Chara was not one to talk. Frisk found out as much when they boarded the bus that would take them to the train station. From there, they'd take the number 8 train, all the way to Mount Ebott. As Frisk sat on the old, moth-eaten bus seat with Chara right next to them, they stared out the window at the snow that was now beginning to pick up its pace.

"Oi, Frisk." Chara said, glancing over at them. "Why'd you do what you did when you got stuck up in the tree?"

At first Frisk wasn't sure what Chara was talking about. Then they remembered how, a few months ago, they'd gotten stuck up a tree, running away from a bunch of kids at school. They weren't too understanding of their new school, here monsters could attend as well as humans. So, they chased Frisk up a tree and pelted them with snowballs until they cried. Frisk didn't understand Chara's question, though.

What do you mean, Chara?

"You didn't fight." Chara looked confused, their red eyes flashing. "You didn't yell at them… And when Sans asked what happened to you, you said a dog chased you up the tree." Their face twisted. "Why not just kill them?"

Frisk winced. Kill them? For what? Bullying me?

"Yes, you idiot." Chara sneered, crossing their arms over their chest and glowering at Frisk, as if they'd done something wrong. "You did it before, remember? With me?"

Frisk glowered at Chara. That wasn't me. That was you.

"Oh, so I pressed the reset button?" Chara sounded spiteful. "I was the one that crushed that stupid skeleton's skull underfoot? I was the one who got bored-"

Frisk's hand shot out and knocked Chara in the shoulder. Chara slid off the bus seat, landing firmly on the floor. Frisk's face was dark and they gave Chara a cold frown.

That's enough. I'm done talking to you.

"Why? 'Cause you can't handle the fact that you liked gaining LV? That you liked gaining so much hatred?" Chara smiled as they saw Frisk stiffen at their words. "Oh, yeah, you liked XP. I remember how you smiled in that one timeline, killing that stupid, smiley trash bag-"

Frisk clamped their hands over their ears, but the words had hit their mark. Their soul was cracked near the edges and Chara knew. They gave a small smile as Frisk began to cry, little, silent sobs that filled the empty bus. Chara stood, brushing off their clothes and sitting back down next to Frisk. They eyed the dancing, red soul that Frisk always had close to their chest, smiling again.

"Hey, I didn't mean it." Chara said, dropping the smile and wearing a mask of apology. "I'm just confused, is all. Why kill them, but not the boys who hurt you?"

Frisk sniffed, glancing at Chara before shaking their head and signing. Right thing to do. I'm not going to reset, and I'm not going to kill. There's always another way.

Chara frowned, now really confused. Then they shrugged. "Whatever. You should get some sleep. We're not going to get there anytime soon."

Frisk hesitated, then relaxed and leaned back, closing their eyes and breathing deeply. Chara watched them intently, head tilted to one side. They glanced down at Frisk's HP, which had remained at a stable 30/20 from a good night's sleep from the night before.

Chara raised a finger and tapped the bar lightly.

25/20

They smiled.

"Oi, smiley trashbag, keep that thing to yourself."

Sans cracked open one eye, glancing at Flowey. "What? It's nothing to get saucy about."

Toriel giggled from her seat and Flowey snarled, watching with disgust as Sans took another sip of ketchup. "That's disgusting. How does that even WORK? YOU DON'T HAVE A STOMACH!"

"Magic." Sans waggled his fingers at Flowey, snickering as the flower sagged in his pot. They were now sitting at the police station, of all places, since Flowey had lost track of Frisk when they reached the bus stop. Sans kicked up his slippered feet onto the coffee table in front of him, watching as some of the former Royal Guard moved around the station, some barking whilst others clunked around in heavy armor. Sans waved at Dogeressa, who waved back shyly as her husband carried both their axes, seeing as she was burdened with a small, yowling pup. Papyrus and Grillby were chatting to another monster, trying to find out more about the supposed village that Chara had gone to.

"Kill me, please…" Flowey moaned in anguish, flopping over the side of the pot. "What's taking fish fingers so long? Frisk is going to the village; we know this!"

"Yeah, but I'm sure that Chara isn't going to go quietly." Sans pointed out. "Ketchup, Flowey."

Flowey hissed again, his leaves looking as if they were wilting. "Oh my god, Sans. Stop." He snarled. Toriel patted his head placatingly, almost in a loving manner and Flowey stopped writhing. Ever since Toriel had called him Asriel, the flower seemed more well-behaved. Sans still didn't trust him, however, and his eye was itching to light up again and grab the flower. Flowey was quiet now, glowering up at Toriel, but not telling her to stop.

"So… we literally need an army to get them back." Flowey growled in annoyance. "Are they really worth it?"

"We would've done the same for you." Toriel said quietly, throwing a look at Sans. "Isn't that right, Sans?"

Sans stopped drinking his ketchup and gave a sheepish smile. "S-sure, Flowey. We'd do the same."

Flowey didn't look convinced and threw Sans a dark look. Sans threw him an equally wilting look and rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. He was now worried about Frisk. Flowey had lost their trail by the bus stop and Sans had not been too impressed. Toriel suggested the five of them stop by Undyne's station. It was busy and uncoordinated, but Sans didn't know where else to go.

"Where is she?" Toriel asked quietly, glancing around.

As if on cue, there was a whoosh of air and all of sudden a blue spear impaled itself right next to Sans' head. He clenched his ketchup so hard it exploded all over his clothes and skull. He sat, petrified as Undyne herself stormed out of the office at the far end of the room, following a terrified human police officer.

"GET OUT! I SAID YOU CAN'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU FIND MY BESTIE! LEAVE, YOU PUNK!"

She hurled another spear toward the officer, who ducked at the right moment and left the spear to sail for Sans once again. He threw up a femur a split second before it hit him and could hear someone making a very pitiful wheezing noise. It took him a second to realise it was him.

"UNDYNE!" Papyrus roared from the other end of the room. "YOU NEARLY HIT SANS!"

Undyne didn't seem to hear. She lobbed another spear in the direction of the fleeing police officer and Sans had enough sense to duck. However, the spear caught the hood of his jacket and pinned him to the wall. His bones were rattling and he could see Flowey smirking at his fear.

"Undyne, please, dear." Toriel said gently, but firmly. "That's enough of that."

Undyne snorted, sweeping some red hair into a braid. The former captain of the royal guard was now the commanding officer of the police force of Newer Home. As usual, Asgore had no new names.

"Oh, hey, your majesty." Undyne said, her voice uncharacteristically sad. "Still no word… and no one's heard of this damn village. I'm sending for a car to get to Mount Ebott, but… the storm is bad."

"Uh… Undyne?" Sans said, his voice a little reedy. "Sorry to bother ya… but please… for the love of God… don't leave me hangin'."

Undyne blinked, then seemed to realise that Sans was partially impaled to the wall by her still-glowing spear. "Oh. Sure."

She recalled the spear and Sans fell onto the floor in a collapsed heap. He shakily stood up, then tossed the now-ruined ketchup bottle in the trash. Undyne shook her head and rubbed her head. "Yeah… my co-workers say I need to work on anger… but they love me." She turned very slowly to regard her office, which had frozen like deer caught in headlights. "Right?"

Silence.

"RIGHT?!"

"Y-yes captain!" a dozen of them shouted. Undyne turned to Sans with a look of pride on her face. Sans shook his head and rubbed his eyes; he was tired. It was really getting to him that they hadn't found the kid yet. It was causing his eye sockets to itch, a sure sign he wasn't going to get any sleep soon.

"Listen, Undyne, are you sure you haven't heard anything about this village?" Sans asked, almost desperately.

Undyne shook her head. "No… there was that old human village near Ebott, but Frisk can't be going there; it's completely burnt to the ground."

Sans sighed. "Alright… Thanks. I'm going to go outside… see if they might've magically popped up."

Sans swept outside, covered in ketchup and grumbling. He zipped up his hoodie to hide the mess and stepped out into the snow, which was beginning to fall even harder now that night had fallen completely. He sighed, rubbing his eye sockets and flopping down to sit on the curb. He kicked out his feet, feeling incredibly hopeless. He'd never felt hopeless in Snowdin; there was always that element of control that he had. He knew where all his shortcuts took him, where he would end up. He sighed and leaned back on his elbows in the snow. Newer Home wasn't exactly home… but the kid hadn't reset yet.

That had to be a sign, right?

He had given up long ago trying to stop resets. They just happened. And he remembered that the kid had a dark side to them, too. His hands clenched as he thought of Papyrus' headless body, dissolving into dust and leaving nothing behind save for his scarf. It hurt to think about.

"Stop thinkin' like that, Sansy." He chastised himself, leaning forward and putting his hands to his temples. "You'll find 'em…"

"Who're you talkin' to?"

He jumped, turning and seeing a bundle of clothes sitting next to him. Upon closer inspection he saw it was a human child, covered from head to toe in a large jacket and scarf, leaving just their eyes bare. Sans cocked his head to one side, then glanced up and down the street. There had been no one around… so where did this kid come from?

"Uh… hi?" He said awkwardly.

"Hello." They said, their voice plainly stating they were a boy. "My name's Zhèngyì."

Sans frowned at the name. "Uh… gesundheit, kid."

Zhèngyì giggled. "You're Frisk's dad, aren't you?"

Sans stiffened before a bright blue blush crept into his cheeks. "Uh… you know Frisk?"

"Mama does. She says Frisk was raised by monsters and that I shouldn't trust 'em." Zhèngyì stood and began to balance himself on the edge of the step, imitating a tight-rope walker. "But I think she's lying. Frisk is too nice."

Sans frowned, then remembered where he'd seen the kid. He'd been dragged away by Merida, the woman who had insulted Frisk so harshly that Sans' bones rattled whenever he saw the woman's face. Zhèngyì, however, seemed nothing like his mother.

"Yeah… I'm not their dad, by the way. Just their friend."

"But they say you're their dad."

Sans felt like crawling back into his hoodie and never coming back out. "Wha-what?"

"Yeah! You're their daddy! And their mommy is the headmistress, and the fish lady is their aunty and-" The kid paused, then glanced over at Sans. "Oh… wait… they don't have a mommy and daddy, do they?"

Sans didn't quite know how to answer that one. The kid looked just as confused as he did. "But… doesn't everyone have a mommy and daddy?"

"Uh… sure, kid, but… Frisk's parents weren't… too nice." Sans finished lamely, the blush gone from his cheekbones. "Listen… has Frisk said anything? They ran away."

Zhèngyì cocked his head to one side. "Oh? But they told me they were going to find their mommy and daddy."

Sans sat up a little straighter. "Oh yeah? And? What else, kiddo?"

"Mommy saw Frisk stealing from the library." Zhèngyì said, his warm brown eyes calculating. "Would that help?"

Stealing? Frisk? That wasn't like them. Sans nodded vigorously, standing up. "Listen, kiddo, I need to talk to your mommy, that alright?"

"Mommy says I shouldn't show monsters where we live." Zhèngyì said in a small voice, burrowing deeper into his jacket. "She's scared they'll take me away."

Sans could've screamed at how ignorant that woman was. He scratched the side of his skull in a worried manner before a small idea came to him.

"Hey, kiddo. If I just follow you, you won't be telling me where you live, now would you?"

Zhèngyì cocked his head to one side. He seemed to think for a good, long while before he shook his head. "No…"

"See? So why don't you walk home, and I'll follow you. How's that sound?"

Zhèngyì nodded his head, bouncing on his heels. "Ok!"

He turned and took off at a brisk pace down the road. Sans glanced back at the police station, then quickly trotted after Zhèngyì, who was rapidly disappearing. Sans would've liked to use his shortcuts, but he didn't know this world so well, and didn't want to risk getting the kid and he stuck in an endless void.

They walked for what seemed like a quarter of an hour before they came to a small, unattractive house, the only one across the street. Small Christmas lights hung from the roof, blinking weakly. Christmas was still a few months away, but it looks as if someone had neglected the lights all together. A pair of wooden swords lay forgotten at the base of an old oak tree, along with a cowboy hat and an empty gun. The house looked small from across the street, but Sans knew it was even smaller than he thought.

"That's mine." Zhèngyì said proudly, pointing to the pistol and hat. "Sister had one just like it!"

"Cute." Sans said, glancing at the somehow familiar hat. He couldn't remember where he'd seen it before, though.

Zhèngyì nodded excitedly, then, before Sans could grab him, dashed across the road toward his house.

Sans heard the car before he saw it.

It was screeching, slipping and sliding on the icy road. Sans' eye flickered blue as the red car came screeching around the corner, trundling toward Zhèngyì at a break-neck speed.

Sans raised his hand and grabbed the kid's soul, which glower a bright gold. Zhèngyì screamed as Sans tossed him, as high as he could, upward, right over the car. He raced toward the middle of the road as the car skid past, catching Zhèngyì as the kid came crashing down.

Sans' arms were not made to catch falling kids. His one arm, which had always been wonky since he'd broken it in his childhood, popped right off. Zhèngyì was breathing heavily and Sans knew he had used a little too much magic, a dangerous thing when he was this tired.

The driver of the car stepped out, stumbling away from their stationary vehicle. Messy brown hair, tired eyes and a cold face portrayed the face of Merida, who looked utterly thunderstruck.

"Zhèngyì…" She choked, breaking into a run toward Sans. Sans set the kid on the ground, but he was shaking so badly without his other arm that he might as well have dropped them.

"Mommy!" Zhèngyì yelled, running into her arms. The mother and child hugged ferociously, but all Sans could do was stare at his arm, lying in the snow. He sighed, leaned down and scooped it up.

"You alright, kiddo?"

"Uh-huh!" Zhèngyì said, smiling. "You threw me! That was so cool!"

"Pshaw, it's nothing." Sans said, smiling despite the shock. "It's pretty handy, huh?" he waved his dislocated arm and the child giggled.

Merida looked up, her face shocked. She had nearly run over her son. It must've been a big shock. Sans couldn't really put blame on her; the snow was obscuring the road, the ice made it so slippery you picked up more speed than usual… he was just lucky he'd grabbed the kid when he did.

"You… saved him." She choked out, her voice shaking. "W-why?"

Sans blinked at the question. "Uh… why not?"

Merida's face twisted. It was completely conflicted. Sans scratched his skull with his dislocated arm, almost sheepishly. "I was… uh… kinda hoping to talk to-"

Merida leaned down and grabbed Sans in a hug. He stiffened and made an odd noise as the woman hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder blades. He raised his arm and patted her awkwardly on the back as she cried. "Hey… it's ok…"

"Thank you… thank you…" She sobbed, her face buried in his shirt. "Oh god, my poor baby."

Sans glanced over at Zhèngyì. It was then that he realised who the child was. His eye sockets widened.

A yellow soul.

One filled with Justice.

Of course Merida would hate monsters.

Asgore had stolen her child's soul.

He looked toward the house, then sighed. "Merida... we need to talk. Please."