The walk back up to the living room, to Toriel's house… it made you just as nervous as you had been by the point that you had chosen to not walk through that door. But it did give you time to think more. All these resets, all this time spent down here… very few times had you chosen to stay; maybe only once that you could remember.

This time was no different for the reasons. You just… couldn't. But unlike before, this time felt wrong. You had no friends here, no family. Even Toriel had felt more distant now. Was it just the fact that you had come back here so many times? Was Flowey right? Nothing would change, nothing would be new?

No. It wasn't because of him. It was because of what you had done. All the wasted attempts to save Asriel, and for what?! A ghostly reminder in your mind that you were just as much trapped down here as everyone else? An entire world left barren and in ruin that you had left behind, only for the consequences to follow you here? Your Determination… it had both saved and ruined these lives countless times… but you felt the latter was more tangible than the prior.

Stepping into the living room, you could hear the crackling fire nearby, and the sounds of someone murmuring to themselves. Toriel.

"I tried… I have desperately tried…" her tone was tired as she very clearly was talking to herself. "And yet, another child slips away from my grasp… They will be gone, soon… ASGORE will take them, and use the others." You couldn't help but pity her situation. Always the same: the mother of lost children, the grieving mother that didn't even get to bury her children… on the Surface, you always saw how she sometimes had her odd little moments, where her levity was replaced by a quiet melancholy.

Underground? It was far easier to see it. The time that you had stayed with all your friends down her, you saw it more clearly. She grieved. Not openly, but she grieved nonetheless, and her heart ached for her children… all of them. It was that one time that had made you realize that it was Asriel that needed to be saved, for everything to be whole.

That was before, though. Maybe you staying behind would change that. You cleared your throat, gaining the elderly monster's attention. She startled, eyes tired and red from the tears she had likely rubbed away.

"My child! Did… did you forget something for your journey?" she asked. Your expression faltered slightly, dropping as you tried to find the words to explain. You couldn't even begin to comprehend how best to go over your thoughts. Even as she stood from her seat and approached you.

"Innocent one, surely you are not here to wish me another goodbye, are you not?" You shook your head curtly at that. "N-no? Then… what are you here for?" That term. Innocent One. Toriel didn't know how wrong she was. She couldn't see your LV like you could. She couldn't ever understand. That was when you said something, almost unbidden.

"I'm so tired…" You were shocked. You hadn't meant to say anything, and yet you did. "Toriel… have you ever wondered if someone can change their fate if they just try hard enough?" The question didn't only perturb Toriel, given her expression. It perturbed you… You couldn't help but think constantly on Sans's words now. Could you become a good person, if you just tried?

"My child, I am afraid I do not —" She didn't get the chance to finish as you interrupted.

"No… I… I couldn't leave…"

"Why ever not?"

"It's… I…"

"What is the matter?" You only realized then that you were shaking. It was all falling apart. You could feel yourself slipping, until…

"I can't go!" Your tone forced the motherly boss monster back in shock. "I don't deserve to! I can't go forward. I can't CONTINUE."

"My child, I do not think I understand." Her tone was soft, warming, but you didn't feel warm. You only felt bitter inside. At yourself, at Flowey, at everything. Why was it all on you?

"I couldn't leave. Not after everything I've done. I'm n–not able to."

"What on Earth has gotten into you, small one?" she pleaded, tone calm yet obviously flustered by the emotional outpour from you. "Please, tell me what you mean." You began cry, ugly streaks streaming down your cheeks as you launched yourself to hug the Dreemurr matron.

"No! No, you don't… y–you can't! I've done terrible, awful things to Sans, to Papyrus, to Undyne, t–to you!" you admitted through choking cries. "I–I can't… I can't CONTINUE knowing what I did!"

"My child, please calm down!"

"Please… please don't make me go, Mom," you begged. "I can't do it again…" Your decorum had gone. There was nothing but hurt, everywhere. In your chest, your head, your SOUL. You wanted to go home… you wanted Mom! You kept on crying out, hoping that the universe would hear!

But somebody came…

"Did you just call me… mom?" Your cries stopped as you realized what you'd said. You looked up, almost afraid now of what the response would be. It was only then that the realization of what you had been saying hit you. You couldn't even begin to imagine what it would've been like to hear some child you never met saying all that. To say that you'd done terrible, horrible things to people they didn't know by name, to you. And then to call you Mom. Toriel must've been utterly terrified.

"I… I…" The bulk the of the boss monster's form enveloped you, leaning down to meet you and take you into yet another hug. This one, however, did not let go.

"I do not know what you have done… but… I believe that you need help, do you not?" You didn't hesitate, nodding and burying your face into Toriel's robes as she attempted to comfort you.

"Shh… shhh… it is alright. I am here. Would it make you happy… to call me… mother?" Her question fell on deaf ears as you only tightened your grip. You had nothing left to lose, no hope or Determination. You only had this empty pit within you, and the one person who came to help now. It wasn't alright. You didn't even know how old you really were anymore.

"Well then, call me whatever you like, my child." You were HOME now. Home was where the heart was, after all, and yours yearned to stay here. You didn't care for the rest of the Underground. You didn't care if some other human came down here. There was only Toriel's warm embrace, the crackle of the fire, and a feeling of belonging.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," you weakly apologized. Toriel merely shushed you, humming as she kept you close. It was only after those long moments where you said nothing, did nothing, merely enjoyed in the presence of having something stable to hold onto that you realized how hungry you were.

You felt almost spoiled now. This was the third time you had awoken that night after your outburst, and Toriel had left you yet another slice of the butterscotch cinnamon pie. It was the same dream. Dark, darker, yet darker. You kept drifting, deeper into this void of slumber, only to be awoken by Asgore's voice.

"CHARA, please… wake up! You are the future of humans and monsters…" And then you would awake. You found, however, that this one was different. You'd awoken with a start, having heard before Asgore's voice whispers that told you to go back and finish the job in the same sweet, 'friendly' tone that Flowey had. When you did, you were beaded with sweat, looking immediately to your hands and clothes. Clean, pristine, dustless. There was nothing to be afraid of. You weren't RESETING… not to do that to them. Why would you? Smelling a familiar sweet stench, you realized that Toriel had done it again: a slice of butterscotch cinnamon pie, sat next to the bed. Toriel would have nothing left by the time that you awoke, and your inventory would be full of the delicious treats if she kept this up.

No… she wasn't simply Toriel. She was Mom again… Well, again would've been a misnomer. She had always taken the motherly role in your life after leaving the Underground. Every given opportunity to go and find your own family, you had chosen to stay with her. It wasn't because they were bad; at least, not that you could recall. It was simply that… you'd forgotten them. They were mere blurs in your memory, blips that were taken by the Underground and those that lived there.

But that didn't stop it from feeling… odd, weird at times. And this run — if it could even be called that? It felt that much more surreal. It was just another reminder of what you did. Sitting up, you took the pie off the floor, deciding that now would be a better time to eat the slice. Maybe some food would quell the dreams that you were having.

"Clever. Verrrryyy clever." The first bite of the dessert hadn't even gone down your throat yet before you heard that familiar, sickly sweet tone from the pernicious flower. You turned your gaze across the room, seeing a pair of white dots that hid in the dark. Turning on the light, the weed was sat in the middle of the floor, having burst from the carpet. Flowey's face was devoid of its usual sarcasm, instead full of what looked to be genuine amusement.

"I didn't think that big kids cried either, Chara." You didn't even bother responding, letting the flower go on as though he was talking to a wall, all the while enjoying Mom's dessert. "What was with the waterworks? Trying something new to make that old hag regret it all later when you KILL her?" The evil grin that slipped out behind his façade only made your skin crawl. You couldn't believe that you had almost become like him. Soulless, bored, amused only by what you could do, rather than taking everything simply.

"You played by your own rules. Like I told you at New Home. I could never get a read on you, Chara." Your fist clenched around the fork you wielded. "But it's all been done before. You think that you're the first person to stay with her? You'll get bored, and when you do… I'll be waiting." At that point, the feeling from the basement returned. You felt it before. You couldn't pinpoint what it was. But the dialogue boxes called it Apprehension. It was… odd, to say the least. You felt somewhere near Determined, yet not quite. It was as though you were on the cusp of it, and then, suddenly, it all dropped away.

"What's that look for, huh?" Flowey asked. His expression had become… confused? It was then that you realized that your expression of neutrality had faltered, brows furrowed and glare apparent.

"Nothing," you responded. Flowey didn't even consider that answer.

"Nothing… hmm… that's funny. 'Cause that's the expression of someone who looks angry," he chided. "I thought we had an understanding. No hard feelings, right? That's why you RESET, right?" You didn't answer him.

"It was a great idea. But I think I like this better. You're going to play pretend with her, then she won't see it coming later, will she?"

"No." Flowey's expression shifted from gleeful sadism to utter confusion now.

"No? What do you mean NO?"

"I mean, no. I'm not killing anyone. Not again." The revelation seemed to amuse the flower, as he had himself a particularly good laugh about it.

"You think you can play by your own rules? In this world, it's —" This time, you didn't even let him finish. The plate went careening across the room and nearly hit him, his expression returning to shock and fear.

"C–Chara?" he asked.

"You're pathetic…" you snarled. "I'm not playing your game anymore, you psycho," Flowey didn't even respond now as you approached him. "You do nothing, you MEAN nothing Flowey. You keep on talking about being the prince of this world's future. What stopped you from doing the right thing, in spite of not being able to love?" That seemed to get Flowey to now grin maliciously as he eyed you.

"You tell me, Chara." You rolled your eyes rather loudly at that, clearly not amused. "You should know better than anyone that being SOUL-less makes you do crazy things."

"No," you responded again. "You're just a sicko. I was doing this for someone else. I'm not SOUL-less like you."

"Oh, I know you were doing it for HIM." Your gaze shifted away as his face turned to Asriel's, his voice a mockery of the dead prince. "But he's DEAD… I'm all that's left. Your only way to SAVE him? You tossed that aside as soon as you RESET!" His sadistic chuckle was only matched by how he continued to mock your failures.

"Poor little humans… always so adamant, so DETERMINED to stand their ground. You know I'm right. You'll get bored eventually. Then we can finish what we started, Chara." You rolled your eyes and settled back into bed, trying to ignore his singsong tone as he tried to get under your skin again, and again, and again.

"I'm not a murderer," you quietly said to yourself. That only got a guffaw from the flower.

"Your denial says otherwise." You felt your blood boiling. "You KILLED them ALL! All of them besides that stupid King. And then you RESET. Clearly there was more you wanted to do before you killed everyone!"

"You don't scare me, Asriel," you hissed. That seemed to shut up the flower as you turned back, looking to him with dead eyes, tired eyes. "You don't scare me anymore. After so many RESETS, I can't remember the Surface as anything but a dream… YOU took my life away, I'm taking YOURS." Flowey's expression seemed unreadable now. You smiled at making him hurt, or feel insulted, or whatever it was that he was feeling inside.

"I tried to SAVE you so many times… and you REFUSED, every time. I can only pity you and your lack of SOUL. I'll have the one thing you'll NEVER have." Your tone was harsh, brutal, but it clearly hit at a core to the flower's being, seeing how his cheery smile dimmed to nothing. "Maybe you'll grow a spark of a SOUL realizing your only friend isn't playing your game anymore…" And then he went back below the ground. Not another word, not another biting remark.

"Good riddance," you huffed. Part of you thought bitterly about him, about how Asriel was so close, and yet so far to reach. But was he wrong? Asriel had been dead… dead and turned to dust. Flowey was all that was left. And the dark whispers in your mind told you that you were just as bad as he was. You went on a genocidal rampage, not because you needed to SAVE him… but to SAVE him at cost to everyone else. You knew that he was talking about your genocide, and how the only way to SAVE him was to kill him.

And you just confirmed to him that you'd tried to SAVE him before… in other ways… ways he COULDN'T remember. You were an IDIOT… But he was right in one thing. In this world, it was kill or be killed… but only with him. You'd broken his rules before, and you could do it again by just not CONTINUING to play his game. Shutting off the light and keeping your eyes open for him in case he felt bitter about your insult, sleep would not be something for you to take tonight, it seemed. Patiently, you waited for Tor— no, Mom to come and wake you up. What more could that weed do? If he killed you, you could just reload, right?

The minutes ticked by. Darkness kept making it hard to keep your eyes open, as they adjusted enough to where you could keep your eye on the spot where the disgusting plant that had been Asriel had poked up from. He didn't bother to come back, but you could feel his icy stare somewhere, cold and angry; in spite of what you had said, Flowey did frighten you.

You vowed by that point that it was no longer his playground, no longer his rules to play by. You'd do everything in your power to try and avoid that. But having beaten the flower at his own game so many times, and seeing what he was capable of and what he'd do to you if he got his petals on you? It filled you with Apprehension.

The moment that you heard the sounds of your monstrous mother trying to quietly make her way to the kitchen was the moment you could finally breathe normally again. You had been trying all night to contain your breaths, keeping them quiet and silent, hiding your face away from the rest of the room so that, if he came back up, he would think you were asleep and ambush you.

But he never came back. You could feel him staring at you from somewhere, but never be able to tell where he was staring at you from. Or that could've just been paranoia. Being a lone human in the Underground was not a fun proposition. Though, at the back of your mind, you could thank whatever god created this world that this RESET hadn't put your LV down to 1 again.

Getting up from bed, you left the room, heading over to the kitchen to, at the very least, wish Toriel a good morning. Was it even morning? The Underground was always dark… how could you know besides looking for holes in the cave roof?

"Ah! My goodness! You gave me quite a fright, small one," Toriel exclaimed, turning around from the breakfast she had been making. It was, yet, another pie. Another butterscotch and cinnamon one. "I hope that you are alright with more butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I did… not expect to have company for long after…" Her gaze looked distantly, almost past you at this point as she had difficulty in reminding herself that you had almost left her behind.

"But worry not! Today, I will go shopping for more foods that you will enjoy. I hope that leaving you for too long will not bother you?" A quick shake of your head was all the answer she required. "Very good! As soon as we have finished breakfast, I will leave to go shopping." The quiet in waiting for breakfast to finish… it filled you with Apprehension. That same tingling returned, and you watched as a new SAVE point formed in front of the table in the living room.

But something was wrong. You couldn't interact with it. No matter how hard you tried, no matter what you did. You kept on trying to touch the star, yet it seemed to almost… pixelate through you.

"My child. What are you reaching for?" Toriel's warm tone startled you, causing a jump into one of the chairs. "My goodness! Be careful!"

"I'm fine," you quietly mumbled. The boss monster's concern was replaced with mirth as she walked over and set the quiche on the table.

"But you are not, yes?" Toriel hummed. She'd cut to the meat of the issue almost immediately, spurred by her next confirmation. "When you came back up those stairs, I had thought I was at first seeing what I had hoped for… but what you said in those moments. You said that you have done terrible, awful things to people… would it make you feel right to talk about them?"

"No…" It was a simple answer, without tone to indicate how much it did hurt you. You couldn't tell her the extent of what you'd done. How could you? How could one tell another that they had killed them, then went back in time to… undo it? The idea was fanciful at best, even in a world like this. Or… perhaps it wasn't. Asgore seemed to know. Sans definitely knew. And Flowey? The weed was the only creature in the entire Underground that understood on some level how it all worked besides you.

"I see… was it truly so bad as to keep you from talking to me about such things?" You nodded. "Surely, my child, it would be better to share the burden with others, rather than take it all upon yourself, would it not?" The monster handed to you a fork and knife, setting a slice of breakfast in front of you on the plate.

"It's not that simple T— M–Mom." She smiled warmly at the way you stumbled across calling her mom.

"No… I suppose it is not," she lamented. "Life is never truly simple, my child. Often, there are circumstances outside of your control… and YOU must navigate them with constant DETERMINATION." The emphasis on those words only seemed to make you shrink. You couldn't face it.

"But what if… what if I'm not Determined enough?"

"That is what family and friends are for, innocent one." You cringed as you took a bite of the pie, reminded that you were nowhere near what she envisioned as innocent. "They are here to guide and assist you through your journey; even the ones that you do not expect." Your gaze shifted away, looking out the window now to the dead tree outside.

"But I'm not Determined. I know how this all ends normally… I lost that will to stay Determined because of the things I did," you protested. Toriel quietly took a bite of her own pie, contemplating what you were saying.

"And that is why I offered to talk with you about it, my child. When talking stops, tragedy is made worse." You almost scoffed at this. You knew it was hypocritical of her to say this. It was pathetic, downright ironic, for her to say that talking was healing when she only did that a handful of times in the times you saved everyone…

Everyone but Asriel…

"Was… was it something I said?" Toriel asked. You almost looked up to her, only to realize the reason the question was asked. Your brow had furrowed deep enough to form an archway above your eyes.

"N–no. No, it wasn't." You both stayed silent after that, just eating your slices of pie. The quiet ate away at you, steadily eroding whatever you had left to consider for her.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm… sorry. I'm sorry I scared you… I'm sorry for hurting you…"

"You need not apologize for something that you did not do," Toriel smiled. She knew just the right way to make you feel even worse about the situation, somehow… and yet, it did bring you a degree of comfort. It brought enough that you could feel that familiar tingling again, and familiar ping of the star imprinting your SAVE.

"Please excuse me, my child. I have errands to run today. You may explore the upper levels of the Ruins at your leisure, seeing as you like puzzles. Though I do hope you will be careful." She then stood from her seat, walking over to hug you close. A paw stroked the back of your head with maternal care.

"Be good, my child." You didn't say anything, but you did hug back slightly tighter, hoping that she wouldn't let go. But, the day called. And the day was to be long, you felt.

Boredom clawed at your mind as you explored the Ruins. Toriel had always been right in that they seemed quite small. At least, the upper levels did. Your curiosity brimmed with regard to Home, or the Dark Ruins as one Vegetoid had called them. A Whimsum had elaborated that, when the other Monsters left for other places within the Underground, Home lost its luster for many, and the King just… simply forgot about them.

Such a tragedy wasn't outside the realm of possibility. But Asgore's forgetfulness had left Home crumbling. Buildings in the Ruins weren't simply replaced, or maintained. The monsters kept building. Up, and up, and up, and more and more buildings kept getting pushed down and down that much more. The only places that were remotely maintained regularly in the Ruins were the uppermost levels: the Light Ruins, including the former palace, the puzzles and Toriel's home. Truly this was something new. Or, at least it was for you. It was exciting, truly marvelous to think about! How many more portions of the Underground had been unexplored by you? By Flowey even?

Flowey… god he still terrified you. The very thought of his maliciousness made your skin crawl even now. You went back to the conversation you had with him that night, reconsidering what you had said. You'd said too much… and now, Flowey had no reason to keep sparing you like this. Out of the corner of your eye, you would think that a flower had shifted in place to look at you, or that you saw a distinct, petalled shape duck behind a corner.

The entire exchange. Of knowing that he was stalking you… it filled you with a dread and that tingling, Determination–like feeling that dared make it feel like your SOUL was going to tear itself apart. This new feeling… you didn't like it even more. The SAVES that you created… you couldn't interact with. The SAVES that you knew were there, you couldn't interact with either. There was a degree of concern over it.

'Does he know?' those traitorous thoughts asked. It was entirely possible Flowey already knew. The weed was stalking you around the Light Ruins, for god's sake. But your thoughts were interrupted when you accidentally stepped upon someone resting… no… stepped through. Napstablook…

"… oh… i'm sorry. I didn't realize… I can come back later, if I'm blocking your way," he shyly attempted to say, already steadily beginning to phase through the floor.

"No, no. You're fine Na— uh… Mister Ghost."

"nnnnnnggghhh. it's okay. i understand. i usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around…" Your SOUL flashed a few times in front of you as you were dragged into a fight. Immediately, you went to the ACT button and attempted to console him. He was clearly wishing he wasn't there.

"Hey, look. I'm the one who should be sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"you're just saying that." Then the tears started. Ectoplasmic, magical attacks that fell toward your SOUL with all due haste as the ghost monster clearly didn't get the message. You went back and attempted to cheer him up, offering a patient smile.

"heh…" The tears came back, though in significantly less quantity as he floated from his spot on the leafy pile. "what's that smile for?"

You gave the question some thought as you selected your ACT. You were going to keep cheering him up. This time with a pun.

"Was just thinking of something. What's green and has wheels?"

"um… a green bike?" He didn't seem to have any sense of humor when it came to most things.

"Grass, I lied about the wheels." The antijoke didn't really strike true, though…

"oh… um… i see. i'm sorry you needed to lie to me."

"Wait, wait, wait!" you pleaded as text appeared in front of your SOUL: REALLY NOT FEELIN UP TO IT RIGHT NOW. SORRY. "No… that was my bad. Guess I was just cycling the joke in my head. Wasn't really that funny, was it?"

"heh, heh… that one was," he confirmed. "here. let me try." The ectoplasmic tears started flowing upward, wrapping around the ghost monster's head and forming an obvious hat.

"i call it 'dapper blook'. do you like it?" You gave a simple thumbs up, giving him that same smile as you responded.

"I think it makes you look swell."

"oh gee…" The FIGHT ended, earning you some Gold in the process. You never understood that. How did defeating them suddenly make you wealthier like that? Even when you didn't rummage the dusty remains for any of the rare metal.

"Again… I'm sorry for stepping through you. Didn't see you there."

"no. i was in the way. i should be sorry. you're someone really nice and…" The ghost stopped for a few moments, eyeing you with watery eyes before he looked away again. "ah, i'm rambling again. i'll get out of your way." And with that, the incorporeal monster faded away, taking the faint smell of ectoplasm with him before you could even offer to let him stay and you just walk over him.

The more things changed, the more things stayed the same, it seemed. And Napstablook, let alone the other encounters, weren't really different. Well… beyond the magical damage being practically miniscule by comparison. The benefits of high LV, one could suppose.

Though… that did bring about a more uncomfortable question. How did the Underground remember your LV here? How did it specifically forget to RESET your LV to 1 afterward? It should've done the same to your EXP, but it didn't. Your EXP was same as every other RESET. Back to 0. What power compelled your LV to remain at such a high degree?

The implications were… terrible to think of. Was this a punishment? A reminder that, no matter what you did, you could never truly go back and fix everything? You didn't know. But you did know that you could do more than just be violent. LV meant you had an easier time hurting people… but it also meant that your kindness would hopefully not go unrewarded.

You took a slice of Toriel's pie from your inventory and set it upon the leaves. The crinkle they gave and the smell of pie from home filled you with Determination, leaving a new SAVE point next to where the ghost had been before you moved on.

You didn't give this place much thought… but it was interesting just how quiet the Ruins were compared to the rest of the Underground. Even the streams of water were remarkably quiet. It was… peaceful. It was no wonder that Chara liked it down here with the other monsters, with how serene it could be.