Once Upon A Handplate (Handplates AU)

by J-Farraday

My own AU of Handplates, based on the tv series Once Upon A Time. Dr Gaster, feeling the weight of his sins, decides to make everyone forget about it by de-coding the world into ours. Twenty-two years later, fate brings Noelle Doe in the mysterious town. Can she restore the previous life of the UT characters? A story about family, love, hope and redemption. (Better summary inside.)

39. Chapter 39

Here we go. The chapter when things take a really dark turn. Enjoy!

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"Chara visited you last night?" - Asriel exclaimed.
"Yes. I was practicing my magic in the garden when she emerged from the bushes." - Noelle confirmed.
After Chara's visit, Noelle didn't waste time to inform her parents and Sans about it. So the next morning, Noelle and Frisk went to New Home to report the Dreemurrs about it. They took the twins along for a better safety. After Noelle told about the event and the exchange she's had with Chara, Asgore got a thoughtful expression.
"Is that really what she said? That soon, you'll 'want to kill her'?" - the king asked.
"Yes, those are her exact words." - Noelle said with a nod - "I understand it as a foreshadowing of her future deeds. Chara's surely up to something very wicked if she claims that I'll get angry enough to wish her death."
"If only we knew what she's planning…" - Toriel mused, then after a quick glance in the direction of the kitchen, she quickly stood up and exclaimed - "Wait! No, no, you're not doing it right, my children..! I... I'll show you now..!"
Toriel then went in the kitchen, where Sam and Piper were busy baking something. The adults didn't want them to assist to the conversation, since the situation was too serious. Freaking the kids out was the last thing they wanted. To keep them busy and distracted, Toriel decided to show them a pastry recipe book, so the twins could bake something for their father. As Toriel disappeared in the kitchen and started to explain Something to Sam and Piper, Frisk said:
"Well, Chara's certainly planning to hurt us. She wants to hurt me the most, because of what I did in that other timeline."
"Mom…" - Noelle started.
"I'm alright, don't worry." - Frisk reassured her - "I just meant that I understand why she's mad at me. I'm the one who showed her the wrong path, leading her to lose everything."
"A different version of you, more exactly. But yeah, it doesn't make a difference to Chara." - Asriel said with a sigh - "I still don't understand one thing though - why does she claim that our parents betrayed her?"
"Tori and I were always doing our best to be her parents." - Asgore said on his turn - "We welcomed her as our own child… I really can't understand her anger… What did we do wrong?"
"Chara's sadly the only one who can tell us..." - Asriel said, lowering his gaze.
"Well, I guess the solution's simple then. I'm going to find her and ask her myself." - Asgore declared.
"What? Dad, are you serious?" - Asriel asked.
"It can be dangerous…"- Frisk added.
"I understand your concern. And I'm must admit I'm a bit scared too." - Asgore said honestly to his children - "But I am her father. My daughter claims I haven't been a good one to her and craves for revenge! I have the right to understand, to know where I wronged her! So, I estimate that a talk is in order. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to reason her."
"But Asgore, you don't even know where she is!" - Toriel pointed out, as she returned from the kitchen and heard Asgore's last part - "I mean, I'm curious about Chara's anger too, but where do we even start looking?"
"Well, she has to stay the nights somewhere, right? I suppose the best places to look for Chara is at the hotels in the city."
"That's a good guess, indeed…" - Toriel remarked.
"Maybe I should come with you?" - Noelle offered.
"I think it's not a bad idea." - Asgore replied with a thoughtful nod - "If things take a bad turn, I trust you to intervene. As long as nobody's hurt, of course…"
"I understand. If Chara tries to hurt you, I'll stop her but I won't kill her." - Noelle promised.
"Good. I'm going to the city to investigate." - Asgore said as he stood up from his chair - "Once I locate Chara, I'll give you a call, Noelle."
"I have things to do meantime." - the young woman replied.
"Like what?" - Frisk asked curiously.
"Oh, I just must figure some things about my magic."
"Don't tell me it's about that… Karmic Retribution attack?" - Frisk let out a sigh - "Like your father said, you don't need this to win."
"I get it, but I just want to understand! There are still things I don't know about my magic and about my hybrid nature. I do have the right to investigate my abilities, don't you think?" - Noelle answered with a slightly agitated tone.
"Of course you do, Noelle. I never said the contrary." - Frisk said as she laid her hand on her daughter's shoulder - "Can you just not obsess yourself with one thing? It's not healthy for you. A wider vision is to prefer."
"Frisk is right." - Asriel agreed with his sister - "Before, I thought there were only two outcomes in life, but you've proven more than once that there's a third possibility."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind…" - Noelle sighed - "I'm just trying to understand, that's all. If KR's not an option, I promise I'll move on."
Frisk and Asriel nodded in approval, after what Asgore went out of the house, to go to the city. Toriel got pensive as she gave another look in the kitchen. She turned to Noelle, asking:
"Wait, if you're attending your errands now, who'll take the kids to the hospital?"
It's been a couple of days now that Sam and Piper haven't seen their father. Thus they were planning to go pay Gaster a visit a bit later that afternoon.
"I can take them there myself." - Frisk offered.
"Nice, just be careful on the way there." - Noelle advised - "You're Chara's target number one, remember?"
"I'll be mindful, don't worry."
Noelle nodded and went out of the Dreemurrs' house on her turn. She was soon walking on the main street of the village, with Alphys' house as destination in mind. "Alphys probably knows a bit about Dad and Sans' magic…" - Noelle thought - "Maybe she'll be able to explain how it works and why I can't make the KR attacks?" Despite her promise to not get obsessed, Noelle couldn't help but think about the KR. It fascinated and puzzled her. Why could Sans do it, while Papyrus, who was physically stronger, couldn't? Noelle wanted to figure it out and was determined to explore the KR possibility to its core!
Meantime New Home, Toriel returned to the kitchen and studied the batter Sam and Piper made following the recipe. She smiled and nodded approvingly and then said to the twins:
"It's almost perfect. May I fix it a little? To make sure the result's not messy once in the oven!"
"Sure, go ahead. You know best in that area, anyway." - Sam replied with an easy grin.
Toriel grinned. Sam's mannerisms often reminded her of Sans' ones. The boy resembled her friend in many aspects, but Sam was more active than Sans, and he expressed his negative emotions more freely. Now though, both he and his sister seemed to not think about their problem too much. Baking seemed to be a good distraction.
"Alright, so all we have to add yet are bits of chocolate." - Toriel then said.
"Oh wait, I was thinking..!" - Piper said, then showed colorful chocolate candy she found - "Can we use those instead? Please!"
"I suppose why not?" - Toriel smiled - "It's still chocolate after all... Yes, this candy will give a more joyful aspect."
"Why can't we just make it classic?" - Sam asked his sister.
"Because classic is bo-ring!" - Piper answered with an unfased expression - "I say yes to creativity! Especially when there are more colors!"
"You really must add colors everywhere, dontcha?" - Sam commented with a teasing tone.
"Why, of course! I'm a very colorful persona!" - Piper declared proudly.
Toriel couldn't help but smile at their exchange. "I almost forgot what it's like to have children in the house…" - she mused. It was with nostalgia that Toriel recalled the days when Asriel and Chara were having fun around. And then, came the days when it was Frisk. But years flew by quickly and before Toriel knew it, Frisk grew up and got married. More recently, Asriel returned and of course things weren't exactly the same, considering he was a grown-up young man. But it was nice to have someone who Toriel could take care of. (Even though she was paradoxally preparing Asriel for independance.) While Toriel and the twins were cooking, Frisk and Asriel were watching them at the doorframe. After a moment, Asriel said:
"I don't know why, but I have a feeling she's thinking about us now."
"Yeah, I have that feeling too." - Frisk replied.
"Frisk... I just wanted to say… I'm not blaming you for Chara's return. Mom and Dad aren't either." - Asriel said, concerned for his sister - "It wasn't the you we know."
"Don't worry about me, Asriel." - Frisk gave him a soft smile - "Papyrus already talked about the matter with me. I surely was shocked after Chara's revelation, but Papyrus made me feel much better. He said what truly matters is what we are here and now."
"He's the most right." - Asriel said with a light nod - "But really… considering what the Underground made you go through… I can see why you would've cracked. I mean, the monsters were attacking you, trying to steal your SOUL, just because you were a human and ended up there out of bad luck. Not to mention my 'welcome'. It can drive one insane…"
Frisk frowned thoughtfully. It was true that, despite her journey through the Underground being her most important and memorable experience, everything wasn't all white. There were some darker moments, like when she's been chased by Undyne through Watefall, or when she was forcefully put into Metttaton's crazy and stressing shows with a fight on live-tv, or when she had to face Asgore. Frisk shivered at the memory. Her battles against Omega Flowey or Asriel Dreemurr were the most psychodelic sequences, yet the moment she faced Asgore left a particular imprint. Frisk could still remember how uneven her breathing was when she was standing face to face with Asgore at the Barrier, how madly her heart was pounding in her chest. It was a moment when she thought that it was probably all over for her. If one had to live, the other had to die. And then, the battle itself… Asgore was a very strong fighter, with fire coming from everywhere and his giant trident! Frisk almost thought she'd never make it. And then… Frisk was equally marked by Asgore's speech right after the battle. Despite what Asgore made her go through and the fact he tried to take her SOUL, the king's words hit Frisk's heart. She could only empathize, and realized how heavy the crown must've been for Asgore. Frisk could still see the look on his face after his defeat. He was not only a king with a huge responsability, but he was also just a man who missed his lost family. As this memory replayed in her mind, Frisk suddenly paled.
"I just want to see my wife. I just want to see my child."
Did Frisk remember correctly? No, she must've misheard… or maybe her memory was playing her a trick. "Did he really say… 'my child'? Instead of 'my children'?" - Frisk wondered - "Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue… But could it be that Chara somehow knows about it?" The memory of Asgore's words now really made Frisk wonder. Maybe that was what Chara was referring to when she claimed that Asgore and Toriel didn't really care for her?
"Frisk, are you okay?" - Asriel asked in concern.
"Y-yes, just some memories resurfacing..." - Frisk answered distantly.
The young woman really hoped it was just a big misunderstanding. It would be really tragic if they all died because of a poor choice of words.

Meantime, Noelle made it to the house where Undyne and Alphys lived. Without waiting any longer, she rang the doorbell and kept the button pressed, being impatient. Soon, she could hear from the other side of the door:
"I'm coming... Coming, damn it! Stop ringing that freaking bell, already!"
Noelle quickly retrieved her finger from the button and the second after, the door flew open, revealing a quite irritated Undyne.
"Don't you have any patie-... Noelle!" - Undyne's face quickly turned from grumpy to joyful - "It's so cool to see you! Come in, come in! Don't be shy!"
Undyne stepped aside so Noelle could enter the house, which she did immediately. As Undyne closed the door, she kept talking:
"Oh, and forgive my bad temper! Alphys and I are so busy with the relocation that I barely get any sleep, haha!"
"You're moving to the city soon then." - Noelle said.
In fact, Undyne was offered a job at the police station in the city, which she accepted. Undyne would be the first monster policeman of the city, which was another reinforcement of the cohabitation of humans and monsters. And so, she and her spouse would go live in the city in a couple of days, most of the packing being done. Noelle then asked how Undyne felt about the change, who admitted that she'd miss living around her closest friends, but she was also thrilled by the upcoming life, taking the best of the changes being essential. Noelle could only agree, then told her the reason of her visit.
"Anyway, I came to see Alphys. There's an important matter I must talk with her about. Is she at home?"
"Yeah, she's upstairs, carefully packing her favourite anime items!"
The two women went upstairs, where they saw Alphys wrap the fragile items and put those in a specific order in the box, to make sure it wouldn't break during the transportation. Even after all those years, Alphys really cared for the anime goods. The yellow lizard was about to wrap another item, but she noticed Undyne and Noelle stand at the door frame.
"O-oh! H-hi, N-Noelle! It's been s-some time now, huh..? How are you doing? W-what brings you here?"
"Hello, Alphys. I came because there's something we need to talk about. Something you maybe can help me with."
"...Sure, I'm glad to h-help if I can..! What is it, Noelle?" - Alphys asked.
"It's regarding the specifics of my magic." - Noelle replied - "Something puzzles me about one specific attack that I'm trying to master."
"Um... a-alright, I know a thing or two about skeleton magic… I'll explain anything you need to know, but… uh, is it okay that I finish this box first?" - Alphys said nervously.
"Can't this wait?" - Noelle asked - "Your stuff won't flee anywhere."
"I, uh... just don't want to leave it hanging before taking a break... Packing our things is all that we've been doing all the last week…"
"Yeah, we need a feeling of progression before our breaks." - Undyne added - "What's the matter, Noelle? You're in a hurry, perhaps?"
"No, no, not at all!" - Noelle replied with a hint of nervousness.
She really didn't want to explain the reasons behind her need to know about the Karmic Retribution, to not freak them out. Undyne would've wanted to take the matter in her hands, which would postpone her and Alphys' moving to the city. Noelle didn't want to bother them with problems that concerned her family only. An idea then crossed her mind. She offered the two ladies to help them, so they'd be done faster for the day, after what Alphys could explain her the magic properties.
"If... if it's okay for you, so the d-deal works for me." - Alphys said.
"A pair of extra hands are pretty much welcome now!" - Undyne exclaimed with a beaming expression - "There are so many things that still must be done today!"
Noelle almost regretted her offer. Undyne was really eager to profit of her help, and so Noelle hoped it wouldn't be something too tiring.

Later that afternoon, at the monster hospital, Gaster walked out from his room to go in the common hall. There weren't many people around, considering that the cases of monsters with a mental illness were pretty rare (probably due to be lesser in number than humans). It didn't take long for Gaster to notice someone he met the previous day - Patty. The cat monster was sitting at a small table and playing checkers… against herself. Gaster froze in place, not sure of what he should do. He hesitated to move, afraid that Patty would notice him and engage a pointless conversation again. And Gaster didn't want to take the risk talking with a potentially dangerous person. Gaster didn't know her, nor what kind of illness she had. He couldn't predict what was going on in her head, so the best option was to avoid her. A nurse noticed that Gaster didn't seem at ease, standing in the middle of the room.
"Is there a problem?" - the nurse asked.
"No, I was just thinking..." - Gaster replied distantly - "Can you tell me about... this girl?"
Gaster discreetely pointed at the lone Patty who, absorbed by the checkers game, didn't notice him. The nurse looked at her, then looked back at Gaster and said:
"She's your neighbour and I assume you've already met?"
"Yes... She seems eager to interact with me, and I want to know if I'm in danger around her." - Gaster expressed his concern.
"In danger? No, Patty's absolutely not dangerous." - the nurse reassured him - "She's a bit crazy, but she's not 'that' kind of crazy. The worst that could happen is awkwardness. But she won't harm you. In fact, she's a sweetheart."
"May I ask what's her, uh… 'problem', exactly? I noticed she likes to challenge the common sense."
"Patty has an… uncommon view on things, yes. But her main issue is that she can't always distinguish fantasy from reality. That's all I'm allowed to tell."
"I see..." - was all that Gaster replied.
As the nurse resumed her business, Gaster stared at Patty for a moment. "I have nothing better to do anyway…" - he thought - "If she gives me another headache, I'll just ask for some painkillers." He made two hesitant steps in Patty's direction, but immediately regretted it as the cat monster noticed him and her face instantly lit up.
"Wing Dings Gaster!" - she exclaimed - "Don't be shy, you can come closer!"
"I have no choice now, I guess..." - Gaster thought.
He walked up closer and sat opposite to Patty. She was smiling friendly to him, and Gaster said after a short moment:
"Hello... um, Patty was it, right?"
"Yes! You got it right!" - Patty confirmed - "How are you doing today?"
"I'm... fine, I guess? My situation didn't change since yesterday, you know." - Gaster replied.
"Mine didn't either, and yet I always find a way to make of my day a good one!" - Patty said, still smiling.
"I wonder how you do that, this place's dull." - Gaster remarked to himself, before asking - "So, you… you were playing checkers alone? It's pointless, when you have no actual adversary."
"Well, I say there's no worse adversary than yourself." - Patty said, then added with a hint of disappointement - "Besides, nobody wants to play with me. They tend to avoid me, and I don't get why."
"Trust me, there's no surprise about it." - Gaster replied a bit coldly, making Patty look down - "Honestly, I was reluctant to approach you."
"And yet... here you are and talking to me." - Patty said with a soft smile.
A silence followed. Gaster then crossed his arms and replied:
"You're not really giving me a choice…"
"So, shall we start a new checkers game?" - Patty asked.
"Yes, let's start it. Winning against someone is what I need now."
"Hey, don't say that! I still have a fifty percent chance to win!"
"Fifty percent? Please, you're playing against a genius." - Gaster shook his head - "Your chances don't exceed five percent."
"Ha-ah! So you're not invincible!" - Patty said with a victorious look.
"I can potentially lose only against another genius like myself." - Gaster replied casually, then said - "You can make the first move."
"A genius... or a madman? Those are pretty much the same thing, remember?" - Patty reminded him the conversation they had the previous day - "Doctors say I'm crazy, so I guess you're against a good rival!"
"Hm? I'm not that convinced." - Gaster replied as he did his move.
"You're stubbornly restricting your vision, Wing Dings Gaster." - Patty said, making her next move - "Why? If you're a genius, you know you must look beyond what sees the eye. Right?"
"I do. That's how I accomplished things nobody else could." - Gaster answered, moving another pawn - "And what about you? What did your wider vision give you?"
"It gives me just everything!" - Patty answered a bit dreamily, then sighed sadly - "But the doctors keep saying my wider vision is bad for my wellbeing, and make me take pills every day. But can I tell you a secret?"
Patty then moved her finger in a motion that says to lean closer. Reluctantly, Gaster leaned his head just a little bit. But it seemed enough for Patty, who leaned closer on her turn and whispered:
"I only pretend to take them."
Gaster raised an eyebrow at this. He wasn't surprised, as it was rather common for psychiatry patients to not take the pills since they didn't believe they needed help. Patty obviously wasn't an exception. She surely believed that her problem wasn't one.
"Let me gess, because the doctors are all wrong?" - Gaster then asked sacrastically.
"Exactly! Finally someone understands." - Patty replied with shining eyes, clearly not catching the sarcasm.
Gaster rolled his eyes at her response. The two kept playing for a short while until Gaster won the game. Patty pouted in disappointement, while Gaster looked proud of himself.
"I told you I'd win." - he said - "You still have to convince me of your point."
"Let's play again! I will win this time and you'll see that I'm right!"
But before they could start another game, the nurse came to inform Gaster that his children came to visit him. Gaster groaned a little, not pleased by this. He wasn't ready to face the two kids now! Patty's eyes however lit up in wonder when she heard that.
"Aww, you have children?" - she asked him - "You're a very lucky man! They're nice to come visit you. And they must be cute too!"
Gaster didn't say anything as he stood up and walked out of the common livin room. Patty grew confused, not understanding Gaster's lack of emotions when hearing about his kids. And she had also noticed the subtle change in his expression. Not that Gaster was very expressive in general, but… Patty could swear that his face hardened a little. This really puzzled the cat monster.
In the corridor, Frisk encouraged the nervous twins. The kids obviously were unsure about this visit, despite really missing their father, because they didn't know what to expect from Gaster in his state. But Frisk gently squeezed their shoulders as they were slightly leaning on her and talked to them with comfort and encouragement.
"I can't possibly know what you're feeling now, I can only guess that it must be very hard for you. But as long as you stay determined, you will reach your father. You truly love him, then fight for him and never give up."
"Like it worked for you, right?" - Piper asked - "Like you could save your friends and family from Asriel?"
"Yes, I suppose the comparison can work." - Frisk smiled a bit.
"But it's easy for you to say..." - Sam looked down - "You're a hero, while we're just... normal kids."
"You're wrong, Sam." - Frisk protested gently as she shook her head - "You shouldn't call me a hero. Because the truth is… I wasn't that different from you two back then."
"What do you mean?" - Sam asked curiously.
"I was... a child. Just a child seeking a home. And I found one. Near the end of my journey, I realized that all those people I bonded with were my home."
"You've gained their love…" - Piper understood - "And then, you used your love to save them. It's beautiful! So you think that with our love, Sam and I can help Dad remember?"
"I'm sure you can." - Frisk said with a nod - "Love is probably the most powerful form of magic."
Frisk and the twins exchainged smiles, the children becoming more hopeful now. Frisk hugged the twins once more time before a doctor came to inform that Gaster was now in his room, and that they could go see him. Frisk then let go of the kids and said:
"I'll be waiting outside, near the front door."
The twins nodded after what they went long a corridor, while Frisk went in the other direction, to the exit. When Sam and Piper arrived at Gaster's room, they found their father sitting at the edge of his bed, facing the window, his back turned to the door (and thus to the kids too). Nervously, the twins made a few steps in his direction. Gaster didn't move, but his tension could still be sensed.
"Um… hello?" - Piper said hesitantly - "It's us, Piper and Sam. You've seen us a few days ago."
"You could perhaps look at us?" - Sam suggested - "It's rude to ignore us when we're talking to you."
"...I'm not ignoring you." - Gaster replied after a moment - "But you must realize how uncomfortable this is."
The twins walked closer to him until they stood right in his sight. Gaster shuddered and backed away by sitting on his bed perperly against his pillow. The twins exchanged a look and guessed that approaching him more wasn't a good idea.
"What are you afraid of?" - Sam asked.
"I'm not afraid. I'm wary of humans, which isn't exactly the same." - Gaster answered.
"Do you..." - Piper paused - "...hate us?"
"It'll depend of your behaviour." - Gaster replied - "Right now, I don't… yet."
"You're too positive you'll hate us... Why?" - Sam asked - "Is that because you don't trust us?"
"I don't trust humans, no."
A moment of silence followed. Then, Piper promised shyly:
"Well, I promise that we won't ever hurt you."
Gaster looked unconvinced by her words, but that was to be expected. Hesitantly, the children decided to move closer and stand from both sides of his bed. As they did, Gaster visibly tensed, but the children didn't move too close to not make him more uncomfortable. He relaxed just a little when he saw that they left him a minimal personal space.
"How's your head? Does it still hurt?" - Piper asked, genuinly concerned.
"It does hurt where my injury was, sometimes." - Gaster answered - "But most of the time, I'm fine."
It was true that Gaster's skull mostly healed. The crack was now a barely visible thin line. If only psychic traumas could heal as easily as physical ones… But the kids still held into their hope. Sam then remembered something and said:
"Oh, Piper and I baked something for you!"
Sam then opened his backpack and pulled out a metallic box, which he opened in turn. Gaster looked at the box, then at the kids, then at the box again with what seemed like an unimpressed look.
"Cookies?" - he then finally asked.
"Yes, we baked it for you this morning!" - Piper confirmed.
"It has... colored candy in it?" - Gaster remarked - "It's an… interesting choice."
"It was Piper's idea." - Sam commented, then asked - "So, you won't taste one?"
Gaster stared at the kids with a wary look, then crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't about to accept any kind of food from them. They were humans, they surely were up to something! But the kids weren't impressed by his unspoken response. And so, Piper took one cookie in her hand and said:
"Well, if you don't want it... I'll eat it myself."
She started to eat the cookie, and her brother soon did the same as he took one on his turn. Gaster looked at them for a moment and then, he hesitantly reached the hand to the cookies. As he finally took one in his hand and made his first bite, the kids got victorious looks on their faces.
"I thought you didn't want it?" - Piper asked with an innocently teasing tone.
"I just guessed that since you're eating it, it can't be poisoned." - Gaster replied, without looking at her.
The kids just exchanged another amused look, knowing that Gaster wasn't completely honest with them.

Meanwhile at the Undyne and Alphys house, Noelle and the two spouses finally took a break. Luckily, the tasks assigned weren't too difficult or as exhausting as Noelle feared. So, she was still pretty much going strong. After drinking a bit of water, she asked Alphys to explain what she came for in the first place, that is how the Karmic Retribution worked. Alphys got a pensive look for a moment, then she answered her question.
"You see, it appears to be inherant to Sans and Papyrus' deepest nature, that is what makes them who they are." - Alphys replied - "You surely noticed that the two don't see things from the same angle?"
"Yes, I did. Sans is one to judge people on their actions, and he believes that if you did something bad, punishement is the answer. Dad's another story; he looks beyond what meets the eye, he seeks what's in the depths of your heart. Thus he thinks forgiveness is the solution, because it gives another chance to your good side." - Noelle described the difference.
"I couldn't explain it better." - Alphys nodded - "This is why Sans has the KR, while Papyrus doesn't. Sans wants people to face their sins and suffer the consequences. The KR makes the enemy go through just that. Papyrus, however… is all about second chances, he doesn't have it in him to punish the guilty. Which is why he doesn't have KR."
"So, are you saying that... if I don't have the desire in me to make the sinner pay, I simply… can't master the KR?"
"Well, uh... I'm afraid that... if you're m-more a lawyer than a prosecutor, then… n-no, you can't."
Noelle felt in a way defeated. So, she just didn't have the thing required to master the KR. It was true that there was a big difference between Justice and Mercy. And Noelle knew she was more the second than the first. Could her reluctance to punish eventually lead to her own end? The ring of her cellphone pulled Noelle out of her thoughts. It was Toriel.
"Noelle, Asgore found Chara's whereabouts." - her goat grandma said on the other side of the line - "You should return to New Home, and then the three of us shall find her."
"Alright, I'll arrive in no time." - Noelle replied, before hanging up.

It wasn't much later that Asgore, Toriel and Noelle arrived at their destination. Chara apparently leased a room in a small hotel in a little and not very crowded street. It was the perfect place to remain unnoticed. After parking the big car, Asgore and Toriel instructed Noelle to stay in - preferably hidden - while they would wait for Chara to show up near the front door of the hotel. Noelle did as instructed, she lowered her head but her eyes focused on the outside view. She had to be ready to act at any moment. The Dreemurrs waited for around five minutes before Chara exited from the hotel. She looked at them with a not very welcoming glance.
"I've seen you through my window. And I know that you came here earlier, 'Dad'." - she said the last word sarcastically - "What do you two want from me? I believe I told Asriel I don't want to see you."
"We know, and that's exactly why we're here." - Asgore said - "Your mother and I are trying to understand why. What did we do to you so you hate us that much?"
"Don't call her 'my mother', don't call yourself my parents, because you're not!" - Chara said angrily - "You two welcomed me in your house, but you never truly cared for me. You just used me."
"Chara, please don't say that..." - Toriel pleaded - "Whatever we did to upset you, we're sorry. Just please help us understand..!"
"What do you mean, when you say that we 'used' you, Chara?" - Asgore asked.
"You really don't know?" - Chara asked then let out an irritated sigh - "You have always talked about me merely as an ally and defender of monsters, your chance of freedom, the hope of peace between our races, or whatever you like but not as your daughter!"
"That's... that's not true Chara, I..." - Asgore started, shocked by what Chara was blaming him for.
"It is true! Even when I was dying, your main concern was about me being 'the future of humans of monsters'!" - Chara yelled at him - "You didn't care that I'd be gone, you just needed me as your peacemaker!"
"No... you're wrong, I didn't... I cared for you as much as for Asriel. I didn't realize I made you feel like you didn't matter on a more personal level. If it's really my fault that you feel that way, then I'm really sorry." - Asgore apologized.
"You don't expect me to forgive you just like that? Especially that your apology's not genuine?" - Chara replied with a dark look - "Had you cared for me, you wouldn't hide my body in some basement! Even after my death, I was nothing but a tool for you!"
Asgore looked down, ashamed of himself. He knew that Chara had a point here. Even though he's been raising her as his daughter, he was ready to use her SOUL to break the Barrier. It was probably worse than taking the SOULs from extraneous children.
"And you..." - Chara then glared at Toriel - "Even though you had the decency to give me a proper burrial, I've been just one child among many others that you could nurse!"
"Chara, please calm down, we can explain ourselves…" - Toriel requested - "Things are much more complicated…"
"Is it?!" - Chara snapped - "I don't want to hear your excuses, I've seen enough by myself!"
Chara then pulled out her knife, making her former parents' eyes wide in horror. Noelle has seen it too from the car and so she tried from there to summon some bones. She concentrated, thought of a simple pattern and then… for some reason, her magic got wonky. Noelle managed to make the bones appear, but stangely she couldn't maintain it properly. It was twinkling, threatening to dissolve in the air before Noelle could do anything. "What's going on…?" - she asked herself - "Why does it do that? Come on..!"
"Chara... You don't have to do this..." - Asgore tried to reason his fallen daughter as he and his wife were backing away.
"I don't... but I want to." - Chara's eyes turned redder - "It felt so good to kill you the first time... I'll gladly do it again."
Before Chara could hit Asgore with her knife, the king made a barrier of flames between him and Chara. As Toriel looked at Chara through the flames, she could tell that fire wasn't something that would stop her for very long. This scared Toriel, so she yelled:
"Noelle!"
Noelle, who was still struggling with her magic panicked and jumped out of the car and she shouted, with all the panic, frustration and fear for her grandparents she felt at that moment:
"Come... on!"
And so, her bones worked normally again and she efficiently made it fly in Chara's direction. Chara, after Toriel yelled Noelle's name, had turned her head and thus got some of the bones hit her face. With a cry of pain, Chara fell on her hands and knees, a few blood drops falling from her nose. But then, she almost laughed in hysteria.
"Ha... ha ha... you... you are all idiots... Instead of wasting your time with me here, you should've... made sure Frisk's safe..."
"What do you mean?!" - Noelle asked, getting alarmed.
Chara didn't answer. But she didn't have to for Asgore to understand that she was up to something. Without wasting time, he and Toriel rushed to the car, grabbing Noelle by her arm in process, after what the three of them drove away. Chara grinned evilly as she watched the car leave her sight. In the car, with shaking hands, Noelle tried to dial Frisk's number. When she did, she was greeted by the voicemail.
"Why aren't you answering the phone, Mom..?" - Noelle said with a panicking voice.
She tried again, but after her third try, she gave up in frustration and mentally prayed that they wouldn't be too late. Asgore wasn't saying anything, but Toriel could see anger but also the fear to lose his daughter on his face. The drive back home felt like an eternity. When they finally reached Frisk's house, they rushed in almost breaking the doorknob. And as they entered the house… they saw Frisk sitting on the couch, alive and well.
"What's that rushed entrance for?" - she asked with a confused look.
"Mom... thank goodness..." - Noelle breathed out in relief.
"Oh Frisk, we were so scared, we thought something happened to you..!" - Toriel said as she pulled her daughter in a tight hug.
"No, I'm alright I think... what made you believe that?"
"It doesn't matter..." - Asgore said as he lovingly gave Frisk's hair a stroke - "You're alright, that's what truly matters."
"And I guess the kids are okay too?" - Noelle checked.
"Yeah, they're upstairs in your room." - Frisk replied, making Noelle breathe out again.

The evening went on rather calmly. Chara was nowhere to be seen and this reassured Noelle at some level. She was glad and relieved that her mother was alright, but she was also concerned about her magic. Why did it suddenly stop working properly? A little more, and Asgore and Toriel would've been… If Noelle couldn't have proper control of her magic, she didn't stand a chance against Chara! Those were Noelle's current concerns. As for the others… the twins were doing rather okay after seeing Gaster. It did hurt that he didn't remember them, but at least he wasn't pushing them away or being too mean. And Papyrus, when he returned home from the embassy and learned about Chara's subtle threat, he obviously freaked out. And so he suggested Frisk to not go to the embassy or leave the village until the problem was solved.
"I JUST WANT YOU TO BE SAFE! YOU SHOULDN'T WANDER ALONE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON!" - he said.
"Alright, if you insist. You're always so caring to me. I'm a very lucky woman to have you." - Frisk replied with a mildly seductive smile and voice, making Papyrus blush.
"O-OF COURSE I AM..! YOU'RE THE WIFE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL!"
Later, when everyone in the house was asleep, Frisk quietly stood from her bed and walked out of the bedroom in the dark. Once in the corridor, she glitched out of the scenary, after what she found herself in a world of darkness. She then glitched again, revealing her true appearance. It wasn't Frisk, but Chara. The woman grinned at herself, then let out a mad laughter. "It was just so easy..!" - she thought to herself - "They didn't even notice!" Once Chara calmed down and turned her head to look at her left. There was sitting the real Frisk.
"Chara... What did you do..?" - Frisk asked as she rubbed her head in pain.
"Finally awake, I see?" - Chara commented, then walked closer to her enemy - "Your head hurts? I had no choice but to knock you down, your squirming and yelling was quite annoying."
"What did you do?" - Frisk repeated her question - "And where are we?"
"My dear Frisk, this is where I come from. We're at home, but in my timeline!" - Chara answered, then added with a humorous sarcasm - "Sorry, the oranment's not the best. It tends to happen when the world's destroyed."
"What..? You plan to keep me prisoner here?! No, that's not gonna to happen! You can't keep me here forever, my family's going to look for me!" - Frisk said with a defiant expression.
"Oh, but how can they look for you, if they don't even know you're missing?" - Chara said, then shortly demonstrated her transformation.
Frisk's eyes widened. She understood. Shaking her head, she said:
"No... No, no..! Please don't do that! Why... why don't you just kill me?"
"Ah, but you see, if I kill you, it'll be the end. I, however, want to make you suffer." - Chara explained as her evil grin widened - "I want you to live while knowing that I took everything from you. Just like you took everything from me."
Frisk paled and slowly started to tremble. The idea of it made her sick. "No... This can't be…" - she thought - "It can't be happening… It's all just a bad dream..!"
"I know what you're thinking. Yet, it's all very real. It's a nightmare you'll never wake up from." - Chara said - "Your parents, your daughter, your grandchildren, even your husband... they're completely oblivious of your disappearance. When looking at me, they'll see you and when thinking they love you, they'll actually love me! Life will go by and you won't be part of it. You can call for their help, but they won't hear you. Gods, I'm such a genius coming up with such a perfect revenge!"
Frisk didn't say anything, just a single tear slid down her cheek.
"Well, as much as I enjoy gloating, I have to go. I must return to bed before our husband notices I'm gone. Have a good night!"
As her evil grin widened, Chara glitched away before Frisk knew it. And so, Frisk just stared at the spot where Chara stood just a moment ago, and then she she put her face between her hands and started to sob. "No... Chara will… she'll be sleeping in our bed, next to my Papyrus…" As the thought crossed her mind, Frisk let out a broken cry, then cried her eyes out for around an hour until she just passed out.

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A/N: When Frisk says that love is probably the most powerful form of magic, it's actually a direct reference to the recurring quote from "Once Upon A Time" that says that "love is the most powerful magic (of all)". This quote will be important this arc.

About the grudge Chara has towards Asgore (and Toriel)... To make myself clear, I'm not saying that in my headcanon Asgore had been a bad father. I have no doubts that Asgore genuinely loved Chara. It's just that while re-reading some stuff from both "Undertale" and "Handplates", I noticed that Asgore talks about Chara mostly as a potential peacemaker between humans and monsters. And in the actual game, when I first saw Asgore say "I just want to see my child", I've immediately though: "Wait, and what about your other human child?" Especially that in the French version of the game, he doesn't say "child", but "son" (which makes even clearer it's Asriel he's talking about). Again, I'm not saying that Asgore didn't actually care for Chara and those are just details. But those details did catch my attention and so I decided to use those in profit of my story.

Concerning the Karmic Retribution explanation, it's actually my personal theory of why Sans does have it while Papyrus doesn't. Maybe that's not the actual reason, only Zarla (or maybe Toby Fox) can confirm or contradict it. I just thought this explanation made the most sense, so I used it here. I mean, Sans was made of Gaster's left hand (=Fight) and Papyrus was made of Gaster's right hand (=Mercy).

And finally, about Frisk's abduction by Chara... I got the idea by remembering season 3 of "Fringe" (another of my fav shows!) and the Olivia/Peter/Fauxlivia triangle, actually. I know, the thought that Chara replaced Frisk without Papyrus and others noticing is a... scary and sad thought. Trust me, my heart was bleeding when I wrote this. But Chara's here to make Frisk suffer, so she has to actually do something. And this subplot is very important regarding character developement. Just... hold on. Okay?