacts with the lot. To say that he was enormously helpful was a grand understatement. Chara, who at first followed him because they believed any help was better than none, now believed that running across the tall skeleton had been a great fortune indeed.

"WELL!" Papyrus said as he tapped the screen of what Chara believed was his mobile telephone (except this device had no buttons at all besides the one on its side. And the screen took up the entire front! What lunacy was that?) "THAT WAS ICE CAP AND JERRY'S PARENTS, AND BOTH FAMILIES SAY THEY HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEIR KIDS SINCE THEY WENT OUT THIS MORNING!"

"Hm, so they are still out and about, are they? Figures. What time is it now?"

Papyrus tapped his device again (A phone that has a clock as well? Madness). "IT'S FOUR THIRTY! WHAT TIME WAS IT WHEN YOU, UHH, YOU KNOW? GOT ATTACKED?"

"I didn't have the time on me when it happened so I cannot be sure when it was exactly," Chara paused to think. "But I am certain that it was after two o'clock. That's the last time I checked the time."

"HRM, SO THEY HAD AT MOST TWO HOURS ON THEIR HAND. THAT'S… NOT GOOD."

"Indeed not." With that much time on their hand, those hooligans could already be reaching the outskirts of Waterfall village if they were heading for the castle directly. The good news, however, was that it was starting to get late in the afternoon, and from what Papyrus had told them, those teens had a curfew to meet. There was still a chance that they were still around Snowdin, camping out for the day, finding a hiding place for the child while they return to their family as though nothing had happened.

The whole idea still irked Chara somewhat, even though it was the best case scenario for themselves. What audacity did those creatures have to manage such act? To go home and enjoy the night after what they did to them and the child? The idea that those teens were going home, chatting and laughing with their family, while the child remained frozen and alone, made Chara's blood boil like a pot over a burning coal.

"WELL, WORRY NOT, MY GOOD COMPANION!" Papyrus said, making Chara snap out of their flash flood of anger. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM HELPING YOU NOW! IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE FIND YOUR FRIEND!"

With a deep inhale, Chara pocketed their rage into a little bundle and tucked it into the recess of their mind. They turned to the skeleton and smiled. "Your confidence is something to admire." They said with as much grace they could muster, which they believed wasn't a lot at that point. It was probably a better idea to change the subject right then. "So, what's our plan then? I just realised you've never said. You simply said you were taking me somewhere, to someone?"

"NYEH?" Papyrus blinked, then quickly proceeded to slap a hand over his forehead. "GYEH! OH MY GOD, I TOTALLY FORGOT! I'M SORRY STRANGE CREATURE. YOU MUST BE TOTALLY CONFUSED!"

Chara shook their head. "It is of no problem, sir. I trusted that you knew what you were doing." And they honestly did. Papyrus, while a bit of a simple minded sort, was clearly very passionate about his duties and service to the people. It was admirable, something that made him so agreeable in Chara's eyes.

"YOU ARE TOO KIND! I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING OF SEEING A FEW PEOPLE AROUND HERE INSTEAD OF JUST ONE. MY COLLEAGUES ARE STATIONED ALL OVER THIS FOREST. AND GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE ALL DOGS! THEY'RE GREAT FOR FINDING MISSING PEOPLE! SO WE'LL GO AND TALK TO THEM ONE BY ONE AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP!"

Chara hummed to themselves, certainly seeing the benefits of his idea. Unfortunately, it wasn't without its flaws. "These colleagues of yours, they're all guards yes?" They asked.

"YEPPERS! IN FACT, THE CANINE UNITS ARE PART OF THE ROYAL GUARDS!"

Ah. That complicates a few things. They thought with a sneer.

Currently, Papyrus didn't realise that they were a human, a pure coincidence brought on by nothing but chance. What would their luck be like against a whole squad of Royal Guard Dogs? They probably have had a myriad of training to hone their human capturing skills. Chara would be like a rabbit hopping into a field of sleeping snakes: they would just be asking for trouble.

But then what other choice did they have? They needed Papyrus to find the child. And he, in turn, needed the dogs to do so. They were going to have to risk it if they were to fulfil their mission before it was too late.

It wasn't that big of a deal, now that they thought about it. Nine out of ten monsters were gullible enough to believe anything anyone says. They'll believe it if Chara flat out lied to them and told them they weren't a human. And for those other one out of ten, they could easily use Papyrus as a shield. If they could claim that they were a skeleton with flesh, Papyrus would back them up. And if a person of authority -for instance, a guard- claimed that they weren't human... Well then, they weren't. It was simple as that.

It was a bit of a gamble, certainly, but it was either take this chance and find the child or wander aimlessly through the forest alone and most probably get lost themselves. They had neither the time nor the patience for sitting around doing nothing. They had to find the child. They were going to find the child, and nothing was going to get in their way.

Nothing.

"ERM, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST DOGS?"

They blinked. Reality caught up with them in that moment and they turned to Papyrus with a hasty smile. "Er, um, no. No, of course not."

"OH. GOOD! YOU HAD THIS REALLY SCARY EXPRESSION ON YOUR FACE RIGHT THEN SO I WASN'T SURE."

They didn't say anything and simply tried their best not to appear too mortified.

"WELL THEN! LET US MARCH ON! YOUR FRIEND'S FREEDOM AWAITS! AND ALSO SOME NICE CREAMS! DO YOU LIKE NICE CREAMS?"

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

"ALRIGHT! THEN ONCE THIS IS ALL OVER AND YOUR FRIEND IS HERE WITH US, WE'LL ALL GO AND GET A NICE SERVE OF NICE CREAM FOR ALL OF US! IT'LL BE GREAT!" With that, bubbling with all the giddiness of a five year old, Papyrus jogged ahead, leading them through the forest with a renewed purpose and an extra spring in his steps.

Chara chuckled softly at the sight, the skeleton's demeanor reminding them much of the child. The little one had once told them that Papyrus was their bestest friend, one they always loved to hang out with every day, and Chara could see why. Those two together would be a duo of unstoppable joy and kindness, a terror of unfathomable sweetness. Chara was actually feeling a bit sick thinking of it.

Then, just like that, their smile sombered, fading bit by bit until there was nothing left but a sorrowful frown in its place.

They lowered their gaze to the snowy ground, closed their eyes, delved into the empty void that was their mind, and focused.

Child? They called out, trying to keep their voice cool, collected, and in no way desperate for an answer. Are you awake? Can you hear me? Are… Are you alright?

They waited for a reply with baited breath.

And of course, there was nothing.

No words, images, or even the mere presence of the child came through their connection. Just like the last seven times.

Disappointment flooded Chara, only to be swallowed up by an uncontrollable urge to punch something over and over. They opened their eyes, sucked in the cold air and held it, dousing their rage down to a low simmer. As relieving physical violence would have been at that moment, they weren't too keen on breaking their hand on a dead wood trunk again so soon.

They sighed, releasing their anger along with the hot cloud of vapour, letting it go, purging their insides of the beastly emotion. It was a good thing, supposedly, but what was left without their anger, Chara wasn't too keen on feeling either.

They looked down at their hands, their pale, lithe hands that had a score of tiny scars marring its form. It was an old reminder of the things they've done, and suddenly, looking down at them, they felt… useless.

They let this happen.

They let this happen.

After everything they've been through, after believing that finally, finally they were safe from the evils of the world, they've lost another child.

All this power they held in their palm, and for what? What was the purpose of it all if they couldn't protect a single child? Why have the power at all if they were the ones to hurt them? It was impressive really, if it wasn't so pathetic.

Pathetic. Their mind echoed. Useless, pathetic whore.

Chara winced, forcing the voices away by digging their nails harshly into their palm.

Not having the child next to them... It felt... wrong. Their thoughts for once were their own with no niggling sensation of someone chattering away to themselves in the far corner of their mind. It was freeing, yet at the same time, it left them restless, uncomfortable, and unnerved. Their own voice and thoughts were so much darker than the child's, more painful and filled with memories they'd rather forget. The child was annoying, yes, but their kind and happy words had drowned the demons out, even if only a little.

They hadn't realised how much that had helped. How much at ease they were to have the child with them in their head and to… to not listen to their own sinister thoughts for once.

A part of them resented the child for this, for making them get a taste of what it was like to not be alone with their own mind all the time, to have and know that they had someone to talk to whenever they needed it. Yet in the end they couldn't fault them too much. Afterall, their connection went both ways. This emptiness was going to affect the child's fragile heart far worse than them, they were sure.

Oh child. They cried as they thought of the child alone and terrified in some dark corner, bawling their eyes out for their mother, for their friends, for them. It was a foolish image to have, given the child's power, but the human mind did like to throw common sense out the door when agitated, and right then, Chara's mind was way beyond the scope of simply 'agitated'.

They had to wonder how the child was right then. They were still unconscious from the looks of things, certainly, but were they hurt in any way? They remembered the little ice hat wearing monster -Ice Cap- doing something to the child before they were knocked out, encasing them in ice. Was it a stasis of some sort? It didn't kill the child, thank goodness, but that was like saying getting stabbed in the gut was better than getting stabbed in the head. While one was certainly less excessive than the other, neither of those situations were truly desirable. Those bastards better not have done any long lasting injury to the child. Otherwise, they were going to get a beating of their life, directly from the monarch's own two hands.

Calm. The logical part of their mind snapped. You are being rash. Those monsters are merely kids. They don't know what they are doing.

Breathing hard through their nose like an angry bull, they concurred with the logic, even if they didn't want to. Those monsters, despite what they thought of them, were only doing what was right for the monsterkind. The last human soul needed for the Barrier to be broken: It was a chance that no monster could afford to miss. Those teens, if anything, were beyond brave: Facing the unknown enemy, alone and head on, possibly risking their lives for a chance to set their kind free. They should be rewarded with a medal of honour, not be whipped for their insolence.

Yes. Their mind echoed again. The kid has been hurt before. You don't need to worry about them. Once they wake up, they'll be back, and any injury will be healed. In fact, you don't need to look for them at all. This is pointless. Stop this. Stop this now.

Chara almost stumbled over, their expression tight as they suddenly felt light headed.

I… don't need to look for them? They repeated, but their mind was suddenly silent.

They pondered on the suggestion for a moment.

It... was a logical conclusion, there was no denying that: If the child needed to actively set up a SAVE point to return to, it was a given that they haven't made any since the attack due to their unconscious state. And any resets that they trigger at this point will take them back before the assault, maybe even before their meeting with Sans. Any effort that Chara was make right now was fundamentally pointless in face of those facts. Everything they were doing right now will, quite literally, cease to exist.

And yet…

"So, did you have a good reason for doing that too?"

Chara turned their head, as if to put their ear away from the echoes of their own memories. They took in a shuddering breath once more, allowing the shock of freezing air filling their lungs to distract them from their burning shame.

Certainly, it would be less effort for them to simply wait, to leave the child to either wake or die and allow time to return and reunite them. But that logic assumed that they were okay with that, that they were perfectly okay with allowing the child to find themselves alone and confused, and for them to have the courage to tell them: 'No, of course I didn't try and rescue you. Will you stop sulking and just rewind? I'm tired of waiting.'

Chara was hardly a warm person, and perhaps that did sound like something that they would say. But that was before... everything.

They didn't really understand it, but though it'd only been two days since they'd met, Chara felt a… a connection to the little one.

Perhaps it was because Frisk reminded them of the little ones in their past; Or perhaps it was some sort of residue memory from their supposed time as a ghost. Whatever the reason, Chara couldn't find it in themselves to abandon the kid. To be so heartless and cold blooded.

Not after what they've done.

They clenched their fists hard, clenched their jaw so tight their teeth were about to shatter.

No. They were going to have the child back, rescue them with their own hands. They weren't going to have it any other way. They couldn't.

They'll never forgive themselves otherwise.

Stay put, little one. They said as they forced their legs to march forward, stomping through the forest, following the skeleton's back. I'm coming to get you. And please… please don't be hurt.

Chapter 10

Papyrus approached the rustic guard station with excitement, a giddy spring in his steps as his whole body bubbled with energy like a shaken can of soda.

He couldn't believe his situation: There was a newcomer in Snowdin, here, standing next to him of all people.

How long has it been since he'd met someone new around the forest? How long has it been since he'd met anyone new in the whole of Underground? Too long, from what he could remember (which he couldn't, because it's been that long). And what coincidence it was for it to be a skeletal humanoid as well! Lose the skin and hair, and he and Chara could look like siblings. He was beyond simply excited right then; He was ecstatic. He was going to have to introduce Chara to his coworkers, his boss, everyone he knew, and everyone he didn't know. They were all going to be so impressed, they'll instantly become his friends, he was sure of it.

Of course, he'd had to ask Chara how they felt about that first. They seemed like the type who liked things done their way and hates being caught by surprise. They were an awful stickler for someone so young, something he wondered where they got it from, along with several other questions he had stored in his mind. Things like: Where did Chara come from? What monster were they? Where did they learn such dangerous combat spells? What was with the red flame thing that shrieked at him? The list just went on.

However, he knew that now was not the time for questions. Chara was trying to hide it, but he was certain that they were in great distress about their missing friend. He could tell by the brooding, self-loathing frown on their face. Though he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, even he could tell that. It wasn't an expression any kid should make, and as a guard who made an oath to sacrifice his all to make sure that no frown graced the citizens of Underground, it was his duty to bring joy back into the kid once more. He was certain that with the help of the Canine units, with their excellent sense of hearing and smell, they will find Chara's friend and turn that sullen frown upside down in no time at all.

Eying the litters of dog chow crumbs and half burnt dog treats, he went straight for the call bell set up on the counter and pressed it once.

A clear, melodic ding echoed through the forest, and then….

Nothing really happened.

Papyrus blinked, having expected Doggo to slowly pop his head out with a suspicious leer as he did always.

Quickly, he pressed the bell again, thinking perhaps his comrade was taking his time popping up over the counter.

The crystal clear chime pulsed through the air.

Again, there was nothing.

"HUH." Papyrus said, puzzled.

"This station appears to be empty." Chara said as they approached.

"YES IT DOES! AND THAT'S-!" He paused, "-KIND OF WEIRD!"

"Perhaps he's a sleep inside?"

With a curious frown, Papyrus leaned over the counter to give the inside of the station a good look. There were various chew toys strewn about, a mess of dog treats and boxes of matches thrown haphazardly on the lower shelves, a collection of collars, and an empty dog bed. All a typical sight for his comrade's abode, all with just one very obvious exception.

He checked the clock standing next to the bed. Still four thirty. He pulled back to a stand and began walking circle around the station, examining every nook and cranny for any sign of his coworker. When he came back, he began tapping his chin suspiciously.

"STRANGE. STRANGE! VERY VERY STRANGE!" He exclaimed with what he believed was a smooth, sly tone, much like that of a sleuth in a tv show. "DOGGO SHOULD STILL BE HERE SINCE IT'S STILL WORK HOURS. BUT HE'S NOT! AND THAT IS VERY STRANGE. VERY STRANGE INDEED!"

Chara walked over to the counter to check the premise themselves. Their mildly interested expression collapsed into a disgusted scowl at the messy sight. "This 'Doggo', he's not the type to ditch his work, correct?"

"OF COURSE NOT! US GUARDS ARE DILIGENT! HARD WORKING! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE SLACK OFF ON THEIR JOB BEFORE!" He gave a thoughtful pause. "Well, I mean maybe with the exception of Sans, sure, BUT HE'S A SPECIAL CASE SO IT DOESN'T COUNT!"

Chara's expression showed that they weren't very impressed, which was pretty much anyone's reaction when it came to his brother unless they were talking about just how unfathomably lazy he was. "Could he have gone to patrol?"

Papyrus shook his head. "NOT AT THIS HOUR. ALL GUARDS SHOULD BE BACK FROM THEIR LAST ROUND OF PATROL AND BE LOGGING THEIR DAILY REPORTS."

"But... you aren't doing that."

"YES! ERR… BUT I MEAN, I'M HELPING OUT A CITIZEN IN NEED RIGHT NOW, SO I HAVE AN EXCUSE! ...I THINK. I'M PRETTY SURE I DO." He narrowed his eyes. "UHH, MAYBE I SHOULD START JOGGING THINGS DOWN ON A NOTE, JUST IN CASE."

"I see." Chara chuckled. "Well whatever the reason, it appears that your comrade is out for a moment. A very unfortunate turn of events, if I must say."

"HMM, YEAH..." Papyrus said with a suspicious gaze over the station.

Of all the years he'd been working as a guard, he hadn't known Doggo to be the type to go 'out' during work. He didn't need to. He peed on the trees nearby, had all the food and entertainment he wanted in the station. There was no feasible reason for him not to be here unless he wanted to go home early. And if he was getting off work early, he was obligated to report his absence to the nearest neighbouring guard -i.e. Papyrus- so that they could schedule their patrol path around it. It made little sense that he would be gone without a trace like this.

As he had said repeatedly, this was a very strange situation indeed.

"What should we do now?" Chara asked, and he weighed his options.

"IT DEPENDS! DOGGO ISN'T THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE CANINE UNITS AROUND. WE COULD WAIT FOR A BIT TO SEE IF HE COMES BACK. OR, WE COULD GO AND FIND MY OTHER COMRADES AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP US FIRST!"

"Are they far, this other comrade?"

"NOT TOO FAR. LESSER DOG IS STATIONED JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM HERE. ONLY A FEW MINUTES AWAY."

"Then let us move on." Chara replied immediately. "We have little time to waste, and if your other comrade is so near, I see no point in waiting about."

Papyrus paused before nodding along. Personally, he wanted to wait and see if Doggo came back soon, but he understood that Chara's priorities lay with their friend, and that was what he needed to adhere to no matter his own curiosity.

"VERY WELL, MY COMPANION! LET'S GO AND SEE WHAT THE OTHER GUARDS HAVE TO SAY!"

Chara gestured for him to walk ahead, and he did so without complaint.

As he lead on, he couldn't help but peer over his shoulder and watch the empty guard station shrinking in the distance.

A good ten minute later, the pair found themselves in the middle of the main road. It was a place that didn't have any easily distinguishable feature for any regular passerbys to note, but for any guard who have patrolled the Snowdin forest a few times, it was a point of big interest.

Papyrus walked over and knelt down near the base of one of the evergreen trees. He examined the ground there, and found that the snow was a lot thinner, as well as the base of the tree trunk being worn and slightly frozen.

He frowned.

This was definitely the spot.

So where on earth was Lesser Dog?

He stood up and looked left and right, eyeing the stretch of long, empty, snow covered path on both sides. He cupped his hands around his mouth and took in a deep breath.

"LESSIE! LESSIE! COME HERE BOY!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, not aiming his voice in any particular direction.

He dropped his hands, squinted his eyes and studied the woods, looking for any possible sign of the little sword wielding puppy running towards them with a happy smile on his face. Lesser Dog was one of the least comprehensible among the Canine Units, but he was a friendly chap who loved to play and do his best. He also had a knack for sniffing things out, a trait Papyrus was hoping to utilise to help find Chara's friend.

Of course, in order to do that, Lessie would have to be here first.

Which he wasn't.

And that was, again, kinda weird.

"LESSIE?!" He called out again, trying his best to keep the nervous squeaks out of his words.

But even with his thunderous voice, the woods remained quiet, almost eerily so.

"Is everything alright?"

Papyrus winced at the question, not liking the answer that he had in store. "UHH, NOT REALLY."

"This guard isn't here either." Chara stated more than asked.

"YES, WELL!" He began to refute, but with a shrinking voice he said, "Err.. no, he's not… B-BUT WORRY NOT! I'M SURE THAT LESSER DOG WILL BE HERE MOMENTARILY! I MEAN, I'M PRETTY SURE HE WILL BE! NYEH HEH!"

Chara, as expected, didn't appear very pleased. Though they weren't really in the 'mad' territory just yet, they were certainly in the 'confused' one. "You… said all guards will be at their station."

"Y-YES! THEY SHOULD ALL BE BACK SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE LAST BIT OF THEIR WORK AND FINISH THE DAY OFF!"

"And yet these guards are not."

Papyrus fiddled with his fingers. "UMM, MAYBE THEY'RE HELPING OUT OTHER CITIZENS? LIKE ME?"

"Both of them? At the same time? You told me this was the first time you're doing this yourself. Is it not the same for the others?"

He could only nod at that, agreeing wholeheartedly with Chara's scepticism. It really was a rare occasion that any guard would be doing over time. Guard duty in Snowdin tend to be a drag at times. It was why he'd been so excited about showing Chara around, and also why it was so odd that Doggo and Lessie weren't here either.

Where could have they gone? Papyrus racked his brain for an answer. Did they have something to do besides working? What was so important that they needed to leave without informing the others? This was the first time ever that he had such an incident and it was very curious, if not a touch worrying. It also didn't help much that he had an audience, an audience whom he promised results which he really wasn't getting. Did this really need to happen when he, for once in his career, finally found a citizen in dire need to help?

He wished there was a way to speak to Doggo and Lesser Dog directly right then, ask them where they were. If they could, they wouldn't be having this problem at all right now.

WAIT A MINUTE...

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head.

"OF COURSE! OUR RADIOS!" He snapped his fingers.

Chara flinched at the exclamation. "Your radios?"

With a wide smile, Papyrus reached for his pocket and unstrapped a hand-sized black box.

"TA-DAH!" He exclaimed. "THIS, MY DEAR COMPANION, IS A RADIO TRANSMITTER, STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR ALL GUARDS AROUND SNOWDIN! WE'RE ONLY EVER SUPPOSED TO USE IT IN EMERGENCIES SO I NEVER GOT TO USE IT BEFORE, BUT THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY. I CAN TOTALLY CALL ALL THE CANINE UNITS WITHOUT HAVING TO ACTUALLY FIND THEM! I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE."

"Why... that's perfect then." Chara appeared pleasantly surprised, fueling his excitement.

"YES! NOW, IF YOU JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT…" He switched on the device and heard it's ancient mechanics crackle to life, still functional despite the lack of use. He cleared his throat and began speaking into the receiver with a deep voice. "ATTENTION ALL GUARDS; THIS IS COOL-SKELETON USING THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST; WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT POSITIONS; OVER?"

The device crackled off, and Papyrus waited for the responses with an eager smile. Chara listened in too, crossing their arms as they kept from making any noise that could distract them.

Ten seconds passed with neither party moving or speaking.

And no other sound filled the air.

Papyrus' smile slowly faded and was replaced with one of confusion.

Then realisation hit him, followed by a quick surge of denial.

NO…

He tried the request again, making sure to press on the 'send' button while he was talking. "UHH, ATTENTION LESSER DOG; THIS IS COOL-SKELETON; PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR GUARD POST IMMEDIATELY; IF YOU DO I'LL GIVE YOU A PET ON THE HEAD; PLEASE CONFIRM; OVER."

Muted silence filtered through.

Papyrus frowned and checked the radio's top. Battery life was on green and the volume was set to a comfortable six out of ten. But clearly, it still wasn't working. Because of course it wouldn't. What the hell was with his luck today?

"Is it broken?" Chara asked with a raised brow.

He flicked the switch on and off again, hearing the whirling crackle echo from the speaker once more. "DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT, BUT I'M... NOT HUNDRED PERCENT SURE. IT COULD BE BROKEN, YEAH."

"Well, that's… oddly coincidental I must say."

Papyrus agreed.

First, Doggo is missing, then Lesser Dog, and now no one was answering an emergency broadcast? What were the chances of that happening all at once?

He sagged, feeling terrible at the fact that he'd let down his charge for the third time in such a short time frame.

"I know I asked this before but, what do we do now?" Chara asked in a calm tone.

Papyrus turned to them with a hard frown, thinking. He wanted give a different answer than 'Let's go see the other guards!' this time, but without the Canine Unit's help, he himself had no skill or informant to help out Chara with their search.

"UHH, DO YOU WANT TO WAIT HERE FOR A BIT?" He asked with a hopeful smile. "LESSIE SOMETIMES GET DISTRACTED AND TAKE A BIT TO COME BACK TO HIS POST. HE USUALLY COMES RUNNING BACK WHEN ANYONE CALLS HIM THOUGH, EVEN FROM THE OTHER END OF THE FOREST. SO HE COULD BE HERE IN A FEW MINUTE."

"And if he's not?" Chara said, obviously taking the pessimistic side.

"THEN UHH… WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT GUARD IN THE VICINITY! THEY CAN'T ALL NOT BE IN THEIR POSTS, RIGHT?"

They gave a miffed frown. "I don't wish to sound rude but I must admit, I am not a big fan of waiting. It seems like such a useless thing to do."

"HEY, WAITING ISN'T USELESS! IT MEANS YOU'RE BEING PATIENT! YOU'RE BIDING TIME FOR THE PERFECT MOMENT! IT'S A GOOD THING TO DO SOMETIMES."

"Ugh, sounds like something the child might say."

"IS… THAT A GOOD THING THEN?"

Rolling their eyes, Chara didn't answer, and instead walked over to a nearby tree and leaned their back against it with their arms crossed. Papyrus walked over too, taking position nearby Chara, standing on his own, tall and vigilant like a good guard. If he wasn't able to help out much in the search itself, the least he could do was to protect them from further harm.

Several minutes passed, both party pretty much standing utterly still in their place, waiting for something that they had no clue if was ever coming and when. Papyrus kept his gaze vigilantly surveying the woods for his comrade, but more occasionally than not, he would shift to look over at Chara and see how they were doing. They hadn't appeared too pleased to be waiting since the beginning, but as time went by, their annoyed frown had slowly dissolved into boredom, which then turned into something… sadder, sorrowful. The sight of it made him frown as well, made the sinking sense of inadequacy inside him double by the second. He was starting to think he needed to do something quickly before he drowned in all this negativity.

Guards were supposed to protect the smiles of the citizen. He'd failed to help Chara in any meaningful way so far, he was not going to fail in this.

"UMM, HEY!" He began with a wide smile, not entirely sure where he was going with this. "W… YOU KNOW WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO ASK THIS WHOLE TIME? WHA-UHH, W-WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE… FOOD? YEAH! YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD!"

There was a moment of pause, then, Chara slowly turned their head up with a quirked brow.

"My favourite food." They deadpanned. "Is there a reason why you're bringing this up?"

"W-WELL," He quickly scratched his head. "I PROMISED YOU DINNER AFTER ALL THIS IS OVER, DIDN'T I? I-I'LL NEED TO KNOW IF YOU DON'T LIKE ANY CERTAIN INGREDIENT! I MEAN, WHAT IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO NUTS? THAT'LL BE TERRIBLE!"

Chara's stare continued, as though they were trying to gauge if he was being serious or not. "I'm sorry, sir, but must we speak of this now? I'm not sure if I will be able to… focus on such a mundane subject with all that's going on."

That was an expected answer, but Papyrus wasn't about to give up. He breathed in deep and puffed out his chest, forcing in himself some bravado. "WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY WHY WE SHOULD HAVE THIS CONVERSATION NOW! I... FEEL THAT YOU'RE ALL WOUND UP RIGHT NOW, LIKE A JACK IN A BOX WITH THE LID NAILED SHUT! YOU NEED TO LET IT ALL OUT, AND CALM YOUR NERVES A BIT. IT'S THE FIRST THING THEY TEACH US AT GUARD SCHOOL: ALWAYS KEEP YOUR HEAD COOL; ALWAYS KEEP YOURSELF RELAXED. ONE INSTANT OF RASH ACTION CAN DECIDE THE VICTOR, SO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PERSON IS YOU."

Chara opened their mouth as if to retort but no words came out before they snapped it back shut.

Gazing into their blood red eyes, Papyrus saw the gears in their head click and turn, calculating, contemplating. He braced himself, holding his breath and backing up while narrowing his eyes as though he was expecting a physical explosion of some sort.

Finally, Chara breathed in deep, and let out a conceding sigh. "Very well." They said, making Papyrus mirror their sigh with one of relief. "You wish to talk food? Let us talk food."

"EXCELLENT!" He clapped happily. At least with this he could distract them from their troubles for awhile. "THEN UHH, LET'S START WITH THE BASICS, SHALL WE?"

"If we must."

"COOL!" He said, then searched his brain for what to say next. What on earth was the 'basics' when asking a person about their favourite food? "RIGHT! IS UHH, THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN'T EAT? LIKE MEAT, OR CHEESE FOR EXAMPLE? IT'LL BE REALLY SAD IF I COOKED YOU SOMETHING YOU CAN'T EAT!"

Chara sighed once more, long and tired, as if they were coming to terms with the fact that, yes, they were about to discuss food despite the situation. "I'm... not aware of any allergies that I have, and I'm not exactly picky with my food either. I can eat anything." They said, then added in a mumble, "if the situation is right."

"RIGHT. A VERY NORMAL THING TO SAY I THINK," Papyrus nodded. "BUT I ALSO KNOW PEOPLE SAY THAT JUST TO BE POLITE! EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING THAT THEY PREFER NOT TO HAVE ON THEIR PLATE, SO GO ON, YOU CAN TELL ME."

"No, really I honestly don't mind. Anything you cook will be quite lovely I'm sure." Chara shrugged nonchalantly, not really considering the question.

Papyrus huffed. "ALRIGHT, HOW ABOUT I CHANGE THE QUESTION AROUND A BIT THEN? WHAT FOOD DO YOU LIKE? WHAT'S THE FOOD THAT YOU FIND YOURSELF EATING THE MOST OFTEN?"

Chara's expression turned sour and they grumbled something under their breath. Papyrus thought he'd heard them say "Do live rats and maggots count?", but that couldn't have been right.

"I... suppose I have a fondness for chocolate and pastries with chocolates in them." They said more clearly.

"AH, A BIT OF A SWEET TOOTH, EH?" He wagged his 'brows'.

They smirked at his antics, a small victory point for the guard. "Just for chocolates, perhaps. But other than that I do like my meat. Give me a plate of bangers and mash and I will murder it swift."

"MEAT, EH? THOSE ARE HARD TO COME BY AROUND HERE. HMM." He tapped his chin before snapping his fingers. "WHAT ABOUT SUSHI? DO YOU LIKE THAT?"

Chara's smirk fell into a perplexed frown. "S.. Soo shee?" They butchered the word. "I'm sorry, is that a foreign dish? I believe I've never heard of it before."

"NYEH HEH! NEVER HEARD OF SUSHI! THAT'S A GOOD ONE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus cracked up, guffawing out loud at the joke.

It only took him a minute to realise that the kid wasn't laughing along.

His laughter slowly trailed off, and soon he was staring down at them in confusion. "WAIT, YOU'RE SERIOUS?"

Chara raised a brow, as if daring him to guess.

Papyrus blinked, backing up in mild surprise. "WOW." He said. "I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER MET ANYONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SUSHI IS."

"Well you have now. Are you going to tell me what it is, or are you going to laugh like a maniac again?"

He chuckled, a hint of blush colouring his cheekbone. "WELL, I MEAN, SUSHI IS FISH!"

Chara frowned. "... And?"

"THAT'S IT! AND RICE, I GUESS, BUT IT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST FISH." Papyrus scratched his head, never having explained what a sushi to another person before.

"Is it any particular kind of fish?"

"NOPE! JUST... EDIBLE FISH IN GENERAL."

"Why does it need its own name if it's just fish? Why not call it 'fish'?"

"AH, BECAUSE IT'S RAW!"

"Raw fish?" Chara scrunched their face in disgust. "Ew."

Papyrus did a double take. "WHAT?! 'EW'?! BUT SUSHI IS GREAT!"

"'Great'?" Chara scoffed. "'Dangerous' more like. Eating raw is… desperate. You shouldn't do it if you can avoid it. You could get sick from it. You could die!"

"B-BUT IT'S CULTURE! IT'S CLASSY AND SOPHISTICATED! IT'S JAPANESE!"

"Japanese?" If possible, Chara's disgust seem to double. "What is it with this age and the bloody Japanese? What, did they start another war and win this time?"

Papyrus was taken aback by the acid in their tone. "UUH, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST THE JAPANESE?"

"Of course not, no." They said at first. "Well… Okay, maybe. I mean, I don't really know. I've never met one myself but the things I hear about them aren't exactly pleasant."

"WELL, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE! I NEVER MET ONE MYSELF EITHER, BUT THEY SEEMED LIKE GOOD PEOPLE! FOR HUMANS I MEAN! THOSE GIANT ROBOTS OF THEIRS THAT FIGHTS ALIENS FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION? COOLEST. THING. EVER."

There was a very long pause from the kid, almost as though they'd been frozen stiff for a moment. Papyrus quirked his eye socket and was about to ask what was wrong when they slowly began turning their head up at him. When they finally revealed their face, which was a mask of complete and utter shock, their eyes were almost making a complete circle. "... I'm sorry, the what?"

"UHH, WHAT 'WHAT'?" Papyrus asked, confused.

"R-robots? What do you mean by that? What robots?" They stuttered, their face oddly pale.

He shrugged. "YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE GIANT MACHINES THEY HAVE IN A SHAPE OF A PERSON? OR ANIMALS, I GUESS. THREE OR SO OF THEM COMBINE INTO A GIANT SUPER ROBOT THAT HAS ROCKET PUNCHES AND STUFF. JAPAN HAS LIKE… ELEVEN OF THEM OF SOMETHING."

"Eleven?!" Chara screeched. "Wh-where did they get such a thing? And so many of them?"

"I'M PRETTY SURE THEY BUILT IT THEMSELVES."

If possible, Chara became even more pale than before, and that's saying something for a kid already as pale as them. And was that sweat forming on their forehead?

"Wha-?! Bu-! Th-that's impossible! Japan is a radioactive ashfield! They can't possibly have the resources to build such a thing!" They placed a palm over their forehead. "Wait. Wait a minute. Does this mean that America has them as well? Do Germany?" They gasped in horror. "Oh my Lord. Are they back? You said alien monsters from another dimension. Are those their doings? Are they back? Tell me!"

Papyrus backed up, feeling like he said something he shouldn't have. "UHH, WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"Who am I talking about? The Nazis, of course!" Chara yelled with an equal amount of anger and fear. "I'm asking if the Nazis have come back! Do they have robots too? Did they finally succeed in their magical-science bullcrap? Is that how they brought the aliens to our world? Have they invaded anyone? Is there another war? Do America have robots fighting back?! Answer me! ANSWER ME NOW!"

"NYEEH!" Papyrus cried, backing up as Chara stomped over to him like an enraged ox. "OKAY, I THINK UHH, WE'VE DERAILED FROM THE MAIN POINT OF THE CONVERSATION. LET'S JUST… GO BACK TO TALK ABOUT FOOD WHY DON'T WE?"

"Food?" Chara said, aghast. "You think I can talk about food when I have a potential world war going on?" They took in a shuddering breath. "I… I need to talk to the child. They'll know more about this. I need to ask them things, I need to know right now, and, and…." They stopped. "And of course they are not here."

Chara's mood shifted faster than a bucket of water being poured over a fire, their flash of panic doused into a solemn distress in a single instant. Their whole body seemed to sag and Papyrus winced when he saw their red eyes well up with tears. He hurried to kneel down besides them.

"HEY NOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS. WE'RE GONNA FIND YOUR FRIEND, WITHOUT A DOUBT. NO CRYING HERE, OKAY?"

The kid bit their lips and breathed in long and hard several times. "Yes. Yes, of course. I apologise. It's just…. Very difficult, you must understand."

"YEAH OF COURSE I DO," Papyrus patted their shoulder. "AND NO ONE CAN BLAME YOU FOR THAT. TAKE AS MUCH AS TIME YOU NEED. I'M RIGHT HERE WHEN YOU NEED ME."

"Th.. thank you."

Chara breathed in a few more times, and held it, as though trying to will their tears away. After a few seconds of holding, they finally breathed out, and began wiping their eyes of tears. Then, much to his surprise, they started laughing.

Papyrus tilted his head, not seeing what they found so funny. "UMM, YOU OKAY?"

"Oh, goodness." They chuckled. "I apologise. I just… I just found it very strange -a bit funny, really- that I'm so… hysterical. Andabout someone I barely know too."

Papyrus frowned, still confused. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? AREN'T THEY YOUR FRIEND?"

"Friend?" Chara spat the word. "You know they keep on calling me that. I'm not sure what on earth is going in their head because I sure haven't done anything to be worthy of that title. I've... barely known them for two days, two days I've been particularly cruel to them to. Hardly a time nor the scenario to establish friendship, no?"

Two days? That surprised Papyrus. From the way that they'd been so distressed, he'd thought they and the child have known each other for years. "BUT DO YOU THINK THEY'RE YOUR FRIEND?"

At that question, Chara's crooked smile vanished.

They were quiet for a long time.

"I'm... not sure." They said, their voice quiet and uncertain. It appeared as though they really didn't know.

"YOU OBVIOUSLY CARE ABOUT THEM THOUGH."

"Care?" Chara scoffed. "I don't think that's it, really."

Papyrus tilted his head. "WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?"

"I'm just... not the caring type, you know?"

Now it was his turn to laugh. "WELL THAT'S… SILLY! YOU WENT ABSOLUTELY BERSERK WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOUR FRIEND WAS GONE. YOU WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT IF YOU DIDN'T CARE FOR THEM, RIGHT? FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, YOUR FRIEND IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU!"

"It seems like it, yes, but it's a bit… different under the surface." Chara shook their head. "Besides, I find them more annoying than anything. I wanted them gone when we first met. I hated the fact that they were here."

"BUT YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY NOW, RIGHT?"

Chara scoffed. "Because they clung onto me like a bad flu. They insisted on us being together, no matter how much I rejected them, and I just… I don't know. I gave up." They sighed. "So, yes, I do think differently now, I suppose."

"AND... DO YOU REGRET THAT DECISION?" Papyrus asked after some thought, and it triggered another bout of silence from the kid.

They didn't answer, not even after several seconds of wait. They just stared at the snowy ground, brows drawn into a thoughtful scowl.

It took a minute to realise this, but it dawned on Papyrus that no answer was coming, not right now, and probably not for a long time. It was a question that Chara themselves was going to have to ponder on on their own. And hence, he decided to stand back, return to searching the woods for the signs of his comrade.

He gave the kid all the space and time in the world to think.

Did they regret their decision?

Chara was in deep thought, their head ringing with the question, repeating it over and over.

Did they regret their decision?

Did they regret stop trying to push the child away so much?

After all that happened on the surface world, Chara told themselves never to latch onto a little one again. They've tasted the bitter end of betrayal so many times, inflicted the same pain back to so many others. Humanity, the ones they met and the one they had inside themselves, were so poisonous they wanted nothing to do with it ever again.

But then came the child, so happy and innocent and so… determined.

The little ones they met before had been always dependent on them, little lost lambs that needed their guidance, as useless as it so often proved to be. But Frisk was so sure of the things they did, sure that they could accomplish all these ridiculous ideas that they had in their little mind and had the drive to put their words into action. Certainly, they were awfully clingy, but if they were left alone, Chara was sure that they could accomplish so much. It surprised Chara to see, in a very good way. It was rather charming, and for the first time in a while, they felt that perhaps they could even depend on the child instead.

So did they regret their decision?

Well, the answer was not a 'no' at this point, but then they weren't considering all the shit they'd done to the child either.

All these troubles that Frisk was going through, Chara was the cause. All of it was. And it kind of made them think: 'Would it be better if they didn't exist?' The child wanted them to be together so badly, but the sheer amount of pain and trial that they were going through because of Chara, was it all worth it?

They didn't have an answer.

They weren't even sure if they wanted the answer to be a 'yes' or a 'no'.

And they weren't going to have the answer any time soon.

For now, they had a goal to achieve: They had to find the child and that was all that mattered. All these questions they had, it could come later.

Much, much later.

"I… think we've waited long enough here, no?" They sighed. "Let us move on to the next guard post. Hopefully there will be someone there this time. I don't wish to give those hooligans any more time to do whatever it is they do if we could hel-""Arf!"

They stopped and blinked.

They looked up, first to Papyrus, then to the woods when they realised the skeleton was just as startled by the sound as they.

What on earth? They thought as they surveyed woods with squinted eyes.

At first they only saw a myriad of dead black trees, a sight they were slowly beginning to get accustomed to, as well as be very bored by. But then, they saw it: a ball of pure white that was only slightly lighter than the snow beneath their feet, hopping and bouncing between the trees as it got closer and closer to them in an admittedly alarming rate.

They turned to the skeleton to ask what it was, and found him with a smile as bright as the sun.

"NYAH-HA!" He exclaimed in joy. "AND SO THE ROYAL GUARD PULLS THROUGH, JUST AS I HAVE BELIEVED!" He turned to them, his face about to burst with joy. "THAT, MY DEAR COMPANION, IS LESSIE! I TOLD YOU HE'LL COME RUNNING ACROSS HALF THE FOREST IF YOU CALL HIM. MAKE SURE TO GIVE HIM A PET WHEN HE ARRIVES, OKAY? IT'LL INSTANTLY PUT YOU ON HIS GOOD LIST AND MAKE IT EASIER TO GET HIM TO HELP YOU!"

With barely a nod, Chara looked back at the trees. The ball of white was much closer now, giving away its identity as a little white puppy running on his fours, his mouth open wide in a happy smile with a long red tongue flopping about even in this cold.

In no time the puppy arrived to his destination: Papyrus, and began hopping and jumping on Papyrus in a friendly greeting.

"Arf! Arf!" The little puppy squeaked.

"HELLO THERE, MY GOOD COMRADE! THANK YOU FOR COMING ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE, THOUGH YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU MADE ME LOOK BAD IN FRONT OF A GUEST!"

"Arf arf!" He squeaked again in the same happy manner, completely oblivious to the half scolding he was receiving.

Chara placed a hand over their mouth, unable to contain the gasp that came at the sight.

Oh my lord. They thought with horror. He's so cute.

Despite being a dog, Lessie was wearing a full squire armour more suited for a humanoid, complete with a shield and a sword strapped to his back, both bearing the insignia of the Royal Crest. It was as though someone took the puppy and gave him a guard costume to wear for Halloween. It was the definition of adorable, and Chara was filled with an immense urge to pet the thing.

Of course there was another part of their mind that was being very skeptical of Lessie. Papyrus had informed them that the Canine Units were part of the Royal Guard, and Lessie was… a puppy. There was something very wrong about those two facts playing with each other. It was either Papyrus was lying to them about the Canine Units being a Royal Guard, or the standard for what constituted as a Royal Guard was abysmally simple where a puppy can join it if he wanted to. Both possibilities were farfetched but equally disturbing for their own rights.

"GOOD BOY, LESSIE! GOOD BOY!" Papyrus said as he pet Lessie who yipped happily.

Doing their best to hide their blush at the adorable sight, Chara cleared their throat to gain the skeleton's attention.

He turned to them. "OH! SORRY! I FORGET HOW ENERGETIC LESSIE CAN BE WHEN HE'S EXCITED ABOUT THINGS."

Chara smiled. "It is no problem, but if you could introduce us?"

"OF COURSE! UMM, DOWN BOY! DOWN!"

Lessie stopped his jumping and sat down in the snow.

"RIGHT. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY COWORKER LESSER DOG! LESSIE FOR SHORT! LESSIE," The puppy barked in response. "THIS IS CHARA! A CITIZEN WHO IS IN NEED OF OUR HELP! I CALLED YOU HERE BECAUSE I THINK YOUR DOGGY SENSES WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THEM GREATLY! GO SAY HELLO!"

The puppy turned to Chara, as if noticing them for the first time.

With a happy yip, he stood up on his fours and began bounding towards them with the same overflowing energy as they did with Papyrus. Chara put on a friendly smile for him and braced themselves for an impact with the dog that was actually about as large as they were upon closer look.

Then, the moment their eyes met, the puppy came to an immediate halt.

His wagging tail dropped, his happy tongue snaking back into his mouth with his jaw snapping shut after it. He was suddenly so still, it was as though someone put a freezing spell on him, leaving him permanently staring at Chara with his beady black eyes. There was a brief flash of confusion passing through, followed by a several moments where those eyes studying Chara as though they were a statue on display, then, there was a moment of realisation, and it was this that triggered Chara's realisation on what the dog had been doing.

Their smile vanished, their soft eyes turning needle sharp as they glowered at the dog.

Without warning, the air became tight, constricting like a snake around their throat.

This continued for the next few seconds, making Papyrus rightfully confused.

"UHH, GUYS? WHAT'S GOING ON?" He asked, but neither Chara or Lessie had a moment to spare to provide him with the answers.

Chara held their arms firmly by their side, their hands open, ready for anything. And Lessie, he took a slow step back, lining all of his four paws in a straight line, hiding what direction he would spring to next from their opponent. From Chara.

A frozen second went by.

Then, everything erupted.

Lessie leapt forward, twisted his forelegs around and unsheathed his weapons in a battle. In the same moment, Chara's one hand bursted into a blue magic blade while the other pulled out a shining metal knife from their back.

The two of them clashed in the middle, Chara raising both of their blades in defense while Lessie slammed into them in a shielded charge.

As the surprisingly heavy weight of the impact flung Chara back, the one thought that came to their mind was: Bloody hell.

A/N: And that was it. Did that last part seem rushed to you? I feel that it was, but the grass is green, sky is blue and I always think everything I write is rushed. So please leave a review!

As I've said in the opening log, I've got the entire ACT 2 planned out now, with each future chapters outlined from start to finish. It should help me write out the story a lot faster, knowing what I'm going to write in the future. It's something I should have done from the beginning but I never committed to it.

I know I said before that I wasn't going to give you guys a date for the next chapter as I didn't know how it will turn out, but without that deadline, I feel that I'm hurting myself by being too lenient. So I'm going to say this right now:

The next chapter will be up in two weeks.

That's a scary thing to say for someone like me, but I believe that that fear will help me push this thing out along. I'll never be a proper writer without learning to meet deadlines, so that's what I'm doing.

I hope you enjoyed, and... I guess you'll see me in two weeks! ... Hopefully.

Ideas abandoned for this chapter: Chara singing Mr Sandman, Papyrus singing Mr Sandman(and failing), Papyrus throwing Chara in the air like a cannon ball. Megalovania.

Up next: Chara gets into trouble. A few of them.