It's been two weeks since the fire.

I can't go back to the place; not right now. I don't know if I ever will be able to. Maybe some day. Maybe not.

I can't stop thinking about the burning bodies; the way their melted and charred flesh hung from their poor, small corpses. The way my mother's fur smelled like burnt ash as I laid there next to her. It makes me so sick. Undyne tries to see how I'm doing, but I can barely think up anything to say. My shock is over; now I'm stuck in something I can't describe. Like I'm in a sea that keeps pulling me deeper and deeper to the bottom, my own abyss.

Undyne kept reassuring me how we would find the people who caused the fire, but at this point I can't find the motivation to care. I can't find the strength to want to find them. What they did is done; forever sealed in bittersweet fate. Those kids are dead. Toriel is dead. Finding them is of no purpose; and her and I both know they're going to get away with it. At the very best they will be caught and they will get a lighter sentence, mainly because it was a hate crime. Monsters here still aren't fully protected by the police or the government; they have to look out for themselves. Like their own little mafia.

"You can get up from the table now."

I get up from the small table in the hospital room. Alphys had scheduled another appointment to test and see what was going on with my SOUL. I refused to go at first, but Undyne convinced me to.

"Okay, so from what I have noticed, there isn't anything particularly wrong with your SOUL. At least internally."

I look up at Alphys with a confused look. There wasn't anything wrong with my soul?

I stammer for a moment, trying to find words I could not think of. "But, what about-"

Alphys lets out a heavy sigh, cocking her hip to the side. "Look, Frisk. There's nothing wrong, okay? And there's nothing that leads to these 'episodes' that you say that you're having."

Alphys walks closer to me, looking down on me.

"You know, Frisk, I'm just going to be real honest."

"I know something's wrong with you. I know that there isn't anything wrong with your SOUL, either. Besides all the cracks and chips. What I do know is that there is something wrong with you."

Tears well in my eyes, and I force myself to look up at her. All I can feel is pure rage running through me; rage like a ticking time bomb.

"What I think you have, that I know you don't think you have, is something called schizophrenia. Do you know what that is, Frisk?"

I grit my teeth and turn my head from her. "Yes Alphys, I know what it is."

Alphys gives me a quizzical look and starts yelling. "Jesus, Frisk, I don't know why the hell you are so persistent on this whole other idea you've made! It's. Not. Real."

Jolting from where I was sitting on the table, I get in her face and begin yelling. "How the hell would you know, Alphys! How would you know anything about me!"

"Oh, I don't know Frisk, it's not like I helped you get through the Underground or anything! It's not like we didn't know each other until this very minute!"

"Well apparently you don't, Alphys! Apparently you can't even trust me!"

"Frisk you are sick. There is something else to this! You are acting crazy!"

"Maybe I'm not, Alphys!" I screech.

Alphys stops in her tracks, looking at me with bewilderment. I can't help but start screaming more at her.

"Maybe I'm not crazy, Alphys! Maybe what I'm seeing is real! You have just all of a sudden decided to turn around and leave my side for once, and then you think it's best to persuade Sans too! One minute he completely understands me and now it's like it's a pain for him to look me in the face! What is wrong with you, Alphys!? What got into you!-"

Alphys smacks me across the face and barks at me, "That is enough! I am sick of this! You are such a liar… what is this all for, Frisk? Doing this to us? Even after Toriel died, you're still keeping this up!"

"Don't you DARE bring up my mother-"

"Frisk, get over yourself!"

Alphys grabs her bags in a hurry, a look of pure resent on her face.

"Get in the car. We're leaving right now."

I never knew I could ever relate to the term "deafening silence" as well as I did in that car ride. It seemed longer than any other, and I was honestly scared. I couldn't comprehend anything that was happening, and even though I was in a silent yet doleful car ride, I was on the verge of having a panic attack. Everything was moving too quickly, like a car going down the interstate.

We get out of the car, Alphys seemingly in a rush as she slams the door shut, racing to the front door of the house. I follow her quickly, fearful of the events to come next. She flings the door open, slamming her purse on the couch as we make our way to the living room. Undyne sits idly on one of the chairs in the living room, sipping coffee and reading something on her phone. She lifts an eyebrow in question due to the random, immediate aggression.

"Frisk is packing her things up and leaving. Today."

Undyne slams her cup down, getting up from her seat. "What the fuck, Alphys?"

"What do you mean!?"

I'm frozen in place for a moment before running straight up to my room. I can still hear the shouts bombarding the living room downstairs, and as I start frantically packing my things I begin to cry.

I'm worthless. I'm not worth anyone's time. There's something wrong with me.

There is something wrong with you, sweetie.

The things I try and pack end up falling out of my hands, despite my efforts. I wrap my arms around my legs, bringing them up to my chest.

"Undyne, she's crazy! She's practically become a pathological liar!" I heard each of them screaming from downstairs.

"How can you say that, Alphys!? You do remember how we even got here, right!"

"Well I guess people can change, can't they?"

"I couldn't even find any data on her, Undyne. Her SOUL's cracked, that's it. And it's not like we're going to be able to fix it any time soon!"

I've ruined all their lives so far. Sans will never speak to me. Alphys practically wishes I was dead. I'm the reason Alphys and Undyne are fighting as of recent. Toriel- mom… is dead.

I can't even end things right. I couldn't even die from jumping off Mount Ebott.

And see, Frisk, look where that got you… How about you try it again?

Get out of my head…

I begin packing once more, trying to hold in my tears along the way. I can still hear the shouts downstairs, and I can hear clamouring all around. I finish packing up my suitcase and I walk down the stairs, waiting for confrontation.

Alphys sees me standing next to the stairs, bag in hand. She rushes over to me, a crazed look on her face.

"Do you see what you're doing! It's all your fault this is happening! You're either a l-liar or you're just sick!" Alphys cries, tears running down her face bit by bit.

My face scrunches and I tilt my head downwards as I begin to cry, "W-when will you realise Alphys… that I'm not lying!"

My throat hurt from screaming at the end, and Alphys fell silent with a look of disbelief on her face.

"I really hope you're happy, Frisk. Or just delusional."

Undyne comes from behind Alphys and grabs my hand guiding me to the door. She opens the door and begins walking out with me before turning around to look at Alphys.

"I really hope you're happy, Alphys."

Undyne slams the front door, still keeping a hold on my hand. We walk over to the car, and after placing my bag in the back I get in the passenger seat. I look over to see what looks like Undyne laughing, but they quickly turn into small sobs.

"Undyne, I'm so sorry." my tears swelling.

"No, Frisk, do not say you're sorry for something that Alphys is doing. I can't believe her…"

There was a long silence in the car. It hurt to much to look at Undyne and her tear-stricken face, so I looked down at the floor of the car. We sat there for a few minutes, until it finally came to me the realisation of the moment.

"Undyne… W-where am I going?" I croaked.

Undyne looked at me with solem. She knew why I was asking her the question. Toriel can't take me back; she's dead.

I cup my face, crying.

I never got to have closure with my mother. She died with us having a terrible fight, at our lowest point as a family. I never got to tell her that I love her, I never got there to save her in time. I never even knew; all because I was just gone. And now when I need her the most, all it is is a testament to how I never got to fix things.

"I think I know exactly where we'll go." I looked over to see Undyne wiping her tears, a small smile painting her face.

The car ride seemed sort of long; like I was in a quasi-limbo. I trusted Undyne and where she'd take me, though.

I didn't really know what to say to Undyne, so it was completely silent in the car. How could I say anything to Undyne after the fiasco that took place before we left? I know Undyne told me not to be sorry, but I can't help it.

"...I don't think you should stick up for me anymore, Undyne." I turn my face away from her, a doleful sigh leaving my body.

"Frisk, what are you talking about?" Undyne grimaced.

"I'm tired of ruining things for everyone!" I cried, looking at her. Undyne's eyes had widened, but did not retort.

"I'm tired of ruining things for everyone. Yeah, I was able to get Monsters out of the Underground, but I couldn't get everyone. It's not like Asriel's here."

Silence.

"It's not like Toriel is here, either. If I had taken better care of watching after the school and her, she wouldn't be dead. And neither would be any of those children. Think about how heartbroken their families were."

Silence.

"And now that Monsters are out, there's complete total racism, and hatred and pain. The nation's officials have even made the excuse that I wasn't apparently old enough to be the representative. I'm powerless. I can't help you guys at all, while Humans are getting away with whatever they want."

Silence.

"And now, I'm practically ruining your and Alphys' marriage, by the looks of it."

Tears were streaming down my face, and I was so caught up in wallowing that I hadn't realized the car had stopped.

"Kid, look at me."

I lifted my head a little, though I didn't get a clear picture of Undyne because of my tears.

"None of those things were your fault. None of them. Especially with me and Alphys. Frisk, you are such a great person and friend and if she's not going to believe you then so be it. You're not the fault we keep fighting. We keep fighting because of the way that she is treating you."

"And Frisk, Toriel's dead… but it's not your fault. It never has been, it never will be. And that's the same for Asriel. Everybody dies in the end, Frisk… Even… if we don't want them to, you know?" Undyne was tearing up now, her voice cracking.

"But even so, none of that was your fault. Asriel died to let us start a new life. We should live it for him. Toriel died because of sick bastards, but that doesn't mean we stop fighting. That doesn't mean we just 'call it a day and go home'. We have to keep fighting for them. Otherwise they would have just died in vain."

I sobbed harder, reaching over the center console to hug her.

"I just… I just never got… the chance to say goodbye to her… and tell her I love her!" I cried into her shoulder, bawling my lungs out.

"I know Frisk, I know." She whispered, hugging me. I thought I felt something wet hit my shirt.

We let go of the hug, and Undyne gestured to the house it front of us. I didn't even realize it was there all this time we had stopped, and so I turned to look at her in question.

"Welcome home."

Realization hit me. I had been here before!

"So I'm going to be staying at Asgore's?"

"Yep; well I mean, if you want to that is. I can always drop you off over at Mettaton's place. Wherever you'd like."

I smiled at her, wiping my tears. "No, this is fine."

We slowly get out of the car, "getting ourselves together", so to speak. I grab my bag out of the car, and we make our way up to Asgore's front door.

It's a beautiful and cozy house. It's a small, brick house. Vines crept the windows to form a natural aesthetic, with gardens of flowers brimming the yard. A small pebble walkway is our guide to the front door; a standard door, however what made it pop was its tinted, bumblebee yellow color.

Undyne knocks on the door, and I clutch the bag tightly. I'm scared; I don't know why. This creeping feeling lurks in my heart and in my stomach, but it's almost as if I know it's not from this. It's from something else.

Asgore opens the door, and a smile gleams when he recognizes who it is knocking.

"Hello, hello! Please come in!"

Undyne and I walk into his welcoming house, a warm embrace from the atmosphere washing over me. I walk into the living room of the house and place my bag next to one of the couches. The living room was a small, cozy space; the walls were dressed in a rustic orange, while the floors were made of mahogany. A couch, a loveseat, and a small chair encircled the focal point of the room where a television sat on a stand. There was a specially made rug that lay in the middle; the rug was crafted by Toriel when they had first moved out of the Underground. It was made for Asgore's 50th birthday; and he cherished it ever since. It was a large rug with a golden border, and flowers that filled the middle.

"So, what brings you two here? Should I make some tea?" Asgore smiles.

"Sure, Asgore. Do you mind if I get mine in a thermos, though? I'll give it back next time I see you, it's just that I should be going soon… There was something that we needed to ask you, actually." Undyne sulked. I walked over to Undyne, and she draped her arm over my shoulder.

Worry painted over Asgore's face as he went into the kitchen, grabbing his teapot. "What's wrong, Undyne?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could take Frisk in for a while. Alphys wants me to get her out of the house for no damn reason. I can't take Frisk to Sans', and well… you know. Obviously the only other people I'd take her to first would be either you or Papyrus and Mettaton."

"That's completely fine! There's a reason why I have a guest room," Asgore giggled. "I love it when Frisk stays over. How about it, Frisk? Just like old times! Sitting on the couch, drinking tea and binging on snacks, watching our favourite movies!"

I smiled, "That sounds great."

Asgore was now in the middle of brewing the tea, grabbing the thermos Undyne had asked for. While they began to talk more, I went back into the living room to grab my bag and head into the guest room. The room was simple, and branched off right from the living room. A full sized wooden bed with a floral comforter was accompanied by a similar looking nightstand and dresser. There was a closet across the room, from the bed. A lamp stood on the nightstand, it's lampshade was woven with prints of flowers, cute suns, and the like. I took my bag and I started placing what little things I had in the dresser and closet. The frown that grew on my face was immense, and hauntingly unexplainable. It seemed as if nothing, and yet everything, made me want to frown.

After organizing everything and placing my now empty bag in the closet, I went back into the kitchen where Asgore was just finishing brewing his tea. He got out a tray, and put some teacups on it accompanied by a small pot of sugar cubes.

"Undyne, you should stay the night!" insisted Asgore.

"I don't know," Undyne contemplated.

"Maybe you should, Undyne," I said. Asgore took the tray and went into the living room adjacent from us, and I gave her a frown.

"It's not like what you'll be going back to at the moment will be all that great."

Undyne sighed. "I guess; but punk, I gotta go back at some point. And it's not like it will be amazing when I get back, even if I stayed here for a night."

It was silent for a moment; Undyne stared at the ground in a contemplated state as I watched her.

"I guess I could spend the night. It probably is for the best."

Undyne grabbed the thermos Asgore had previously pulled from the cabinet and put it back in its original place.

"Hey, Asgore!" Undyne yelled from the kitchen, "I've decided to spend the night. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course it is!" replied Asgore,"I have plenty of blankets and pillows to spare."

Undyne and I left the kitchen to head into the living room, where Asgore was popping a movie into his DVD player. He sat in his chair, reaching for his tea tray that set on the coffee table. Undyne and I both sat on the couch, directly across from the television.

"So what movie are we watching?" Undyne asked.

"It's a comedy," Asgore paused. "I thought that we all might need a few laughs."

The comment made my heart sink just a little bit. His accurate, but piercing comment struck something in me. He knew what we were all going through, and deep down he was going through the same thing. No matter how much tea he made for us, no matter many smiles he put up when he asked us if we wanted some. He knew how we were feeling- because he was feeling the same thing. He just maybe didn't want us to know.

The movie was very funny, in the end. It certainly got us to laugh. Somehow, we were all able to take our minds off the sudden havoc that wrecked our lives. When the movie ended, though, the feeling settled back in. Like a lingering that never really stops.

"Well, I should go get those pillows and blankets for you, Undyne! It is going on 10:30, after all," Asgore chirped. Asgore left the room to go grab Undyne what she needed, and the room fell silent.

"I miss my mom, Undyne."

"I miss her too, punk."

I found myself staring at the floor, in somewhat of a daze. It was dark in the living room, so I couldn't tell when Asgore had walked back into the room. His voice startled me amongst the silence.

"Are you two alright? You look as if you've had the worst day ever!" Asgore worried.

My eyes did not move from the floor as I replied, "When's the funeral going to be, Asgore?"

Silence filled the room, and I heard Asgore let out a small sigh before sitting back down in his chair.

"It's going to be Friday. So, two days from now. We couldn't find anyone to host the funeral, so we're having our own."

"How come you couldn't find anyone?" questioned Undyne.

"Oh, you know how it is, Undyne," Asgore sighed. "No one will help us. These Humans, they don't care."

Undyne nodded. "I'm sorry."

Asgore's eyes grew sadder. "Don't you say sorry now. It's not your fault at all."

"Where are you going to bury her, then?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Well," Asgore paused, "we were going to bury her in her garden. I was going to bury her next to Asriel."

I nodded. Humans couldn't even bury my own mother. I was seething, but there was no energy in me to express it.

It makes you miserable, doesn't it?

I know it does. Just admit it to yourself.

I try to ignore the voice in my head; the voice from that being. The rage that burns within almost gravitates to it- or rather, the other way around.

"Frisk, are you okay?"

Looking up from the floor finally, I see Asgore's sad eyes peering over at me. I let out a small sigh, but I muster a smile. "I'm okay."

"Alright dear. Well, I will see you guys in the morning. I bet it's been a long day for you two, hasn't it?"

Undyne and I looked over at each other for a moment before looking back at Asgore and giving a light nod.

"I figured. How about some pancakes in the morning?"

"Sure, that sounds great," I smiled.

Asgore nodded and took the tea tray back into the kitchen. I saw Undyne dressing the couch for bed, and I saw this as my opportunity to ask Asgore a question I've had on my mind for weeks. Stepping into the kitchen quickly, I see Asgore washing the dishes.

"Hey, Asgore?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Who else was a part of your family?"

There was a slight pause from Asgore. "What do you mean?"

"I mean besides Asriel, who else was there?"

Silence loomed over the kitchen as he finished washing the cups and teapot.

"There was a boy. His name was Chara."

Asgore set down the cups and rested his hands on the counter. His eyes didn't leave the floor.

"He had died… a very long time ago. He was like a son to Toriel and I. He was a human that had fallen into the Underground, much like you."

"What happened to him?" I fretted.

"He died of an illness. We couldn't do anything for him; Asriel was there for him till the end, but…"

Silence hung in the air for a moment. I was utterly speechless. I said the only thing that one could say when hearing something like that.

"I'm really sorry, Asgore."

"It's alright, dear. You head to bed now, okay? If you have any more questions, we'll go over them some other time."

"Okay. Goodnight; love you."

"Love you too. Goodnight!"

I left the kitchen, and before walking into my room I noticed that Undyne had already passed out on the couch. She must have been exhausted after today. I decided to leave her be and just talk to her in the morning.

A weight settled on me as I was finally alone and in my room. I couldn't seem to shake it off. I also had so many more questions for Asgore that I couldn't even ask him. If Chara was such a nice person, why is it that he is showing up in my dreams? Why is he tormenting me? Where does he even come from? Why is he doing all these things? So many questions swarmed my head, like dark clouds in a thunderstorm. Do the others know about Chara? Or is it just the Dreemurr's? If he had died that long ago, the others might not know of him. The only person who knows of him now is Asgore, since Toriel and Asriel are dead now.

The questions alone gave me a headache. The confusion made me sick.

I just want to know why.

You'll know soon enough, sweetie.

I open my eyes and immediately jerk upwards from where I was apparently lying. I wasn't in Asgore's house anymore, but in Toriel's garden again. My heart started to thump harder as I remembered what happened last time I had a dream of this place. I was near the end of the garden, at one of the curvatures. It looks different, however… there was an obvious change.

Instead of one simple monument, there were four at each "end" of the circle. Four monuments stood tall in the garden, and as I looked towards the middle of the garden, I saw a small hole dug there. I was cautious not to go there first; as if something in my body told me not to. I went to the closest monument, the one only a few steps away from me. The monuments looked like stone flowers, like buttercups. As I looked downwards, however, my breath left my body as I read the name "Toriel Dreemurr" on a copper plaque.

"What do you think? Don't they look nice?"

I reluctantly turned around to see that being, Chara, right before me.

"What do you want from me," I snarled, rage boiling inside me.

"I told you, you'll know soon enough," Chara replied. I felt his hand immediately grab my shoulder, yanking me towards him. His eyes, black as an abyss, stared into me with such animosity that it terrified me.

"I just have to break you first!" Chara chirped, giving an unhinging smile. "But first, I have something to show you."

Chara yanked on my shoulder, dragging me to the next plaque. My eyes teared up when I read "Asgore Dreemurr" on the copper plate.

"Ooh! And this one!"

"Chara Dreemurr" imprinted the next plaque, and I looked at him with utter confusion.

"Huh, so that's what happened to me in this run."

This… run?

"No matter! Come check out the next one!"

Yanking me to the last one, Chara watched me read "Asriel Dreemurr" impressed on the plaque.

I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I'm sounded by my entire family, dead.

I tried leaving his grasp, but he wouldn't budge. Tears streamed my face as I began to shriek and grab his arm, attempting to wrench his hand from me. He only grinned, and dug his nails into me as he pulled me closer to him.

"But, don't you want to see the last spot? I think it'll have a… certain significance to you," Chara hissed.

Chara began dragging me towards the center; towards the hole in the ground.

"I made this specially for you, Frisk! What'dya say?" Chara cackled.

The breath had been knocked out of me by that remark. I began to panic, and dove to the ground, digging my fingers into the earth of the garden.

"No! Let me go!" I shrieked, bawling.

"Aww, but Frisk! I even have a nice headstone for your place, too! We can be a family…"

Chara grabbed my wrist that sunk into the ground, as well as my other one. I was turned onto my back as he dragged me closer to the hole. My heart exploded in a tsunami of fear, while tears stained my face and my legs refused to stop kicking. I felt my lungs give out when it seemed as if I was in mid-air, and then suddenly hitting the ground. Looking up at Chara from the hole he had dropped me in, he was bleeding from hollowed eyes as he gave me a stomach-churning grin and said,

"Now we all get to be together. Forever."