As hours passed, Iffy and Compa managed to heal their wounds from the previous battles. Iffy looks at Compa and asks, "Are you ready?"

Compa sighed while still shaking in terror but held her resolve to give an answer, "Yes, I wanna go home."

Iffy nods, "You and me both," She takes a brief step forward towards the door and breathes in deeply to brace herself as she swung open the final door of the ruins. Just ahead of the entrance was snow-patched ground with an ominous path ahead of them with trees stretching along the walkway, "Well, this looks very not inviting and totally not helping the overall mood here."

Compa hid behind Iffy, "This is scary."

Iffy, with determination, make a fist and takes a deep breath as she steps forward to the unknown path beyond the ruins. "There is no turning back now. We must press forward."

Compa slowly follows Iffy and turns back once out of the door seeing Flowey snickering as he closes the door behind them, "Why does that flower have to be so mean."

Iffy snarls, clearly mad from their earlier confrontation with Flowey, "Don't talk about that damn flower!"

Compa flinches but then timidly follows Iffy as she looks around to what seems to be a scary forest within the caverns, "A forest in a cavern? As if this place was not creepy enough."

The girls come across a large branch. Iffy put her fists to her hips, "This is quite a large branch that fell." Iffy hops over it while Compa just simply circles around it. "That wasn't so bad."

They continue walking down the pathway until they hear a loud snap sound. Both girls quickly turn around to see what it was. To their horror, they saw the large branch broken into several pieces, "What… was that?" Compa asks, shaken by the sight of what she just saw.

"Run!" Iffy demanded. The girls bolted to the only direction they can go at this point. They reach what seems to be a gate, "Damnit all, we are trapped!"

"Humans!" A gruff skeletal voice was heard directly behind them.

Iffy said quietly, "No sudden movements Compa."

"Don't you ladies know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand." The voice demanded.

Iffy turns her head slowly to see an outstretched skeleton hand awaiting a handshake. Iffy figured to give this creepy monster a surprise by whipping around and tightly grabbing the skeleton hand ready to throw him. However, she was caught off-guard by a sudden farting noise coming from the skeleton's hand, "Wait, What the hell?"

Compa blinks, "Did that skeleton just fart?"

The monster revealed himself to be a wide-grinning skeleton with a blue hoodie, chuckling away at his joke, "Hehehehe! The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick! It's always funny!"

Iffy spoke dumbfounded at what just happened, "Wait, what?"

Compa hides behind Iffy as she looks at this weird skeleton, "It's a mister skeleton, and Mr. Skeleton somehow farted?"

The skeleton chuckles and extends his hand out to Compa, "You like a handshake too, pal?"

Compa shakes the skeleton hand, falling for the whoopie cushion in the hand trick. The skeleton snickers as the fart sound came from the whoopie cushion. Compa recoils in disgust, "Ew, your hand farted."

The skeleton bellows into uncontrolled laughter, "Wow! You fell for it just like your friend did, and the crazy part is you believe my hand farted when it was just a whoopie cushion" The skeleton dropped to his knees and pound the ground from laughter while both Compa and Iffy looked at each other in silent confusion. The skeleton recollects himself as he stood back up, "Anyways, you are both human?"

Iffy slowly nods, "Yes?"

Compa scratches her head, "I am pretty sure we are very human, Mr. Skeleton."

The skeleton continues to chuckle, "That was hilarious, anyways I'm Sans, Sans the skeleton."

Iffy crosses her arms being cautious of the skeleton, "Names IF, but most of my friends call me Iffy, and so does the narrator for some reason."

Sans shrugs, "Guess the narrator was a bit "iffy" on calling you IF."

Comp giggles as Iffy rolls her eyes at Sans's pun, "You're funny. My name is Compa, and it is very nice to meet you, Sans!"

Sans makes an even wider grin, "Guess that makes you a Compa-at-able friend, eh?"

Iffy facepalms, "Why the lame puns? Why of all monsters we get the one with lame ass puns"?

Compa holds in her laughter, "Ok, Sans, what are you doing out here? Besides making jokes with strangers."

Sans shrugs, "I am actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but, you know, I don't really care about capturing anybody."

Iffy stares at Sans with a side-eye. Compa sighs, "Oh, well, that's a relief."

Sans points up his finger, "Now my brother Papyrus, he is a human hunting fanatic!"

Iffy scoffs, "So that is where the other shoe dropped. I was wondering if there was more to this, and now I know that you are distracting us so that your brother can capture us."

Sans ignoring Iffy, points through the gate, "Hey, I think that's him right there," He walks up to the gate and pushes it down with a gentle tap "My brother decided to make this a gate but keep forgetting to put the latches up to support it."

Compa blinks, "So we could have just pushed the gate down. I feel very stupid not trying that."

Iffy draws her blades as she lets her arms down, "Does your brother want a fight because I can give him one."

Sans holds up his hands to stop Iffy from going forward, "Whoa, there tiger, put those claws away; no need to "cut" to the chase quite yet. In fact, I have a better idea, follow me through the gate, and do you see that sentry station? You two should hide behind it."

Sans rushes forward past the gate as the girls went past him to hide behind the sentry station as Sans instructed. Iffy whispers to Compa, "I don't get it. Why is he helping us?"

Compa smiled, "Hey, at least he is helping us."

Iffy looks at the contents in the guard station, "What in the world? Mustard, four bottles of ketchup, relish? Is this a guard station, or a hot dog cart?"

Compa shushed Iffy as the figure came into view. He was a tall skeleton wearing an odd breastplate, red boots, gloves, and a red scarf standing proud of himself, "That must be Paperus… Papiya… Pipirus…"

Iffy corrected Compa, "Papyrus, I am assuming this is the human-hunting fanatic brother of Sans."

"Sup, bro!" Sans casually greets his brother like it's no big deal.

Papyrus spats, "You know what is up, brother! It has been eight days, and you still have not recalibrated your puzzles! You just hang around outside your station! Frisk, Red, and I must pick up your slack! What are you even doing?"

Sans stares at the lamp, "Red doesn't go by Red anymore, ever since they got a grown-up body. Anyways, I was staring at this lamp, it is pretty cool. Wann take a look?"

Papyrus facepalms, "Sans, what is with you and that stupid lamp? I don't have time to admire such a bland design! What if another human comes through here!? I want to be ready this time!"

Compa picks up on what Papyrus said, "Wait there more humans down here?"

Iffy scratches her head and whispers, "This time? What the hell does he mean this time? If there are other humans down here, why on Gamindustri is he not hunting them?"

Papyrus preaches as he continuously stomps his foot on the snow-patched ground, "I will be the one! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN! THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" Papyrus smugly grins as he pumps his fist in the air with sheer pride. "WILL GET THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!"

Iffy comments, "Get a load of this guy, he's more obnoxious than Neptune, and that's saying something."

Papyrus lowers his voice a bit, going into a daydream with his speech, "Respect, recognition! I will finally be able to join the royal guard! I will be so popular, and I will bathe in the shower of kisses every morning!"

Iffy smirks and shakes her head as she whispers, "So this is the human hunting fanatic?"

Compa giggled, "He seems very goofy and kind of funny. Maybe he is not so bad."

Sans rubs his boney chin as he stares at the lamp, "Hm, I don't know Pap, maybe this lamp could help you."

Papyrus angrily stomps his feet as he shouts at the top of his non-existent lungs, "SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING, AND WHAT IS WITH YOUR OBSESSION WITH THAT STUPID LAMP." Papyrus stamps his feet several more times before she stops to give Sans another earful, "You lazybones! All you do is sit around and boondoggle! You get lazier and lazier every day!"

Compa asks Iffy, "Is boondoggle even a word?"

Iffy sighs, "I don't know."

Sans chuckles after a moment, "Hey, take it easy! I have gotten a ton of work done today! A "Skele-ton!" Sans then makes a drumming noise.

"SANS!" Papyrus yelled as he stomped his feet.

Iffy rolls her eyes, "Great, we have a male skeleton version of Nep. In other words, Nep would love this guy."

Compa giggles, "That is so silly."

Sans teases, "Come on, you are smiling!"

Papyrus grits his teeth, "I am, and I hate it!" he then takes a deep breath and sighs, "Why does someone so great as me have to do so much to get some recognition?"

Sans winks, "Wow, sounds like you are working yourself down to the Bone!" He makes another drum noise with his voice.

Iffy facepalms, "Is it over yet? This scene is dragging on too long."

Compa laughs quietly, "I get it because he is a skeleton!"

Papyrus groans, "Ugh! I will attend to my puzzles. As for your work, put a little more BACKBONE to it! Nyehehehehehe!" He turns to leave and begins walking away before turning back and walking back saying a last "heh!" Papyrus turns around and leaves for real this time.

Sans turned to his guard station where Iffy and Compa were hiding, "ok, you girls can come on out now."

Iffy walks out with a stone-cold expression while Compa on the other hand bust into complete laughter, "Oh my goodness, that was so funny!"

Sans casually shrugs, "What can I say? I am a very punny guy!"

Iffy slumps her shoulders forward, bobbing her head down, "Seriously?"

Compa falls on the ground with sheer utter laughter, "This Mr. Skeleton Sans is so funny, hahaha!"

"You oughta get going, he might come back and if he does, you have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes," Sans winks.

Iffy stares at Sans, "Don't you dare!"

Compa gets back up after calming down from her laughter, Sans still watching them says, "Hey, what's the holdup? There ain't nothing to be afraid of. It's just a dark cavern filled with skeletons and horrible monsters."

Iffy facepalms, "Way to brighten the mood, Sans. Come on Compa, let's get going."

Sans sighed and spoke up before they left, "Actually, hey hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor? I was thinking, my brother has been kinda down lately. He has not seen another human in a long time and seeing you might make his day."

"Didn't you just say earlier he hunts humans, and what do you mean another human?" Iffy questioned.

Compa adds, "And that your brother is a human hunting fanatic?"

Sans holds up his hands in front of him, "Don't worry, he is not dangerous, even if he tries to be."

Iffy raise an eyebrow, "ok, if you say so."

Sans gleams his smile, "Thanks a million! Me and my other pal will be up ahead" He walks in the direction where he, Iffy, and Compa came from.

Compa scratches her head, "I think he is going the wrong way."

Iffy chuckles, "Probably teleportation."

As they walk ahead, they see a woman sitting on a box, she is dressed in a long-sleeved shirt with purple and blue stripes, some blue pants, and brown shoes. She had brown hair, and her eyes were closed as she hummed to herself a tune. Compa blinks at seeing her, "Hey, isn't that a human sitting on a box?"

Iffy looked shocked, "A girl as well."

The girl opens her eyes. They are a light brown color. She smiles at them, "Hello there! I am Frisk, and I take it you met Sans and Papyrus?"

Iffy looks at Frisk with sheer bewilderment. She began wanting answers, "Wait? What the hell is going on here? If you are a human, then why the hell, are YOU not being hunted?"

Frisk laughed a bit, yet there is sadness in her laughter, "Those two boneheads are my really good friends. As far as why the monsters do not hunt me, well, simply put, one gave his soul so that I could live." Tears stream down her face, "I rather not talk about it, all I will say is I was dying, and the old monster saved me, and all the monsters including the royal guard respected him."

Compa looks down, "Sounds like you miss him?"

Iffy raise an eyebrow, "Does this make you a human-monster hybrid?"

Frisk chuckled, "That's one way of putting it, even though I don't count myself as a hybrid. Shall we change the subject because that is a very sensitive topic for me?"

Iffy shrugs and smiles, "Ok, I will not pry. Anyways I need to walk up to this obvious glowing light here."

Compa giggles as Iffy walks to what Compa believes to be an empty space, "You are so silly! Guess you are imagining the glowing lights again."

Frisk leans forward, "So you can see save points as well, wonder why your friend can't?"

Iffy pumps her fist in the air, "I freaking knew it! It's a save point! I figured it was, but I was not entirely sure. Yeah, Compa cannot see them for some reason."' Iffy blinks in sudden realization, "Wait, how come you can see them, Frisk?"

Frisk smiles innocently, "I used to be the protagonist here, in a story not known by many since I used the protagonist's power to revive by returning to the time, I touched one of these save points."

Iffy looked shocked, "hold up! So, you are saying I have the protagonist role this time around?"

Frisk shrugs, "I guess you have the strongest determination between you two, though I wonder what soul trait your friend has."

Compa giggles like an airhead, "I have really no clue what all that means, but my name is Compa, and it is nice to meet you, Frisk!"

Iffy laughs and looks around nervously, "Well, that is a surprise, anyways revelation aside," Iffy walks up to Frisk and offers a handshake, "I am IF but most of my friends call me Iffy, so you can call me that if you want. A pleasure to meet you. The girl that is with me her name is Compa"

Frisk grips Iffy hand and shakes, "Likewise! I got some food in that chest, along with some winter wear, a tent, and some nifty tools. I give you this key to the magic box that if you see it anytime your stuff will always be in it, and it can transport from place to place," Frisk gives them a key, "I need to go, see you girls around." Frisk runs forward ahead on the ongoing pathway within the snow.

Compa giggles, "She is really nice."

Iffy nods, "I agree, she is also a bit weird, but she doesn't seem to be a bad person. Anyways, let us get dressed and fed and learn how this thing works."

"Yessy!" Compa shouts with a cheer, the girls figure out how to open the magic box, Iffy decides to keep the key with her in case they need to open this magic box elsewhere if Frisk's words are to be believed. They set up a picnic and ate for a while.

Meanwhile in Gamindustri! A disappointed Neptune is flying to Leanbox. She grumbles to herself and could not believe that Lastation is out of pudding and sweets. She blames the narra… wait, hey!

Neptune spoke, breaking the fourth wall, "That was a cruel trick you did to me. Had me going and skipping around town for no pudding. Really, you could not plan that far ahead?"

"Suck it up Neptune, you will get your pudding next time," I replied in her head.

Neptune sighs, "Fine. We are at Leanbox anyways." Neptune lands and finishes her argument with the narrator, as she also rolls her eyes at my narration. She puts up her HDD wings with a little trick she learned. She looks around expecting something to lunge out, and sure enough, some foolish woman with green hair, a black jacket, and tomboyish attire fires a ballista with a stainless-steel rod at Neptune, who just casually catches it, "That girl never gives up does she."

The green-haired girl shouts with glee, "HAHA! Now you are going to rob you now, you sorry bitch!

Neptune smiles as she bends the stainless-steel rod into a pretzel, "Really, you are going to try to rob me? Linda, or should I say underling? You know this is not going to turn out well for you, right?"

Linda the underling, face went bleach white, "Oh come on why does it have to be a big CPU today!? Of all days? I am getting the hell out of here because I ain't in shape to fight a CPU again." Linda then runs off in a direction away from Neptune.

Neptune lets out a breath and says to herself, "It is always the same with her, I show up here in Leanbox, she attacks me with some ridiculous weapon, I transform back," She reverts back to her human form a cheerfully continues, "and I comment on the mastery of my pretzel steel bending arts!" Neptune holds up the stainless-steel pretzel that was once a rod.

5pb walks into Neptune, "Oh hey Neptune, what brings you here?"

Neptune smiles cheekily, "Admiring my metalwork and looking for my friends Iffy and Compa."

5pb tilts her head with a confused expression, "Wait, what happen to them?"

Neptune shrugs, "They disappeared somewhere, looked in Planeptune not there, looked in Lastation not there, and there is no pudding there for some reason! So now I am here."

5pb nods and sigh, "Myself, Cave, Falcum, and Vert have been trying to get Leanbox under control. Some creepy skeleton guy attempted to bring back ASIC. We were able to stop him. We never engaged the culprit because he vanished before our eyes before Cave could apprehend him. Chika also became a bit of a chore to handle since she constantly begs for Vert's attention."

Neptune nods, "Sounds like Chika, and this is the second time I am hearing about this weird skeleton dude. Anyways heard anything about my friends or this Mt. Ebbott?"

5pb shakes her head, "Sorry, I have not. Say, why don't you come with me to the Bacilicom, I am setting up a show there, and I figure Vert may answer your questions."

Neptune looks shocked, "Vert letting you do a show in the Bacilicom?"

5pb nervously chuckled, "It is a small one just for the staff and to show my appreciation to them. You can come if you want."

Neptune let out a big smile, "Do I ever!" 5pb responds with a smile and leads the cheerful Neptune to the Leanbox Bacilicom.

Linda eavesdropped on their conversation, "Crap, that skele dude is real bad news… I quit the new ASIC because of him. I don't want to be one of his freaky experiments. Guh, I would rather put up with the CPUs than him. I can't believe I am doing this, but I am going to find that Mount Ebbot as well. I know the creepy dude is afraid of something in there, just don't know what. Should I…." Linda shutters and shivers "No…. I ain't dealing with that lesbo maniac Red. She hits on me every time we meet, and it's really annoying. Rather put up with the crybaby." Linda sighs as she makes preparation to go to Planeptune. "I hope I don't live to regret this."