Mind potatoes Chapter 62
The sun high in the mid-afternoon sky beamed down upon the Inner Circle, its warming light cutting pleasantly through the chill of the wind. It made the high turrets of the great palace glint and metal sections of the roof shine. The whole castle became a beacon on the highest plateau in the centre of the city.
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After grabbing some lunch from a street cart, Frisk, Asriel, and Chara used the dove medallion to take a portal straight inside the palace, since Papyrus hadn't joined up with them again. It was quiet in the entranceway and the crystals the kids carried indicated that the skeleton might be in the throne room. The dog guards at the doors were snacking on biscuits and hot soup, and waved them through without question.
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The throne room held neither the skeleton nor the Queen, but the carpet was damp and there was a familiar, spiral-tailed lizard near the base of the stairs up to the regal chair itself. She wore a rumpled white and gold magus robe and read a large book as she walked, only barely looking up at the sound of the huge doors closing. She quickly did a double-take, her mouth falling open before she broke into a smile.
"H-Hi, Chara! Your brother was just here! Who a-are your friends?"
"You've already met Frisk," Chara said, gesturing to the kid, "though she's a bit more blue now."
"Hi again, Alphys," Frisk said, smiling and raising her hand.
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"Wh-Wha…?! Oh!" Alphys tossed her book back onto the steps and raced over, grabbing Frisk's cheeks gently. "H-How did…?! Wait, is…?" She squinted and leaned closer, tilting her head. "Is this a Deceptive Cadence?!"
"Yeah, Sans did it," she said.
"Oh! I-It…!" The lizard smiled brightly. "I-It's looks great on you! And your fur turned out so soft! Though I hope you can spend some t-time as yourself, too." She tilted her head to look up at Asriel. "And you're…? Wait. Wait a s-second, you wouldn't happen to be…?" She looked at Chara. "I-Is this…?!"
The boy froze up. Chara smiled sideways.
"He's… Asriel. From where I came from. Our brother," she said.
"Ah!" Alphys's eyes glimmered and she grinned, her cheeks flushing. "That's…! That's amazing! I'm so glad they f-found you!" She reached out for his hand and he gave it. She "W-Welcome, Prince Asriel from another world."
Asriel grinned sheepishly. "H-Howdy. It's nice to meet you, Alphys also from another world."
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Alphys smiled, a gleam in her eyes. "That's…! That's amazing. Honestly. I'm s-so glad to finally meet you." She turned back to Chara, her brows raised slightly. "W-Were you looking for Papyrus?"
"Yeah, we were," she said. "Did he get held up at the gate again?"
"N-No, I just saw him a little while ago, actually," Alphys said, tapping her chin. "I think he and Undyne fired off a little m-magic together and then… I thiiiiink they went downstairs? I c-could come check with you, if you like? I was h-heading down there anyway."
"Perfect," Chara said.
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The lizard picked up her book and beckoned for them to follow her. She hurried around the side of the huge steps up to the throne. Her index finger lit with golden magic and she drew a spiral on the stone with it, then gently tapped a few specific spots. The outline of a large rectangle drew itself and the wall folded back and downwards into stairs. The deep, crystal-lit passageway was quite large— enough so that Asriel didn't have to duck for his horns.
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"There's a-all kinds of tunnels down here," Alphys said as she lead the way. "We've e-expanded a little bit in the last c-couple months. Which is nice. B-But I'm sure I got lost, like, a dozen times at least!"
The hall that stretched out before them was made of smooth stone, with wooden doors blocking sections that branched off from the main path. Each one was marked by a different geometric symbol inside of a circle.
"So do you keep a lotta stuff down here?" Frisk asked, pausing to look at one of the doors— she couldn't parse the symbol at all, but it looked a little like a dog's face. "Guess so, huh?"
"Oh! W-Well! Yeah, I guess we do," Alphys said.
"There used to be mostly guard barracks down here," Chara said, taking Frisk's hand and pulling her along. "It was a huge pain in the butt."
"Ah! You know, th-that's true." The lizard nodded thoughtfully. "Remember when we had to… Oh!" She blushed. "D-Do they… um…? Do they know?"
"We used the old tunnels down here to sneak in when the King was still in charge. There's still a few. Barracks, I mean," Chara continued. "But, as far as I've heard, it's mostly artefacts now, yeah?"
Asriel sniffed. "And snacks, smells like."
"That t-too! There's a little kitchen, now, actually," Alphys said. "Mist… You met M-Mistral, right? She's a big fan. But, um, mostly it's because people keep bringing a-artefacts as gifts for Undyne and, um… M-Me, I guess? And we needed more r-room."
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Chara smiled. She shot a glance at Asriel back over her shoulder. "They're a bit more political here than back home. A lot of people wanted my mom to be Queen after everything happened. Which is part of why I still keep getting the weird Princess treatment sometimes."
"But Undyne seems like she'd be an okay queen, right?" Frisk said.
"I think so. And I have to be pretty loud about that, too," Chara said. "More people bringing stuff in, that's good. It's traditional. That means they're really accepting her. It was a little iffy at first. Even though Mom said it was okay."
"That sounds kinda complicated," Frisk said quietly.
"Yeah. I've always found it sorta weird when my word carries weight." The girl smirked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. But I have to be careful not to whine about the Queen beating me in a sparring match or something in public. Some people tend to get a little defensive."
"Oh. So… That's why the guards are so protective of her, huh?" Asriel asked.
"It's also partially the reason for the visitor-pass magic wristbands," Chara said. "We had a bunch of humans sneaking in and trying to drum up rebellion for… whatever stupid reason. We stomped that out pretty quickly, but… It was garbage."
"How long have you been here again?" Asriel asked, wide-eyed.
She shrugged. "Few years."
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Alphys smiled proudly. "F-For someone from another w-world, and a human, too, Chara really got the hang of everything fast."
"That's 'cause she's really smart," Asriel said.
Chara laughed. "I mean, true, but thanks." She checked her round crystal, tapped on it with her thumb, and said, "Papyrus."
It shimmered. The orange glow pointed in the same direction they were walking in, with a very slight lean to the right.
"Do you know what h-he was here for?" Alphys asked.
"Moonwater," Frisk said.
"Oh?! O-Okay! That makes things easier. We, um, d-don't really have much of that. So! I know where i-it is."
"What's moonwater?" Asriel asked.
"It's just regular water that got enchanted by some crystals and the full moon," Chara said. "Because of the damage the curse did, most monsters can't use healing magic. We can use moonwater instead, in potions and stuff like that."
"Oh. Damn." He looked at Frisk. "Then you have to be super careful here, huh?"
"I've been trying," she said bashfully.
Chara shot him a confused look. He rubbed his head bashfully.
"I… can't heal, either," he explained.
"What? Really? But you actually used to be good at that," she said.
He shrugged. "…A lot of stuff changed, ever since… Y'know."
Chara's face softened. She nodded.
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At a branching path, Alphys lead them to the right. She paused at a door, counted on her fingers, and then looked at the kids.
"D-Do you mind if I just take a minute?" she asked.
"No rush," Chara said.
The lizard nodded and opened the door. Inside looked to be a crowded mass of bookshelves. She slunk inside and closed herself in, though it sounded as if she'd stumbled hard into something the second she was out of sight.
"I-I'm okay!" she squeaked.
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Asriel took the opportunity to duck down to Frisk and begin to pat her all over, inspecting her intently.
"Aah, what?" she squeaked.
"Azzy, excuse you," Chara said.
"You said you got into a battle with Undyne, though, right?" he said. "And you went through garbage back with Zapf, didn't you?"
"Oh! Um. Yeah. Don't worry," she said.
"Don't worry?!" He grinned wryly. "Frisk, c'mon, I know you better than that."
Frisk pouted. She showed him her palms. "I got ice burns but Mistral fixed them."
"Okay, but didn't you fall in here right after we fought that stupid Gaster, too?" he insisted. "Where you, y'know, got stabbed like three times?!"
"Wait, you what?" Chara asked, an intense gleam in her eye as she leaned in closer. "He. Did. What?"
"I-It's fine!" Frisk stammered. "Paps there mostly took care of it, and then Paps here made them not hurt at all so it's totally okay!" She pushed aside part of her hoodie and pulled at the neck of her t-shirt to show the puncture spot, which was marked by a round patch of white fur on her left clavicle.
Asriel held her shoulder and carefully brushed the mark with his thumb. The fur was just as smooth there as the nearby blue. He drooped as he sighed out with relief.
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"…That's a scar?" Chara's eyes narrowed. "Your white marks are scars?"
"Just some of them, I think." Frisk held up her hands, drawing attention to the white tips of her otherwise blue fingers. "I know my fingers aren't all busted up. But the one here—" She tapped the line on the side of her hand. "—is definitely one."
"Phew." The freckled girl grimaced. She looked at Asriel, folding her arms. "Tell me you threw that other Gaster through a wall or something?"
"Eh, I put him in a headlock and chucked him around a room," he said.
"Good."
"You guys…! Come on, it's fine," Frisk said quickly.
"Frisk." Chara turned to her with a very serious look in her eyes. "If anyone does anything to you. Or. Comes after you? You tell us, okay? Right away."
"Wh…?" The kid blinked. "Why, you think someone'd…?" She tilted her head. "You guys are worried about me?"
"Only like all the time!" Asriel said. "So much crap's happened!" He tapped his fingers together, wilting sheepishly. "And this morning, too…"
"Plus, you know, our history," Chara said. "After yesterday—"
"Forget yesterday," Frisk said quickly. "Don't feel bad about yesterday."
"As long as you don't," she said.
"I don't," Frisk said, then levelled a finger at Asriel. "And you! Don't feel bad about this morning! Heck, you're the one that got that the worst."
He shrugged. "I'm dealing. Just want you to be okay."
The kid reached up and took his hand, and then Chara's."Don't worry. If I get hurt, I'll say something. But. You guys need to tell me, too, okay? I'm… I know I'm little, but I'm not a baby. We gotta watch out for each other. Right?" She smiled sideways. "Demon team, okay?"
Chara's eyes went wide. Her cheeks flushed. "…Demon gang," she said softly. "Sounds cooler."
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Asriel snorted and began to laugh. Chara hissed at him and gave him a whack, which only made him laugh harder. He bent with a mischievous glint in his eye and crushed them both into a hug. Frisk squeaked, but she gladly leaned in. Chara sighed with feigned annoyance.
"You're lucky you're big," she said.
"I know," he said smugly. "Demon brigade."
"Gang," Chara said.
"Gang's good," Frisk agreed.
Asriel scoffed and mussed up her hair. He pressed his snout to Chara's head and then straightened up.
"You guys are weird," Chara said quietly, but she couldn't help the faint smile on her lips.
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A clatter from behind the door nearby perked their ears.
"Um…! S-Sorry, could somebody get this?" Alphys called.
Asriel reached over to open it for her and she scurried out, carrying four large books in her arms. She smiled bashfully.
"Thanks," she said. She gently pushed the door closed behind her with her foot and then lead them on their way. "S-Sorry about that. So. Um. Frisk? I hope you d-don't mind me asking. But have you practiced much m-magic since we talked last?"
"Oh! Um. Just a little. I can't really do much with this spell on me, though," she said.
"Oh?! D-Does it block it?" Alphys asked worriedly.
"Her magic breaks it," Chara said. "I don't think there's even a spell that exists in this world made with interacting with human magic in mind."
"Yeah. I have, like, three charges left, I think?" Frisk checked her ring. "Yup. Three."
"Hmm… O-Okay. Fair enough," the lizard said with a nod. "Hey. Um. I-Is…? Is it useful to you? I mean… Could it be u-useful, um, back where you live?" Alphys blushed. "B-Basically I'm asking if you'd like a copy of the spell?"
"Oh! That'd be cool," Frisk said. "I'm… not sure when I'd need to… But." She couldn't help a bristle of excitement running through her fur. She looked up at Asriel. "Maybe it… might be nice sometimes?"
He shrugged. "Halloween or something," he said. "Or… if you wanna go into a human city and not get questioned a bunch, I guess."
Frisk could think of a dozen more uses, but the slight, concerned furrow of Asriel's brow gave her pause. "Um. Y-Yeah. Stuff like that," she said. "Plus, I mean, it's interesting, right?"
Alphys smiled. "There's a couple d-different versions. Of a D-Deceptive Cadence, I mean." She tilted her head towards her books. "If I r-remember right, there's a few in here, even. I m-might be able to draft you something a little more, um, stable. O-Of course, you'll still need a very strong monster to c-cast it."
"She's got that covered," Chara assured her.
"Oh! G-Good, then," she said.
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A telltale, high-pitched cackle told the group they were headed the right way, as did a door propped ajar by a glowing, cyan spear just ahead of them at another splitting of paths.
"U-Undyne?" Alphys called.
The door instantly burst open, the big, deep blue monster grinning at them, the little baubles on her ear-fins brightening.
"Hey!" she said brightly. "We were just…!" Her eye flitted to Asriel— "Oh!" —and then to Frisk. "OH!"
"Hello, everyone!" Papyrus said brightly, peeking out from behind her. "Did you have any luck?"
"Took us a while," Chara said. "But… Maybe."
"Maybe," Frisk agreed. "I got two different sleep potions so maybe that'll help?"
"Ooh! So which place did you end up going to?" he asked.
"A sketchy one in New Home. Not our first choice," Chara said. "But. Between DREAMLAND being booked up for a month and Dreamcatcher costing more than our house, we ran out of options."
"We think maybe if the, uh, psychic or whatever actually saw something, it freaked her the heck out, though," Asriel said.
"Well, yeah, imagine someone who doesn't know about any of this seeing something from inside my head," Frisk said. "It'd probably just be a crazy mess."
"I'm still kinda on the fence about whether or not anything useful happened," Chara said. "Guess we'll see tonight, yeah?"
The blue kid nodded.
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Undyne cocked her head to the side. "Soooo. Uh." She gestured to Frisk. "Kinda extreme measures, huh?"
"Guess so," she said.
"Dig the colour, though."
"Thanks. Me too."
The big Queen looked to Alphys, brows raised. "Hey, y'don't happen to think this is a thing humans can do on the regular, do you?"
"It's not," Chara cut in. "Sorry. It's only because her and Azzy have a permanent soulbond."
"Is that what it is?" Asriel asked.
"Oh, like twins?! Cool," Undyne said brightly. "Also! Good to know."
Asriel's ears perked.
"Definitely good to know," Alphys agreed quickly.
"Wait, what's…?" Frisk tilted her head, looking to the other girl curiously. "I thought what you could do was called that?"
"It is. But it's a temporary one. Which is why it was notable enough that people gave me a funny title." Chara smiled and shrugged.
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Asriel straightened up where he stood, ears pricked slightly. "Someone's coming," he said.
"Wuh-oh, I wonder who," Chara said with a smirk.
"Your Majesty?!" Mistral's voice carried down the hallways like a haunting howl, though she was nowhere to be seen. "Undyne?"
Undyne shivered. "She'll find me literally anywhere, huh?"
"I think it's g-good for you," Alphys teased. She raised her voice. "We're over h-here, Mist!"
Mistral jogged around a corner, raising her hand to greet them. "There you are. Hello, Alphys. Soulbonder. Chèvregons."
Asriel tilted his head. "Whatregons?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt," the skeleton said, "but, Undyne, Alphys, your meeting's in exactly fifteen minutes, and you requested I warn you when you had exactly fifteen min—"
"Oh! Right, right! Thanks," Undyne said, smiling bashfully. "Sorry, Mist, Papy and I kinda got into it and I lost track of time, but—!" She thumped the skeleton roughly on the shoulder. "—I appreciate it!"
"You're welcome. It's… literally my job," Mistral said.
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"Oooh, what kind of meeting, can I ask?" Papyrus said.
"Ah, it's not a big deal," Undyne said.
"It's slightly a big deal," Mistral said, "or there wouldn't be a meeting."
"Th-There's been a v-vigilante causing a bit of, um, commotion, I'd say. Near the northern wall," Alphys said.
"Oh really?!" Papyrus asked.
"Yes. It's a monster we've yet to really see. But whoever they are, they're very powerful. We're supposed to be discussing it with some of the local Mayors from that region," Mistral said.
Chara folded her arms and tilted her head. "So… what do you plan on doing?"
"Hiring 'em!" Undyne said. "They've been doing a pretty good job with some human incursions and petty criminals. Beatin' the Dragonguard to the punch."
"To be completely honest, we've been spread a little thin," Mistral said with a frown. "Most of the guards were like Papyrus, here. And… like I was, when I was younger."
"Conscripted," Chara said, mostly for Frisk's sake. "Forced to join."
Asriel's eyes went wide and he looked at Papyrus. "That's why you were so upset in the dream, right?"
"That… is exactly right," the skeleton said sheepishly, but he quickly perked up. "Thankfully, that's all over and done with!"
"In any case, many Dragonguard have retired now," Mistral said. "Understandably so. But. It means our forces in some regions are much less than they were. If we could speak to this monster, maybe impose a couple guidelines, and pay them for their trouble, I think we'd all feel a little more comfortable."
"Yeah. Gotta track 'em down first, though. Might be a big ask," Undyne said. "Anyway!" She stretched. "Guess we'll get to it. Nice to see you guys again, we'll just—" She began to stride away, but then froze in her tracks and turned around. "Oh! Papy! Do me a solid?"
"Anything!" he assured her.
"Two crates in there with suns drawn on. One for Soleil and one for ol' Grumf. You mind?"
"Nyeh heh heh, of course I don't mind!" he said.
She grinned. "Thanks, kid, you're the best." She stuck her hand up. "Later, punks!"
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Undyne strode off down the hall. Mistral nodded at the others, gently relieved Alphys of her books, and hurried to follow the fast-walking Queen. The short lizard smiled at the kids.
"W-Well, I guess I should go, too. Thanks s-so much for running that errand for us, Papyrus."
"Don't worry about it for one second!" he assured her.
She nodded, and then turned her eyes on Frisk. "Y-You'll hear from me again soon, don't worry." She crossed her thumb and forefinger into a heart. "D-Ddo bwayo!"
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As the lizard left, Papyrus ducked back into the room he and Undyne had been in and emerged again with two small wooden crates in his arms. His blue magic shut the door behind him.
"Alright!" he said. "You guys don't mind a little detour, do you?"
"Cookies," Chara said.
"Cookies?" Asriel repeated, big-eyed.
Papyrus laughed. "Fair enough, sister! And! I think you'll be happy to know I was fully successful on my quest! Plus I got in a little extra battle training!"
"I'm glad someone's day went smoothly," Chara joked. She nodded her head down the passage on their right. "Come on, Azzy's never seen the temple."
"What temple?" Asriel said.
"It's really nice. And Soleil's nice, too," Frisk said.
The boy shrugged. "If there's cookies involved, I'm all for it."
Chara smiled and beckoned. "There's a few ways out. Come on."
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With complete confidence in her steps, Chara took them through a maze of passageways, only to make a way out by pressing her medallion against an inconspicuous wall behind a tapestry. The opening led into one of the arched tunnels that connected courtyards outside. The space didn't really make sense, but then again, that wasn't unusual for buildings made from magic.
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Soleil wasn't in, but the temple was open regardless. As Papyrus wrote her a note to leave with the crate, Asriel inspected the fanciful structure with intense interest. He'd seen some drawings of places a little like this in some of Toriel's old books, he explained, but he'd never been to one for real.
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For part two of Papyrus's errand, they had to travel back to New Home, to a larger sun temple in a quiet part of town. This place didn't have the unique structure of the one in the palace, though. It instead resembled what Frisk and Asriel would know as the Archives: a wide building built out of white stone with a large, domed roof overhead.
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Inside looked as if it couldn't decide if it was a library, concert hall, or a museum's storeroom. Though the area right below the dome had a graceful, circular, tiled floor and a pedestal like Soleil's temple, the rest was divided up by bookshelves, making makeshift rooms of comfy chairs, assorted instruments, stacks of scattered tomes, and artwork, presided over by large statues of dogs here and there. Though each one looked like they'd been made by a different artist, from different times, and of different materials, each of them held a sun in one paw and a moon in the other.
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"Man, you guys really love dogs here, huh?" Asriel said, looking around.
"Of course! Who doesn't?" Papyrus said.
"Heh. True, I guess." The boy's ears perked and he looked around. "Kinda empty, huh? Where should we leave that thing?"
"I think I'll try to find Grumf first," Papyrus said. "It doesn't look like there's anywhere I could leave this where it wouldn't get lost for at least two weeks." He smiled sideways. "I think Sans would like this place."
Chara snorted. "What's Undyne having you deliver, anyway?"
"No idea!" he said. "But if it's important to her, it's important to me."
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"Angaaa, give it here," a high, gruff voice said.
Taken by surprise, the kids all jumped as little, fuzzy white paws stuck into the air. A small, scruffy dog in a white and red robe had crept up on them. She was just as tall as Frisk, with a stocky build, pointy ears, and furry eyebrows so thick they all but obscured her dark eyes.
"Oh! You must be Grumf!" Papyrus said. "Here you go!"
The dog nodded, accepting the crate that almost looked normal-sized in her arms. "Thanks." She dug her claws in and pried the top off, stuck her snout in, and then nodded. She turned her head towards Chara and stared for a moment, then looked at Frisk. She cocked her head to one side, and then the other. "…You kids want some cookies?"
"Yes please," Chara said quickly.
Grumf nodded again and ambled off towards the back of the room. "Take your time."
"Can I explore?" Asriel called after her.
She waved a paw. "Yeah."
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The boy perked up, shooting a grin at the others before he rushed off. Chara smirked, but she followed the dog.
"I'll grab some for you guys," she said.
"Thanks," Frisk said. She took a few steps back towards the door and snapped a photo of the room.
Papyrus shot her a curious look. He leaned around her to look at the phone. "Are you making records?"
"Yeah. I kinda figure everyone back home would be pretty hyped to see stuff like this," she said.
The skeleton grinned. "That's very cool! Plus I like the idea that you can keep them all in a little screen like that."
Frisk nodded. "I know you don't have phones," she said, "but it looked like you have a TV, right?"
"T… V…" He stared blankly.
"You know, the big screen in your living room," she said.
"Oh! Right! Nyeh heh! We call that a VC screen!" he said. "You have them, too?"
"Yeah, but I think they work different. Since you don't have, um, camcorders? But, then again, those are pretty old. And maybe you just call them a different name?"
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, to be honest. What I do know is we use crystals for everything," Papyrus said. "We can get a transmission someone else recorded on the VC. Or plug in our own crystal from an echo box or something, I guess!"
"What's an echo box?" Frisk asked.
"I guess it's close to your picture thingy," he said. "And maybe even to the camcorder our sister mentions every once in a while. Though I still have never actually seen one of those the way she describes them." He paused, a curious look on his face. "Hey. I know it's a long shot, but do you think we'll ever be able to visit your world?"
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Frisk froze, her hackles raising. She bit her lip. "I…" She clutched her phone close, her fingers tapping against the case. "I really have no idea. I think that'd be kinda nice, though. I hope so."
"Me too!" Papyrus said brightly. "But… I have no clue at all how that'd work."
"Same." Frisk let out a little sigh. Her mind ran back to something Chara had said— that she'd used what small fragment of Frisk's soul she'd held to lock herself out of home— and she gulped. She could hear Asriel's voice murmuring and Chara snickering somewhere past bookshelves and tapestries. "I… I hope we can. I hope… we figure out something." Her ears drooped and she lowered her voice. "Y-You don't think…?" She quickly shook her head. "Never mind."
"What? You suddenly look disturbed," he said.
"I… I dunno how he's gonna leave her," the kid said quietly. "It's gonna be so hard." A chill ran down her spine and she whirled on the skeleton, wide-eyed. "What if he wants to stay?"
"Oh! I don't think he would," Papyrus said quickly.
"But she's his sister," she squeaked.
"So are you," he said.
"But she was way before me," Frisk muttered. "They were best friends."
"Frisk. Listen," Papyrus said. "I know I don't really know him very well, but the way he acted this morning, I don't think anything would stop him from sticking by you. He seems very clingy overall, in fact. Not that that's a bad thing! My whole family is understandably very clingy to me, so I get it."
Frisk's ears drooped and she grimaced. "Right, but…" She shook her head. "Ugh, never mind, I'm so whiny."
"Frisk," Papyrus scolded. He bent down and pulled her into a hug. "Relax! Things will be perfectly okay. I promise. We'll figure it out."
Frisk was overwhelmed with doubt, but she appreciated the hug anyway. She gave him an appreciative squish.
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"Hey, dorks," Chara said as she returned. She handed each of them a large cookie shaped like a sun, sprinkled with chunky golden sugar. "Frisk, you alright?"
"Oh! Um. Yeah. Just… a little worried about Az, I guess," she said quietly.
Chara nodded. She nibbled on one of the spikes of her sun cookie. "Just stick with him," she said. "I was thinking a lot about this morning, too." She grimaced. "I think… Well. Who knows. Maybe whatever you're working on will help him, Papy."
"I certainly hope so because I have no idea at all, I'm just going based on pure curiosity at this point," the skeleton said. He folded his arms. "This better not be a red herring, or I will be fairly disappointed."
"I thought it was a flower," Frisk said, biting into her cookie.
Chara coughed and choked, covering her mouth as she started to laugh.
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"Hey, guys," Asriel said, poking his head out from behind a shelf. "Have you seen…? Never mind, come here." He beckoned them into a little false room between bookshelves.
There were a half-dozen puppies of assorted colours snoring back there on some big, squishy cushions. Frisk let out a high-pitched squeal. She sat down, quick and quiet, her tail wagging. The closest puppy— the only one that was awake— was floppy-eared, black and tan, and half her size. He groggily stretched up to sniff her nose and then held out his arms. Frisk giggled and pulled the puppy into her lap, eyes aglow, grinning widely.
"Aaaah, pupppiieeess," she cooed, snuggling the little monster, who gladly flopped into her in return.
Asriel stared down at them and smothered a laugh behind his hand. He bent down and patted the little canine on the head. "Welp. That… wasn't what I wanted to show you but—"
"He wasn't?" she said shrilly.
"Ooh, you make a friend?" Chara asked with a smile. "Jealous."
Frisk snickered. She squished the small dog's cheeks and he stuck his tongue out in a blep. "Look at this good little pup with his good little faaaace."
Papyrus grinned. He nudged his sister with his elbow. "That's one way to cheer her up," he whispered. He turned to Asriel. "What did you want us to see, if not small pudgy canines?"
"Oh. Ah…" The goat boy straightened up with a bashful smile on his face. He turned to the wall to point out a tapestry hung up there.
.
Woven in cloth was the stylized image of a family of four, all garbed in purple and gold, with crowns upon their heads— three white, goat-like monsters and one human, gathered under a massive tree, the branches and roots in big spirals, holding the sun, moon, and two stars.
"I just thought this was really weird. But, kinda cool, too," he said. "This has to be… them, right?" He turned to Chara. "And mom? Your mom?"
"Y… Yeah. Wow," she said. "…I didn't know she ever had white fur here. That's interesting." She tilted her head. "Then this must be a few hundred years old."
Asriel nodded. He pulled his phone from his pocket and backed up to get a good photo, then turned to look at the others. "We're not in a rush, right? That dog didn't seem to mind us just lurking around; does anybody mind if I just keep—?"
"I had no idea you were so studious," Chara teased.
"Hah! I'm not. It's just…" He smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his head. "This world is different. But the magic feels the same. And back home, we lost so much." He cracked a smile. "It's kinda cool, actually. The place Frisk found me in, it was a lot of stuff we were missing from the past. This place seems kinda like what could have happened in our future if we had been able to keep using crystal tech like this. So, I figured… I dunno."
"Dude, there's puppies, I could sit here all day," Frisk said.
The puppy nodded.
.
"Hey." Old Grumf crept up on them again. She got up close to Frisk and sniffed. Her ears lifted. "Oh. A human puppy. No wonder." She patted the kid on both shoulders and then looked up at the others with a slight lifting of her bushy brows. She pulled a little paper slip from nowhere and handed it to Chara before wandering off.
"Oh! Thank you!" Chara called after her. She smiled sideways and held up the card. "Recipe."
"OOooh," Papyrus said, wide-eyed. "That is exciting. Oh! I wonder if they have cookbooks here."
Chara gestured to the mess of books around them. "It's not like we have anything better to do."
Papyrus perked up. "Right you are, sister!" He pranced off in a hurry and, after taking a second to pet the puppies, Asriel followed right behind him.
.
Chara tsked, but she, too, bent down to pet the cheerful puppy Frisk held. "You okay?" she asked.
Frisk nodded. "Don't worry. But… Az is still rushing around, huh?"
"You noticed, too." Chara sighed. "I'll give him until we get home before I'm bugging him about it." She cast a cautious look over at the tall monsters as they rounded a corner and vanished, then pointed at the empty spot between the dog's pillow and Frisk. "You mind?"
"Heck no."
Chara flopped onto the floor, resting her back against the shelf, staring up at the tapestry. She sighed quietly and reached out to stroke the puppy again. She smiled from the side of her mouth. "It's weird. Seeing that."
"Must be," Frisk said quietly. "It was a long time ago, right? Does…? I mean. Mettaton seemed to maybe know her?"
"There's a couple people. Undyne, too," Chara said. "She said I reminded her… Well. Maybe as if I were her sister. Not the same, but there was something similar about us." She rubbed her hair. "This world never meant for me to show up, I think. But. I'm glad I did some good."
"I'm super glad you're here," Frisk said. "But… That's kinda… What's the word? Like. Uncomfortable? To think that something kinda the same happened here."
"It wasn't exactly," she said. "When she got killed, it wasn't… I mean. From what I saw in the Soul of the World, there was an assassin. He meant to get Asriel first, but she got in the way on purpose. They soulbonded; took care of the guy, but it was too late for them. Then, it plays out sort of the same until Asgore lost it. It hit really hard because whoever the assassin was, they knew him. He'd been raised by monsters, too, before betraying them." She frowned. "But I know what you mean. It kinda made me wonder, if there's more than one me… Or, not quite me? Do we all do the same thing? Do we all become… what I did? Is it inevitable?"
"I dunno if there's a way to ever know that," Frisk said quietly. "I think, from what happened to Sans back home, when you were doing the stuff with other, um, anomalies? They were all pretty different, right? And different from me, too. Maybe it's like that? Or…" She laughed quietly and rubbed her head. "Sorry, it's super confusing."
"Yeah." Chara smirked. "Even I try not to bother with it too much. But, living here, I get reminded a little more than I would otherwise, I think." She tilted her head. "I wonder, would mom like to see this? Or would it be too painful?"
"…I dunno 'bout here, but our mom back home, I think she would," Frisk said.
Chara nodded. "I think you're right." She paused and a smirk crossed her face. She cut her eyes at the other kid. "Our mom, huh?"
"Well, yeah, we have the same mom," Frisk said. "Just 'cause you have a double mom doesn't mean mom isn't your mom, right?"
The girl snickered. Her cheeks flushed. "Guess you're right about that, too." She pulled another two cookies out of her pockets and offered Frisk one.
The kid gladly took it, breaking it in half to share with the little puppy.
.
As they snacked, someone else entered the big, cluttered temple, announced by a hard, metallic clunk.
"Excuse me? Is… someone here?"
The voice was familiar. Chara perked up, one brow raised. Frisk scooted to the edge of the bookshelf and peeked curiously as the other girl sat up on her knees and leaned over the blue kid. The short dog, Grumf, rubbed her ears and trundled groggily up to a cloaked monster just inside the threshold.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Um. Are you busy? Can I ask some advice?" the newcomer said.
"That's fine." Grumf offered her a cookie.
The monster quickly took it and pushed back her hood to give it a nibble. Chara squeezed Frisk's shoulder. They both recognized the pesanta from the psychic shop.
.
"So. What is it?" Grumf asked.
"Well… I…" The Magnificent Pasithea looked nervous, with a swishing tail and wilted ears. Her accent had completely changed. "…l-love this cookie! And might I say, you're looking particularly fluffy today, and—"
"Stop stalling," the little dog said. "What's wrong?"
"Oh." The monster gulped, hard. "Welllll…" She sighed heavily. "I… I sort of work as, you know… fortune-teller, psychic, all-around-magic-d—"
"I know what you do," Grumf said.
"Oh! O-Oh! Good! Um. Well. A little kid came into my shop today." She tapped her claws together. "She said she had an, um, dreaming problem. And I said I could help. I mean! I think I can. Maybe. It's just…" She rubbed her head, frowning at the floor. "I… I could be more confident about it, I suppose."
"What's the problem?" the dog asked again.
"Mine or hers?"
"Yours."
"That I… might... need a little advice? About what to do," she said with a squeaking voice.
"Okay," Grumf agreed.
"So what do I do?"
"Your best, I think."
"R… Right." She ducked in towards tiny Grumf and began to whisper in a worried tone.
.
Chara drew back behind the shelf, a frown on her face. "So… Is she full of it or what?" she asked under her breath.
Frisk shrugged. The puppy mimicked her.
"D'you think I should go talk to her about it?" she wondered.
"Why?" Chara asked blankly.
"Maybe she can help better if she actually knows what's going on."
Chara gave her an incredulous squint. "What, you're just gonna tell anyone?"
"I dunno, I think it's not too bad," Frisk said. She gave the puppy a squish and then passed him over to Chara as she got to her feet. "The dogs all know like right away, anyway."
"True, I guess, but…" The freckled girl sighed and smiled sideways. "Just remember, you can't reset, and mine goes all the way back to midnight."
"I won't need a reset, don't worry," she assured her.
.
Sneaking on quiet paws, Frisk peeked around the corner to find the pesanta had already slipped off. The kid pouted, but she took a cursory look around anyway. Asriel and Papyrus were huddled together behind another set of shelves, quietly gushing over a book that looked to be about spell patterns, based on the cover.
.
Way off in the right corner, in front of one of the massive dog statues, the missing monster sat in quiet contemplation with a couple of biscuit-scented candles lit around her. Frisk drooped with relief and, after waiting a few moments, quietly cleared her throat and tapped on the shelf that served as a wall. Pasithea's ears pricked and she turned curiously. Her eyes shot wide open.
"A-Ah! Y-You…!"
"Yeah! Um. Hi. Sorry. Kinda overheard," she said. "Would it be okay if I… told you a bit more about what's going on with me?"
The monster's eyes brightened and she leapt to her feet. "Never fear, little friend!" Her theatrical accent had returned. "I am a great dreamweaver, after all, I'm sure I can—!"
"What did you see from my head?" Frisk ask curiously.
"Ah…" Pasithea faltered. "As I said—"
"I can explain what it was," the kid said. "I just thought, maybe if we talked, it might help."
The monster froze up. Her ears wilted. "…Alight." She sat on the floor and patted the spot beside her.
.
Frisk gladly took a seat. She rubbed her head. "Um. Okay. So. I guess… I'll just start. I'm from another world. And I'm a human. What you saw was the void between worlds. I think."
Pasithea's eyes bugged out. Her jaw dropped, hanging open for several seconds. "You're a wh-what?! A human?! From another world?!"
"Yeah." She held out her hands. "This is a D-Deceptive Cadence. Me and my brother, we got stuck here, and we're trying to get back. Something's weird back home, though, and we need to talk to our family before then. That's why I can't just send a letter. They're in literally a different world. "
"…Wait! Oh! Oh my stars, are you…?" Pasithea lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Are you like the Hero of Snowdin Fields?"
"I… dunno?" Frisk said. "Who?"
"A human from another world… She saved us all; broke the curse!"
"Oh! Chara! Yeah. Kinda," she said. She jerked her thump over her shoulder. "She's just over there, by the way."
"…Wait, you don't mean that girl you were with?!" Pasithea clapped her hands to her cheeks. "She's the Hero of…?! Ohhh… Aaah, of course, I'm such a moron! I can't believe—!"
"It's okay! It's okay," Frisk said quickly. "I'm sure she didn't mind."
.
The pesanta groaned and rubbed her hands over her face and muttered under her breath, "Oh great, you've done it again, and you wonder why your rating is in the trash."
"But you can do dream magic, right?" Frisk asked worriedly.
"Well! Of course I can! It's what I'm best at," Pasithea said, straightening up. "B-But…" She sighed. "I have to admit something. I've never… had a real vision from the crystal ball before you. It's usually just part of the show. Please don't tell anyone."
"Ah! Sorry! That must've been scary," the kid said quickly.
"It… definitely felt… bad," Pasithea said. "Like this oppressive weight on your soul. Is it supposed to feel like that?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe not," Frisk said. "…Whatever's blocking me is connected to that?"
Pasithea nodded. "This might be a bit out of my usual comfort zone, but I really think it is." She clawed her fingers. "It's like there's this ice-cold grip right on you!"
"Jeez, that does sound scary," Frisk said, wide-eyed.
"There's no need to fear!" The pesanta cleared her throat. "I mean. Please, don't be afraid. With just those few days of prep, I can… I can help you. I think. I mean, I'm pretty sure!" Her smile was wobbly until it faltered completely and she put her face in her hands. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm in way over my head."
.
Frisk couldn't help a smile. She snickered and patted the monster on the shoulder. "Same, though."
Pasithea sighed heavily. She straightened up and, though pouting, gave Frisk a knowing look. "Kid, listen. I… I'm not completely full of it, okay? I do think my potions might help you. And about the dream magic, I'll give it a shot if they don't. I'm good at it. But. I've never dealt with something like this."
"I don't think anyone has, really," Frisk said. Her ears perked. "Oh! You can be the first one! And you can put it on your sign after, right?"
"Wh…?" The pesanta gawked, then spat out a laugh and thumped the kid on the back. "Ah! You're right." A light shone in her eyes. "Thanks, kid. I'll do my prep and we'll give it a shot."
"Thank you," Frisk said brightly. She rubbed her head. "I hope it works. I could really go for something going right the first time."
Pasithea snickered. "Hah! Couldn't we all."
xXxXx
After a little reading and a few more cookies, the kids said goodbye to the monsters in the temple and headed home. Frisk let the others in on her chat, and though Chara felt a little vindicated, she also was more confident that they hadn't wasted their time.
.
Town was busy with a market this afternoon, so as Papyrus stopped back in at the apothecary and alchemy shop to deliver the moonwater, Chara pulled the others between stalls to gather up some stuff for dinner. She was determined to show them a recipe that her mom had taught her, made fresh. Though Asriel wrinkled his nose at the idea of a veggie pie, Frisk was neither picky nor daunted. Plus, she was pretty familiar with how to make a pie crust.
.
Back at the house, Sans was still asleep— there was nothing to indicate that he'd budged an inch except that his ginseng potion bottle was empty. By the time the pie was finished, he'd lugged himself out of his room to join them. He was still quieter and greyer than usual, but was content enough leaning on his brother and listening to a retelling of the day.
.
As night fell, Frisk tried to brace herself for the inevitable nightmare. Sans had some prior experience with such things— he put on the VC screen to some old Mettaton horror play and held her little noggin, injecting her with a cool, chill-out magic. Papyrus decided it would be best to extend the cozy tent aesthetic of Frisk's little space to his whole bedroom, partially to make room for Asriel and partially to ensure the snuggest of locations to try to exploit the good-dream potion.
.
Meanwhile, Asriel was in a tizzy. He still had one PB&J sandwich left from Toriel that he could give Frisk once she came out of it, but it hadn't occurred to him to bring any milkshakes or fries, or other comfort foods from home. He grabbed some milk and added some sugar and tried to shake it up, but ended up only with frothy, sweet milk. He hacked some potatoes up and tried to cook them in the frying pan, but that didn't have the desired results, either, even when he blew his own flames of good intentions over them.
.
Chara walked in on him sitting on a stool, hunched over and moping, and leaned up on the doorframe, folding her arms and smiling sympathetically. "What's with the face?"
"Frisk's gonna be so freaked out," he said. "I mean, she knows. I know she knows. But I wanted to make her something and all I did was screw up fries and a shake. Like, how hard is that?! It's just milk and potatoes, right? I mean, not together! Two different…! Ugh." He put his face in his paws.
"Okay, okay." Chara took his hands and shot him a smile. "Relax, y'dork. You're not going to get anything done when your magic's all bristling like that."
"I knnoooww…" he whined. His lip dropped in a pout and he sighed heavily, pulling her into a hug.
She huffed and patted him reassuringly on the shoulders. "You're going to be okay."
"Y… Yeah. Sorry." He let her go and ran his fingers through the scruff of fur between his horns. "I just… I need to help."
.
"She's not upset," Chara said.
Asriel froze up, hackles raising. His ears drooped. "I-I know."
"What did you see?" Chara asked. "This morning?"
The boy opened his mouth and closed it a few times as he searched for the words. "It's…" He frowned. "Nothing."
"Asriel," Chara said sternly.
She sounded like their mother. He gulped.
"I… I ruined the town. I… killed a lot of people. Frisk reset. It's the only reason I'm here."
"Not the only reason," the girl said gently, putting a hand on his arm. "You didn't know?"
"I did. I just… didn't remember that part." His brow furrowed and he huffed out a sigh. "Whatever. It's… It's not the first time."
"But it's hard," Chara said. "Take it from me. I know exactly how you feel."
Asriel's eyes went wide. He nodded. "You're right. Sorry."
"Don't apologize, idiot," she chided. "I'm just saying… It's okay to feel like total shit right now."
Asriel put on an exaggerated frown. "Chara, language!"
She scoffed and whacked his arm. He snickered and bumped his snout against her head.
"Thanks," he said. "It's… new, but it's not, y'know? I'll be okay." He tented his fingers and smiled bashfully. "I still kinda wanna try again, is that bad?"
"No. So did I," she said. "You want a tip? Because I, um… had to fight through what I'm sure is the same memory that disconnected you two."
"Sure," he said.
"You can't do this without trust. If you really trust her, let her feel it with you if it's going to flow, instead of fighting it and trying to drag it back in your head," she said. "It… sucks. It's horrible. But it works."
"…So. Wait. Does that mean…" His eyes went wide. "You let Papyrus—?"
"I did," she said.
Asriel stared at her blankly for a few long, silent seconds. His gaze drooped to the floor, but a small, tired smile crossed his face.
"Gotcha," he said. "Actually… I'm happy for you."
She nodded again and patted his hand, standing up on her toes to smooch the end of his snout. He brightened.
.
"Okay." He got to his feet with a determined frown and a grin. "I'm gonna try again! How do you make fries? It can't be that hard, right?!"
"First. You need oil," Chara said.
"Oil. Oil!" He pointed finger-guns her way as he stepped back towards their cupboards. "Ooooil go find some!"
"You're such dork," she said with a grin.
"Chef Dork. Um. Hopefully."
"Hopefully," Chara agreed. She looked over the counter at his too-dark, roasted potatoes and rolled her eyes. "All that time in a loop and you never learned how to cook?"
"I can cook! Sort of. A little. Shuddup." He smiled sideways. "I didn't need to eat."
She snickered. "I'll help. Just make me some extra, yeah?"
"Okay. Thank you."
.
"Guys?" Frisk poked her head in and Asriel immediately jumped back as if to hide the counter with his body. "Um. I'm gonna try the nightmare potion now. Sans thinks I should just chill on the couch in case I gotta hurl or something after I wake up."
"Why would you have to hurl?!" Asriel yelped.
She shrugged. "I dunno, he just said he saw someone do that before with one of these."
"O-Okay," Asriel said. "Um! Don't worry. We'll have something helpful made for when you get up. Do you have your journal?"
"Oh! Yeah. Good idea, I'll keep that out, too," Frisk said. She tilted her head. "You okay?"
"Yeah!"
"He's still kinda…" Chara tapped the side of her head.
"What?! Chara, no!" The boy yelped. "I'm fine! I'm. Fine. Really."
.
Frisk smiled sympathetically. "Really really this time, right?"
"Man, don't call me out like that." He moped. "I'm… Okay, I'm not fine, but I'm, like, not a thousand percent a mess. Like, I'm dealing."
The kid nodded. She reached out to hug him and he bent to let her. She bumped her brow on his. "Love you."
"L-Love you, too," he said. "Please don't hurl."
She snickered. "Gonna try." She pulled the bottle of the brown, chocolate-milk looking potion from her pocket. "There was a label on it that said it might last, like, an hour or two? So. See you then, I hope."
"Good luck," Chara said.
"Say hi from me if it works," Asriel said.
"Of course," Frisk assured him.
.
Frisk retreated to the couch, where Papyrus had brought some blankets and an empty pail. She curled up in the corner, unscrewed the top of the bottle, and took a cautious sniff. It didn't smell like much other than sweet, with a hint of mint.
"Remember," she said, mostly directing her words to Papyrus, "this is supposed to suck. So. If it's working and I start freaking out, just let me freak out. Until I wake up."
"R-Right! Of course. I will," Papyrus said.
"Thanks." Frisk let out a huff and then chugged the entire bottle. It didn't taste much different than how it smelled and, within seconds, she was dozed off in a heap.
.
Papyrus stared at her. She started to shake. Sans stuck his hand up to pause him before he took a step, and the younger skeleton drooped. He sat on the arm of the chair, staring intently at the kid without moving an inch.
.
After about an hour, Frisk's gasped awake, her soul spluttering out of her chest so vibrantly her disguise shattered. Papyrus was at her side instantly with a glass of water and a caring hand on her back.
"Are you okay?!" he demanded, instantly attracting the attention of the kids in the kitchen.
"Y… Yeah," she croaked. She rubbed a hand through her hair and puddled under the blankets. "Ughhhh…"
"How'd it go?" Sans asked.
"Welp." She laughed hoarsely, stiffly sitting up, and took a deep swig of the water. "It's good at nightmares. Annnnd that's about it."
"Aw," Papyrus said. "What'd you dream about? Anything useful at all?"
"Unless dreaming about getting ripped apart in the void is useful, no," she said.
"Nyoooo." Papyrus gave her a hug and she slumped.
"Good try," Sans said.
.
"Shit," Asriel said quietly. "Um! We…! We made you some fries."
"You what?" Frisk's eyes lit up. "That's what you were doing?"
"Yup," Chara said. "And they're not even that bad."
"Wow, that's super nice," the kid said bashfully. She rubbed her head again. "Thanks, everyone."
"And you didn't puke," Asriel said brightly.
"That wouldda been an event, huh?" Sans said.
"SANS. No!" Papyrus scolded. "An unpleasant event for Frisk! I'm assuming! I've never puked in my life!"
Sans snickered and the kid huffed out a tired laugh. He reached over and patted her on the head. "Let's hope bottle number two works a little better."
"Seriously," she agreed.
xXxXx
After her heart stopped pounding and everyone had some fries and a triangle of otherworldly mom's sandwich, Frisk decided to get potion two over with as quickly as possible. Nestled up in the room-sized blanket fort Papyrus set up; snug in Asriel's arms, Frisk tucked her weird pouch from Pasithea under the nearest pillow, chugged the potion, and let it knock her out.
.
She woke up, warm and heavy-headed. She was comfy, cozied up in Asriel's fur, and certainly didn't want to move. They were both flopped over; he was snoring quietly, puffing warm breath— and a small, harmless flame every once in a while— onto her hair. She could see both skeletons across the room. Papyrus lay on his front across his bed, while Sans was in a heap under a pile of pillows. Chara used Asriel's side as a headrest where she snoze, too.
.
It took her what felt like another hour before Frisk roused herself enough to sit up at all to check the time on her phone. It was almost ten in the morning, the next day. She blinked heavily. She couldn't remember a dream for the life of her, but she felt great.
.
"Any luck?" Papyrus asked at a whisper, his dark eyes poking up above his bedframe.
Frisk shook her head.
"Aw. That's a shame." He sat up. "Oh well. Worth a try, right?"
"Man, I might buy a couple more of those to bring home, to be honest," Frisk said with a smile. Any joviality she felt, though, was quickly erased as a shiver ran up her spine and through her whole body. "O-Oh no." Her soul spluttered and she lurched forward, a torrent of ice-cold liquid spewing from her mouth.
,
Papyrus shrieked so loudly that everyone else shot up in a whirl of chaos. Frisk tried to hold up a finger to get them to wait but she buckled forward as void-black tar splattered the blanketed floor and vanished. She lurched backwards, heaving to catch her breath, and was caught by Asriel's paw. The same liquid was dripping from his nose as he looked at her with wide-eyes.
"Th-That's a bad side effect!" Papyrus yelped.
"What happened?!" Chara demanded.
"It wasn't that," Frisk said, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. "Sorry, I—"
Another wretched retching noise made all of them spin towards Sans. The skeleton rattled. His beartrap-like teeth parted, leaking the same black ooze.
"Sans?!" Papyrus yelped.
"Oh shit," Chara squeaked.
.
Frisk leapt to her feet and raced to the skeleton, grabbing him tight and shoving herself against him, setting her soul aglow to wrap into his, winding it backwards. There was something wrong, though. For a moment, it didn't matter where she placed him, the ooze was there. Her heart thumped painfully.
"Come on, c-come on," she muttered.
All of a sudden, it was slowing. She blew out a sigh of relief. He coughed heavily and pulled back, fingers clenched into the kid's shoulders for a moment before he dragged his arm across his mouth.
"Oomf, that sucked," he croaked. The white lights in his eyes had each dimmed to pinpricks and there was still a little of the dark liquid dripping like tears down his face. "Ah. Shit. I gotta go."
"What's going on?" Chara demanded.
"I dunno." He got to his feet. "Somethin' at the Soul."
Frisk and Asriel shared a wide-eyed look.
"It couldn't be…" he said quietly.
"What if it is, though?!" she squeaked.
"What do you see?" Chara asked.
The skeleton shook his head. "Not sure. It's dark. I'm goin'."
"Not alone!" Chara barked. "Take us." She took off her pendant and chucked it to Asriel. "You and Papy meet us there, okay?"
"Okay!" Asriel got up and, before Papyrus could protest, grabbed his arm and dragged him from the room.
.
Chara clung tight to Frisk, then to Sans's hand. "It's gonna be alright," she said.
"Should just be me," he said.
"Don't you dare argue with me," Chara said.
"What if you blow up?!" Frisk demanded. "I'm literally the only one here who can heal."
"True." Sans sighed. He put a hand on Frisk's shoulder. "Okay. Brace yourselves. Don't usually bring two."
.
The world went dark. Dragged. Stars lingered in their eyes. Then, they were out in the field in the sun, before the Soul of the world. There was a chill in the air. The magic aurora in the sky above carried a strange cadence to it. Parts of it were unusually low-saturation. Frisk gulped. Sans wiped his brow and his eyes.
"Damn it, my sword," Chara muttered.
"Grab a stick," Sans said.
"It's not as good," she whined, jogging off as fast as she could. "Don't you dare go without me!"
"H-Has this ever happened before?" Frisk squeaked.
Sans caught her eye. He patted her on the head in leu of answering. "We'll wait for the others. Then we go. But. If I say run, ya run, capiche?"
.
Frisk nodded. A strange, static sound tingled her ears with shrill, unpleasant humming. She winced. So did Sans. She gripped tight to his sleeve. She didn't care what he said— she wasn't letting anything happen to anyone in this family, even if she started spewing the void from her eyes like he was.