Pre-Chapter Notes: Gasp. They uploaded another chapter this month?! Why yes, dear readers we did. As we're getting well into the holiday season, how fitting that this one marks our foray into the very festive-themed Snowdin.

Anyways, Happy Holidays everyone, and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Seven: Brothers of Bone

'Here we go again…'

Those were the words that came to the short skeleton's mind as he watched the massive stone threshold from the shadows of the surrounding evergreens. Sans knew what was coming… he'd lived this moment more times than he could count, - or rather, more times than he could bother counting. He could count pretty high when he cared to. Though the memories always lay just beyond his grasp, he'd learned to keep what he could: making records, reading them over and over, always on the lookout for things that didn't belong. Over time and timelines, he'd found ways to spot the signs and fill in the blanks. It was far more work than he usually cared for but unlike guard duty, there wasn't much getting around that.

It started with a major case of déjà vu earlier in the week. It was far more powerful than usual, and he'd known better than to ignore it. A quick bit of research was all it took. He'd made a habit of doing that ever since the last anomaly started wreaking havoc on the timeline. The disorganized cluster of the archive was filled with a good bit of new data, and it didn't take long to confirm his suspicions.

There was no doubt about it. A Reset. And a damn big one by the look of things. A few days later he caught wind of another, albeit smaller flux in the continuum. A Load most likely.

That was the odd part. Those were common enough in the beginning but started becoming fewer and farther between as the loops continued. Sans couldn't remember the last time he'd felt one before they 'met'. The kid must know the Ruins inside and out by this point… so what could have possibly surprised him so much that he'd feel that need to do it now? The skeleton couldn't be certain, but for some reason he had a bad feeling. One might say his gut was trying to tell him something.

The wealth of new information had given rise to a slew of other questions as well… but first things first.

'damn, kid… this is why I hate promises. can't keep 'em, can't expect 'em to be kept.' He thought dourly. 'i sure hope you have a real good reason for all this… i'd hate for either of us to have a bad time…'

Sans had been standing outside the door in the forest for hours; that one way exit from the Ruins. He'd never been in there himself as far as he could recall. Maybe there was one obscure branch of time where he'd managed to see monster kind's ancestral home. If so, the memory had been long sense lost in the sea of his mind, and apparently nothing was worth archiving either. It was irrelevant anyway… after all, there were only two things he cared about beyond that door, and one should be making his appearance eventually. As for the other, well… he'd learn soon enough what became of her this time.

In fact… by his reckoning, the kid was late.

He sighed, stuffing his bony hands into the pockets of his blue hoodie. 'guess i was wrong. it won't be today either.'

Just as he was about to turn around and head back to his station, the door shifted open slightly. A head with a mop of brown hair poked out from behind it. The kid immediately shivered before stepping through the doorway and into the snow. Sans knew that squinty, stoic expression and that striped blue and purple shirt anywhere.

"Oh my God! It's so cold!" Frisk shuddered, which made Sans chuckle.

'shoulda known that by now kiddo. how many times've ya done this already?'

Still, obvious as the statement was, he was right. Sans didn't mind the cold: being all bone had its advantages in that regard but the chill was still noticeable. It was such that the Snowdin area – as it was rather unimaginatively named – was always covered in a thick blanket of snow. Or rather 'snow' as the cold, crystalline child of water and magic was only called such for simplicity's sake.

Sans stopped short as he watched the boy. It seemed almost like he was listening to something. After a moment he shook his head, breathed in his hands to warm them and spoke.

"No. Mom said we can't go back. It's too late to get better clothes..." Another pause. "Nah, I'm okay right now. I'd rather wait on that. I don't wanna wear you out."

'what the hell? that's a new one...' Sans thought. It looked like the kid was speaking to the air.

After taking a moment to get used to the cold, Frisk continued down the path that cut through the forest of white-capped evergreens. Sans stuck to the tree line out of sight and followed. The bridge rose slowly in the distance, complete with the comically wide-spaced bars his brother had installed. Frisk stumbled to a stop, just narrowly avoiding the large branch in the middle of the pathway. He looked around, but Sans didn't move. He knew the kid wouldn't be able to see him here even if he had the eyes to do so. After a moment, he nodded – another peculiar act – and moved around the branch, using his own stick for guidance.

Sans lifted a non existence brow as the boy walked on. Using a bit of magic, he snapped the branch right in half behind him. It was something he'd done multiple times… a tired little prank that had run its course a long time ago. He braced himself for the inevitable. Another second and Frisk would turn around, call out into the trees with the most annoyed look on his face. Probably call him a 'bonehead' or something.

However…

"What was that!" The startled boy jumped about half his own height, clenching his chest fearfully. He turned back towards the sound. Then, once again he seemed to be listening to something. "Yeah, I know. L-let's get out of here."

Then he turned and made his way along the path at a brisk walk. He actually looked scared.

'okay... is there something there i can't see?' Sans' confusion was put on hold when he noticed the kid reach the bridge. 'alright… time for my humerus introduction. heh.'

A single step placed Sans on the path right behind Frisk and he walked forward. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. His footsteps ground the snow beneath his slippers, making deliberate noise to herald his approach. Frisk stopped in front of the bridge, and Sans almost stopped the charade right then and there when he noticed the kid's grip tighten around his stick. Still, he pulled himself together, determined to finish the act. He'd come this far anyway…

"Human." Sans began, his voice carrying the same ominous reverb he'd used many timelines past. "Don't you know how to greet a pal? Turn around and shake my hand…"

Frisk turned slowly toward the ominous voice cast in shadow. Sans grinned, despite himself as the kid reached out a trembling hand. Damn, he sure knows how to play along doesn't he?

Phfftflrflrflrflrpppfffwewewfllrrrt…

The obscene ripple droned long and loud from the strange creature's hand the moment Frisk took it in his own. The boy blinked a few times in confusion, struck dumb by the sheer absurdity of it. Lily on the other hand burst immediately into a fit of howling laughter within his mind. A grin slowly began to spread across the boy's face and before long he was laughing too. By now the speaker had emerged from the shadows revealing a short, pudgy looking body about a half a foot taller than Frisk. The hairless skull's face was spread into a wide grin.

"heh. the ol' whoopee in the hand trick. gets funnier every time dontcha think, kid?" Sans asked as he slid the gag back into the pocket of his unzipped hoodie. While Frisk had his laugh, Sans looked him up and down, studying him surreptitiously with the wicks of light glowing within his eyesockets.

'lets see... the satchel. that's different. looks like he came prepared this time. hope that's not a bad sign. but, man… that's a real laugh. i must have pulled this gag every single time he came through here, it must've gotten old by now, right? does he just like it that much or…'

"anyways. i'm sans. sans the skeleton." Sans grinned with a wink.

"How.. how the fu…dge does a skeleton WINK?!" Lily yelled from Frisk's side. The boy himself tried to hold back a snicker as Sans went on.

"i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but, y'know… i don't really care about capturing anybody. now, my brother papyrus? he's a human-hunting FANATIC." The skeleton said casually. Like reading from a script at this point. "stop me if you've heard this one, kid."

Another wink. No reaction… Sans tried to hide his unease at that implication. But then, hiding things was something he did well. He decided to play along for the time being. Sooner or later, the kid would give him a sign and then he'd be able to ask just what the hell is going on here.

"actually, I think that's him right up ahead." The skeleton continued. "hey i have an idea. Just go through the gate thingy."

"We can just go right through?" Frisk asked.

"yeah, right on through. my bro made the bars to wide to stop anyone."

Sans turned the boy around and gave him a light shove through the gate. Frisk giggled slightly as he moved forward, nearly tripping over himself and falling into snow on the other side. Sans kept a straight face and lead him along.

'okay, this is gettin' a little too freaky for my bones. the kid acts like he doesn't even know what's going on here. but iknow his memory retention is a lot stronger than the rest of us. so, why the act?' It's a troubling thought, but Sans wasn't quite willing to accept the grim implications. At least not yet. 'welp, i got a role to play, i guess.'

He ushered the kid forward through the forest path and into a clearing on the other side. A few stones lay scattered haphazardly around the area while snow caked the roof of the wooden sentry station tucked amidst the massive trees. But the feature that caught Lily's attention if only for the outright strangeness of it was…

"quick, behind that conveniently shaped lamp." Sans said as if it was the most normal thing ever.

Frisk craned his neck around to the skeleton and cocked his head. At his side, Lily snickered like she was having the time of her life. Conveniently-shaped was the perfect way to describe it.

"It's like I'm seeing double!" she laughed. "Come on, Frisk… come on, hurry!"

"O… kay?" Frisk shrugged but followed Lily anyway.

Sans watched as Frisk made his way over to the prop and stood behind it. He was a little off center, and the skeleton moved to help correct him. Before he could however, the boy stumbled to the left on his own and into the proper place. Sans narrowed his eyes as if he wasn't sure what he just saw.

'was he just… pulled?'

The blue skeleton was left to his wonder as a thunderous beat of footsteps like a stampede of horses foretold the approach of another. Frisk and Lily watched as Sans moved to lean against one of the evergreen trees even as a cloud dust and snow barreled in his direction, a tall figure at its head. The figure skidded to a stop as a band of reddish-orange fluttered from around its neck.

Lily noticed immediately that it was another skeleton, albeit far different from Sans.

"sup, bro?" Sans greeted, his constant grin widening ever-so-slightly.

Papyrus was much taller than his brother; in fact, he looked to be nearly as tall as Toriel. His skull was more rigid and angular than Sans' too, and possessed a very pronounced jaw line. That was about all that was visible of his bony frame beneath the garish attire he wore. A thick spherical breastplate trimmed in gold covered his upper body while a pair of blue briefs wrapped about his pelvis. The red-orange band from before, revealed now to be a scarf, was matched by a pair of gloves and thick boots of the same color. The bones of his arms and legs might have been exposed, were it not for the curious black material that surrounded them, conforming to their shape.

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP', BROTHER!" Papyrus said in a voice far too loud to be necessary. It was the exact opposite of Sans' low, almost quiet tone. "IT'S BEEN TWELVE DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T… RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU JUST HANG OUT AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!"

"staring at this lamp." Sans replied nonchalantly. "it's really cool. do you wanna look?"

"NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!? I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!" Papyrus shouted. "THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!"

Frisk and Lily giggled from behind the lamp as Papyrus continued his speech. Her invisible form had its perks… she was able to watch the exchange with no risk of her or Frisk being seen. She narrated for Frisk as Papyrus placed an orange gloved hand to his chest and posed. His scarf fluttered behind him in a non-existent wind, as if powered by the tall skeleton's enthusiasm. Frisk had to force a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing at the skeleton brothers' conversation and her description.

"hmm… maybe this lamp will help you." Sans said. "its pretty therapeutic. you should try it."

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZYBONES!" Papyrus' voice somehow got even louder. "ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERYDAY!"

"hey, take it easy. i've gotten a ton of work done today." He winked. "a skele-ton."

That did it. Lily fell back in the air and started howling with laughter. Frisk could barely hear the rest of the conversation but he was fairly certain the taller brother appreciated the joke far less than his own companion. Frisk had to reign in his own mirth to keep from laughing as well.

"SIGH…" Papyrus somehow spoke the word, and did so at once. "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME… HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION?"

"wow… sounds like you're really working yourself…" Another Sans wink. "down to the bone."

If Lily'd been about to recover she certainly wasn't now. Another fit of laughter ripped from her. Frisk, who had held his own up until this point couldn't help but snort at that one. A moment of fear seized him and he thought he might have given himself away. But Papyrus seemed to miss the sound over his own exasperated 'UGH!'

"I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES!" Papyrus announced. "AS FOR YOUR WORK… PUT A LITTLE MORE... 'BACKBONE' INTO IT!"

Papyrus shuffled off with a cry of 'NYEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!'. Frisk waited for a few moments and was about to step out from behind the lamp. Lily managed to pull him back just in time as Papyrus returned with one final 'HEH!' before departing for real. After making sure the skeleton was well and truly gone, the two emerged from behind the 'conveniently-shaped' lamp. Sans grinned and winked at him.

"well, that was a laugh. don't ya think so, kid?"

"That was amazing!" Lily said, still reeling from the pun session.

"It was fun!" Frisk agreed. "My friend Lily really likes your jokes."

"what are-" Sans began, but stopped. 'so i was right… someone's here with the kid. i can't see 'em, but someone's definitely there… there's some kinda distortion in the air next to him. he called her lily, eh.' Aloud he said: "heh. good to know i found the right audience."

"It was nice to meet you, Sans." The boy said politely. "I didn't have a chance to say before. I'm Frisk."

It's a good thing it wasn't possible for a skeleton to pale, because Sans would have gone bone white if he wasn't already there. The sincerity in the voice, the body language, even that expression… it was the face of someone who was trying to make a good first brush with a new person. He couldn't believe it… Frisk really didn't know anything? The loops, his friendships, his betrayal, his redemption… none of it?

Sans was used to this with his brother and the other monsters… even he only had vague personal recollections. Were it not for the records, he wouldn't have nearly as much insight into the situation. But the kid? He was supposed to remember it all… every time barring the first, he'd known. Sometimes he'd act like he didn't, either due to guilt or because he didn't want to freak anyone out, but his expression always betrayed the truth.

Now that expression said something else entirely… and the very thought was almost enough to make Sans' bones rattle.

It wasn't possible. Maybe a trick, then? Couldn't he have simply learned to hide the truth so well that even Sans' perceptive eye failed to draw it out? It would make sense, but still… why would he?

'kid… what happened to you last timeline?' He managed to keep a straight face and responded. "good to meetcha, buddy. and your pun-loving friend too." That was something else to look into… he'd definitely do so later.

"Tell him I liked the whoopee cushion trick, too."

"She liked the whoopee cushion trick, too." Frisk repeated before adding: "I was scared at first, but that was funny."

"heh, glad to hear it." Sans said. It was just like the first time all over again. How surreal… "but hey, sorry to bother ya, but could you do me a favor?"

Frisk nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, what is it?"

"now paps… he's been kinda down lately." Sans explained. "he's never seen a human before, and seein' you might just make his day. don't worry, he's not dangerous, even if he tries to be."

"He acted confident, but he did seem kinda sad." Frisk said, recalling the tall skeleton's words. "It seems like he just wants a friend."

"yeah, that's papyrus." Sans said, wondering now if the boy came to that conclusion the first time as well. He always was pretty sharp. "so uh, will you help him out for me?"

"Yeah, I'll try." Frisk said confidently.

"Me too!" Lily chimed in with a smile.

"thanks a million. welp, i'll be up ahead." Sans replied and turned back the way they came. "stay in high spirits, kid. don't give up the ghost too soon."

He raised a bony hand and waved before setting off back toward the bridge.

"Did he just-" Lily began, before noticing which way the skeleton was heading. "Hey, hold on. That's the wrong-" Sans stepped behind one of the bridge posts. He didn't emerge from the other side. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

"What happened?" Frisk asked.

"I don't know…" She said. "Hold on, Frisk. Stay here.

Lily drifted back toward the bridge while Frisk watched curiously from where he stood. With her weightless form it was easy enough to cross the chasm to the other side of the 'gate'. There, she expected to see Sans, crouched behind one of the large posts and chuckling at their confusion. Instead, she found… nothing. Not a single indent in the snow, no loose fibers – no trace at all of the blue skeleton's short figure. She returned to Frisk's side and shrugged.

"He's gone. He went back there but now he's just… gone." She said.

"Really?" Frisk asked. "Maybe he can turn invisible. We saw Mom use fire, so…"

"Maybe…?" But he still didn't leave any tracks. She shrugged. "Well, I guess we should just go on ahead? Maybe we'll get to talk to Papyrus soon."

"I hope so." Frisk replied, turning back toward the path and using both his stick and Lily as a guide. "He seems fun."

They continued along the path, which was only barely visible through the thick blanket of snow that seemed to cover anything and everything within this cold wood. Frisk trudged forward, forced to pick his legs up far more than usual as they sank beneath the powder with each laborious step. Neither his clothes nor his shoes were really made for this kind of weather. The cold cut through the thin fabric of his shirt, and its long sleeves did little to stave off the winter-like bite of the forest.

Though he hadn't exactly done it for the pleasant hike, he found himself silently wishing he had the forethought to wear a proper pair of boots before making his trek up the mountain. As it stood, his simple shoes were starting to gather a fine collection of snowflakes and he felt the chill beginning to bleed through. Lily on the other hand suffered none of those inconveniences. She drifted weightlessly through the air above the snowdrifts as she guided her companion along the path. Despite her clothes being very similar to his own, the cold did not seem to bother her in the slightest.

In time, the children came to a fork in the road. One path lead north and Frisk could just hear the trickle of a river or stream from that direction. The eastern path lead further into the forest, from whence a familiar voice carried on the cold air. The words were indecipherable from this distance but it was quite clear who they belonged too. Lily's attention was drawn to something more immediate however: a wooden box with a bright red lid and sharp-angled patterns along its face and sides in the same color.

"Hey Frisk. Come check out this box."

"A b-box? I… wonder what it's d… doing all the way out here?" Frisk failed to hide the tremble in his voice.

Rubbing his hands against the sleeves of his shirt he made his way over, and clicked open the latches. Despite its rather large size, there were only two items inside. One was a pair of worn garden gloves. Their grey leather was faded and stained from use, but they still held their shape despite a few loose stitches here and there. The other was a dull set of shears. Their blades had long sense lost the edge to cut any but the most fragile of plants, but they shined with the care given by whoever had once owned them.

Lily stared at the objects for a while. A sense of nostalgia that she couldn't explain shimmered through her ghostly form.

"Do you think we should leave them? S-someone might come back for them..." Frisk said, rubbing his hands together.

"I think it'd be okay if we took them…" Lily replied absently.

"But… T-they don't belong to us." He said through his teeth.

Lily turned to him, and only now seemed to notice his situation. She frowned. Nostalgic or not, this was serious.

"C-Come on Frisk. If someone truly didn't want them to be taken would they have just left them in a box in the middle of nowhere?" She said sternly, adopting what Frisk imagined might have been the face of a concerned older sister. "You're freezing. Just take the gloves then and stop being so stubborn."

"I guess...I can always return them once I buy something better. Okay." Frisk knelt in the snow to reach in the box, shivering as his legs sank into the powder. Yep. Definitely should have brought warmer clothes. He grabbed the gloves and quickly slid them onto his frozen hands. They fit perfectly. He flexed his fingers a few times, willing the numbness away and sighed. "Okay… they already do feel a little better..."

"See? I told ya. Come on! Let's go!" Lily chimed.

She led him forward along the forest trail toward where the voices were coming from. Lily seemed content to have at least convinced him to take the gloves, but occasionally Frisk caught her glancing back toward the chest. Her eyes and scent foretold of feelings he couldn't quite describe. Sorrow? No, there was more to it. Longing? Closer, but not quite. Melancholy? Perhaps… Still, he decided not to ask her about it now. There would be time for questions once they found someplace warmer to rest. And so, they traveled on, following the path the loud skeleton had taken. Until…

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE..." Papyrus managed to get out before pausing, whatever he had that counted as ears perking at the sound of feet crunching through snow.

He turned towards the two children in surprise before looking toward his brother then back to them, then to Sans again. Sans was doing the same, his toothy grin alternating in time with Papyrus'. While the tall skeleton seemed genuinely confused, his short brother simply seemed to be enjoying himself. Then, eventually…

"Are they both really spinning in circles?" Lily groaned in disbelief, settling her feet on the ground instead of floating. She leaned against Frisk as he listened to the brothers' antics. "Ugh, they're making me dizzy!"

Frisk chuckled, trying to imagine the outlandish sight, and wishing he really could. Eventually the two brothers turned their backs on the children, attempting to talk among themselves. Papyrus leaned down surreptitiously and began to speak.

"SANS! OH MY GOD! IS THAT... A HUMAN?!" The taller skeleton's 'whisper' carried with all the volume of his normal voice.

"uhh...actually, i think that's a rock." Sans grinned at his brothers confusion.

Frisk turned his head behind him, and traced the stick around in a small circle. He eventually found the rock in question. "Huh..."

"Huh, what?" Lily asked. She turned, and noticed her friend poking the stone. "Okay, I swear that rock was NOT there a minute ago…"

This was getting weirder and weirder.

"OH."

"hey, what's that in front of the rock?"

"OH MY GOD!" Papyrus declared, before trying to lower his voice again, and again failing miserably. "IS.. IS THAT A HUMAN?"

"yes." Sans replied, his grin somehow growing a little bigger.

"SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL...I'M GONNA... I'LL BE SO... POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR! ...'AHEM'," Papyrus posed dramatically and pointed a mitted finger right to Frisk. "HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN… THEN! I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT." He tapered off, scratching the side of his skull and looking a little confused.

Frisk and Lily gave a synchronized facepalm. Frisk giggled a little at the skeleton's antics. Just watching Papyrus was enough to make him forget all about the cold.

"IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE... ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus finished before dashing off to who-knows-where.

"Wow…" Frisk said, grinning from ear to ear.

"well, that went well." Sans said as the two children walked up to meet him. "don't sweat it, kid. i'll keep an eye socket out for ya."

Sans winked before turning and walking off in the direction of his brother.

"Again I ask 'How'? How does a skeleton wink? It makes no sense..."

"Oh come on Lily. It's not that bad." Frisk smiled at his spectral friend. "Besides, I thought you'd be wondering how he got here before us."

"Well… yeah." She had to admit he had a point. "But still!"

She couldn't think of anything else to say so she settled for pouting instead. Frisk laughed, and she tried to pout harder but soon could no longer manage it. The boy's mirth was contagious, and she eventually found herself grinning. They continued along the path a ways before coming upon another outpost. It looked… a little more run down than the last one.

"Is that… cardboard?" Lily lifted a brow. "Hey, there's writing on it!"

"Well don't leave me out. What's it say?"

"'You observe the well-crafted sentry station. Who could have built this, you ponder...I bet it was that very famous Royal Guardsman!' Hm… Underneath it says. 'Note: Not yet a very famous Royal Guardsman.'" She read off the words.

"I bet it was Papyrus." Frisk said.

Lily nodded in agreement. "But it… looks old. I mean, the lettering is all faded and it's falling apart. I don't think it's been touched in a while."

"Papyrus… I wonder how long he's wanted to join the royal guard?" Frisk contemplated.

"I know what you mean." Lily said thoughtfully. "He talks about being famous and popular but… I wonder if that's really all he cares about. People like that… who act up just to get attention? They're usually the loneliest kind, deep down."

"Lily?" Frisk looked questioningly at his friend, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." She said sheepishly. "I can't really explain it… but I think I used to know someone like that. I guess that's why I can sort of understand? I don't know… maybe I'm over thinking it."

"Well if you're right, that's all the more reason for us to try to be his friend." Frisk said. "Maybe that's all he needs, you think?"

Frisk felt a warmth radiating within his chest. The prospect of making a new friend, especially one like Papyrus was exhilarating. His SOUL pulsed. It was a feeling he was quickly becoming familiar with… if he focused on it now, maybe he could…

A gust of wind and a flow of energy later, and it was done. A new golden star burned brightly before the cardboard sentry station, reflecting the lofty dreams of its creator. Frisk touched its warm surface and saved this point in time. It was a good place for it…

"Well at least we know you're sincere!" Lily giggled. "Hey, let's take a break inside okay? It might not keep much of the cold out but it should be dryer than out here."

Frisk agreed. He'd been trying hard not to think about his aching feet, so the prospect of a short rest was welcome. He nodded, allowing her to lead him inside the station and under its roof. Frisk sighed in relief at being out of the snow for the time being a sat down. It was a little damp but still somewhat warm, standing bravely against the chill while offering shelter to those within its walls. Frisk wondered absently if its creator had left a little piece of himself behind when he made it.

If so, he was really looking forward to meeting the skeleton again.

Author's notes: Kicking off the Snowdin arc with everyone's favorite skelebros!

Do note that Sans does not remember previous timelines. He's observant, can put together context clues, and makes records when he can, but he doesn't remember anything any more than other monsters do. He has some insight into what's going on, but he's not all knowing…

The dimensional box… it's contents have been changed a little. If it wasn't obvious enough from the inclusion of the shears, those gloves aren't the Tough Glove. As for why, well… just wait.

Also, if you'd like to give us a small gift to show how much you love us, reviews are always appreciated. :P

Once again, we hope everyone has a good holiday season and here's to a great new year. See you in the next one!