You gotta stop dreaming so loud if you don't want me to see them Chapter 87

In the depths of night, the great, off-kilter castle of the Inner Circle pulsed with motes of magic and hummed, jubilant melodies permeating its darkened corridors. Any little crack in its immaculate stonework seeped with warm colour as if firelight smouldered within the walls.

.

Barely suppressing a wide yawn behind his hand, Sans wandered the dim castle halls, lethargy worsening his already lopsided gate. He sort of envied Toriel. When he'd peeked in on her, she was out like a light, cozied up in a huge, warm bed with a comforter almost large enough to hide her completely. He, on the other hand, was still awake and had to trek through parts of the castle due to its shifting, and was pretty eager for that to end.

.

The skeleton still had a smattering of questions that had to wait rolling around in his noggin. Though he'd lurked around for a while after Chara left, that skeleton in the dungeon was still a bit of an enigma to him. Also a bit of a mumbler. One more short interrogation session with Alphys after dinner hadn't provided anything new. More one-word answers or evasive assertions of dismal pointlessness. It was a little more familiar than the short skeleton was comfortable with.

.

Sans ran his fingers along the wall, the faint vibrations of elated energy travelling through the stone and up his arm. It was almost enough to wake him up.

.

The air leading up to the throne room was so steeped in motes of magic, drifting to and fro, that it almost looked like it was submerged in water. The beat of a drum and strumming of strings greeted the skeleton as he passed through the huge double doors into the transformed hallway.

.

What had become a banquet hall was still abundant with food and music. There were monsters dozing in every corner despite that. Familiar faces were all around, but none were those of his family so he moved onwards, but not before grabbing a croissant to munch.

.

Into the throne room proper, and he was greeted with a lay of dinner tables, a fountain, and the jungle started from watermelon plants that still consumed half the room, glittering in the dark. The crowd here was a little more highfalutin on average, but no less tired.

.

Alphys had beat Sans to the place. She was already snuggled up on the throne on the high stairs with Undyne and a big bowl of soup. She caught his eye and pointed him towards a shadowy gap beneath some leaves in the mass of plants. Undyne shot him a wave. He gave a casual salute and strolled on over, ducking into the darkness.

.

Somehow, the temperature beneath the vines was cool, almost as if a breeze brushed through them. Voices, polished and tinny, seeped up from the foliage, becoming clearer with every step.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS, DARLINGS, BUT THE FOREST IS, IN FACT, RECEDING!"

"Mettaton, I th-think they c-can see—"

"Right you are, Mettaton! And…! What's that in the distance?! Is that…?! …No seriously, what is that?"

"THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF…! OOH! SCRATCH THAT, HEEEERE COMES PAPYRARA, SAILING BY IN HOT PURSUIT OF THE INTERLOPER AND—!"

A sudden commotion of voices and distorted magic.

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, WE'RE FREE AND—!"

"Aaaaand we still don't know! What the in the heck that is, do we?"

"No we do NOT, my dear Tothke! But it apeeeeears to be some sort of… liiiiiight draaaaagon or something?! Oh, and THE GOAT BOY'S GOING FOR IT AND—!

"And he's in!"

.

Sans arrived to a small alcove in the jungle, lit by the glow of a VC screen, just as a triumphant sound effect of horns and animated confetti rocketed across a screen that, on one side, framed the excited faces of Mettaton, his stork companion, and Alphys, and on the other showed a strange, swirling void with some glowing beings within. The group he was looking for was all there, snug together amongst the leaves. Papyrus perked up first and shot him a grin and a wave, pointing to the screen again just as the void erupted and the massive, dragon-like form of light burst from it.

"Whoaaa," Frisk breathed.

.

"DEAR VIEWERS, THE GLOWING DRAGON HAS EMERGED FROM THE COCOON! I REPEAT, A GLOWING DRAGON HAS EMERGED, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR—! OH SHI—!"

Gaster's laser fired off and everything erupted into chaos. Mettaton's arm could be seen wrapping around the Spybird as he tackled it to the ground. The world went dark and sideways, and the rainbow of energy that coursed across the beast that was Frisk was the only, searing light to be seen.

.

Papyrus hurriedly turned the volume down to dim the reporters' shrieking. Frisk put her hands out and gestured to the screen widely.

"I turned into THAT?"

"Yuuup." Asriel plunked his hand onto her head and mussed up her hair. "What? It's not the first time."

"I-I just heard about it before, I didn't SEE it!" she squeaked. "Yo, that's craaazy."

Chara snickered. She grabbed Frisk's hand and rubbed her fingers over the faint star-brand on her skin. "Hah. Kinda cool to see it in person this time."

"Crazy," Frisk repeated. She tilted her head to the side and gave a tired smile. "Hey, Sans."

The skeleton held back a laugh. "Hey. Kinda shocked you're all still up. Watchin' a recap?"

"Tothke showed up with about a dozen copies of it," Chara said, holding up a handful of little, crystal disks. "Asked Azzy and Frisk to sign them for some charity auction or something."

"I dunno why anyone else would really want one" Frisk said bashfully, "but she said we could take one home, so that's kinda cool. I… dunno how we can make it play, though."

"I'll sort that out for you, don't worry," Chara said with a dismissive wave.

.

Sans plunked down on the ground beside his brother and Frisk slowly rose to her feet and wandered to him, dropping down and wrapping him in a hug. He blinked.

"Uh—"

"Don't."

"…Kay." He settled in and gave her a heavy pat on the head.

She pushed in close, laying her ear against his chest. She let out a soft, ponderous sound.

"Ah." The skeleton's brows raised, but his expression softened. "Hey. I'm fine."

"Shh."

"You're better off just letting her," Chara said teasingly. "She was waiting for you."

"Uh. Alright, kiddo, but don't blame me if y'waste your t…" His voice stalled in his skull as a little influx of warm magic flitted through his soul.

Just a little tug and, suddenly, the skeleton's head felt a bit lighter, as if he'd just woken from a refreshing nap. His eyes grew wide and he stared at Frisk as she pulled back with a bashful smile on her face.

.

"There," she said. "Better?"

Sans put a hand to his chest. "…Yeah, actually, how'd ya know?" He rubbed the back of his skull. "Didn't realize myself."

The kid gave a little shrug. "Kinda felt… I dunno."

"Very descriptive," Asriel teased.

"Sshhh, you know what I mean!" Frisk protested. "Sometimes people just feel woogy, I dunno."

.

As Asriel snickered, Papyrus leaned in close and curiously glanced between his brother and Frisk. He put his hand against Sans's chest, an analytical frown on his face.

"Ooh." He looked at Frisk. "So, what did you do?"

"Turned it back before the Gaster-shooting-into-the-Soul thing happened," she said. "I don't have to hide anymore, right? So." She held out her hand and red flickered across the skin of her palm. "I can maybe help a little more with stuff like that."

"Ooooh!" Papyrus's eyes glimmered. He took her hand, tracing his fingers through the sparks. "Well, that's a relief! Nyeh… It must've been tough to be cut off from your magic like that. I can't even imagine."

Frisk's eyes darted to the floor for just a moment before a weak smile crossed her face. "Yeah. Kinda."

.

"Aaaah, yeah, gettim!" Asriel cheered abruptly as, onscreen, Gaster just about got run over by Leirak and the other soldiers.

Chara scoffed, but there was a dangerous gleam in her eyes as she clenched her hands together. "That's surprisingly satisfying." She shot Frisk a teasing grin. "You could have gone harder on him, Frisk."

"I dunno…" The kid said quietly. "Think he went pretty hard on himself." She looked back at Sans with a quizzical frown. "You were gone kinda a long time, did you learn anything interesting?"

"Whatcha mean, kiddo?" he said.

"You were with Gaster, right?" she pushed. "You saw him?"

"Gasp, did you do an interrogation?!" Papyrus asked.

"Nah. Not me." Sans readjusted himself a little, putting a hand on his bad knee. "Just watched. Only thing was that he was pretty, uh, concerned with you three." His finger traced the air between Papyrus, Chara, and Asriel. "As in, worried y'were hurt or somethin'."

Asriel bared his fangs in a grimace. Chara gave a little snort and folded her arms, scowling at the screen. She grabbed the control crystal from Papyrus and wound the footage back to see Gaster get tackled again.

.

Papyrus's face crinkled with confusion and he looked at his sister, and then back to Sans. "Why?"

Sans shrugged. "Also, guy muttered a lot when he thought he was alone. Some other language. Couldn't parse it."

"Creatlach?" Frisk asked.

Asriel winced. "…Definitely. He spoke it at me."

"Me, too," Chara said.

Sans's brows raised. "Y'know it?"

Frisk shook her head. "No. Sorry. It's…" She sighed and leaned back against Papyrus. "S'just my dad's language. Him and his mom and the knights from way back all could speak that. But…" She looked up at Sans. "If you guys don't know it, that means it's not, like… an everywhere thing, right?"

.

An uncomfortable silence settled on the group. Papyrus put an arm around Frisk and his soul glowed gently.

"We might be the outliers," Sans said. "No way to know."

Frisk's mouth pulled into a thin line and she crossed her arms. She nodded stiffly and sat back against Papyrus, grabbing his hand tight. He took the cue and pulled her into a warm hug.

"Now, I like a good puzzle as much as the next monster. Probably more, actually," he said, "but maybe we could just let this skeleton continue to be a puzzle for tonight and leave him and his secrets to be solved another time? It's been such a long… long long long day."

"He's right," Asriel said. "Plus. Look." He pointed at the screen as Chara rewound the tackle and played it again in slow motion. "Come on, you can't say that's not funny."

Frisk let out a little snort despite herself. She slumped into Papyrus's arms. "…Kay, you're right, Paps."

"I know!" Papyrus said brightly.

.

"Whatever the answer is, I don't care," Asriel said, "as long as he stops messing with us."

"He doesn't really have a choice now, thankfully," Chara said. She folded her arms behind her head and leaned against him. "Hey. Sans? I had a thought." She glared preemptively. "And don't you dare say that's a first."

"You said it," he teased.

Asriel snickered and the girl grumbled, rolling her eyes and shooting him a scowl in jest.

"Insufferable."

"Love you, too, pigeon," he said with a grin.

Chara's pale face flushed a little. "Of course. But, ah… Anyway. What would you say to trying to get us his weapon?"

"What for?" he asked.

"Well, it's obviously extremely dangerous," she said. "It's not bound to him like his blasters are. And maybe one of us could get some info out of it. Or even the Soul might be able to pull something, if we steer it. It might be more forthcoming than he is, since he insists on shutting up at, like, the worst possible time."

"Do you think it could tell us where he's from?" Papyrus wondered.

"Maybe. Or maybe even something like the type of magic it's built from or… maybe some of its history," Chara continued. "Some piece of our, um… hypothetical Gaster puzzle."

"Hm." Sans shrugged one shoulder. "Welp. Not bad reasonin'. I'll see what I can do."

"Good." Chara stretched, a satisfied smile spreading across her face as she leaned her head back to look at Asriel. "Now we have time for some rest. Some sightseeing, if you'd like. Maybe a little more sword training, if you're in the mood. And you, Frisk—" She cast a look towards the kid and had to stifle a laugh.

.

Asriel followed her gaze. Frisk was already out like a light. The boy smiled fondly. Papyrus looked down at her and cooed quietly, scooping her up carefully to cradle her against his chest.

"I guess it's bedtime," he said.

"We let her sleep as long as she needs tomorrow, right?" Asriel said.

"Oh, absolutely," Chara agreed. "It'd be smart for us to head up, soon, too. But…" She bit her lip and a sneaky grin spread across her face. She pointed the control crystal back at the VC. "Just one more time."

xXxXx

As every inch of Frisk melted into an exhausted heap, stars bloomed in the darkness of her mind's eye. Familiar patterns that had guided her— subtle shifts of purple and blue streaking around them. A breeze steeped in magic drifted through her, soothing her brain.

.

She let herself drift. Black became blue. Stars spread like frost. All, eventually, faded to white and quiet, like the muffled bluster of snow around her far away home.

.

Peeking through a realm of grey clouds and swirling mist, the bips and whirrs of machinery broke soft silence. A low bristle of magic settled beneath it all. A deep, cold hum.

.

Beyond eons of nothing, edges of desks and massive computer monitors loomed from the gloom, and the shape of the back of a man in a white coat formed. His shoulders hunched, he gripped tight to the corners of the counter before him. The air around him crackled and shimmered, distorting everything but what he touched as if it rested in different states of creation and disrepair.

.

Frisk hovered, drifting; frozen down the length of every extremity. This was Alphys's lab, she was sure, but not like it was back home. Somehow, she was certain she'd seen it like this before, but she couldn't recall where.

.

"So. How do I stop it?" Gaster's voice. Low, hoarse; dragging through gritted teeth. The skeleton man straightened up keeping one hand firmly locked to the counter. "There… must be a way."

"Dad?" Frisk wondered cautiously.

"This has all been set in motion for a thousand years," a voice replied— toneless, unrecognizable, the sound unwilling to record into memory.

Frisk bristled. She tried to look around, but her gaze was stuck forwards.

"To save the monsters, it was inevitable."

"I…" Gaster let out a shuddering breath. "I did this."

"…Yes. Not you alone, but, yes."

"Then why…?" He twisted around, staring Frisk in the eyes without a second of seeing her. There was only one scar on his face. "You wouldn't be telling me this unless there was something I could do. Something I could change."

"To stop the collapse, you must not die."

Gaster frowned. "But I—"

"To stop the collapse. You must not die. You know the date. You know the method. The eruption is inevitable. All you have to do. Is stand back."

The skeleton winced. He crossed his arms and his fingers clenched into his sleeves. A frantic smattering of noise whirled around him.

.

.

I never meant for

I didn't know that they'd

How could this be better, how

.

It should have been me

.

.

As his posture buckled, so did the world. A jumbled mess of images and forms, flitting back and forth over places of the underground that should never have existed in the same place. All seeped of colour and overwhelmed with a deep melody that throbbed like a headache.

.

.

I never wanted it to be like this

I was so excited

When I met my first one

What a fool

.

.

Frisk's eyes snapped open with a jolt, her mind spinning— a flickering, colourless world on the backs of her lids when she blinked. Within an instant, the chill of the dream was replaced with the snug, cozy warmth of a plush mattress beneath her and the covers and fluff enveloping her. Unfamiliar birds lent a relaxing soundscape, and the faint scent of hyacinth and chamomile drifted by. A familiar plume of temperate flame brushed across her hair. She tilted her head up and caught the end of Asriel's soft snout. He snorted another little puff of fire against her face and she squeaked, quickly suppressing a surprised laugh behind a hand.

.

Carefully, the kid pushed herself upright on her elbow, blinking around the dim room. Inconsistent streaks of light shone through the gap between curtains gently buffeted back and forth by a breeze, giving a little definition to a tower bedroom that looked almost identical to the one that they'd blasted the window out of.

.

Sans was asleep at the table, shoulders slumped and cheek on his fist. Chara was bundled up in a cozy heap on another bed, a faint smile on her face. Papyrus was nowhere to be seen, but there was a note in his writing stuck to the back of the door.

.

Frisk rubbed her eyes with her knuckles and yawned, slumping back into her spot beside her brother. She let herself sink in again for a while longer until a familiar gnaw of hunger ached within her. She reluctantly slid out of bed and clambered up onto one of the chairs at the table. From there, she could reach one of the large, square fruits in a bowl. She grabbed one that was a pleasant golden colour— mostly because it was the closest one— and began to snack. The flavour was tart and sweet at once, pleasant and refreshing; something like a berry, but not one she'd had before.

.

Her mind wandered back to the Gaster who'd pursued her. She was pretty sure the dream she'd woken from had linked into him again, though she hadn't been right inside his head this time. Putting aside the dread and confusion twisting her insides, she replayed the words in her head. Had someone warned him about the CORE? Was that how he'd arrived here?

.

Pouting, she glared at the wall and chomped the square fruit as she mulled through everything. A little tap of bone on wood jolted her out of her focus and she turned to see Sans, drumming his claws quietly on the table. He shot her a small smile.

"Y'slept at least a little, yeah?" he asked in a low voice.

Frisk swallowed a mouthful of fruit heavily and nodded. "A lot, I think."

"Phew." He nodded towards the wall. "So. What'd it do?"

The kid couldn't help a little snicker. "Nothin', I was just thinking." She could already see the questions in his eyes, so she gave a little shrug. "Had a dream. Probably about the guy. Maybe about his home? I dunno."

"Hm." The skeleton's brow furrowed. "Right back in it, huh?"

Frisk's cheeks flushed. "Sorry."

Sans shook his head. "It's buggin' ya. I get it. T'be honest, uh… Same."

"What d'you think I should do?"

"I dunno. Nothin'? But I know that ain't the answer ya want."

The kid puffed out a little sigh and rested her cheek on her fist. The skeleton's grin widened and he winked his bad eye.

"But ya ain't gonna drop it, huh?"

"I dunno how to, even," she said.

.

Sans let out a quiet chuckle. He shoved himself to his feet and stretched his arms above his head. "Oomf. Welp." He straightened out his coat and strode over to the kid. "T'be honest. I wouldn't, either. Got about a dozen reasons I can think of right now that makes this whole thing… real interestin'."

"Right?" Frisk said. She tapped her head. "It's, um, probably a little scrambled, but d'you wanna see what I just saw?"

The skeleton's shoulders tensed, but he grinned sideways. "Couldn't hurt, eh? Least, not much."

.

He squatted down and let Frisk grab onto him before she gently bonked her brow against his. After the transfer was finished, he blinked heavily and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand.

"Huh."

"Weird, right?" she said.

"Who was the other person?" he asked. "The one who, uh… Y'know. Y'can hear, but then ya can't."

"I got no clue," Frisk said.

"Some nerd who saw the future," Sans mused.

She shrugged. "Guess so." She frowned a little. "…Whoever they were, they warned him about how he dies. And somehow that being…" Frisk shot straight up. "Wait. Wait wait wait, oh no."

"What?"

"I…" Frisk gulped. "I-If… he doesn't go into the void do the stuff he had to do in there, I think that might really screw up his world? I mean, if it's the same as back home. Which, I mean, he speaks dad's language and he sounds the same and—"

"And the collapse, what's that?" Sans asked.

"I… I'm not sure, maybe…" Frisk's eyes widened. "Ohhh no."

.

Frisk slid out of her seat quickly and rushed to Chara. She carefully gave her a little shake. "Chara? H-Hey, Chara?"

The girl's eyes opened to golden slits. "Mm? Good morning," she said groggily.

"C-Can I ask you a weird thing?"

"Mmmmhm."

"When you woke up, um… Not here, but back… underground and stuff. As a ghost? Do you remember why? Was it…? Was it the CORE? Did it have anything to do with it? Sans— My brother, Sans, he thought maybe it… Um. Do you know?"

Chara squinted in puzzlement. She wormed a hand out of her blankets and counted on her fingers for an instant. "How old are you again?"

"Eeeeleven-ish, ten technically because of the reset and stuff, why?"

"Ten, with the… The CORE and… Oh. Yeah. Yeah, right, yes, that's about what happened." She moved her hand like the motion of a rolling wave. "A bunch of energy washed over everything and suddenly I was drifting around, wasting the days away monster-watching."

Frisk nodded. "Thanks." She looked back to Sans. "So… So if his world was like the way mine works, if he was trying to… stop anomalies?"

"Anomalous gods," Sans said quietly, plunking himself heavily into a chair.

"Aaah crap," the kid said quietly. "Crap crap crap."

.

"What?" Chara sat up, blinking groggily as she ran a hand through her hair to smooth it. "What's wrong?"

"If the dream is right," Frisk said, "he… he mightta not died in the CORE. Because he thought… Or the other person thought that that was the trigger? The collapse they mentioned might be all the a-anomalies. But the anomalies mightta come anyway and fused with a Chara ghost, like what happened back home. And without him in the void doin' the stuff he had to do, then…"

"It mightta made it a whole lot worse," Sans said. "Welp. Shit."

"Did I miss something really important?" Chara asked. "You mean Gaster, right? …Did you just figure out his motive?"

"I dunno but I really gotta talk to him," she said, looking to Sans with wide, pleading eyes. "Can I? Please?"

"Uh. What for?" he asked. "Whatever y'figure, it ain't gonna make him stop huntin' ya if he can."

Frisk shook her head quickly. "That's fine, I know. But if… If that weird voice just gave him a bunch of bad info. Like, if that was all real—"

"Wait, you're freaking out and you're not even sure if it was real?" Chara asked

"I'm pretty sure it was at least his dream of something that happened. Or… Or something like that, I dunno, those just feel… C'mon, you've had them, too, right? You know the feeling."

"Hm." Chara shrugged. "Alright, fair point."

"So if it was all real," Frisk pushed, "he doesn't know exactly how the CORE screwed up. Me and Az can tell him what we know. So when he goes home… I mean, you're sending him home, right?"

"Still up for discussion," Sans said. "But. Yeah. Probably."

"So when he goes home, maybe he'll be able to figure something out."

.

Sans frowned thoughtfully. Chara let out a loud yawn. She reached out to grab Frisk and pulled her to take a seat on the bed, enveloping her in one arm and blanket like the wing of a bat.

"You take on too much responsibility for your own good, you know?" she said.

"If I can help, I should," Frisk said. "Even if he's bad, nobody deserves their whole universe goin' wacko, right?"

Chara shrugged. She looked over to the other bed. "Whatchu think, Azzy? You up?"

"Nnnnhh, it's too early for choices," the big monster grumbled, turning over to shove his face into his pillow.

"Figures."

"Let's just pause and think about this," Sans said. "Maybe start with a letter."

Frisk perked up. "Y-Yeah?"

The skeleton shrugged. "Can't really guarantee anythin', but we could pass somethin' over."

The kid perked right up. "Thanks!"

.

Frisk hurried back to the table, pulling out her notebook and red pen to begin to write. Chara shook her head a little. She got to her feet, stretched, and then strolled to the window. She lifted the curtains back to let in the daylight. Asriel groaned and dragged the covers over his head. Chara snickered and hopped onto the ledge, looking out at the sun.

"Yeesh, it's late," she said.

Sans took a peek and snorted out a laugh. "Eh, seen later."

"Well. Bad news," Chara joked, leaning back comfortably against the cool stone wall. "We missed lunch. Good news. There's just enough time between now and dinner to eat a whole bunch of snacks."

"Just lemme sleep 'til dinner, then," Asriel mumbled.

.

"By the way, anyone seen Papyrus?" Chara asked.

Frisk pointed to the note on the door. Sans grabbed it in a spark of blue magic and floated it back to his hands.

"Potions and trainin' with Undyne." A wide grin spread on his face. "Happy Chaos-Star Victory Day, huh?"

Frisk froze, her cheeks flushing. Under his blankets, Asriel snorted, while Chara barked out a loud laugh.

"Well, could be worse!" she said.

"You couldn'ta thought of something to tell them that wasn't my gamertag?" Asriel said.

"One, I have no idea what that is," Chara said, "and two, if you think the God of Hyperdeath is any less silly, you'd be extremely wrong."

"Bahhhh…"

.

"Az," Frisk said sheepishly, "um, do you think you could help me?"

"Hm?" The monster rolled over and sat up, blinking heavily in the light. "Sup?"

"With my letter," she said.

"Ahh. Yeah, sure, c'mere," he said.

The kid eagerly ditched the table and sat back down on the cozy bed with him. She offered him her notebook and he took it, eyes skimming the first few lines.

"Hmm." His mouth twisted to the side. "No. No, no, you started this way too polite."

"I thought I just started it normal," she said.

"Nah, dude, you gotta start with, like… Hey, stupid criminal loser, or something. It's me, Frisk, the time god who kicked your ass."

"And then, how does it feel to be utterly defeated by an eleven year old?" Chara added with a grin.

"No way!" Frisk squeaked. "He won't even read it if I do that! I just wanna tell him facts and then that's it."

"Ah. Boring." The girl winked and stuck her tongue out. "But. Smart."

"Will you at least let me draw a funny face on it?" Asriel asked.

"…I mean, if you really wanna," Frisk said.

"Okay! Now we're getting somewhere. Let's seeeee." The boy continued reading, mouthing along with the words.

"A bit louder, fuzzball," Chara said.

"Huh?! Oh! Yeah, sure, uh. Frisk put: I know this will sound creepy, but I dreamt you doing things a few times since you got here. It was enough that I saw what you did when you broke out of the ice dome with the fire thingy in the blaster's mouth."

"Fire thingy," Chara repeated with a smile.

"I don't know what it's called," Frisk protested.

"We'll do some light editing."

.

"Anyway," Asriel said quickly. "What I just saw was someone talking to you about a collapse and about how to not die in the CORE, but you blamed yourself for everything screwing up anyway. I know it's tough but— Frisk, you don't gotta be so…" He sighed and shot her a fond smile, reaching out to tousle her hair. "Actually, forget it. …But, what you really gotta understand is that the info was not all right. The anomalies came anyway, right? And I'm guessing bits of the world just busted, like weird holes of light in places, right? This kind of thing happened in our world, too, but…" His ears lifted. "That's it. Did you not wanna tell him about your dad?"

"I… I dunno. I guess I wanna tell him about what went on in the void with him, even if I don't just say the stuff straight-up," Frisk said.

"What is the stuff, exactly?" Chara said.

"G explained it like, the CORE taps right into time magic and the void or something," Asriel explained. "But it was, like… swelling, somehow. I don't super get it. But he told me and dad that he let himself get taken by the CORE on purpose so that he could cut the void from the inside to like, relieve pressure all over the world."

"…Like lancing a boil," Chara said quietly.

"What's that mean?" Frisk asked.

"Um. It's a human thing." The girl smiled sideways. "Sometimes a wound fills with liquid under the skin. And you have to cut it. To release the pressure and help cleanse the infection."

Frisk's face scrunched up. "…Ew."

Chara laughed. "Sorry."

.

"Right. Um." Asriel held out his hand and Frisk gave him her pen. He corrected a few spelling errors here and there on her letter before proceeding. "So we tell him about theeee cuts your dad had to do, and about the… Wait." He raised his head, his ears pinning back. "Yo. Wait. I mean, I don't like the guy, but do we basically just have to tell him to banish himself outta time?"

"Maybe if he knows about this stuff, he can do what dad did but in a different way instead," Frisk said hopefully.

"…Okay. But. Also. This's buggin' me," he said. "This guy, he didn't die in the CORE. Duh. But. That also means, if an anchor is formed the same way in his world as in ours, it… couldn't happen. So."

"So…" Frisk blinked. "Wait. So. No anchor. Anomalies still resetting a bunch. And the void doin' something crazy, all at the same time?" The kid let out a little dismayed squeak and put a hand to her face. "…Oh, dang, no wonder."

.

"So who sabotaged him?" Chara asked. "Oh, god, don't tell me it was me."

"It was weird, I could hear the words but the voice just… didn't stick," Frisk said. "I don't think it was you."

"But why the hell would someone…?" Asriel frowned and shook his head quickly, his ears flopping back and forth. "Ugh, you got even me caring for a second, here. But, I guess there's no point in going into that bit, it's too late."

"The, uh, anomaly thing might be goin' too deep for the first communication," Sans said. "Maybe keep to the void cuttin' or whatever on its own at first. We'll see how he reacts."

"Um." Asriel looked to Frisk, who replied with a shrug and a nod. "Okay. Can do."

.

Frisk watched the boy curiously as he rushed through a new draft, but couldn't help herself from leaning up against him, a worried frown sinking her brow. There were too many variables to sift through, but she couldn't help but think of her own world— the path her father had chosen. Sans, if no anchor had ever shown up, looping forever and ever, trapped in that golden hallway. Asriel, locked to the whim of whoever took control of time, giving up his own memories; making the same mistakes over and over. Chara, forced to adhere to the twisted confines of her ghostly condition, unless the soul she connected with was peaceful.

.

The thought of the world she'd reset for some other version of her brother, way out in the void, seeped from the back of her mind. Was that just the fate of a lot of universes? It made her heart ache. There had to be others places with an anchor who would stay; who would care. But if Asriel was right, this Gaster or whoever had spoken to him might have damaged that opportunity, if his anchor was supposed to come about in the same way Frisk had.

.

The kid was jolted out of thought as Chara jumped onto the bed with them. She dragged Frisk into her arms and leaned around her to stare at Asriel's writing.

"Hm. More articulate than I expected," she said.

"Chara, please," the boy whined.

The girl chuckled. She settled comfortably and put a hand on top of Frisk's head. "I can almost feel your brain whirring from here."

"I'm just kinda worried, I guess," Frisk said.

"I understand. It's complicated," Chara said. "We could go check on Papy after this is done to get your mind off of this, if you'd like?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice." Frisk looked to Asriel. "You should see their huge potion room, it's pretty cool."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure, sounds cool." He looked up and nodded towards a little bag that was on the table. "Why don't you sign those disk things while you wait."

"Me? Uh. Okay." She got up. "You got a marker?"

"No, no, brand it," Chara said.

Frisk looked back at her in puzzlement. "…Brand it?"

"Yeah, just… give it a zap, from your thumb or something. Sans, show her?"

Sans started to get up, but Frisk hurried to him instead, dragging a chair with her to sit with him.

.

As little sparks of red and blue magic and the hum of energy filled the room, Asriel finished the letter and began to doodle on the bottom of it. A knock on the door jolted everyone but Sans, and Chara instantly got up with a cautious frown.

"Come in," she said.

The door opened, pushed by vines, and Leirak stepped in with a bashful smile.

"Oh, hi!" Frisk said brightly.

"Howdy! Uh." Leirak cleared his throat and held out an envelope with one of his vines and turned his dark eyes on Chara. "A courier came with a letter for you, Princess, but they couldn't quite navigate the castle, so… Here I am."

"Thanks. But don't call me Princess," Chara said as she took the letter and tore it open. "Just Chara. Let's see…"

.

"Hey," Asriel said. "You doin' good?"

"Me?" Leirak's eyes went wide and he smiled sideways. "O-Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"Didn't see you much at the party."

"N-No, I…" He shrugged limply. "I was pretty tired."

"Toriel wasn't there, you could have stayed."

The monster blinked. His mane wilted and he stuttered a little. Chara shook her head.

"To be clear, we all know who you are," she said, and she nodded her head at her fuzzy brother. "He could just feel it. So could I. If you want to come back to your mother, I won't be offended. Though I can't promise a familial bond, I think we could at least get along, don't you?"

Leirak's jaw dropped. He looked around the room quickly. Sans gave him a thumbs up.

"It's gonna be fine," Frisk assured him.

"No pressure, of course," Chara said.

"I…" The planty monster let out a little sigh. "Thanks. That… actually is a little reassuring, coming from you. I'm… still not sure I'm ready."

.

"Hey, dude, I know," Asriel said. "Trust me. I've… I've been through almost exactly the same thing. Including getting stuck in a new body made of plant." He paused to consider his words and his ears perked a little. "Uh. If you… If you wanna talk to her. Like, if you want some tips on… you know, how to tell her you're not dead? I've done that before, too, so we could go through it. Only if you want. Offer stands until me and Frisk gotta leave the universe or whatever."

"Really?" Leirak leaned forward. "You…? That's what you meant when you said that about a twisted plant? It all happened to you, too?"

"Yeah. Different way, but came back from the dead, yeah," he said. "There's a lot of variables and… you might have a bit of a harder time since I'm assuming you look pretty different to the last time she saw you."

"An understatement," Leirak said with a wry smile.

"So that makes it a little harder. But." He winked. "I can see a goat face there. Definitely workable. Oh, and also, make sure you've got some like, warm memories or somethin' you can pull up that isn't public knowledge. Stuff like that."

.

The plant monster frowned thoughtfully. "You… You sound like you know what you're talking about," he said. "I appreciate the offer." He smiled sideways. "We'll see if I get the courage before you have to leave."

"I hope so," Asriel said. He smiled bashfully. "She's, uh, a little intimidating here, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"What, just because she's a giant?" Chara teased gently. "I think you'll be alright. Also." She held up the letter. "Pasithea's ready for us."

"What, right now?" Frisk asked, almost fumbling with one of the crystal disks in her hands as she jolted with surprise. "Ack!"

"She claims she doesn't have anything going on, so to just show up at her shop whenever we like," Chara said.

.

"So do I get to know what's going on now or what?" Frisk asked.

"Soon," Chara said. "Let me talk to that monster's grandma first, then we'll see."

"It's nothing bad!" Asriel blurted.

"I know, you said that last time," Frisk said with a grin. "You guys are schemey."

"Yep," Chara said. She turned to Leirak. "Thanks for bringing this. We don't mind if you want to hang around for a while."

"Holiday time off," Sans pointed out, tossing a square fruit to the monster.

Leirak caught it in a vine and smiled gratefully. "Thanks. If you don't mind…"

"Take a bed, even," Chara said.

.

Though Leirak hesitated for a moment, he gave the door behind him a gentle kick to close it and then prowled across the room to flop onto Chara's empty bed, wilting as if he hadn't had a seat in days. Asriel watched him for a few seconds and a little smile crossed his face. He got up and went to join Frisk at the table. He traded her the letter for the crystals, which now each had a small discolouration on them in the shape of a four-pointed star.

.

Frisk skimmed the letter. To her relief, Asriel hadn't filled it with insults, though he had drawn a goofy picture of her and himself pulling faces at the bottom. She folded it up carefully and wrote Gaster on one of the blank outer sides. The moment she'd finished, Sans held out his hand. She gave it to him and he tucked it into his pocket.

"Gonna have to run it by Undyne," he said, "but pretty sure it won't be an issue."

"Playing it by the books, huh?" Chara asked.

"Wanna be real cautious with this one," Sans said.

"…Are you talking about the Interloper?" Leirak asked.

"Unfortunately," Chara joked.

"He's a piece of work, hm? He reminds me of someone… But I can't for the life of me remember who."

"Probably a good thing, bucko," Sans said. The skeleton heaved himself to his feet and stretched his back. "Guess I'll deal with that now before I pass out."

.

"Sans?" Frisk asked quietly. "Is…? I mean. I know it's… not super likely, but do…? Do you think, maybe—?"

"Oh no, don't tell me you still wanna see him," Asriel said.

"I mean, kinda? It's not like he can hurt me," Frisk said.

"Not with time stuff; he could still just stab you," he said with a frown.

"I don't think he will," she said quickly. "Can…? Can we just think about it a little? Maybe if the letter goes over well and it's okay with Undyne and stuff?"

"Personally, I don't want him anywhere near you," Chara said.

"Same," Asriel said.

"Not sure what you'd want me to do, kiddo," Sans said. "Let's just start with the letter, alright?"

Frisk pursed her lips, then puffed out a little sigh as she rested her cheek on her fist. "Kay."

Sans patted the kid on the head, then vanished.

.

The others didn't stay much longer either, save for Leirak, who dozed off in the bed. Frisk made sure to tuck him in before they left. They decided to take a peek around for Papyrus first, using Chara's amulet and a portal to get them as close to the alchemy room as they could get. The tall skeleton wasn't there, though— he'd left a little while ago with Toriel, according to one of the monsters working within. Said something about a moon pool, apparently.

.

Their next stop was to the open courtyard that housed Soleil's Sun Temple. The large, bright and breezy area was packed with monsters of all kinds relaxing and playing music. Some dogs near the steps of the temple itself had little stalls set up, handing out snacks to anyone who approached.

.

Papyrus and Toriel would have been hard to miss. They sat around the moon pool, the huge, old Queen's fur glinting like polished metal in the light. A large, warm smile spread on her face. Papyrus was explaining something to her so animatedly that he was shooting off sparks like tiny fireworks.

.

"Mom! Papyrus!" Chara called with a wave.

Both monsters whirled to look at her and were all grins in an instant.

"Helllooo, sister and friends!" Papyrus replied.

"My dear, hello!" Toriel said warmly.

Chara raced to her and Toriel swept her into a hug.

"How are you?" the huge monster asked gently.

"I'm fine, are you?" Chara asked.

"Oh, to be honest, my child, I could do with quite a bit more rest," Toriel said with a chuckle, "but, it is so nice out today. It would be a shame to miss it, would it not?"

"And the sunlight will definitely do more than nothing!" Papyrus said.

Toriel nodded. She turned to look at Frisk as well and shot her a smile. "Hello, dear one, you look much better. And, ah…" Her gaze flitted to Asriel. She tented her fingers. "Hello, young one."

"Hhiiii," he said awkwardly, rubbing his head. "I'm… gonna go get us some snacks! Be right back!" He turned stiffly and rushed away.

.

Chara's face fell a little and Frisk couldn't conceal her worry as she twisted to watch her brother go. Toriel flinched for just an instant before her expression smoothed to a warm smile. She beckoned to Frisk.

"Come, little one. Papyrus was just telling me all about what I missed prior to yesterday."

"O-Oh yeah?" Frisk started around the pond, and Chara grabbed her hand as soon as she was within reach. She sat down in the grass with her.

"It was a lot of extremely crazy stuff!" Papyrus said. "Lots of misunderstandings and planning and battles! Things haven't been this exciting since we were the ones raiding the castle!"

"It's definitely been… something," Chara said with a laugh.

Toriel rested a big, affectionate hand on Chara's head. "And you have all been getting on, have you not?"

"Oh! Absolutely!" Papyrus said brightly. "It's been really great, aside from all the bad stuff, I'd say!"

Frisk couldn't help a snicker. "Yeah, that's super true. The good stuff… It's been really good. Even though I'm, y'know, mostly a mess and stuff."

.

"If I may pry, just a little," Toriel said gently. "You and Chara… I learned of what happened between you a long while back. In the place you both came from. Your heart has healed from this?"

"Um. Think so," Frisk said. "She's family. And what happened, back home, it's… She couldn't control it, y'know?"

"I could a little," Chara said quietly.

"Yeah, but so could Az, and… I know it's complicated. Seriously. But." She grinned and formed a little red bubble of a heart with the magic in her fingertips. "Love you."

Chara's face went almost as red as the floating heart and Papyrus burst out laughing, reaching out with blue magic to pull her into a hug. Toriel smiled wide and nodded.

"Thank you, dear." She put a warm hand on Frisk's back and smiled at her. "I know you have come a long way from home, and not by your own will, but we are all glad to have met you here. I must admit, I find the whole notion of these other worlds fascinating."

"…Would you wanna see a bit?" Frisk asked. She looked to Chara. "That's okay, right, we have a bit of time?"

"Y… Yeah, of course," Chara said. Her face was still a bit flushed.

"Time unntiiillll…" Papyrus probed.

"Oh, we're going to Pasithea's after," she said. "Come along if you want."

"I think I will!"

"I am sorry, dear, hang on one moment," Toriel said, eyes growing wide. "How would I… see a bit?"

"Here." Frisk took out her phone and brought up the photos. She snickered to herself and she passed it to the huge monster. "I've shown this to people from all over, but you just move your finger across the screen and it'll change. But, um. You might see my mom, so I hope that's not too weird."

"I…" Toriel's eyes glimmered and she stared at the screen, mesmerized for a moment. She swiped her finger and her ears perked— she all but glowed. "Oh my."

"This might take a while," Chara teased.

xXxXx

After grabbing a large, overly sweetened tea and a bagel from the mess hall, Sans meandered around, teleporting to a few spots in the castle and then wandering, tracking a little more of the layout. He found Undyne after not too long, her loud laugh bouncing down one of the halls giving her away.

.

She was in one of the rooms that was most often used for press conferences, chatting with Alphys and Archon Marama. They were at the large front table, and there were several benches of all different sizes lined up before them, scaled for smaller monsters to sit in front and larger in back. A huge tapestry of Undyne's specific iteration of the Delta Rune hung on the wall behind them.

.

"Oracle," Marama said, shooting him a smile. "It's nice to see you. You look… almost well rested."

"Heh. Thanks," he said.

"Hey, Sans, sup?" Undyne asked. "We were just talking logistics for like four different things."

"Sounds, uh, rivetin'," Sans joked with a wink. He pulled the letter from his pocket and offered it to her. "Our, uh, little Demon of Starhome wants to get this to a certain someone, figured I'd check."

Undyne's brows shot up. "Uh. Okay." She took it from him and unfolded it carefully with her big claws. "…Weird of you to actually ask."

"I need to run a few things by ya," he said. "We all know we can't keep that guy downstairs indefinitely, yeah?"

"…Y-Yeah, it's something I've been considering, too," Alphys said. "That's sort of what we w-were, um, talking about." She smiled bashfully and held up an enchanted notepad that had been writing out a transcript. "I-I was going to send this to you, actually. But, um, of course, i-it's the safest for now, but… He's definitely going to st-start to feel the effects of no s-sunlight after a little while. And, um… I'm not sure how prepared w-we are to handle that. I p-put some glowblooms d-down there, but those only, um, go so far."

.

"We were planning on a short hearing tomorrow afternoon," Marama said.

"What, we're puttin' this out to everyone?" Sans asked, raising his brow.

"He'll have an advocate, as usual. Those he's affected can speak. Just as with anyone else in custody."

Sans scratched his head. "Welp. Then. I got a suggestion."

"You already got a plan?" Undyne asked hopefully. She handed him the paper back. "Also, I dunno what half this crap means, but the letter's fine."

"Cool. But, uh, yeah. I mean, easiest punishment here is banishment, yeah?" Sans said. "Back to his own world."

Marama dipped her head. "That is true. But is it the fairest?"

"Gets him off our backs. Don't have to make a new facility. Don't have to hire guards just for that when we're already low on guys."

.

Marama looked at Undyne. The big fish monster shrugged.

"I don't see an issue. Someone might ask for a duel, though. Might be me."

"Fair," Sans said. "Proposition. Might, uh, solve the sun thing. I'm sure he's aware."

"Go," Undyne said.

"Say we settle on banishment. Give 'im the option. Stay down there, or stick 'im in the Soul with a babysitter."

"The S-S-Soul?!" Alphys yelped.

"No way, why?!" Undyne said.

"Magic in there means y'don't need as much sunlight," Sans said.

"Ooh. Y-Yeah, that's… That's definitely true," Alphys said.

"And, like I said, assumin' the big banishment, I'm gonna need to work with the guy to find his home, just like Chara and I gotta do for those other kids." The skeleton shrugged. "It'll save me some time."

.

"Are you volunteering to be the babysitter, Oracle?" Marama asked.

Sans winked and his good eye flared with blue. "Could be. Not bad at it."

"Hm." She frowned thoughtfully and crossed her arms. "Well. Partially, it'll come down to what his primary victim will tolerate." She raised her spiked brows. "Oracle, I understand she is in your care? I trust you know better than to colour her opinions."

"Of course." He smiled sideways. "Wouldn't have to."

"I trust you," she said, "but, for the record, please offer your hand."

.

Sans held out his hand and the huge ceratopsian gently pinched his palm between two fingers. A little patch of gold shone on his bones when she removed them.

"Swear to it," she said.

"Sure. I, Sans, the Oracle, swear to not mention anythin' about my proposition regardin' the Interloper to Frisk, Demon of Starhome." He smiled sideways. "Or, anyone outside 'o this room, too, actually. That enough?"

Marama cradled his hand in hers and pressed her thumb over the spot of magic. She paused for a few seconds, then smiled and nodded. When she removed her fingers, the mark was gone. "Perfect. Thank you, Oracle, I appreciate it."

He shrugged. "Like I said, I ain't worried about it."

.

Undyne leaned across the table. "Man, you're really doin' all the rules this time, huh? Must be important."

"Havin' to do the hide-out thing with Frisk was stressful for 'er," he said. "And it's not like nobody's gonna notice if I have to spring that guy from prison or somethin' stupid."

"Alright, fair. We'll, uh, try to figure all this crap out," Undyne said. "…You busy? You wanna help?"

"Uhh…"

"W-We're also setting up something just outside, too," Alphys said with a smile. "Sort of a… sorry-for-covering-you-guys-in-a-barrier-on-such-short-notice th-thing. It's, um, pretty light-hearted? M-Might be fun?"

"Uhhhh…"

"W-We were going to g-get an early dinner, too," she said. Her eyes glimmered hopefully. "A-And we could go over the structures, and f-figure out the Interloper, and i-it'll be good."

"We would love if you'd join us," Marama said. "We were planning to fetch Toriel, as well. It will be nice to catch up."

Sans sighed, grinning a little and giving a light shrug. "Alright, alright. I gotta talk to 'er, too."

"Perfect," the ceratopsian said with a smile.

"And explain what the hell the kid meant in that letter to me, will ya?" Undyne said.

"Uh. Long story."

Undyne grinned wide. "Make it a short one, then, you're good at that."

xXxXx

As they were on their way out of the temple courtyard, Asriel caught back up with his siblings and Papyrus, and Frisk immediately gave him a tight, long hug. He was fine, he assured them. It was mostly for Toriel's sake that he kept running off. In any case, his little quest had been successful. He gave everyone the snacks he'd collected, small, flakey buns with little triangles around the edge to make them look a little like the sun. They were filled with a sweet lotus paste, with a little pocket of salted caramel in the centre.

.

Chara used her medallion again to get them outside the Inner Circle. There were a lot of monsters out on the streets, and day markets set up, but they didn't make time to stop. They headed straight for Mugwort Road, instead. Eyes were on them, but aside from a few waves and excited whispers, nobody bothered them, to Frisk's infinite relief.

.

Pasithea was outside her shop when they arrived, sticking a couple posters up on her front window. One that was already up advertised a discount for the new holiday, and another one proudly stated that she acted awkward around the Queen and did not end up suplexed, with a drawing of herself giving two thumbs up. She caught them in the reflection of the window and spun around with a big smile.

"Hey, kids! You came quick! It's good to see you," she said. "I just need a couple minutes, and then we can go."

"Your ads might help a little more if you posted them down the street," Chara said.

"Oh, you know, I wouldn't want to bother anyone," the pesanta said absently. Her eyes got wide and she held up one finger. "Oh! Hang on!" With a wave of her cloak, she ran back into her shop, door bell dinging behind her.

.

She was out again in an instant with a few more poster sheets. She clutched one close and looked at Frisk with hopeful eyes. "I… know this might be a little presumptuous, but would you happen to be willing to give me a little review? E-Even if it's not a five-star, or anything. Honestly, anything helps."

Frisk blinked. She held her hands out and Pasithea passed her a poster that simply read: THE DEMON OF STARHOME THINKS with the rest of the space blank.

"Wowie, that name went around really fast, didn't it?" Papyrus said.

"It was all over the news!" Pasithea said.

Frisk smiled. "Could I have a marker?"

"O-Of course!" The pesanta whipped a thick purple pen from her cloak and handed it over.

Frisk grinned and scampered off with both. "Be right baaaack!" She ducked around a corner.

.

"Definitely a high score," Papyrus said quietly.

"Oh, it won't be lower than five," Chara said.

"Huh?!" Pasithea said.

"Five? Pssh. Gonna be a ten," Asriel said.

"But five's the highest!" the pesanta squeaked.

"If you think that's gonna stop her, then—"

"I-I don't know that I deserve that much!"

.

A flash of bright, red magic flared around the corner and a little, triumphant laugh followed it. Frisk scampered back to them with a grin and held out the poster.

"Wa-bam!" she said brightly.

Not five out of five. Not ten out of five. Ten million out of five, written clear as day on the bottom of the poster. All over, other snippets— FOUGHT OFF A SCARY BOSS MONSTER ONE TIME; LOOKED AT THE VOID AND DIDN'T PUKE; GOT DREAMS TO ANOTHER DIMENSION; REALLY GOOD SLEEP POTIONS FOR REAL— all surrounding the bright red magic brand of a large, four-pointed magic star, iridescent as it moved in the light.

.

Pasithea, gobsmacked, cautiously took the poster from her with an incoherent stammer. Asriel burst out laughing.

"What? Is it okay?" Frisk asked.

"Y-You think I'm a ten-million star rating?!" Pasithea squeaked.

"Yeah!" the kid said insistently. "Definitely!"

"A-And a brand and everything?!"

"I just learned how to do it, I hope it's okay," Frisk said.

"It's…!" The pesanta's purple eyes glistened. "It's better than I could have ever asked for, thanks so much, kid! I-I'm gonna put it up right now!"

.

As Pasithea jumped straight to sticking the poster front-and-centre on her window like a proud parent with a child's drawing on a fridge, Asriel finally got ahold of himself and Chara slid over to give Frisk a gentle nudge with her elbow.

"Only ten million?" she teased.

"I couldn't fit any more zeros," Frisk said.

"You could if they were teeny tiny," Papyrus said.

"I should have guessed," Asriel said. He strode up to Pasithea. "Want me to put it up higher?"

"Ah! Y-Yeah, thank you!" she said. "Aaaah, you guys are all good kids, you know?"

.

Once that was all sorted and Pasithea calmed down, she lead them down the road.

"Alright," she said, "we just need to get a portal to the train station, and—"

"No we don't," Chara said. "I have a way to just go straight to wherever you need." She pulled out her dove medallion. "A sort of… keys to the Kingdom, I guess. It was enchanted like that when I defeated the old King."

"Oh yeah? By who, actually? That's pretty OP," Asriel said.

Chara smiled sideways. "By the old King."

"Oh?! Well, then…" Pasithea laughed. "Thaaaaat saves a ton of time, actually, that's good."

"I wanna go on a real train sometime," Frisk said.

"Why?" Chara asked.

"I never did it before, like sitting in one on a seat and stuff."

"Maybe we could build a train back home," Asriel suggested. "Instead of just the busses."

"Oooh, that'd be cool. Can trains go over water? We could build one to the beach if the humans are okay with it," she said.

"You guys are building a city or something?" Papyrus asked.

"Sorta," Asriel said. "I mean, not us. Our parents. Whole city at the base of a mountain. It's pretty new. Since I, uh, blew up the last one."

"What?! Why would you do that?!"

"A lot of bad choices," Asriel said bashfully.

.

When they arrived at the nearest portal hub— a slightly different one than the one they'd come from, farther back into a commercial district, Chara handed her pendant to the pesanta.

"Picture it, and we'll be there," Chara said.

"A-Are you sure? I don't think this one's on any other network."

"Doesn't matter for this."

The monster nodded. She held the medallion out into the hub and closed her eyes for a moment. A violet portal swirled to life before them and Pasithea jumped with surprise, but then smiled and beckoned everyone forward.

.

The magic whisked the group away to another crystal hub in the shade of an open, wooden shelter. Even so, a dry heat permitted the air. Before them, fields of gold and lavender spread as far as the eye could see.

"Oooh, wow," Frisk breathed. She bounced out onto a path of flattened, orange dirt and sparse slabs of warm-toned and into the sun under a clear, open azure sky. "Yoooo, look at this place!"

The others joined her. Papyrus shielded his eyes and let out a loud whistle of approval.

"Wow, it's really beautiful!" he said. "And look at all those plants! Gasp!" He whirled on Pasithea. "This is where you get your lavender, isn't it?"

"Sure is!" she said. She beckoned down the path. "Come on, this way."

.

Out in the open, the heat was cut through by a cool breeze, wafting that lavender scent gently along with it. Patches of bright turquoise and orange trees speckled the horizon in pockets, and the wall that surrounded the kingdom could hardly be seen as a slight shift in blues far, far off. Once again, Frisk had her phone out, snapping photos of everything.

"This is nice," Chara commented. "I've never gotten out this way before. Are we in the east?"

"North east," Pasithea said.

"Oh! Are we anywhere near Aurum Falls, by any chance?" Papyrus asked swiftly.

"Actually! Yes," she said with a smile. "It's just about a half hour away. You know, there's a smaller fall that leads into it? My ancestors built their home here because of that specifically."

Papyrus's eyes gleamed and he put his hands to his cheeks. "Wowie! Do you think I could see it?!"

"Of course you can," she assured him.

.

"What's that, Paps?" Asriel asked.

"It's a glowing waterfall! Aurum is in all the alchemy books," the skeleton said. "The water is supposed to make a really strong base for all kinds of things, especially things to do with light magic."

"Then definitely check it out," Chara said, shooting him a smile. "You're having a great potions week, despite everything, aren't you?"

"I am!" he said with a laugh.

"Man, this place is so pretty," Frisk said, looking to Asriel. "Do you think our world has cool stuff like this, too?"

"I dunno, you've seen more of it than me," he said.

"Dang it."

.

Rushing water began to make itself known above the brush of wind and the calls of birds. The fields were cut by a river, its banks dotted with rough, organic crystal shapes before it dipped and vanished right at the edge of a massive villa. The stonework was terracotta-coloured and the roof tiles were layered such that they looked like the scales of a massive reptile. Leafy vines covered much of the walls, as did some light yellow and white flowers. The whole place smelled of lavender and vanilla.

.

"…You live… here?" Chara asked.

"Aaaaah nooope," Pasithea said. "I live above my shop! This is my grandma's. Technically my great-great-grandmother's, but I just call her grandma."

"Yo, she must be huge," Asriel said.

"Yep!" She hurried ahead to the massive, wooden double doors at the front of the house and began to tug one open. "Come on in whenever you're ready! Feel free to look at the waterfall, first, if you like!"

The kids looked at each other. Papyrus flushed excitedly. Chara raised a hand.

"We just need a minute," she said.

Pasithea nodded and headed inside, leaving the door ajar for them.

.

"Okay," the girl said quickly, turning to the others. "Frisk, how about you and Papyrus go to the waterfall? We can meet you there once we're done."

"…You don't need us for anything?" Frisk asked with a worried frown.

"We might. I can come get you if we do," Chara said.

"Why's this all secret again?" the kid wondered.

"Because…" Chara looked to Asriel with her brows raised.

He shrugged. "Don't look at me, it was your idea."

"Traitor," she said in jest. She sighed. "It's experimental and we just wanna have it… solid. Before I get your hopes up. Fair?"

"…Ooookay." Frisk didn't look convinced, but she smiled nonetheless. "I trust you."

"Thanks," Chara said. "See you two soon?"

"Absolutely," Papyrus said. He put a hand on Frisk's head. "Come on, friend, I think it's just behind here, right?"

"Looks like it," she said. "Um. Catch me if I fall off or anything, okay?"

"Of course!"

.

They left together and Asriel shook his head with an amused smile on his face. He looked down at Chara and raised his brows. She let out a sigh and pulled her fingers through her bangs.

"Promise me, if this is a bust, you… you'll help me make up a good cover story for her, alright?" she said softly.

"Sure, but… Let's just see first, okay?" Asriel said. "It…! It might be easy. It might be totally fine. You got that other crystal attuned to you, right?"

"…True." She sighed and folded her arms to her chest. "God, I'm nervous all of a sudden."

The boy reached down and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "S'okay. C'mon."

.

Inside the house was just as big as the outside, with an entryway as wide as a room and a high, vaulted ceiling. The walls were a combination of the stonework and smooth, white plaster inlaid with faint floral patterns. Furniture all around was ornate and deep red, whether it was the large tables and chairs, or the shelves covered in crystals and knickknacks. Some of Pasithea's gaudy little objects were among them, proudly displayed beside trinkets of gold and lumps of finely polished crystal.

.

Pasithea was up on a slightly raised floor in a tea room, bright from the large windows, light only disrupted in patches by the plants that were draped across it. She beckoned to them and they joined her at a huge, round table that was laid out with tea and all kinds little snacks, breads, and a plethora of spreads.

"Whoa, you guys didn't have to go all out," Asriel bleated.

"All out?" Pasithea raised her brows. "Oh! No no, this is normal for guests, don't worry. Grandma's just getting the work room ready for you." She looked around. "Did the others stay out?"

"They just went to see the waterfall, I'm sure they'll be here soon," Chara said.

"Oh! Reminds me. Here. I brought this." Asriel pulled out a small package wrapped up in a gold and white cloth and handed it to Pasithea.

She took it graciously and opened it up, revealing a box of the sun parties. "Oh! Thanks! That's really kind."

"Good thinking," Chara said under her breath.

Asriel smiled, his tail wagging a little.

.

Pasithea sat up on the edge of her chair and carefully poured some tea from an ornate teapot into their matching cups. She put one at each empty seat and beckoned for them to sit. "You can, um, sit down if you like, or just wander around, orrrr… you can sit in the little hall just before the workroom, if you like. Grandma will call you in, once she's ready for you." She put a hand up quickly and smiled, her bent ears perking up a little. "Don't worry, it's not rude, I don't mind at all."

Asriel looked at Chara. He took a cup of tea and sipped in gingerly. She nodded.

"Tea first." She climbed up onto the chair and held the hot cup in both hands and took a long swig despite the heat. She winced. "I think I need this."

"You do," Asriel said.

"Shh!"

"You said it!"

.

Once the first tea was done, Chara took a whole other cup and swigged it before she and Asriel excused themselves. Pasithea pointed them to another large set of doors. Beyond them was an enclosed hallway, lit just by a small sconce on each wall. There were a few tapestries on display and two huge, intricately carved wooden benches there.

.

Chara took a seat and clasped her hands together tightly. Asriel plunked down beside her and put his hand on hers.

"Try deep breaths," he suggested.

She scoffed quietly, but she grabbed him and squeezed his fingers. "Tell me this has a chance," she said.

"I'm sure it does," he said. "But, uh… Like, what do you want it to do? Let you come home for a bit, or—?"

"Azzy, I can't go home," she said. "I can't. I made sure. I used her soul to make sure."

The boy grimaced. He reached out for her and she let him pull her into his arms. "R-Right. It's… It's just hard, I guess."

"I know. I'm sorry." She tapped on her chest. "This soul… It's still not really mine. But it's what keeps me normal."

"You think you'd be like how you were back home otherwise?" Asriel asked worriedly. "Like, right back to murder-ghost?"

"…Kinda? If I lose this body somehow." She sighed. "I locked myself to it with the fragment of Frisk. Obviously, I can't be sure. But I don't think it can survive the void. And then the soul would dissolve out there, I'd really be a ghost again, and I break my family's hearts. A-And… if the only way out would be back here, then I just curse them with the same thing I was doing back home."

"That's a mess," Asriel said quietly.

"I know." She took a deep breath. "The best I can hope is… a dimensional walkie-talkie. I don't know. I don't know if it'd even let me speak to anyone beyond Frisk."

"If it works at all, we'll make it work," Asriel said. "I… I know we will. We have to. And if this doesn't work, I'm gonna figure something out."

"Azzy—"

"I promise," he said. "I'm not a nerd like you or Alphys or Sans or Gaster, or even Frisk, but I—! I got a lot of power and—"

"You can't rip your world for me," she said sternly. "Don't you dare. Or you might end up like that guy in the dungeon." She frowned a little. "And you know I can't leave these guys."

"I know, I don't want you to," he said. "I'd never want you to. They're good for you."

"…Not that you guys were bad for me," she said softly.

.

Asriel squeezed her tighter and his throat caught. "I'm… Ugh. I'm gonna miss you like crazy. But, I…" He couldn't help a smile. "You wouldn't believe how happy I am just knowing you're still around and you're not trapped anymore."

"I feel exactly the same about you. When she said you were her brother…" Chara cracked a smile. "I felt like I was going to throw up."

"Oh thanks," Asriel said, his tone heavy with playful sarcasm.

She gently whacked him and then looked up at him. "No, idiot, not like that! I meant… Knowing you were you again… I'd given up completely. Even in the dream Papy saw, you were still a plant. So I thought…" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I thought. I'm just so glad you're okay. I know I said it before. But really. Honestly. You deserve it." She pulled his arms tighter around her and snuggled right up.

.

Asriel scoffed quietly. He bent and gently touched his snout against her forehead. "I think you deserve it, too."

Chara cracked a wry smile. "Aw. Azzy. You're sweet. You're wrong, but you're sweet."

"Bah! No way. I'm right," he said. "I'm the one you messed up the most, so I think I get to decide. And besides! Frisk agrees with me."

"…And Sans?" she asked softly. "I did him pretty dirty, too, you know."

"Ah… Hm. Well." Asriel's brow furrowed slightly. "…He forgave me. And I was even worse than you. So… So— I mean, I don't wanna speak for him— but I think he'd forgive you, too. Since you're really you, now. I bet you'd get along."

"We did, for a little," she said. "Which kind of makes it worse, doesn't it?" She sighed heavily. "I do miss everyone. Mom and Dad. My new Mom is amazing, too, but… I wish I could have all three." She looked up at him and smiled. "I… I never really pictured myself growing up. But I wanted to do it with you."

"Ugh, don't s-say that, I'm gonna cry like an idiot," he said with a hoarse laugh, his pale eyes instantly welling up. "Bet Frisk could brute-force it somehow."

"Even if she can, she shouldn't," Chara said. "Our Uncle already said your world is going nuts without her. She saw it herself. Imagine bringing me back, when I'm some time-ending soul-burning mess. There's no way."

"Really salted the earth, huh?" he said with a sigh.

"A-salted the whole universe," Chara grumbled.

Asriel snorted and grinned. "That was good."

"Thanks." She sighed and quickly wiped her eyes. "Ugh, now I'm a mess again, great."

"You're fine," he said gently. He had to brush his own eyes, too. "We're… We're gonna be fine. Whatever happens. We got this."

She nodded, but she clung to him a little tighter regardless.

.

A few minutes ticked past, but the siblings remained mostly quiet, the anxious buzz of their hums speaking for themselves. When a noise came from inside the room ahead, Asriel jumped, and Chara got to her feet instantly.

"Come in, please," a wispy voice said. "Mind the step."

.

Asriel hurried up and pushed the door open for them. They were greeted by a steep set of large wooden steps in a room that looked to be lit by firelight. They headed up together and before them stood an extremely tall, lithe white dog. Her fur was long and silky around her neck and tail, but her limbs were smooth. Her snout was extremely long and sharp, and she had the same curved ears Pasithea did. She wore a simple silver robe, but she was adorned with ropes of shiny jewellery around her neck and large, chunky gemstone rings on every finger.

.

The room itself gleamed, but not from flame, but from the crystals lining the walls, flickering with magic. There were several spell circles carved deep into the wood of the floor and inlaid with gold, and a pedestal in the centre of each of the largest three.

.

The dog held her hands out to them, rings glinting, dark claws stark against her white fur. "Welcome, little ones," she said gently. "My young Pipa sent me your crystal."

"Pipa?" Asriel repeated under his breath.

"Thank you for taking the time," Chara said with a polite bow, nudging Asriel hard until he did the same. "This is a project that is very important to my siblings and I."

"Come here," the old canine said.

Chara stepped forward and took the dog's offered hand. The monster knelt down and turned Chara's hand over, running her claws gently along the creases in her palm.

"Hm. Tell me the goal. Very specifically."

"Two crystals. One attuned to me. One to my sister," Chara said. "Her magic running through both, identical to itself. I… I think that's what I need."

"Why? Again, specifics."

Chara gulped. "Do you… know who I am?"

"Chara Dreemurr, who arrived from some other world," the dog said.

"Okay, that… saves me a little time, thank you. I want to be able to contact that other world," Chara said. "I have family there. My sister, she's…" She let out a little sigh. "She's a time entity. A… time god. Her magic should be able to reach. We know magic reaches for itself, so, in theory, if we can mirror it between the two crystals, it might be able to contact itself despite the distance. Does that… make sense?"

.

The dog tilted her head to the side curiously. The crystals around the room pulsed softly.

"Hm. Attunement. Magic… cloning. I see, I see." The dog smiled. She patted Chara heavily on one shoulder. "Give me all you have of this project, and I'll do what I can. Then, please wait outside for a little while."

"Th… That's it?" Chara said.

The dog nodded. "I would also like to meet this… time god."

The girl bristled. She looked at Asriel. He shrugged.

"I don't see why not," he said.

"But if it doesn't work…" Chara said quietly.

"The chances for success are higher if I meet her," the dog said.

The girl wilted a little, but she nodded. "Okay."

The dog nodded and smiled. "Please let a little stress lift from you, Chara Dreemurr. Enjoy the gardens. Drink some tea. Take a swim. I will not keep you too long."

Chara gulped. She nodded again. She looked to Asriel and he jerked his thumb back over his shoulder.

"Waterfall?" he suggested.

The girl winced. She squeezed her fingers into her arms for just an instant before forcing herself to settle; letting her shoulders sag. "Waterfall," she agreed.