Frisk knew something was wrong when Chara was nowhere to be seen, and they were caught in another dream. It was a horrible one, one where they were fighting Sans again. This time, however, it seemed real.

Sans was burning them, again and again. The gaster blasters were so strong that Frisk barely felt anything when they saved and reloaded again. It burned and they screamed as they were stuck in the Judgement Hall again. But Sans… wasn't Sans. He was enjoying it.

He was laughing as he impaled Frisk on the femurs and the dark pillars of the Hall. He was practically crying with laughter as Frisk was killed and finally, he didn't even wait for them to strike first. He ran straight for them and Frisk screamed as Sans chased them around the Hall, trying to flee, but not able to.

Was this real?

This had to be. The pain was certainly real. As their blood spouted from their mouth and Sans caught them, they screamed.

"Aw, c'mon, kiddo!" He laughed, grabbing their shoulders and shaking them so roughly their teeth bit their tongue. "You dirty, lying BROTHER KILLER!"

No, Sans, please! I didn't- I saved Papyrus! I saved everyone!

"LIAR!"

He impaled them. Then again. Then again. As Frisk lay dying for the hundredth time, they saw another child walking through the pillars, a smiling child with auburn hair and blushing pink cheeks. They leaned down and gave Frisk a comforting smile.

"Need help?" They asked quietly.

Frisk couldn't speak. It hurt too much. They nodded and coughed, the smiling child bending down and helping them to their feet. "I'll help you. I'll always help you." The child smiled and cocked their head to one side. "Let's get rid of the Smiley Trashbag. He's hurt you for long enough."

They were right.

SANS HAD HURT THEM ENOUGH. Everything was HIS fault. HE DESERVED this. It was all his fault. He FORCED Frisk to this.

Frisk smiled quietly as Chara helped them to their feet. They grabbed the knife. The two of them moved together and before Frisk knew it, Sans was choking. Frisk began to cry, but someone was hugging them. Comforting them. It was Chara.

"Don't you see, Frisk? I'm your only friend. Everyone hates you. Everyone despises you."

Frisk jerked awake, just as the train let out a long, piercing wail. Chara was next to them, watching them with a peculiar look. Frisk blinked several times, their head feeling oddly confused. They tried to stand, but their legs felt weak and their vision was swimming.

"You alright there, partner?" Chara said, cocking their head to one side. "You look awful scared-"

Frisk launched themselves at Chara and hugged tightly, shaking from weakness. Chara hugged them back, smiling. "Aw… what's wrong, buddy? Did the dream hurt ya?"

Frisk stiffened.

"Yeah… Dreams can hurt, partner. I should know. I've been trying for months to get your HP this low."

Frisk tried to pull away, but Chara held them tightly, refusing to let go. Frisk couldn't move and Chara was holding them too tightly. They frantically glanced at their HP bar and their heart pounded frantically as they saw it.

0.5/20.

Chara, no- Frisk thought, but at that moment they weren't in control of their body anymore. They flopped uselessly to the side and Chara gave a loud, taunting laugh.

"Since when were you the one in control?" They asked, smiling widely. Frisk struggled, but their eyesight went dark and their soul broke in half completely, splitting right down the middle. It hurt, more than anything in the world and they jerked as they found themselves in a dark, empty room. It was so dark that they couldn't see anything. There was nothing around them, just endless darkness.

Chara betrayed them.

The information sank in, just as the shock of it set in. The pain of it hit them fully and they looked around the room, suddenly aware they'd been there before. It was the place where they always ended up when they died. Except, there was nothing. No 'Continue', or 'Reset'. There was absolutely nothing.

"It feels so nice to have a body again." Came a whisper by their ear.

Frisk turned, but there was nothing around them. Just complete darkness. Chara was nowhere to be seen. "Oh, looking for something? Maybe this?"

The Reset button appeared, right in front of Frisk's face. It glowed a bright yellow, the exact same that Frisk remembered. Frisk stumbled backward, aghast at seeing it again. No… I promised!

"Oh, you did, didn't you?" Chara said, a smile in their voice. "Oh, yes, you did, didn't you? But even SANS broke his promise. He killed us, again and again until you were practically choking on your own blood. That skeleton you call your 'friend' killed us so much that you actually reset." Chara laughed, their voice loud and taunting. "And what if he broke it again?"

Frisk choked as they stood and ran, trying to get away from the button. It popped up in front of them, however, and Frisk began to cry. "Oh, you're so precious… I'll make sure to tell big Sansy how much you love him."

Don't touch him! Frisk screamed, their cries coming out of a mute throat. Don't hurt anyone, please-

"I'm not going to just hurt them, partner. I'm going to KILL them. I'll kill all of them, again and again until you reset, and if you don't, I'll move onto this stupid town you call home. I'll kill EVERYONE."

Frisk screamed in the darkness, but Chara was gone. They found themselves stuck, alone in the darkness with nothing but the Reset button. Frisk curled into a ball, shaking and crying. Where were they? Chara said they now had a body. Could it be…?

Where am I?!

Someone... or something spoke. It was garbled, not able to be heard properly.

Frisk froze. They sat up and glanced around, sniffing. There were… noises around them. Someone was speaking to them.

Who's there?

More noises.

I can't… I can't understand you. I can't-

Frisk looked around, completely afraid and alone. They sniffled, clutching their chest and realising how stupid they had been. Why had they done this? Chara had never been their friend and now everyone else was going to pay for it. They'd been so stupid. They rubbed at their eyes, but kept on crying. It hurt to think about Chara using their body to harm Sans, or Toriel, or anyone. Chara was just using them.

Something cold and hard brushed against their cheek, wiping the tears away. Frisk flinched and the presence that was with them drew away ever so slightly.

Frisk looked around, still crying. Where are you? Why can't I see you?

Frisk stood, looking frantically around the room. The only thing there was the Reset button, glowing a bright, golden colour. Frisk reached out and their hands touched something slippery and cold. It felt like… a body. They flinched, but reached out further, trying to find a reasonable explanation as to what was in the room with them.

A face suddenly appeared. It had an oval-shaped face and a warped smile. It was a skeleton, but it shifted so frequently that Frisk couldn't be sure. There were two hands that were out in front of it. They were hands that looked similar to Sans' own hands, save for a large hole in the middle of each of the palms.

Who are you?

Frisk glanced at the creature up and down. They looked at the warped face, which seemed so sad and alone. The cracked skull cocked its head to one side, the hands suddenly rising and signing.

Hello.

Frisk blinked. Hello. M-My name's Frisk.

The skeleton smiled and signed again. Hello, Frisk. I am Gaster.

Undyne's van smelled of fish and chips. Sans meant that in the nicest possible way, but the car smelled stale. Papyrus was driving, whilst Undyne sat in the passenger seat. The van was large enough for Zhèngyì, Merida, Sans, Grillby and Toriel to fit comfortably in the seats. Grillby sat with Toriel, whilst Sans, Merida and Zhèngyì sat together. Sans was dropping off to sleep and Flowey, who had been put on the dashboard, was growling in annoyance.

"It's freezing!" He snarled, wriggling in his pot. "Turn on the heat, fish lips!"

"I will end you, small weed." Undyne said, baring her fangs. "I like it cold. Deal with it."

"I'll strangle you with your stupid anime outfits, cod face." Flowey snarled.

"Wha- How do you know about those?!" Undyne roared, her eye flashing.

"I DIDN'T." Flowey hissed.

"Flowey!" Toriel said sternly. "Be nice."

Flowey snarled, hopping angrily in his pot. "I'm not in the mood! I'm starving!"

Toriel rolled her eyes. "Well… I do have a small pie that I was saving for Frisk… would you like it?"

Flowey stiffened, then glowered out the windscreen. "I don't want any of that trash." He mumbled. "Save it for Frisk."

Sans cracked a smile. "Aw, the weed has a heart." He said, yawning.

"Shut up, trashbag." Flowey snarled.

Merida glanced out the window, then back to Sans, almost bashfully. "Uh… how is your arm?"

Sans glanced at his arm, lying on the floor of the car and still not attached to his body. "Uh… still not on my body."

Zhèngyì, who was sleeping in his mother's lap, stirred a little and moaned in his sleep. Merida rubbed the top of his head soothingly, glancing at Sans. "I just want to say… I'm sorry for ever saying anything bad about Frisk… I was just frightened and I'm sure you know that humans do stupid things when they're scared. Look at what we did to your entire race; I don't think I can ever apologise for what I said to that child."

Sans glanced over at Merida, shrugging. "It's snow problem. We've all done some stupid things." He stretched, his bones cracking. "Gah… I'm stiff. I walked around a lot today; I deserve a snooze."

"SANS YOU LAZYBONES! I CARRIED YOU ALL THE WAY TO GRILLBY'S AND THEN TO THE POLICE STATION!" Papyrus said, glowering back at Sans, then returning his attention to the road.

"True… but I did lose an arm… so… I did more work than you."

Papyrus' eyes glowed and he made an odd wheezing noise. "SANS!"

"No need to get so riled up, bro." Sans chortled. "Honestly, you're the best brother in the world."

Papyrus hesitated, then smiled widely. "BUT OF COURSE! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL!"

"You got that right, bro." Sans smiled and heard Grillby sigh in the back seat.

"Sans… please reattach your arm." He sighed, rubbing his glasses. "It's really annoying."

"Aw, Grillby, don't be so-"

"Sans, if you make another pun I swear to god I will push you out of this car." Grillby growled, the flames of his head licking the top of the car. "And I will not hesitate to make sure it hurts."

Sans promptly shut his mouth, but Grillby leaned over the seat and glowered down at Sans. "And when are you going to pay your tab, Sans? It's been ten years. Would you like to know how much it is?"

"Uh…" Sans said, feeling sweat bead his brow. "Uh…"

"MERIDA, CAN YOU MAKE BONES, TOO?" Papyrus suddenly asked, leaning back over the seat.

"Papyrus no!" Undyne screeched, leaning over and grabbing the wheel. Papyrus didn't seem to notice and stared at Merida with large eyes.

Merida blinked and even Toriel looked confused. "Uh… I don't think Merida quite knows what you're asking, Papyrus."

"I'M ASKING IF SHE CAN MAKE BONES!" Papyrus said, smiling widely. "LIKE MY BROTHER AND I! I CAN ALSO MAKE YOU BLUE!"

Merida giggled. "Uh… I don't do that…" She said, smiling softly. "I make these, though." She raised her hand and immediately a golden flame appeared in her hand, forming into a large, bullet-shaped projectile. It glowed brightly, thrumming with light and Sans audibly gulped.

"OH MY GOD!" Papyrus yelled, clapping his hands to his skull. "THAT'S AMAZING!"

"I suppose…" Merida muttered, clenching her fist and extinguishing the golden bullet as Papyrus returned to driving, Undyne panting in fear. "It's nothing… really. I just wish that I couldn't do it."

"And why is that, dear?" Toriel said, leaning over the back of the seat and looking concerned.

"Humans aren't supposed to do magic, miss Dreemurr." Merida said quietly, rubbing the top of Zhèngyì's head. "We lost that ability after the war; we were too dangerous. But I can… and I'm afraid Zhèngyì might be able to do magic as well. Humans are just too dangerous; we destroy everything we touch. We don't need love, compassion or even kindness to live, unlike monsters. Goodness knows we can live on just hatred. I know I did." She swallowed, sighing. "A human with magic… a human able to use magic whilst also being fraught with hatred… can you imagine it?"

Toriel looked deeply concerned and reached forward, clasping her hand on Merida's shoulder. "Dearie… it's alright."

Merida looked back at Toriel, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, miss Dreemurr." She said, her eyes full of tears. "I-I just… I don't want anyone to know."

"Please, call me Toriel." Toriel said, smiling. "Dreemurr was my husband's name."

Merida smiled. Sans yawned and stretched, his bones clicking. "Anyone heard from Mettaton?" He glanced around at Undyne. "Hey, what about your girlfriend?"

Undyne turned around so fast that Sans could've sworn he heard her neck crack. His eye sockets went black in fear.

"What did you say, punk?" She growled, her eye flashing a dangerous blue.

"I-uh…" Sans stuttered. "Uh-"

"Mettaton?" Merida asked, her eyes slightly wide. "The-the TV star?"

"He's one of Frisk's friends." Sans nodded, leaning down and reaching for his arm. He tried to speak, but suddenly he wasn't making words any more. He was speaking in noises.

He froze. Papyrus, who was driving, suddenly slammed the brakes, sending Flowey flying into the windscreen. Everyone slammed into the back of the seats and Sans had an odd sensation in the back of his left eye, which prickled.

"SANS!"

His eye was glowing. He unlocked the car door and stumbled out, clasping a hand over the glowing eye. "NO. NO. HE'S NOT REAL. WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?"

"SANS!" Papyrus screamed, stumbling out after him. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

Sans stared in horror at Papyrus, both of his eyes glowing bright orange. Papyrus looked flabbergasted at the noises that had just come out of his mouth, but Sans was more concerned with the burning in his eye. It hurt and he felt as if every bone he owned was being pricked with needles. He tried to put out his eye, but it refused.

"Sans! Papyrus!"

Sans stared at Papyrus, who clapped both hands over his mouth in shock. Papyrus reached forward and grabbed Sans by the shoulders, yanking him close and hugging him tightly. "He can't be real." Sans chanted as his eyesight flickered.

"Ah, did you break your arm, my child?" A warm, comforting presence picked Sans up and shushed his cries. "Do not worry, I will fix it."

"SANS…" Papyrus said, hugging him tightly. "IT'S… ALRIGHT. WHAT HAPPENED? STOP CRYING, BROTHER, PLEASE."

Crying? Sans sniffed and realised that he was crying. He shivered and shook as his detached arm, which was still on the floor of the car, twitched. Sans buried his face in Papyrus' shoulder, crying.

"He's real." Sans chuckled quietly. He glanced at the car, then hurriedly stood, wiping the tears from his cheekbones. "We need to drive fast. Like now."

"BUT SANS-"

"We gotta go, Paps." Sans said, stuffing his remaining hand in his pocket. "The kid's going to be fine; I have a feeling they've got some help."