The entire week following Frisk's strange meeting with the skeleton was one of sheer panic. Each day, every hour was consumed by thoughts of how he could possibly get through the barrier. He even had dreams where he'd see himself crossing it and successfully reaching the surface. He would always wake up exhausted and disappointed.

It didn't take long for Toriel to take notice of this behavioral change. Her motherly instincts made her keen to the bags under the human's eyes, the hunched shoulders, and sluggishness of steps. To her, these signs were call for worry. So today, after Asriel had set off to train with Doggerel, she decided to bring him with her as she ran a few errands in the capital. This way she would be able to scrutinize him for any signs of trouble.

Before they reached the outskirts of the castle though, Toriel stopped him with a peculiar request.

"My child, I know it is yet early since you arrived here, but I hope it is not too much to ask that I introduce you to a few familiar faces around our home. They will be traveling with us today and I believe it would be best if you became acquainted with them. Do not worry, they will not bite."

At first Frisk was nervous, not sure what to expect, but as he came face to face with them the feeling was replaced by a strange one that couldn't be named.

It was Dogamy and Dogaressa—the two guards he had encountered the first day he woke up here. The only reason he had gotten past them was because they couldn't see… that and Asriel's help of course. They hadn't seemed too happy to meet him back then, so who's to say now would be any different?

"We are ready to go as soon as you are, Your Majesty," Dogamy said.

Wait…they could tell it was them? But their vision…

"(Your scent is wonderful today as well.)" Dogaressa added, smiling pleasantly at Toriel.

Oh that's right…they're dogs…they use their sense of smell. It was moments like these he was glad nobody could read his mind…

"(Is this the little guy you informed us about, Your Majesty?)" Dogaressa was suddenly very close to the human, sniffing him mindfully. Frisk stiffened at the close proximity looking to Toriel for help.

"This is Frisk," the merciful Boss Monster introduced with that trademarked smile. "Frisk, this is Dogamy and Dogaressa of the Royal Guard."

"(Hmm…)," Dogaressa hummed, "(your scent is familiar. We've met before.)"

"Oh?" Toriel sounded surprised. Frisk swallowed in a dry throat.

At this Dogaressa withdrew to allow her lover to smell the child. Dogamy contracted a familiar look on his face as he gathered the scent.

"Oh yeah, I remember," he said and Frisk suddenly felt a seed of dread planted in his heart. "You're the rescue Asriel brought with him last week! Don't know how you got past us. Say, you don't smell like any monster I've met before…"

Toriel was quick to interject. "Frisk is not from around here." She covered with an impressive air of equanimity. "But that is not important. What matters is that Frisk is one of us now and needs our help to adjust. This will not be a problem, will it?" Her voice was soft but carried the all the strength of a leader, and Dogamy was quick to respond to it.

"Not at all!" He barked without hesitation, turning sharply to face Frisk. "We'll keep you safe young pup!"

"(Yeah! We won't let anything bad happen to you, you have our promise.)"

The sentiment settled with confliction inside Frisk. On one hand it filled him with a warm bubbling sensation that made him want to smile, but on the other, he couldn't get over the fact that he'd just met them and they were already vowing to keep him safe. Even if it was their job it was still a bit jarring to think about. Toriel seemed pleased though so maybe he should be too.

"Splendid!" she said. "Now if there is nothing left to be shared, we shall be on our way."

There was a brief moment of silence where everyone exchanged a glance as if to say 'we're ready' before leaving. Things were all well and good too until Dogamy suddenly grabbed Frisk around the waist and placed him on his shoulders.

"Sit tight, young pup!" he said. "I've got you."

Frisk obeyed out of instinct, leaning in over the canine's head to balance himself. He wasn't afraid of heights, but he knew a fall from here would still hurt and likely do some damage. Luckily Dogamy had his legs held firmly to his chest. These dogs were certainly… friendly when it came to personal space and Frisk wasn't too happy that he hadn't been asked first before being handled.

A brief glance at Toriel revealed she too had not expected this display from the canine and she didn't appear particularly welcome to it either. But seeing as though the human was secure atop the monster's shoulders she didn't protest. Frisk noticed something funny: even from his new position on top Dogamy's shoulders, Toriel was still taller a bit than him.

Despite the unease though, it still felt somewhat liberating to be seeing from such height. The massive stairway in front of the castle seemed even steeper from this angle, a weightless sensation flowing through him as they descended. It was like he was the tall one—like an adult. One day he would be this tall…

They walked for a while on the outskirts of the capital where the roads were quiet and the sounds of distant bustling from the city within could be heard. This area was unfamiliar to Frisk, Asriel stating that they were forbidden to travel here alone. Naturally this made Frisk nervous as well as highly curious. This place must've been special if he could only travel here with adults. What if he met the skeleton here? He suddenly wanted to be near Toriel.

"(So, little guy, how'd you wind up so hurt before?) Dogaressa asked breaking the silence. (You seem pretty young to be fighting.)"

Her words struck him oddly, filling him with curiosity. Had he been in a fight? He still couldn't remember anything prior to waking up on that apathetic stone floor, cold and alone…

"I don't remember." He was beginning to hate those words. Dogaressa didn't seem to mind though and simply carried on with an inquisitive hum.

"Well, whoever it was, we'll make sure their paws never reach you again!" Dogamy declared.

"(Captain Doggerel told us there was a human around here and that we should be on high alert! So if any show up, he'll protect you from them as well! They'll all pay one day.)"

The paws around Frisk's legs suddenly weren't as reassuring anymore. Just like Undyne, these monsters hated humans and were unaware to the fact that he was one. He wondered how they would react if they found out right now with him being quite literally in their grasp… he assumed they weren't royal guards because of their forgive-and-forget nature. But… Toriel wouldn't so willingly ship him off into danger like that, would she? Of course, he wasn't anything important to her like the way Asriel was, but he still liked to think that she would at least keep him out of mortal danger. He meant enough to be preserved…didn't he?

"Umm, how about we discuss something else?" Toriel offered. A part of Frisk's hope was restored slightly. At least she was willing to divert conflict.

The dogs exchanged a glance for a moment before shrugging.

"Sure thing," Dogaressa said indifferently. There was a moment of silence as the canine drummed up a new topic to discuss. "So, Frisk, what's it like being a member of the Royal Family? All the wealth, the food…you must be spoiled by it all."

Frisk merely stuttered in response. Member of the Royal Family? He was just staying with them until he found his way home…wherever that may be. "I…don't live here," he said.

"(Oh, really?)" Surprise was evident in Dogaressa's voice. The tilting of her head and widening of eyes only accentuated the expression.

"Frisk is simply staying with us until he finds his way home," Toriel said. "Though that might take a great deal of time considering how difficult it is to travel there."

Frisk felt a small stinging in his chest as Toriel's words sank into him. He had been expecting this to be the case but, for some reason, it still hurt to hear coming from someone else… Not that it mattered anyway. At the end of the week he would have to be though the Barrier or else that skeleton would come after him. The thought made him sick with anxiety. What he was doing now was a waste of his precious time. He could be finding ways to bypass the Barrier and actually save himself, but instead he was letting those moments dwindle away as he went to go buy groceries.

Oh who was he kidding? He wasn't getting through that barrier, no matter how determined he was. There had to be some way of getting around that skeleton, something he could say to convince him that he wasn't a bad human! …He was scared though—scared to even look at the monster… maybe he should tell someone. Asriel would definitely listen… but then the problem would be expanded and if the skeleton found out—and Frisk was sure he would—things would be much worse for him. He just had to persuade the monster not to hurt him.

"Heads up, young pup! We're almost to the market!"

Had he not said anything, Frisk would've never realized where they were. The little square that was considered the market was packed nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with monsters, all of different sizes and shapes. And if things weren't claustrophobic enough, the plaza was surrounded by tall looming buildings with some sparing only a crack of space in between. Now it made sense why Dogamy had put him up on his shoulders… he was grateful even though this new position made him feel more susceptible to the stares of others.

"Looks like we lucked out," Dogamy said to his little traveling group. "This place is usually much busier!"

Wait, this was what the market looked like on a slow day? Frisk swept a glance across the already crowded plaza, finding it hard to believe this place could cram a single extra person into it let alone a bunch as Dogamy's statement seemed to suggest. The monsters from Snowdin were right, they were overcrowded! Toriel seemed a bit uncertain by the sight of the crowd as she glanced at Frisk.

"Still," she said, "I do not think we should linger here any longer than necessary. Frisk is not accustomed to gatherings of this size and I do not wish to overwhelm him."

Frisk's heart throbbed. Toriel knew him through-and-through, yet he had not once told her anything about him other than his name. Asriel had claimed she was a 'mind-reader', but that seemed hard to believe. To him it was much more realistic: Toriel was a mom, and moms just knew everything.

"Frisk, my child?" Toriel was suddenly closer. It was odd to see her eyes without having to look up. "There are quite a few things on this list that need collecting and I am afraid I cannot do it all myself." She smiled, glancing pointedly at Dogamy and Dogaressa, before returning her gaze to the child. She looked at him with glittering importance, like he was special. "You are the only one whom I can entrust with the ingredients to our pie, so I hereby grant you the authority to pick them out. Simply inform Dogamy and Dogaressa of what we need and they will purchase it."

It was a big task, but Frisk would do it if it meant he'd get to have that amazing pie again. He smiled blissfully at the thought of it—butterscotch-cinnamon. Food had never been as enjoyable as it was when he first consumed that wonderful dessert. It spoiled him, and now he would never be able to eat a pie not made by Toriel. Everyone had seemed to revere the homemade treat, and the fact that he was the only person she trusted with the ingredients made him feel important. A smile sneaked its way onto his face, a flower of perennial growth, as they set off to gather their goods. It was gone in the moment he noticed Toriel had went a different direction from them. Panic set in and he must've made a noise because the two dogs supervising him quickly consoled.

"(You'll see her soon, Frisk, this won't take long. Is there anything we can do to make you feel better?)"

Frisk wanted to sigh in frustration. Here he was, being a big scaredy-baby again. He could envision it vividly: classmates laughing and pointing fingers at him, all making fun of him because he wants his mommy who really isn't his mommy. Everybody else could handle it, so why was he such a wimp? What was wrong with him?

Trying to swallow the lump of fear in his throat, he looked at Dogaressa with cold resolve.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm not scared."

The response seemed to catch the canine off guard. "Oh…if you say so."

"It's okay to be afraid!" Dogamy assured, patting Frisk on the leg. "You're still just a pup!"

Wait, what? Why didn't they believe him?! They still thought of him as a little baby! He might have just started the whole change thing, but how was he supposed to make any progress if they kept looking at him the same way? This was going to take some tough convincing on his part.

"I'm not scared." He laid it out again. The tone and firmness of the words were pleasing to him in retrospect. But of course, it didn't work.

"(Something nipping at you, little guy?)" Dogaressa asked. Despite the genuine concern in her tone, Frisk was still embarrassed by the question.

"I'm fine," he said. "You don't need to protect me. I'm not scared."

"(Don't think twice about it. Protecting people is our job! It's why we put on these outfits in the morning and spend so much time shining these great big axes…though some take longer to do so.)" Dogamy shied under her sideways glare.

"Hey!" he said. "I gotta make sure it's ready to take down anyone that tries to hurt you!"

She appeared swayed by the comment until her arms crossed about her chest. "I think that's just an excuse for being slow, but I appreciate the concern nonetheless." Dogamy seemed relieved as she nuzzled his cheek affectionately. Interesting…

It was just like how Asgore would complement Toriel whenever he wanted something from her. But unlike Dogaressa, Toriel would never concede. This display was but a testament to her willpower.

"Y'know Frisk, you're a pretty lucky kid," Dogamy suddenly said. "The king and queen really care about you!" his face fell to guilt. "I hope there're no hard feelings about when we first met. Normally, no monsters are allowed into the castle without direct permission from His or Her Majesty first. We would never hurt another monster if we didn't have to!"

Pure morbid curiosity drew out Frisk's next question: "What about a human?" A lump of anticipation hardened in his throat, nervous and foreboding. Dogamy's response was robotic and headless.

"Any human that comes here, we are ordered to take its SOUL."

A hollow chill ran down Frisk's spine. "What if they didn't want to hurt anybody?" he asked with a spike of hope in his voice. It was crushed as Dogaressa just looked at him sadly.

"(You have a good heart kid, Frisk. Hold onto that innocence as long as you can!) She reached up to give his arm a pat, a thing these dogs seemed fond of doing. But it fell short, Frisk wanted an answer, not to be misdirected because he was seen a child and couldn't the truth.

"What if it was a human kid like me?" His cheeks turned red from frustration as the dogs exchanged a chuckle.

"You couldn't be a human, Frisk. There's no way I'd have put you on my shoulders if you were! Yep, that spot is reserved for good monsters like you."

Frisk couldn't take this anymore. The nerves in his stomach twisted sharply and made him feel ill.

"I want to get down." He said more than a little hurried. Dogamy was surprised by the sudden request but did not deny and carefully planted the child on the earth. They observed him with worried glances.

"(You don't look too good little guy. Uh-h-h, maybe we overdid it a bit with the talk about humans… )"

With tightness in his chest, Frisk couldn't hold back any longer: "I want to go home…"

Sans sat slouched into a booth at Grillby's. Normally he'd come here to relax after a hard day of slacking off, but today he just couldn't seem to put his mind to rest. That human's face kept shooting across his mind, barging into his thoughts uninvited. The way he'd pleaded to him, like a terrified puppy dog unaware of its wrongdoing—it made him feel like shit for staying strong and holding to the threat. He mentally laughed at himself. His emotions were getting the best of him. He had made the right choice—the anomaly would try anything to save itself, and he was walking headlong into that trap.

His hands gripped tighter around each other, squeaking from the friction of bone on bone. He should be happy having the ability to retain consciousness of previous timelines, but… if he was being honest with himself… it only made things worse. At least those who were unaware could carry out their everyday lives with a whistle and cheer. But not him… tragically, he had the burden of knowing just how pointless his actions were. All his accomplishments, all the hard work and dedication and support and relationships—everything became pointless eventually. How could you put any effort into something that you know is entirely for nothing?

He exhaled deeply. The thought still managed to gouge out a part of him, which was surprising because by now he thought he'd be well hollowed out.

Again, an image of the human's face drifted into his mind. There was something strange about this human, something…off. Now this was an anomaly of course so by nature it was supposed to be different from the norm. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed, that perhaps this anomaly was not the same one as before. His memories of past timelines were not too clear when it came to total resets so he couldn't be certain of a change as minute as the nuances of human appearance. As far as he knew, he had only ever seen one human. And the likelihood of a different entity, let alone another human, gaining the ability to bridge both Space and Time… one would have a better chance shuffling all the stars in the universe, and trying to find a specific one by choosing at random.

But…the fact remained that something was different about this anomaly, something profoundly innocent—like they weren't meant to be here.

Maybe he could talk to Gaster about it…

As he stepped outside, he could feel eyes boring into the back of his skull. Turning he caught a brief glance of what looked like the anomaly, standing inconspicuously by a snow-covered shrub. Immediately they took off, disappearing behind the behind the bush.

Sans' brow bone narrowed in suspicion. Was he being followed? Now that would require some pretty impressive finesse. He approached the bush, striding casually as he always would but making no effort to hide his intent. As he came around to the backside of the hedge he discovered exactly what he expected—empty space. There was something peculiar in this spot however—footprints—or rather the lack thereof. The snow on the ground was completely undisturbed, no indication that life had been here within at least a day. But he knew that was false. Someone was here watching him not thirty seconds ago.

Snowdin was a little colder now.

He should really get going to see Gaster…

When Sans arrived at the lab, it was to the sight of the Royal Scientist hunched meticulously over a work table that was covered in stacks of pristinely organized books and binders. There was a single spreadsheet splayed before the robed skeleton which he seemed to be analyzing like some strange ritual. Sans cursed mentally. This was the diligent work mode his brother went in when he was particularly bothered by something. When in this state, there was no concern other than his work. All he could expect from a conversation right now would be short, indifferent responses. Welp, he'd have to make do.

"heya, gast." Sans greeted. The scientist didn't even falter from his work, but there was still surprise in his tone as he acknowledged the brother's presence.

"Sans? What brings you here? I did not summon you."

The short skeleton shrugged. "just thought i'd stop by. how's work?"

"If by work you mean breakthroughs then no, I have not made any as of yet." Bitterness laced his words. "After all it is quite difficult to study the human SOUL without one as reference. Speaking of the subject: have you yet located our anomaly?"

"not yet." he lied, then quickly barreled on to a new subject. "so you coming home soon? it's been two days and i think pap's starting to worry."

The skeleton gave a dismissive wave over his shoulder. "One does not achieve breakthroughs by slouching aimlessly on a couch. And I am on the brink of discovery as we speak!"

Sans smiled sadly. This is how his brother always was—entirely dedicated to his work. He sometimes wondered if he cared more about what went on here than his own family. Not that Sans cared about the attention per say. Papyrus was the one he was worried about. His younger brother didn't have any friends and was all the lonelier because of it. Sans was always there for him though, doing whatever he could to keep him happy. But in truth the little bones was going to need a lot more than just his lazy butt if he was going to be truly happy.

"you should at least come visit pap… he misses you."

"Is there something preventing you from bringing him here? The dangers here are few and I trust you enough to keep watch over him. Simply inform Alphys that her services will not be needed whenever you do."

Sans frowned. "you know that's not what i mean…"

"Sans, I don't have time to argue about this right now. The importance of this research goes beyond our own individual demands. With the SOUL of this anomaly, not only will we put an end to these incessant timeline resets, but we'll also have to power to shatter the barrier!" For the first time, he took his attention from his work and stared at a distant wall. It was a gesture that resembled something close to yearning. "It would be an entirely new life Sans—you, Papyrus... we all could live on the surface. And it would stay that way."

The thought was nearly impossible to believe. For longer than he could remember, Sans' hope of reaching the surface world had been shrouded by the knowledge that at any time, they could be ripped from their happiness and set back into the Underground to suffer all over again. With the anomaly trapped though, there would be no more resets; no more need to worry… well, the worry would probably remain. After all, it wasn't easy to just overcome traumatic scars. Worry or not though, the threat would no longer exist and at least Papyrus could be happy… But something still etched away at him. The anomaly would be trapped and forced to suffer. Now as much as they deserved it—as much as they deserved to face the worst agony known to all kind, he just couldn't find solace in the thought. There had to be ulterior motives. He was a scientist; he knew there were reasons behind everything, and these resets were no exception. Even if the data was random and simply chaotic there still had to be an underlying reason—an unhappiness.

"do you think change is possible, even in the most vile person? or is there a point when one becomes immune?"

Gaster turned to faced him with surprise in his eye sockets. "Do not tell me you're feeling sympathy for this anomaly," he said. Sans nearly snorted.

"that's uh… a pretty cold thing to say, bro." Gaster dismayed him by rushing forward and grabbing hold of his face. He vigorously inspected his eye sockets.

"I'm serious, Sans! If there is even the slightest hesitation, the anomaly could slip away from our reach, in which case we would be permanently trapped here."

Sans actually had to put effort into retaining his calm composure while the doctor continued his inspection. "so we're gonna permanently trap them down here instead?"

"I know it's not the most appealing strategy, but what other choice do we have? Think of a virus. They start off simple yet can be horrendously severe. When a patient contracts a particularly vicious virus, they seek ailment through some sort of medication, and for a time that medicine works. But! The virus has a single ability that gives it the upper hand. As time goes on it becomes aware of the medicine and mutates and evolves to develop immunity to it. And the process keeps repeating until the virus is cured by a breakthrough in the medicinal field.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? This anomaly is our virus. And a virus will never relent until it either prevails or is cured…" he paused staring intently at the shorter sibling. "We have the cure. Once we extract the Determination from the anomaly's SOUL, they'll lose all powers over the timeline. You must not squander this opportunity, Sans. Promise me, you'll capture this anomaly."

The shorter skeleton's jaw clenched at the word 'promise'. He hated making promises and in any other case, he'd outright deny. But this was his brother, one of only two people cared about in this world...

After a moment of careful consideration, he said: "i'll think about it…"

Frisk meandered his way through the Dreemurr's cozy little kitchen. He knew this was a bad idea—taking their food without permission, but they were all currently busy and he was too hungry to wait however long it'd take for them to return. It'd be something small, like a candy bar, nothing they would notice missing later on.

If he hadn't been so upset earlier he would have eaten then. But the concern in Toriel's eyes when they returned from the market…how she hugged him so tightly and promised things would get better for him… It all left him too exhausted to do anything…

He started over by the stove, carefully opening the cupboard drawers and peeking inside. The first two spaces were filled with various pots and pans, the next four much the same.

Glancing over his shoulder to ensure no one was around he peaked into the fridge. Lo and behold there, on the top shelf, was a candy bar held by fancy wrapping. It was peeled open at the top and a few bites were missing. Frisk's mouth watered at the sight. He was so caught up by his hunger that he almost failed to see a note tacked flush to the wrapping.

This candy bar belongs to Asriel. Please don't eat it!

Frisk could tell it was Asriel's handwriting. The prince had a distinct style of calligraphy. He gave the bar a few contemplative glances. He won't notice one little piece missing.

With caution he snapped off a tiny corner piece, quickly shoveling it into his mouth. It had that same effect that other monster food had—that initial tingle that was followed by a boost in energy—and the taste was so good…

"Hey Punk!"

Frisk nearly choked as he slammed the fridge shut, spinning around to see Undyne watching him from the doorway. She eyed him suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice stern and gruff.

" G-getting food." He was a mouse in comparison.

She watched him for a moment before smirking, hands resting on hips.

"You got that look on your face—like you don't want to get caught. So spill it! What are you trying to do?"

"I'm just getting food, really!" Undyne didn't seem pleased by that response, her smirk dipping. He tried to make amends. "I just…it was just a piece of a candy bar, I was hungry okay?!"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell on ya. I don't tattle." She spoke the word with disgust as if the word personally harmed her. She rebounded from it as she saw him relax. "So how come you're all alone here? Asriel doesn't have school today, where's he at?"

"He's training with Doggerel I think." He informed, though he had to admit it had been so long ago he wasn't sure if that was still the case.

"What?!" she shouted. "I told that little fur ball I'd train him if he wanted to learn magic! Ngah!" She slammed her fist into the doorframe, causing the fine wood to splinter. "How long's he been at it?"

Frisk stared nervously at the impact crater her fist had left. "This morning," he said with precise caution. If she could do that to a strong-wooden doorframe, he didn't want imagine what she could do to something precious like his head. The fish monster paced back and forth appearing to be in deep thought. Her feet scuffed the tiled floor with each step before she halted in position, head slowly turning to face him. A mischievous smile spread across her face.

"I could teach you how to use magic!" She said. The intensity of her gaze almost matched that of her grin. Frisk faltered beneath it.

"T-teach me? But I don't know anything about magic!"

"Duh! That's why I'm gonna teach it to you! We'll be the strongest monsters in the Underground! And we'll train 'til our bodies break and collapse from exhaustion!" her eyes were hazy with the vision, a longing deeply pitted.

Frisk nearly panicked at the thought of training with Undyne. First off he wasn't a monster (not that he was going to tell her this, though) so he didn't even know if he could learn their magic. Second, this was Undyne—the very epitome of strength and vigor. There was no way he would ever be able to keep up with that.

"Uh, I don't think I'm the right person to train. I'm not strong enough. I can tell Asriel though; he'd be able to do it." If his dad was any indication, the young prince would be nothing short of amazing. In all actuality, Asriel probably had the most potential of any monster in the Underground. And Frisk? Well…he had arms and legs! …albeit about the size of toothpicks in diameter. Undyne must've realized this as well because her expression dropped into what could only be described as an indecipherable monolith.

"Fine you can tell him…" she said, "...once we've whooped his butt! I'll be back first thing in the morning, so be ready! And I don't want to hear any more sorry, 'I'm-not-strong-enough' crap! Anything can be achieved with DETERMINATION! I don't care what those nerdy scientists say—Monsters can be determined too! We just have to reach it! Now, uh, tell Asgore or Toriel so they don't get all worried or whatever…I'm gonna go home and prepare the spears!"

She left—a storm of energy traveling in her wake. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into but he knew it wasn't going to be pleasant—even remotely. He looked down at his hands which were much too callous to belong to a child. Could he really learn magic? The thought made his chest bubble with curiosity. He'd be stronger instead of the useless glass vase he was now, always needing to be shielded and secured so that it didn't shatter. And he wasn't even good-looking either. While Asriel had the soft features and perfectly rounded angles to look like an adorable child, Frisk had a strangely misshapen head and sickly yellow skin. Honestly, there was no reason to keep him around as he currently was. But with magic? It just might be enough to earn his keep. Maybe even enough to stand up to that skeleton…

His fingers clenched up into fists. Just maybe… this could work. Well, guess it was time for bed now then…First thing in the morning was probably very early…

Frisk could feel that something was off when he awoke, but he wasn't prepared to find himself chained down to a metal table in the middle of a cold bright room. To say this place was unwelcoming would be an understatement. The walls were sterile white and emotionless as they stretched and encased the room. Tiles covered every inch, leaving no space for even a window. The only light that shone in here was artificial and sickeningly white.

What was this place? Why was he trapped to this table?!

Panic rose in his chest as he became aware of the restraints around his body again. He tested their strength by struggling with all the force his little body could produce. They didn't budge.

"struggle all you want, kid, you're not gonna get free."

All the blood flushed from Frisk's face as he recognized the voice. He didn't need to see the face to know. "B…but it hasn't been a week…" he whimpered. His voice was so small and weak from fear.

"look, kid, you and i both know you weren't going anywhere come the end of the week."

No! This couldn't be happening! He wasn't ready!

"I…" Frisk didn't know what to say. He was scared, confused, devastated. He closed his eyes; let his head droop in defeat. "Just kill me and get it over with." He couldn't cry. He had to fight the urge.

The skeleton didn't respond, just walked silently into view. Frisk felt worry and anger boil up inside him at the treatment. He tried to look away and—crap! There was moisture running down his cheeks!

"relax kid, i'm not gonna kill you." There was a touch of guilt in his voice. Frisk sniffled in confusion.

"Huh?" was all he managed. The monster chuckled.

"guess you were expecting something else, huh? shouldn't set your expectations so high."

"W-why am I stuck to the table?" he wiggled for emphasis. The skeleton approached him now, flicking a finger of bone against the stainless steel of the restraint. He gave a mysterious grin that was somehow able to look casual while also appearing sadistic.

"pretty strong, aren't they?" A pause. "but before we get ahead of ourselves, theres something I gotta ask: if you could go back and change the outcome of an event, would you?"

Puzzled by the sudden question, the human stared. "W-what?" he questioned. Was this some kind of test? The skeleton just repeated the question forcing Frisk to think of a response. After a scrambled moment, he managed a single, unimaginative response.

"I don't know." He feared that the skeleton would get angry at him, but to his surprise, the monster maintained a level stare.

"all right then…" he said. "you know there's no 'd' in my name, right?"

One would think the skeleton had two heads with the way Frisk was staring at him right now. Slowly the human shook his head. "I don't know your name," he said. This caught the monster's interest.

"really? sans doesn't ring any bells?" Frisk shook his head. "so…you don't know who i am then?"

"Are you from the Royal Guard?" It was a blind guess. And Frisk could tell he was wrong when the skeleton gave a comical huff.

"not quite. what's your name?"

"Frisk."

A strange look filled in Sans' eye sockets upon hearing the name, one that appeared as if he had eaten something and was trying to distinguish a familiar taste. The expression was gone in an instant though, that same old grin resuming its stance on the skeletal face.

"so, frisk, what brings you to the underground? on the surface you got fresh air, a beautiful sky, endless space…why come to a cramped old place filled with horrible monsters?" Frisk was about so respond when the skeleton cut him off. "judging by the look on your face, i'd say you can't remember, am i right?"

Frisk was shocked by the accuracy of that statement. "Can you help me get my memories back?" he asked, a little too desperately.

"sorry, kiddo, that's too much work for one skeleton." Frisk deflated considerably.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"maybe."

Silence resumed, but this time it wasn't as painful.

"y'know," sans spoke up, "maybe it's best you can't remember anything. sometimes the past isn't so kind…"

"But I want to remember!" Frisk argued. He really did!

"we don't always get what we want."

Frustration and confusion swelled inside the human. He didn't understand why the monster was being so dismissive. If he wasn't going to kill him and did not want to help him then what was the point?

"Why am I here?"

"because you can't move."

"Will you let me go?"

"i'd rather not."

Frisk's anger was quickly building. The skeleton knew he wanted answers and was deliberately avoiding his questions to irritate him. It was like he was trying to get revenge on the human for something, but for what reasons Frisk still had no idea.

"If I did something to upset you, I'm sorry. I-I know I'm human but I don't want to hurt any monsters!" Frisk said.

Sans was quiet for a moment before a short dry chuckle rolled through his teeth. When he turned to face Frisk this time it was with a much darker expression. "all right kid, i'll level with ya. you don't wanna be here and to be honest, i don't much care for the whole interrogation approach. You were following me. I saw it the other night in snowdin. Now I'm not gonna question why, 'cause frankly, i don't care—"

"Wha-no! I haven't been following you!" The skeleton had to believe him, it was the truth! Unfortunately, Sans seemed unenthused.

"ever play pong?" he asked.

Frisk appeared physically struck by confusion. He was pretty sure he knew the game, the one where you hit a ball back and try to beat the computer, kind of like real-life game: ping pong. But why did the monster bring this up? Seeing that the skeleton was still awaiting his response, he gave a brief nod.

"simple game, right?" he asked. Again Frisk nodded. "well, imagine your opponent was a wall, covering the entire opposing side of the screen. how would you beat it? well, the answer is pretty simple: you don't. the wisest thing to do in that situation is to plainly and simply quit—give up while you're ahead. but that's just ridiculous, isn't it? the a.i. could never change itself like that, it'll always be the same every time you boot up the game.

"it makes you think… once the player has conquered the game, why does the computer keep trying to win? maybe its memory is reset each time a new game is started up, the player having an endless advantage over the helpless and naïve artificial intelligence… but how would that change if the computer suddenly became aware—suddenly gaining consciousness of each game just like the player? well, this answer, too, is simple: the computer stops the player from winning. the only option left for the player is to do the one thing the computer can't: quit… do you see what im saying? if you keep playing this game, you're never gonna win. and right now, i am giving you the chance to end it."

Dark eye sockets watched the human closely, inspecting him for any sign of an answer. But Frisk revealed nothing. Truthfully, he had no idea what the skeleton was even talking about. He followed that he was trying to say their conversation was pointless, but beyond that—the whole computer learning the player's moves or whatever—it didn't make much sense to him. It was almost like he was being scolded passive-aggressively. Regardless, whatever it was it was no doubt the reason Sans had it out for him. Knowing what that thing was, however, would be pretty helpful.

The skeleton's attention was suddenly pulled from the human to his jacket pocket as a low rhythmic buzz emanated from within. Without hesitation he pulled out a cell phone and put it up to his ear.

"heya, pap." He answered nonchalant, as if he were on a stroll through the park. Silence followed as he listened intently to a rather loud and piercing voice on the other line. He shook his head. "not much longer. just finishing up. there's some leftover spaghetti in the fridge…yep. be good…no, gast's staying here tonight… we'll talk about later, gotta go." A moment passed before he hung up. He was quick to notice the human's stare.

"Who was that?" Frisk asked unable to barricade his curiosity. He was met with a gesture that was resembling of an eye brow being arched.

"kinda nosey, butting into someone else's conversation, don't ya think?"

Frisk's face must've been red from the embarrassment he was feeling. Despite the fact that he was the victim here, it was still unpleasant to be called out for being a snoop.

"that was my brother," the skeleton suddenly said.

Frisk blinked in surprise at the admission. Of all the questions Frisk asked, he answers that one?

"you look confused," Sans said, "which is funny because statistically speaking you already know him… more than i do in fact…" he paused for a moment, noting the human's confused look, "…but i'm beginning to think statistics are wrong and that you are just truly naïve." Things were starting to make sense to him. Frisk on the other hand…

"…I don't get it."

Sans' grin rose slightly and his eyes closed as if weighed down by an invisible force. After a long moment they opened. "don't sweat it kid. you're not the person i thought you were. here," he moved toward Frisk and with the flick of a skeletal finger, the restraints binding the human to the table snapped open. "follow me," he beckoned. Reluctantly, Frisk followed.

They only moved a few feet it seemed, but somehow, they wound up in a much livelier room in next to two heavy, sliding doors.

"welp, thanks for visiting. have a nice day." He turned and began walking off into the room.

"Wait!" Frisk said catching the monster in the middle of a step. Sans turned with the slowness of an old machine, hands hidden in pockets and grin still remaining. The arched brow was the only indication that the skeleton was waiting for him to continue. Frisk fumbled with his words.

"Y-you're letting—you're letting me go?" he asked.

Sans' expression didn't change. "there's nothing holding you down is there?"

Frisk shook his head.

"then there you go." He turned to leave was stopped by Frisk yet again.

"Why?"

Agitation was barely perceptible in Sans' shoulders and the skeleton willed it away in an instant. "isn't this what you wanted?" he asked. "to be freed? i can lock you back up if you'd like?"

"No!" he whipped out. "that's—that's not what I meant."

"kid you're worrying about this too much."

"But…I don't understand. Why're letting me go?"

Sans let out a breathy laugh, incredulous. "y'know, any other person in your shoes would be halfway across the underground by now."

"Urgh! Why won't you tell me anything!?"

"i'm telling you plenty of things. and uh, you might wanna keep your voice down…if my lab partner hears you i'll have to re-capture you. and this time it would be permanent."

Frisk quieted down at that, not wanting to be detained once again. But he still wanted an explanation and he knew he could get one out of this stubborn skeleton if he just kept pressing. The thought alone—it filled him with Determination.

When he spoke again it was with a much quieter tone. "Will you please tell me?" he asked. On top of that, he added in his best effort at puppy-dog eyes to hopefully sway the skeleton's conscience.

It failed…miserably. The monster was completely unfazed by the expression, that generous grin not once wavering on his face. "tell you…what?" he asked, not even having the decency to act confused or curious.

Frisk grit his teeth. Keep pressing.

"There's something you're hiding from me."

"is there?"

"Yes," he said putting it out as firmly as someone with as high a voice as his could.

Sans stood silently, mouth sewn shut as if not going to respond. But suddenly he spoke.

"kid, you're pressing the wrong skeleton. you're searching for help, i can tell." He shrugged, "but i wasn't the one who helped you back to the king and queen's castle when you were woke up here." At Frisk's perplexed look, he continued. "take it from me, kiddo: don't push people that care about you out of your life for too long. and that little prince—he seems to care a lot about you. who knows? you might be surprised to find he's all ears when it comes to listening."

Frisk was surprised by what he was hearing. For the first time, he actually felt drawn to the skeleton, like there was a mutual understanding between the two of them. There was only one concern left that Frisk couldn't help but voice.

"Are you still mad—"He cut himself short. Sans was already gone, vanishing through the sliding lab doors. He frowned. He wanted closure.

Well…looks like he'd have to wait on that. Right now, though, there was something more important he needed to do.

When Frisk finally arrived home he found Asriel sitting on the edge of his bed. The fur of his face was dark and matted down as if he'd been crying. Guilt shot through his chest. He had caused this pain.

Stepping into the room slightly, the boss monster's head snapped to face him, eyes wide with shock as if not expecting the person he was seeing.

"Hey," Frisk said sheepishly, arms hiding behind his back. "You're still up?"

Asriel sniffled and rubbed his nose with his sleeve. "Where were you?" he asked, voice hoarse and full of worry. There was another tone there, one that Frisk couldn't place, and he worried that it might be too late to apologize.

"I…" he couldn't form words. He didn't know what to say.

"Mom and Dad got worried and went out to look for you."

Oh no, they were out looking for him? He was going to get in so much trouble—

"Frisk," Asriel suddenly called out. "Are you…" he paused gathering the will to press on, "Are you not happy here?"

Frisk sighed as guilt burned his heart. He couldn't wait any longer. Sans was right—it was time for him to stop pushing others away. He had to let it out.

"This place isn't made for me," he admitted. And Asriel looked surprised for a moment before disappointed set in. "There's something I need to tell you…"