It was a rather sudden phone call. You were enjoying your Sunday off, snoozing the hours away. Things had calmed down since your parents had left two weeks ago, and you were taking some much-needed downtime.

That factory set ring on your phone had woken you from your dozing. It was a number you didn't recognize.

A deep, booming voice greeted you as you answered. "_, child, I must ask a favor of you." Oh. Asgore.

"Sure, I'll do it." You replied instantly.

Asgore paused for a few seconds. "I…Child, you haven't even heard what it is yet." He said it in a hesitating manner, as if it was a question.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll agree again after you tell me whatever it is." You informed him flippantly.

Asgore hesitated again before continuing. "Well…Something has come up and I need someone to watch Chara for the day. I usually ask Sans, but he's busy at the moment."

"Sure, I'll do it." You repeated. "Do you want me at your place, or are you bringing them here?"

"Oh no. Don't trouble yourself, child. We'll be over shortly." You let the phone fall away from your face as you got in one last minute of relaxation.

You groaned getting out of bed. Not even three seconds gone and already it was calling for you again. It was fine. You'd been dozing all weekend, since your friends were mysteriously busy. You finally slipped out of your pajamas into some real clothes.

Padding downstairs, you opened the front door before lazily heading to the kitchen to whip together a suitable lunch. Hot dogs sounded great.

You were just putting them on two plates for you and Chara when you were tackled into the counter. A quick glance down told you that the child had taken your open invitation to come in.

You held their plate out to them and motioned to the table, where you'd set out several condiments. E-A-T U-P. You signed. They obliged, dashing over to prepare their buns as Asgore entered the room.

"Thank you for doing this on such short notice." He told you politely.

"It's no problem. I wasn't doing anything. Any rules I should know?" You inquired.

Asgore paused for a moment. "I would appreciate if the two of you stay here. Please don't go out anywhere."

That was an odd rule, you thought, but you readily agreed, clarifying that your privacy fenced backyard was free game. It was. After hesitating for a moment more, Asgore left abruptly. You heard the door shut behind him.

S-O. W-H-A-T W-O-U-L-D Y-O-U L-I-K-E T-O D-O. You slowly signed, finally not fumbling over your letters after two weeks' practice. Chara responded simply by pulling out a folder from their bag, opening it to a sheet full of math. H-A-V-E-N-T F-I-N-I-S-H-E-D H-O-M-E-W-O-R-K Y-E-T. You signed, tilting your head in question.

Chara shook their head and sped through the rest of the questions on the sheet while you cleaned up your plates. When you headed back to the table, Chara handed you a note. 'Just talk. I'll write. You're doing better, but this is quicker.'

"Are you sure?" You questioned. Chara nodded their head, slipping their now-finished homework back into their bag. "So, anything else you want to do?"

Chara scribbled again quickly before shoving another note at you. 'I want to learn to sequence so I can use my magic.'

You stared at the paper for a minute. "You should learn your specialty before sequencing. Why can't you use your magic?"

Chara sighed, writing again. 'I promised not to reset or rewind time again.'

You slammed your hand down on the sheet. "Don't ever promise not to use your magic." You scolded immediately. "You know what that leads to." Chara looked properly admonished. Calming quickly, you continued, "Am I right in the assumption that you gained your specialty in the Underground?"

Chara nodded, meeting your eyes.

You sighed. Human magic worked differently than monsters' magic, and you doubted any human mage had bothered to teach the child after their emergence.

"Time magic works in many more ways than just returning to temporal points. Creating and erasing them takes a lot of magic. I assume that's how you've been using your magic, other than unspecialized?"

A note found its way under your nose. With a sigh, you grabbed it. 'I can erase them?'

"Of course." You told them, surprised. "Don't tell me you can maintain that many temporal locks; there's no way."

They stole back their last note, scribbling on it again before shoving it back to you. 'I still have the first save. I just overwrite the second one.' You smiled at the video game terminology. 'I don't know how to get rid of it.'

"Disclaimer: I am not a time mage. I can teach you what I know time magic can do, but it'll still be a lot of trial and error. Let start simpler and tackle your temporal locks later."

So, you started small. As small as you were aware of anyway. Stopping time for small objects and then restarting it. You held out a pen, telling Chara to stop time for it. They concentrated on the object.

You dropped it when they nodded. It fell. With a smile, you picked it back up to repeat the process. Turning to the frustrated child, you assured them, "Magic is hard. You aren't going to get it on the first try, Chara."

I D-I-D B-E-F-O-R-E. The signed angrily.

You sighed. "When you specialized, right? That magic was instinctual. It reacted to protect you. It's why it remains easy for you, even though you don't really understand it. This is different. You have to consciously work up to the level where you barely have to think about it. You are doing it instead of your magic."

'But I'm using my magic to do it.'

"Your magic is a part of you, kind of like a muscle. You know what reflexes are, right?" At their nod you continued. "Some reflexes, like eyes dilating and that knee kick when a doctor bonks it, are so natural that you don't even need to do anything for it to happen. You can forcefully activate them, once you learn the trigger. They're made to keep you alive. Your magic too; that's how people specialize without a choice or ceremony like you and me. Other reflexes, like swinging a bat at a ball, are trained. That's what we need to do. You need to find that muscle and train it."

You picked up the pen again and stood. Chara closed their eyes for a moment. You waited silently until they nodded. The pen fell.

An hour later, you set the pen on the table. 'I understand how to do it.' Chara wrote. 'It just feels so awkward.'

Hmm. Maybe forcing a reflex was the way to go in this situation. If they truly understood how it worked, perhaps the biggest problem was subconsciously not believing it should work. If they didn't have time to think, it would be a success.

You needed something breakable.

You filled up two glasses with water, setting one on the counter. You made to deliver the second to the young mage, tripping on the way and launching the object into the air.

It froze an inch from the ground.

Chara stared at their outstretched hand with wonder, inspecting the floating object. You gently wrapped your fingers around the glass again, feeling the magic coursing through it slowly subside. The water, when released, finished the sloshing motion it had been in, splashing over the tile floor harmlessly.

Instantly, the child was writing. 'Did you do that on purpose? I did it! Why did the water still splash?'

You laughed. "You did indeed." You agreed. "So, the water had momentum from the fall. The glass too, but that wasn't as visible. You didn't take that momentum away, only paused it. When time resumes for an object, it continues as it was unless something interferes, like me grabbing the glass."

Chara got it after that. Several floating objects later, Chara wandered back to the table to write.

'What's next?' They asked. You shook your head. So eager, as opposed to before.

You tossed a pen in an arc and it froze. "Rewind it." You told them, leaving your palm outstretched. It clattered to the floor, finishing its arc, as Chara stared at you, wide eyed.

I P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D. They signed at you.

"You're not returning to a temporal lock, although once we erase the ones you promised not to go back to it should be irrelevant. You're reversing time for a single object, Chara." You explained patiently. After a few seconds, they nodded. "Let's try again."

Chara was confused when you didn't move to grab the pen again, instead just holding out your hand as if you expected it to be there. You could see when it dawned on them what you wanted.

Haltingly, as if they kept pausing and rewinding alternately, the object lifted back into the air. Unlike telekinesis, it didn't shake or wobble, instead following the exact same arc it had taken on the way down before landing in your hand.

You smiled. "You're understanding your magic better, to get it on the second try." You complimented them.

They shot you the first genuine smile you'd seen from them.

Toriel couldn't believe her eyes when she and Asgore walked in to pick Chara up. Since they'd finished their business together, they had agreed to come greet the child the same way: together. Asgore had paused in your open doorway for a few second before moving aside so the she could see in.

Several objects were flying in specific paths through the air, surrounded in Chara's red magic. You were adding to it by moving around the room and tossing more random unbreakables.

It had been ages since the child had actively used their magic. How had you done this?

Asgore greeted the two of you cheerily, eyes not moving from Chara. The tired child gathered the objects back up and set them on the couch before answering him. The red glow in their eye was dimmer than Toriel had ever seen it.

You laid your hand on their head to ruffle their hair, hand glowing blue. It disappeared by the time Chara looked up at you, as if you were hiding what you were doing from the child. When Chara turned back to them, their mage-mark was brighter again.

Ah. You were lending your own power so the child could practice safely. Chara turned to sign something at you, and your soul lit up the room with joy. "Sure thing. Next time, Kiddo." You replied aloud with a wink.

Chara immediately engulfed you in a hug, and the queen was left flabbergasted again. Except for their circle of friends, Chara didn't show affection for anyone. Not even their own, human family. A side glance at her husband revealed a knowing smile on his face.

What was it about you?