Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You carefully reread the blueprints, checking your work for the umpteenth time. How many resets had it been? Hundreds? Thousands? You stopped counting a long time ago. You had freed them all countless times and destroyed them just as many. No matter what happened, you always came back. You learned everything you could, memorized all there was to know, even mastered magic, but nothing changed. There was never a good ending. Asriel was gone, Asgore was a murderer, Toriel abandoned her kingdom, Gaster was erased, and Chara stayed dead. You had reset countless times, yet could never go further than your fall. That was about to change though. 

“Flowey,” you called into the dark room. A floor tile next to you popped out of place, a small yellow flower coming from under it. “You rang Chara?” he asked. It had taken a long time to finally figure out how to make him listen to you. Of course, when you finally managed to figure it out, Chara was the answer. They were always the answer. You looked up at the machine in front of you. Using parts from the one in Sans’ basement, you managed to modify the DT extractor that now stood ominously in front of you. Two new chambers have been added to it, perfect for what you had in mind.

You turn to Flowey, making a face reminiscent of Chara’s. A face you had perfected countless resets ago. Not even his own brother could tell the difference. “Ready to be reunited, brother?” you asked Flowey in a twisted voice. He flashed his own twisted grin back and said “Couldn’t be happier Chara.” You reach behind you and grab a flowerpot off the table and hold it in front of him. He lifted his roots off the ground and climbed into the pot. You place the pot in one of the side chambers and lower the glass, sealing him inside. “I missed you so much Chara,” he said from inside the chamber. “We can finally be together again.” You turn away from him, not looking at his eyes. “...Chara?” he asks hesitantly. You take a deep breath, lifting your arm. This was the hard part. 

You slam your hand into your chest, grabbing your SOUL. Blood splatters around your hand as Flowey cries “Chara!!!” With lots of effort, you rip the soul out, red heart seeming to pulse in your hand. You fall to your knees, still bleeding. You move your bloodstained hand and toss the SOUL into the second chamber, glass slamming shut behind it. You weakly crawl towards the main body of the DT extractor, ignoring Flowey’s cries of distress, as it slides open to reveal the final chamber. Dragging yourself off the ground you climb in as the extractor just before it begins to close, sealing you inside. Flowey and the SOUL bang against the glass walls that contain them but neither manage to break free. The extractor begins wiring into action. 

The pain is immeasurable. You’ve died thousands of times, felt the power of Sans’ karma, been skewered by countless spears. You thought you couldn’t possibly experience more pain than any of those. You were very wrong. Your mind was almost overwhelmed with pain as it felt like you were being constantly pulled inside out, having all your skin burned off you, and having every bone break constantly. You could barely hear Flowey screaming along with another familiar voice from outside your chamber. The machine began to quiver. Suddenly, a blue pulse of magical energy seemed to explode out from your body, going in all directions.

Across the Underground, lights were flickering on and off. Sans didn’t think much of it, watching his brother making spaghetti in the kitchen and talking to Undyne. Just as he was wondering about what you had gotten up to, a blue wave of magic passed through his house, hitting him, his brother, and Undyne. Papyrus collapsed to the floor, Undyne nearly followed him. Sans used a shortcut and appeared next to his brother. Holding him up, he saw Papyrus’ eyes were glowing blue. He looked at Undyne whose eye was the same blue. The blue of their eyes faded, replaced by their normal appearances as both suddenly seemed distressed. Undyne suddenly looked mad. More mad than he had seen her in years. She growled and said “What did that punk do?” Sans was confused but before he could speak, Papyrus asked “ SANS? DID I… DID THE HUMAN… KILL ME? ” Sans’ eyes widened as he tried to process what Papyrus just said. His eyes were dark as he asked them “ ...what do you remember? ” Undyne held her head and said “It’s blurry but… I remember being on the surface with everyone… but then it changes and I remember fighting the punk and being… being…” Papyrus sat up and said “ I REMEMBER SOMETHING SIMILAR. SOMETIMES I SEE THEM AS A FRIEND, MAKING SPAGHETTI AND SOLVING PUZZLES BUT THEN THE NEXT MOMENT I SEE THEM KILLING ME. I REMEMBER SAYING I BELIEVED IN THEM BEFORE THEY… ” Sans’ eyes were dark as he tried to process this. He wondered what was happening to them, were they remembering all the resets? In a low voice, to himself he asked “ what did they do? ” 

Throughout the Underground, monsters were being hit with the blue wave of magic. Their eyes glowed blue as memories flooded their minds. Some of them were memories of freedom. Others were memories of dust, evacuation, fear, and death. Somewhere in the ruins, a lonely goat monster was watering flowers above her child’s grave when the wave hit her. As the blue faded, she began crying over the flowers, wondering what could have happened, why she had forgotten, and where her child was. 

In the upper lab, a yellow scaled monster in a lab coat was struggling to stand, alarms blaring around her. Alphys had been watching her anime when the wave hit her. She immediately switched the channels and began searching through her cameras, seeing monsters struggling with the after effects of the wave, but she couldn’t find what she was looking for. She couldn’t find you. Then she realized where the wave must have come from. She rushed downstairs and was shocked to see the short skeleton in a blue coat waiting for her. “ she must be in the true lab, hurry, ” Sans said to Alphys and she rushed down. 

Flowey’s eyes dimmed, effects of the wave fading. He looked at you in your chamber, face contorted in horror and fear as he said “You… you aren’t Chara. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?” He redoubled his efforts to escape, but made no progress. From the other chamber, you could hear the SOUL whispering at you. “ TRAITOR! WE HAD A DEAL! I WILL KILL YOU! ” You ignored your former partners complaints, stealing your mind for what was to happen next.

Suddenly, a white bean of concentrated magic bursts into the room, locked door flying back into a wall. Sans and Alphys rush in, both freezing at the sight of the modified DT extractor and its three occupants. You looked at them and gave a soft smile through the pain, ignoring the cries from the other two. Alphys rushed to the nearby computer, frantically reading the screen. “N-n-nooo. I-I-I can’t-t r-read this-s!” She put her hands to her head in a panic. Sans rushed over and looked at the computer, letting out a curse under his breath. “ wingdings, ” he said before looking back at you, your smile unwavering. He summoned a giant blaster and aimed it at the extractor but was stopped by Alphys who said “W-w-wait. W-we don’t k-know what m-might happen if y-you…” Sans glared at you but recalled the blaster. He went to the computer, typing desperately and hoping he could change something, stop whatever you were doing. 

The machine began to whine louder as it began to reach critical. You watched Sans, still smiling, as he panicked at the computer before finally realizing there was no stopping it. He looked up at you, desperation in his eyes. You mouthed your final words to him as he stared in horror. Thank you. Goodbye. Everything went white, then it was all darkness. You opened your eyes, but it made little difference. You searched your SOUL but couldn’t find Chara anywhere. Suddenly, a yellow light illuminates the darkness from behind you. You turn and see a glowing button behind you. It seems to be glitching but you can read it clearly enough. REWIND .

You reach out and press it.

…

…

…

A young goat monster explores the ruins. He strays away from his parents, going deeper into the ruins. Suddenly he hears a call for help in the distance. He freezes and listens, hearing it again. He rushes towards the end of the ruins where the voice was calling from.He says to himself “It sounds like it came from over here. Oh!” He sees a human lying in a field of yellow flowers and rushes over. He says “You’ve fallen down, haven’t you…” He slowly approaches, asking “Are you okay?” He offers a hand to the human and says “Here, get up…” They hesitantly take his hand before saying “...Thanks. My name… my name is Chara.” He smiles at the human and says “Chara, huh. That’s a nice name. My name is Asriel.” Asriel looks at Chara while he holds his head, seeming disoriented. Asriel gives him a smile and says “My parents are just a bit further ahead. We should go and-” Before Asriel could finish, Chara collapses to the ground, unconscious. Asriel’s eyes widen as he shouts “Chara!” He notices they are bleeding and calls for help.

Suddenly the light shining down in the cave seems to flicker. A hole seems to open up in the air above the flowers, out of sight of Asriel. Seconds later, a second human falls through the hole, into the Underground.

You fall down and land in the flowers, hitting your head for what feels like the millionth time. Ouch , you think to yourself. But something feels different this time. You struggle to open your eyes and see the familiar shape of a goat monster. But it was not the same one it was last time. In his arms, you see another human in a green and yellow striped shirt. You grin to yourself, feeling lightheaded as you whisper to yourself “ It worked. ” Darkness creeps into the corner of your vision as you hear him, as you hear Asriel call out for help. Just as you register two more goat monsters entering the room, everything becomes dark.

…

…

…

Chapter Text

You eventually begin to stir, waking in a familiar bed. You crack your eyes open and see Chara in the bed on the other side of the room and Asriel sleeping in a chair near the door. You smile softly, glad your plan worked and wasn’t a dream. You hear Asriel snort as he begins to wake and pretend to still be asleep. From the other bed, you can hear Chara stirring as well. Chara asks “Where am I?” He looks at Asriel, then notices you. His expression contorts to one of hatred as he glares at you. As expected. Asriel rushes to him and begins explaining what happened, how after he fainted you fell too and his parents brought you both here to recover. He tells Chara to wait here while he gets his parents so they can talk. 

As soon as he leaves the room, Chara’s gaze falls back to you. He pulls out his knife, the one he kept with him at all times. He stands and slowly approaches you. Suddenly you sit up and stare straight into his red eyes, saying “Don’t even try it.” He freezes, seeming shocked by your sudden reaction. You glance at his knife for a second before telling him “I’d put that away if I were you. They’re coming back and we wouldn’t want to offend our hosts now would we?” He hesitates but then hears movement in the hallway. He hides his knife again, glaring at you as he sits back down on the bed. 

The door opens and you and Chara turn to see Asriel entering with Toriel behind him. You smile as you see her. She smiled at the two of you and said “Hello my children. Welcome to the Underground. My name is Toriel.” She gave a brief  introduction, explaining where they were, how monsters lived, and how they were the queen and prince of the monsters. Then she got to the hard question. “My son informed me your name was Chara but…” She looks from Chara to you, still smiling. “I’m afraid I do not know your name, my child.” Your smile wavers slightly. Only Chara seems to have noticed. You look at the doorway before hesitantly saying “I… I don’t remember it.” Inside your head, you think to yourself Heh, I can memorize every detail about the Underground but I still can never remember my own name, if I ever had one. You look back at Toriel with a smile and say “I don’t really need a name thou-” She interrupts you, shaking her head and says “No no, that won’t do. You should have a name for yourself, my child. Just a moment.” She leaves the room and returns with a book, saying that you should choose a name from it. Asriel makes a joke about how if it was his father, you would end up with a name like ‘human’ which gets a chuckle out of Toriel. 

You absentmindedly search through the book, ignoring Chara’s gaze. Asriel looks over your shoulder as you look through the book. You look at him and hand him the book saying “I’m not very good at this. Could you pick out a name for me?” Asriel looks surprised then overjoyed at the opportunity, searching through the book with enthusiasm. You smile as you watch him search the pages. Eventually he stops and points to one. “Here! What about ‘Frisk?’” He looks at you, eyes gleaming. You are surprised by his choice, failing to hide it on your face. He looks down, saddened and asks “You hate it don’t you?” You smile at him and pet his head, much to his surprise. “It’s perfect,” you tell him. His eyes sparkle with pride again as you accept the name, Toriel quietly chuckling at the scene. 

Asriel spends a long time telling you and Chara all about the Underground. You pretend this is the first time hearing about it. At one point, Toriel leaves and comes back a few minutes later with a pie. Chara’s eyes widen when he takes a bite and you internally chuckle at his expression. You take a bite of your slice and can feel the warmth spread through you. It was always your favorite. You and Chara both thank Toriel for the delicious pie and quickly finish, asking for seconds. 

Eventually Asgore joins, introducing himself as the king of the monsters. After a bit of back and forth conversion between the five of you, Asgore asks to speak with you and Chara alone. Toriel leaves the room, Asriel following her reluctantly. Alone with the two of you, Asgore sits down in the small chair and looks at the two of you. “...I have a request for the two of you, if you don’t mind.” Chara spoke first, asking “What do you want us to do King Asgore?” He chuckled and said “You don’t have to call me that. You can just call me Asgore. Or dad. Or whatever you want really.” Chara nodded and said “Okay Mr. Dad guy.” You snickered and said “Can I call you King Fluffybuns then?” He laughed and said “Yes, both those are fine.” He looked at you both solemnly and asked “Could I ask the two of you to possibly be friends with my son? He… he doesn’t have many friends and-” You smile at him and say “Friends with Asriel? You don’t have to ask me, he's awesome. Of course I’ll be his friend.” You both look at Chara for a moment who sighs and says “Fine, why not. I’ll give it a try.” Asgore beams and says “Thank you children so much. I promise my wife and I shall take great care of all of you.”

You smile at Asgore, glad to be able to see him like this. You’d love to stay and keep talking but there is something you must do first. After a moment, you ask Asgore for directions to the bathroom. After leaving the room and turning the corner, out of sight, you take the opportunity and teleport, disappearing from the house.

You end up in the air, a few inches off the ground. You land on your feet and look around. In front of you sits a field of golden flowers. Buttercups you thought to yourself. You lift your hand and in the palm summon a fireball. It slowly descends on the flowers before setting them alight. Using more magic, you catch the smoke before it can alert anyone and slowly dissipate it. Eventually, the flowers are all gone and you get rid of the last of the smoke. First trigger dealt with . You scan the area, confirming no one saw you. You snap and teleport away.

…

Chara followed the directions to the bathroom. Something about that other human bugged him. There was no one nearby when he fell, he was sure of it. Her behavior after waking up was strange too. He had to figure out what her deal was. When he got to the restroom, he found… an open door? He knocked on the door but got no response. He opened the door and checked the room but no one was there. How? He had seen her go that way but she just… disappeared? He quickly left and went back to the room he woke up in. To his surprise, he found you sitting in the chair, reading a book you had gotten off the bookshelf. “...How?” he asked. You looked at him and asked “How what?” He glared at you and said “How did you get past me without me seeing?” You shrugged and said “Shortcut.” He looked at you, clearly unimpressed and asked “Shortcut? That’s what you're going with?” You smirk at him and say “Pretty quick shortcut, am I right?” He was clearly about to say something else but before he can, Asriel walks up behind him and invites the two of you to dinner.

The sleeping situation was unusual. Toriel and Asgore could only get two beds into the room that you, Asriel, and Chara were going to share. You offered to sleep on the floor, having lots of experience sleeping in unusual spaces, but they refused. Eventually, you compromised and ended up sleeping on a magic air mattress in the center of the room. Toriel and Asgore wished you all a good night and left you three in the dark. Asriel fell asleep first, his soft snoring filling the room. You could see Chara’s red eyes, gleaming and watching you in the dark, but you paid him no mind. You’d had a long day and were tired. You quickly fell asleep.

…

Chapter Text

A few weeks have passed since yours and Chara’s arrival. You’ve read, or rather reread, all the books in the castle you could get your hands on. Chara and Asriel seemed to have hit it off well. Chara still does not trust you in the slightest, but that is to be expected. In the meantime, you have work to do anyway. You stand in front of Asgore’s office and knock twice on the door. “Who’s there?” you hear him ask. You smirk and say “Atch.” He takes a second to respond. “Atch? Atch who?” You open the door and say “Bless you!” He takes a second then begins to laugh at the terrible joke. When he settles down, he says “How can I help you Frisk?” You sit in front of him on the desk and say “Well King Fluffybuns, I was wondering if I could read your speech.” He looks at you slightly confused, asking “Speech?” You nod and say “You are planning on introducing me and Chara to the rest of the monsters, aren’t you? I figured maybe you could use some feedback from a human.” The last word tasted bitter in your mouth but you swallowed it down.

Asgore thought about this then nodded, handing you a paper. He tells you “It’s not much, but I have the basics down for what I want to say. Tell me what you think.” Your eyes quickly shift over the paper, looking for something specific. There! You look at Asgore and say “It’s not bad but maybe you should change up this part here.” He looks at you and asks “Which part?” You point and say “The part about the future of monsters and being their hope. That would be alot of pressure to put on any child, don’t you think?” Asgore looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding, saying “I see your point. I shall come up with an alternative soon. Thank you for your help Frisk.” You nod and say “That’s what I’m here for.” You stand up and with a goodbye leave the room. Second trigger gone.

A week later, Asgore announced to the monsters of the Underground the existence of both you and Chara and his plans to adopt both of you into the royal family. You were both Asriel’s siblings now. You notice his speech lacks any mention of the two of you being the future of their people. Perfect. Now for the next trigger.

That night, you ask Toriel if you can make dinner instead, offering to make spaghetti. She agrees only if you let her help you, so you do. You put a pot with water on the stove. You know the stove doesn’t work, but you ask Toriel “Why won’t the stove turn on?” She chuckles and says “I do not need the stove to make fire. Watch, my child.” She summons fire underneath the pot and begins heating the water. You act amazed by the sight and say “Wow. I’d say that’s cool but…” You point to the fire. “It’s fire.” Toriel chuckles at the bad joke. You think for a second before turning and asking “Can I learn that too?” She hesitates for a moment but sees the sparkle in your eye and sighs, saying “I cannot guarantee you will be able to, but I can try to teach you.” You hug her and say “Thanks Toriel, I’m sure you’ll be the best teacher ever.” She smiles and pats your head, saying “Thank you, my child.”

The water finishes boiling and you throw in the pasta, tossing the box in the trash. You stir a bit before going and gathering vegetables to make the sauce. Time to deal with the next trigger. You open a cabinet, the butter sitting on the top shelf. “Hey Toriel? Can you help me get the butter please?” She nodded and grabbed it, handing it to you, saying “here you are, my child.” You smile at her and say “Well, I guess I butter thank you for your help.” She laughs at the joke, clearly enjoying herself. Now was the time. “Any chance you could start storing the butter lower? I might make dinner again in the future and it’s inconvenient to have it all the way up there.” She smiles at you and says “That is a delightful idea, my child. Of course I can move it lower for you.” You smile at her sincerely. Third trigger down.  

Eventually, everything is prepared and Toriel helps you bring it to the table. As you all begin eating, everyone around the table seems surprised by how tasty the spaghetti is. Toriel spoke first. “My child, this is wonderful! Where did you learn to make this?” You smile at her and say “An old friend of mine showed me how a long time ago.” Asgore smiled and said “Your friend must have been a very talented chef.” You laugh aloud for a moment before saying “No, he was terrible. He burned more kitchens than he made edible meals. He still did teach me a lot though.” You smile, fondly remembering your time spent with Papyrus. You almost get lost in thought, reminiscing over old times with friends who will never remember, but snap out of it before you go too far, quickly masking it and checking the table. Asgore, Toriel, and Asriel didn’t seem to have noticed, too distracted by the pasta. Chara however was looking right at you. He stares at you, probably trying to figure out what your almost slipup ment. You ignore his looks and enjoy dinner with your new family.

A few days later, Toriel and Asgore take the three of you out for a picnic in a forest part of the Underground. You, Asriel, and (reluctantly) Chara run off to play some games, Toriel having told you three to ‘not go too far.’ Asriel looks at you and Chara, asking “So what should we play today?” You think for a moment and say “Hide and seek? I’ll be it first! 1, 2, 3…” Asriel runs off in one direction, Chara in the other. “...58, 59, 60. Here I come.” You uncover your eyes, looking around. You do a quick magical trace and confirm the locations of Asriel and Chara. They are separate. Perfect. Now for the hard part. You walk in the general direction of Chara, making sure your presence is obvious. You pass right by his hiding spot and keep walking farther, knowing he was watching you.

Chara quietly follows as you pass through the trees coming to a stop. You do another quick magical check and confirm the locations of Asriel, Toriel, and Asgore. No one else is nearby, just you and Chara. You wait for a moment but he does not approach. You sigh and turn around, looking at where he’s hidden and say “You know, we really shouldn’t keep Asriel waiting. Can you come out so we can talk?” He gets up and slowly approaches you, red eyes glaring. 

You look at him and say “Finally. So…” He pulls out his knife and points it at you, saying “I don’t know what sort of game you’re playing, but I don’t trust you. There’s something wrong with you, I just need to figure it out.” You look at him blankly for a moment. “He.. hehe… hahaha… AHAHAHA!” You start bending over laughing at the statement, much to his confusion. Pulling yourself together, you look at him from your hunched position and say “Something wrong with me? What was your first clue? Was it the fact I came to a mountain no one returns from or the fact I never had a name ?” He’s taken aback by this sudden reaction, but you continue. “You hate humans so much you completely forgot that, didn't you? Well guess what buddy, we both knew what we were doing the moment we saw the hole. And neither of us got what we wanted from the fall, did we?” He seems hesitant now but you keep pressing. “We both wanted to escape from the awful humans in our lives, didn’t we? And look at us now, the only two of our kind in the entire Underground.” You stand up straight and look directly into his red eyes. “This is a second chance for both of us. Away from all the adults of the human world. A chance for a family. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have competition. So…” You reach into your pocket and pull something out before he can react. He jumps back a bit then looks at what you are offering him. A monster chocolate bar. “Truce?” you ask him. He looks stunned. You continue “I don’t expect you to trust me immediately and I’m not asking you to. All I ask is for a chance. If not for me, then for Asriel. He’s never had siblings before and I’d rather we get along for his sake at the very least. Do we have a deal…” You hold the chocolate closer to him. “Partner?” 

Chara hesitates, clearly trying to process everything you said. You internally hold your breath waiting for his response. If this didn’t work, you didn’t know what you’d do. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Chara puts his knife away and takes the chocolate. He looks you in the eyes and says “Fine, deal. But if I ever have any reason to suspect…” He let the threat hang and you nodded at him, saying “Fair enough. Now, let's go get our brother, shall we?”

You, Chara, and Asriel spend time playing various games until it’s time for lunch. After eating, you practice magic with Toriel and (pretend) to finally manage to summon a small fireball. Toriel compliments you for being a quick learner and Asriel and Chara congratulate you for your achievement. The rest of the day is spent practicing, playing, telling jokes, or relaxing in the grass. You even fell asleep at one point, being able to relax more than you had in years. You are eventually woken in time to pack up before heading back home with them. You wish you could spend forever like this, but there is more work to be done to save those in the future. But still, you can take a few moments to enjoy this time with a family.

Even if you don’t deserve it.

Chapter Text

A few days after the picnic, Asriel took you and Chara to the garbage dump, insisting that you can always find cool things there if you look hard enough. This was a perfect opportunity to handle the next sets of triggers to come. While in the dump, you asked for Asriel and Chara’s help to collect any salvageable electronic scraps. The three of you end with a pile of scrap, perfect for what you had in mind.

When you got home, you quickly got to work. You had seen the blueprints before, you just had to replicate them on a smaller scale. You double and triple checked the plans in your head, confirming to yourself that the prototype should work. You take an unbroken lightbulb you were lucky enough to find and screw it into the top before picking up your creation and taking it to Asgore’s office. You knock on the door and push it open after hearing him say “Come in.” You notice Toriel was there too and say “Perfect, you’re both here. I wanted to show you something.” You set the device down on the table and said “I’ve been reading a lot of books recently, as you know. I’ve been curious if I could create a magic generator using the natural resources of the Underground. This is a prototype. I call it the CORE. If you’d help me demonstrate…” You pick up the small generator and hold it steady. “Toriel, could you create a fire under the base? It should be enough for a test.” She looks at Asgore then back at you saying “Sure, my child. Here.” She puts her hand under it and summons flames. You hold your breath. A few seconds later, the machine gives a light whirring and the bulb begins shining. You smile at it. It was a success. Asgore looked astonished, saying “That is amazing!” You beamed at him and said “I think I could draw up plans to increase its size, make it big enough to power the entire Underground even. Would you be willing to…” He looks at Toriel then you, smiling and saying “That would be wonderful. You are truly a great help to us Frisk.” You smile at them and say “I just want to help every monster I can.” You thank them and leave, rushing to draw up blueprints. Trigger bypassed.  

…

It’s been a few weeks and progress has already begun on the CORE. You made it 30% smaller than it was previously, but the frame was still a sight to behold. You were credited with the designs, even if you just copied them from an alternate future. With the designs for the CORE, Asgore offered you the title of Royal Scientist. You turned him down, claiming that it was a terrible name but you’d still help as much as you could whenever you had the chance. You did ask for a lab to be built after the CORE was completed and he agreed to your request.

…

Chara was alone, walking back from the store, having bought chocolate bars he planned to share and eat later. He decided to go through a back alley shortcut to get home quicker. As he was approaching an intersection of alleys, he heard voices ahead and stopped. Silently snuck towards the corner and could overhear multiple monster teens talking. They were discussing how the CORE was the work of a genius and were making comments on how useless and weird Asriel and Chara were. Chara’s fist clenched. He could take anything thrown at him but they had no right to insult Asriel. He heard them laughing about them. Just as he was about to step out of the shadows, their laughter stopped as they cried out in surprise. From the corner, he peaked over and saw all their SOULs had turned blue? 

He heard footsteps from a neighboring alley. He saw a figure stepping out of the shadows, hand extended. Was that… Frisk? Frisk looked at the struggling monsters and glared down at them, saying “You know… It’s rude to talk about people behind their backs. Especially when it’s the kingdom’s princes. So tell me… What should your punishment be?” One of the monsters struggles to respond, saying “W-we didn’t mean no harm. We’re sorry, let us g-go.” Frisk smiled at them, but Chara could tell it was fake. “Oh, you meant no harm,” Frisk says, walking closer. “If you’re sorry, I guess that makes it okay.” Suddenly, she grabs the teen monster by the collar, lifting him into the air. In a tone Chara has never heard from Frisk before she says “Let’s make sure the lesson is clear. Don’t insult my brothers ever again. Are we clear?” The monster teen nods his head rapidly. Frisk smiles menacingly at him and says “Good.” She drops him and the blue around their SOULs disappear. “Don’t go causing any trouble now, okay?” she says ominously. The teens don’t even respond, instead running through the alley away from Frisk. She watched them leave then turned around and went back into the alley she came from. After losing sight of her, Chara heard her footsteps for a moment before they just… stopped? 

Chara waited for a minute but didn’t hear anything else. Eventually he moved out of the shadows and into the intersection. He looked at the adjacent alley he had heard her go down but it was a dead end? That didn’t make sense. Then again, neither did the rest of what he watched. Since when did Frisk know that kind of magic? Chara was unsure how to deal with what he just saw. He remembered Frisk's words. She had called him… a brother? That didn’t make any sense. And how she intimidated those other monsters? She had to have had prior experiences to handle herself like that. Chara hadn’t asked about Frisk’s past, just like she hadn’t asked about his. He decided that he should respect that and keep the secret of what he saw. But he wouldn’t forget. He’d never forget her face when she was intimidating those teens.

…

Later the same day you had scared some teens for bad mouthing Chara and Asriel, something strange happened. Chara offered you an extra chocolate bar. It was so unlike him. He usually saves the extra for himself. You tried to turn him down but he insisted. You two went back and forth for a moment until Asriel stepped in and suggested you all split the chocolate, which you both agreed on. The shared chocolate tasted extra good.

…

Some weeks later, you are all hanging out in the house drawing. Asriel seems very proud of his work. He shows you what appears to be a drawing of him but taller and with rainbow wings. You remember what it is and carefully hide your reaction. He says “What do you two think? It’s my most powerful form. I am God of Hyperdeath!” Chara snickers, looking up and saying, “Hyperdeath ay? Aren’t you too much of a crybaby for that?” You snicker and Asriel protests “Hey! I’m not a crybaby! You should show respect to me or I shall destroy you!” Chara laughed and said “My apologies oh great and powerful God of Hyperdeath.” Asriel turned his snout upwards, looking very proud of himself. “That’s better,” he said. “You shall tree me with the respect worthy of my title or be punished!” You laugh at his display before saying “I don’t know, you seem more like the God of Hyperfluff to me.” Chara gasps dramatically and says “My lord, she has not shown the proper respect. She must be punished.” Asriel grins and says “What punishment would be fitting for such a grave crime?” Chara smiles, looking directly at you. You get a bad feeling. “How about… tickles?” Your pupils shrink. You try to make a break for the exit but before you can get anywhere, Chara tackles you. He holds your arms, putting you at his mercy. Asriel approaches, paws ready. You panic, saying “No please- I’m sorry, have mercy! Please I’m begging- whahahaHAHAHA!” Asriel tickles your sides, showing no mercy as you thrash around in Chara’s grip, unable to escape. You laugh uncontrollably at his relentless assault.

None of you noticed at the time but from the doorway, you were being watched. Toriel was carefully restraining her laughter as she recorded the entire event with the video camera they had recently found. 

…

A few months pass. The CORE was completed and progress was being made to provide power all over the Underground and build a lab. Chara and Asriel had made a pie for Asgore, using butter instead of buttercups, and even invited you to help. Asgore had loved it and thanked all three of you for your efforts. Time passed and you and Chara were told about a monster holiday coming up.

“Gyftmas?” you ask Asriel, looking up from the book you were reading while sitting on the sofa, despite knowing the holiday. “What’s that?” Chara asks. Asriel looks excited as he says “Well, every year a man called Santa will come into your home and leave presents under a tree!” You snicker and say “That just sounds like breaking and entering with more steps.” That gets a laugh out of Chara. Asriel puffs his cheeks and says “Noo! Santa is cool! And that’s not all that happens! On Gyftmas morning, everyone gives each other presents and spends time with their families!” You look at him and ask “So should we go get gifts for everyone then?” Chara looks at you and asks “Garbage dump?” You nod and respond “Garbage dump.”

The three of you spend a few hours looking for anything useful for making gifts for everyone. After returning home, you all go your separate ways to prepare the gifts.

On Gyftmas evening, you were sitting on the couch reading another book. You glanced over and saw Asriel and Chara both lying front down, staring at the tree. They were kicking their legs in the air, head in their hands. You smile and ask “What are you two doing?” Asriel glances back at you and says “This year, I’m finally going to see Santa! Chara is helping me this time, so there’s no way we’ll miss him!” You laugh to yourself and tell them “Good luck, but a watched pot never boils.” Asriel looks at you and asks “What’s that got to do with anything?” With a smile, you shrug and return to your book.

Two hours later, both Chara and Asriel had fallen asleep on the floor. You chuckle to yourself as you close the book and stand. You carefully reach over and pick up Asriel, subtly using magic to make it easier. You walk to your room and set him down on the bed. You return to the living room and do the same for Chara. As you are returning to your room, you run into Asgore in the hall. You smile at him and tell him the coast is clear before entering and setting Chara on his bed. After tucking him in, you yawn and climbed into the air bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, you woke up to a pouty Asriel, upset he had fallen asleep before meeting Santa again. After a special breakfast made by Toriel, you all gather in the living room, ready to open presents. From Chara and Asriel, Asgore got a sweater that read ‘Mr. Dad Guy.’ From you, he got a crown with the inscription ‘King Fluffybuns’ on it. Toriel thought it was hilarious. She then opened a gift marked ‘Santa’ and got a matching tiara that reads ‘Queen Fluffybuns.’ The room fell silent. You, Asriel, Chara, and Asgore were all trying very hard to hold in laughter. Finally the silence was broken by Toriel who broke out laughing. With that, the flood was unleashed and everyone started laughing. Asriel opened a gift from you and Chara and was stunned. Pulling it out, it was a handmade set of rainbow wings and horns. It looked like his Hyperdeath form. He thanked the two of you over and over for the gift. When Chara opened your gift to him, you laughed seeing his face. He pulled out the monster shaped chocolates, one resembling each of you in the room. He barely managed to thank you through the drool.

From Toriel and Asgore you had gotten new books you had wanted,  something that made you very happy. You opened the gift from Chara and Asriel, expecting another gift. What you saw made you pause. It was not something you had expected. It was a framed photo of you, Chara, and Asriel together, as siblings. Your mind flashed back to the photo you’ve seen before of Asriel and Chara. You had always envied them for having that. Now, with the photo in your hand, it really struck you how you were part of the family now. Your face felt wet. You lifted a hand to your cheek. You were… crying? Were these tears of happiness. Chara and Asriel came over and hugged you. You kept thanking them between tears. As you separate from the hug, Asriel laughs and says you are the cry baby today. You look at him with a challenging “Oh yeah?” You quickly jump up and grab his head before starting to noogie his head. He tries to protest but you only let go after you're satisfied, everyone laughing. 

Best Gyftmas ever.

Chapter Text

Your lab has finished. As power was made available across the kingdom, you repaired and improved old electronics, inventing what you called the UnderNet, which allowed people from across the kingdom to connect with each other any time. It became a hit all over, especially in New Home. A strange thing did happen though. One day as you were entering the lab, a small white dog was already inside. Before you could react, it bolted past you and ran out the door. When you went to see where it came from, you found the computer you were repairing was missing, only some dog residue to indicate what happened. You chuckled and cleaned up the residue. You could overlook it, at least this once. 

You searched through specific websites, looking for something in particular. It took a while but you finally found one of the songs they posted. You can begin the next plan. Time to make a star.

You headed out to Waterfall, taking the same path you’d take to get to the dump, carefully protecting the papers in your hands to prevent them from being ruined. When you get to a certain point, you go right instead of left, headed towards Blook Acres. You come up to the twin houses and knock on the left house’s door. You wait a moment after, knowing this could take a while. Afterall, they may not be feeling up to it right now. What you didn’t expect was for his cousin to open the door. You had never seen them in this form and were surprised to see their hair was swept over their eyes like their EX body once had. It works out just as well, you needed to speak with both of them. You cleared your throat and said “Good afternoon, you may call me Frisk. I was hoping to speak with the ghosts who live here if it’s no trouble.” The ghost looked at you and quietly said “oh, it's no trouble. it’s just me and my cousin left. i hope it doesn’t bother you…” You were surprised by their completely different personality at this point in time. You smile softly, masking your surprise and say “No, it’s fine. I just want to request your help with a project I’m planning. May I come in?” A second ghost floats up behind them and says “oh, sure… but i don’t know if i can be any help… i’m not good for much.” The other ghost looks at them and says “blooky, don't say that. you are wonderful darling, you should have more confidence in yourself.” They move into the house and you follow them inside.

Inside the house there are no chairs which Napstablook apologies for. They offer you some food but you politely decline, saying there is something you wanted to discuss with the both of them. You smile and tell them “Due to recent advances, the Underground has become more connected than ever. This has many good effects but also some bad ones. I would like to make a new industry of entertainment and want your help.” Both the ghosts look surprised. Napstablook spoke hesitantly, saying “...oh, i’m not sure how i can help… i’m just trash…” The other ghost says “blooky, you aren’t trash, you are amazing.” He turns to you and says “why did you come here darling?” You look at Napstablook and ask “Are you Napstablook22?” He looks surprised and yes “...yes…” You smile and say “I’ve heard some of your music online and it’s incredible. He blushes and looks away saying “...oh thank you… it’s really nothing special though…” You shake your head and say “I completely disagree, you have real talent. There are other reasons as well that I would like to ask for your help. In some of my recent studies, I’ve been experimenting with certain concepts involving the SOUL. You two are ghosts, capable of attaching to objects and controlling them, even binding with them. I would like to offer you this.” You hand them another paper, this one having designs for the prototype of Mettaton’s body. You say “If you agree to help, I will make you both a hit in the Underground. You will bring hope to the people and have fans all over.” They looked over the papers, seeming surprised by the offer. You smile at them and say “But I will not force you to accept. It’s up to you. I can always try and find other ways if I have to. But I can promise you that if you accept, you won’t regret it.” You head to the door and say “Thank you for your time. If you are interested in my offer, my lab is the large building in Hotland. I hope to be seeing you soon.” You leave the ghosts to discuss among themselves.

…

The next day you are in your lab tinkering, Asriel and Chara are hanging out nearby. You hear a soft knocking on your lab door. You look over and say “Ah, right on time. My guests have arrived.” As you approach the door you hear the soft voices on the other side saying that they hope this is the right place and they aren’t being a bother. You open the door with a smile and say “Welcome, I’m happy to see you. Please come right in!” Napstablook and his cousin enter the lab nervously. Chara and Asriel look over, wondering what you are doing. “Ah,” you say. “Allow me to do introductions. These are my siblings, Chara and Asriel. And these two are Napstablook and… um…” You look over at the other ghost and say “My apologies, but I don’t think I ever caught your name.” He blushes at the attention and says “oh that’s okay darling, i’m no one important.” You look at him for a moment and then relent, saying “If you’ll follow me, the prototypes are just through here.” You walk over and open a door in the lab, turning on the lights to reveal two unpowered robot bodies. You look at the ghosts and say “In theory, you should be able to take them on or off as easily as changing clothes. I made sure to charge them but if they run out of batteries, they won’t be able to function properly. It should all be fine.” The second ghost floats over to one of the bodies and looks at it, eyes gleaming. They say “this is gorgeous darling.” You smile and say “Thank you, that model is called Mettaton. Would you like to try it?” The ghost seems to hesitate for a moment, repeating the name Mettaton. They suddenly rush into the body and disappear. There is silence for a moment as you all watch, Chara and Asriel having followed behind you. Suddenly the body begins to shudder. Then it stands, posing as laughter emanates from the body. The ghost’s voice comes from the robot, saying “This feels wonderful darling! Like it was made for me!” The robot rushes over to a mirror, checking themself out. “I look fabulous! What did you say this body was called? Mettaton?” You smile at their reaction to the body and nod. They look at the mirror, declaring “I. AM. METTATON!” He poses and Asriel claps for him saying “That’s so cool!” You laugh and point to him saying “Hey Mettaton, you already have your first fan!” 

He rushes to you and begins shaking your hand, thanking you over and over for the beautiful body. You tell him it’s just a prototype and would be improved to his liking in the future, making him dance with happiness. You look up at Napstablook who is quietly congratulating Mettaton as well. You smile at them and motion towards the second robot. You ask “Would you like to try yours now? If you don’t like it I can try to fix it for you.” Napstablook begins to say they are thankful for the offer but not worth it, but Mettaton stops them, telling Napstablook he should have more confidence in themselves. Napstablook reluctantly agrees to try it and enters their robot. After a moment of silence, it begins to move. It stands and Napstablook’s voice comes from the robot, saying “Oh… this does feel nice…” Mettaton grips their robot shoulders saying “Darling, you look fantastic.” Mettaton moves them in front of the mirror and asks “What do you think Blooky?” They are silent for a moment before responding “...I like it… It’s nice…” You smile and say “That model is called ‘Napstatron’ and was made with you in mind. You haven’t even seen the additional features yet. Press the button on the right.” Napstablook reaches down and presses the button and Spooktunes begins playing from the speakers on the robot. Chara begins bobbing his head with the music, clearly enjoying it. You tell Napstablook “I can import any of your songs onto your internal playlist if you want. Do you like it?” Napstablook is silent for a moment before saying “I love it… I don’t deserve it…” The robot hunches over as if crying. Mettaton moves over and comforts him saying “You do deserve this Blooky, you are amazing. You should give yourself more credit.” Napstatron thanks everyone for being so kind to him and you smile at them. When he’s calmed down, you clap your hands together, getting everyone's attention. You ask “Now… who wants to record the pilot episode?”

…

Chara and Asriel helped you record the announcement to the Underground about the two new stars, clearly having fun doing so. You showed it to Toriel and Asgore and they agreed to allow you to broadcast the programs to everyone. They were an immediate hit. Mettaton’s performances and various shows made the Underground a bit more hopeful. Game shows, quiz shows, comedy shows, the works. Mettaton was a natural at all of them. Asriel and Chara even joined every now and then as special guests (although you made it clear to Mettaton he was not to discuss the surface with them). And due to the different actions you made, Napstablook, now with his stage name of Napstatron, became a DJ, being just as popular as his cousin was. At their request, you also hired Shyren and her sister to help with the music. You had never met her sister, only knowing about them through Lemon Bread, but she was quite happy to have the opportunity to help. You had not expected this outcome but it seems that all the extra hope in the Underground may prevent Shyren’s sister from ever falling down in the first place.

Now that the Mettaton and Napstatron bodies were built and made public, you released the blueprints with a competition on UnderNet. If someone in the Underground could improve your designs, you’d offer them a reward. You made sure to leave some intentional variations from the original designs that could be easily improved by the right person. The bait was cast. All that was left was to wait for a bite.

Two weeks later you got it. A submission from an anonymous user that corrected all the mistakes of the V1 blueprints and even had some features from the V2. This had to be her. You sent them a message saying they won and you’d like to meet them in person, inviting them to your lab. A few hours later, you heard a knocking at your door. That must be them. You open the door and see a short yellow scaled monster who looks very nervous. “U-u-um I’m h-here about t-the design c-contest?” she said, making it sound like a question. You smile at her, saying “Ah yes, those improvements were inspired, I had hoped to meet you. Thank you for coming, please come in!” She steps in nervously and says “I’ve n-never seen s-something like those b-bodies before. H-how d-did you c-come up w-with them?” You put on a blush and say “I… kind of go the idea from an anime I liked.” She gasps, looking at you and asking “Y-you like anime t-too?” You nod and say “Yeah, one of my favorites is called Mew Mew: Kissy Cutie. Only the first season though. The second had good visuals but the story is kind of lacking-” She grabs your hands in excitement, saying “Ohmygosh someone else gets it! THANK YOU!” She quickly realizes what she was doing and lets go of your hands, looking away and blushing. You laugh at her reaction and hold out a hand to greet her, saying “You can call me Frisk.” She sheepishly takes the hand and shakes it, saying “A-Alphys. M-my name’s Alphys.” You look at her, grinning and say “How about we go meet with our robotic stars?”

You introduce Alphys to Mettaton and Napstatron. She marveled at their bodies, immediately asking questions about how their operations worked. You tell her if she’s interested you have an offer for her. You tell her you could let her be in charge of maintenance and upgrades on their bodies, as well as being in charge of their schedules and overseeing broadcasts. In return, she could spend her free time in the lab building whatever she wants as long as she tells you first on top of a generous payment. She hesitates but agrees to the offer, becoming Mettaton and Napstatron’s manager. Another piece slides into place.

…

You are working on a special project in the lab but need to double check some information. You go to the New Home librarby and look for a specific book on quantum physics. It’s usually there but sometimes gets checked out by someone else. As you walk into the aisle the book is on, you stop, spotting a familiar figure. He hasn’t noticed you yet. You knew the day would come eventually but you still didn’t know how prepared for it you were. You hoped you could be convincing enough as he is probably the only one in the Underground who might be able to see through you. You internally take a breath and prepare yourself.

You walk up to the short skeleton who is currently pulling out the same book you wanted to look at. “Huh, didn’t expect to see a skeleton here, what an unusual sight.” He looks up at you, pupils white. He counters “ huh, didn’t expect to see a human here, what an unusual sight. ” You internally cringe at the word ‘human’ but manage to hide it, saying “Touch é. You must be Sans, correct?” His eyes darken and you hope you can get this right. “ you’ve heard of me? ” You point to the book he just pulled out and say “Only one other person ever checks out that book. And besides, skeletons are often named after their fonts, correct? I just took an educated guess.” He opens the book and checks the cover, seeing only his name and one other in the logs. “ huh. you must be frisk then. ” He closes the book and says “ pleasure to meetcha. as you guessed, i’m sans. sans the skeleton. ” 

You and Sans talk for a while about your shared interest in quantum physics and crack a few jokes between the two of you. You ask to borrow the book for a moment to check something. After you get the information you need, you give him back the book and wish him luck with his studies, hoping to chat with him again. Leaving the librarby, you finally release the tension you’ve been concealing the entire time. He was always going to be the hardest one but you're glad your first meeting didn’t end in your innards being skewered. You had the information you needed so it was time to head home. You’ve had enough fun for one day.

Chapter Text

You and Chara were walking home from the lab together. Asriel had been with the two of you originally but ran off, acting weird. Actually now that you think of it… “Hey Chara?” you say to get his attention. “Did Azzy seem to be acting strange to you?” He thinks about it for a moment and says “Now that you mention it, he seemed pretty desperate to get me out of the house today.” You nod, saying “Remember a few days ago? He went off somewhere but wouldn’t let us join or even tell us about it.” Chara thinks back and nods before saying “Toriel was being weird too this morning. I tried going into the kitchen to get something but Toriel wouldn’t let me. She ended up shooing me away for some reason.” You think back and say “I tried to talk to Asgore about the broadcasting schedule yesterday but when I walked into his office, he was holding something. I didn’t see what it was because he hid it as soon as I walked in and acted like nothing happened. It’s not just them though. Did Mettaton seem strange to you too?” Chara thought and said “Now that you mention it, after he talked to Asriel, he seemed desperate to spend time with us. He didn’t let us leave for a while.” You think for a moment before saying “They are planning something.” Chara nods and says “Definitely.” The two of you pass by a store selling costumes. You get an idea…

The two of you arrive home and open the door. The lights are all off. The lights switch on and Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel all jump out of hiding places, shouting “SURPRISE! HAPP-” Suddenly they stop talking and scream in surprise. They see you and Chara in the hall wearing masks that look terrifying. You and Chara break out laughing at their expressions, pulling off the masks. You lean against the wall and Chara nearly doubles over, you are both laughing so hard. Asriel puffs out his cheeks and says “That wasn’t funny you two.” Still laughing you respond “That’s just because you didn’t see your faces. I wish I brought a camera.” Chara, still chuckling, said “We knew you were planning something Ree. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to prank you.” You wipe away a tear that had formed in your eye and ask “What’s the occasion anyway?” Asriel puffs his cheeks again and turns away, arms folded, and says “Why should I tell you now?” You and Chara look at him, Chara saying “We’re sorry Ree, it was just a joke.” You smile and say “Please show us mercy oh great God of Hyperdeath.” He seems to hesitate for a moment before dripping his arms and saying “I guess I can forgive you two, just this once. After all, it's a special day today.” Chara and you smile and he asks “So what is so special about today?” Asriel grins and says “It’s the one year anniversary of you two coming to the Underground!” 

Both yours and Chara’s smiles drop, processing what he just said. Neither of you are sure how to react. Both of you are taken into the dining room where a chocolate cake awaits you, candles lit. You and Chara blow out the candles together. Asriel asks what you two wished for but Chara points out you aren’t supposed to tell anyone your wish. You’re glad he said that. After living so many lifetimes on repeat, you ran out of wishes to make.You’ve accepted the sins that crawl on your back. After cake, there are presents. A knock at the door announces the arrival of Mettaton and Napstatron. Mettaton gives you an anime that was a gift from Alphys and apologizes on her behalf for her not being able to make it.  Books, toys, clothes, you and Chara show thanks for everything you get. 

After the small party, you, Chara, and Asriel are alone in your room. Asriel remembers something and exits the room, leaving just you and Chara. They sit in their bed and you lean against the wall next to them. After a moment of silence, you look at them and ask “Can I be honest with you about something?” They turn their head and look at you, asking “What is it?” You stare off at the wall and say “I’m not sure how I feel about us celebrating the day we came to the Underground. You don’t normally celebrate failure.” Chara looks thoughtful for a moment and says “I feel the same I guess. I don’t know either.” After a silent moment, they say “Maybe we are looking at this wrong though.” You look at him and ask “What do you mean?” He thinks for a moment, trying to find the words and says “Instead of looking at it as a failure to die, maybe we could see it as a chance to have a new life. Away from humans.” You think for a moment, and smile, saying “I see what you mean. Today is the day we were reborn, no longer the same as those on the surface.” You stick out your fist and say “To rebirth?” Chara smiles and fist bumps you, saying “To rebirth.”

…

Outside the open door to the bedroom, Asriel hides around the corner, a small box in each hand. He overhears Frisk and Chara talking to each other. He wonders if the celebration was a good idea after all. Asriel feels guilty about it, ears drooping. He hears Chara put a spin on the celebration and perks up. He hears Frisk and Chara agree that they prefer it down here. Hearing them both conclude they like life with them, he takes a silent deep breath. He then rushes into the room, pretending he didn’t hear anything and announces “I found them! Here!” He hands Frisk and Chara the boxes.

…

Asriel rushed into the room and handed you and Chara boxes, looking very happy. You and Chara look at each other, unsure what to expect in the boxes. You both open them. You are stunned by what’s inside. Carefully, you lift out the golden heart shaped locket and study it. Engraved on it are the words ‘Best Friends.’ You look at Chara as he pulls out an identical locket, looking just as surprised. Asriel reaches into his pocket and pulls out one more, stuttering, “I-it’s a matching set. It took me a while to find three. Do you… like them?” You stare at the locket in your hand in shock. There were only two in the original timeline. Had Asriel waited until today to make sure he had found three? Your lack of response seemed to make Asriel sad as he said “O-oh you don’t like it do yo-” Before he can finish, you rush in and hug him, interrupting him. You release him and slip the locket, saying “I love it. Thank you.” Chara comes up behind you, saying “Don’t forget about me.” He surprises you, pulling you back into a hug with Asriel, saying “It’s perfect. Thanks Ree.” He blushes and asks “Best friends forever?” You and Chara smile and together say “Best friends forever.”

Chapter Text

Sans is walking home from the librarby, having checked out a few more books on quantum physics as well as a puzzle book for his youngest brother. He’s sure he will enjoy it. Turning a corner, he sees that very brother in the distance, standing with a few other monsters. Sans’ eyes go dark as he hears them and realizes those monsters are bullying his brother. He’s about to rush in when he sees a figure step out from the alley behind his brother. The bullies see the figure and seem to panic before running away. “Skeleton,” the figure says to his brother. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.” Sans sees his little brother hesitate before turning around and reaching for the figure's outstretched hand. Suddenly a drawn out fart fills the air. The figure laughs, saying “The old whoopie-cushion-in-the-hand trick. It’s always funny.” The figure leans against the wall and Sans recognises her. She says “So you’re a skeleton right? That’s hilarious. Do you know Sans?” His little brother seems surprised before asking “ YOU KNOW SANS? HE’S MY BIG BROTHER! ” She shrugs and says “I met him at the librarby a while back, we discussed quantum physics for a while.” His brother nods, saying “ SANS LOVES THAT STUFF! BOTH MY BROTHERS ARE SO SMART! ” She raises an eyebrow and asks “Both?” His brother nods, saying “ YEP. SANS AND WINGDING ARE BOTH SO SMART! THEY SOLVE ALL THE PUZZLES I MAKE FOR THEM! I’M LUCKY TO HAVE THEM! ” She smiles, saying “Wingding ay? I’m guessing your name is… Papyrus then?” His brother gasped and said “ THAT’S RIGHT, HOW DID YOU KNOW? ” She shrugs and says “Skeletons are named after their fonts right?” Sans’ brother looks overjoyed as he poses and says “ YOU ARE VERY SMART. AS YOU GUESSED, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH! ” He taps his fingers together, asking “ YOU’RE ONE OF THE HUMANS, RIGHT? WHAT’S YOUR NAME? ” Sans thinks he saw her flinch at the word ‘human’ but figures he just imagined it as she says “You can call me Frisk.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out a multicolored cube. She asks “You like puzzles?” Papyrus looks overjoyed at the question, saying “ LIKE? THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A PUZZLE MASTER. I’VE NEVER MISSED A SINGLE ONE OF METTATON’S QUIZ SHOWS! ” Frisk laughs and shows him the cube saying “Check this out. It’s called a Rubik's Cube.” Frisk moves the sides around until one side is a solid color, saying “It’s a puzzle where the goal is to get all the sides to the same color like this. Want to try?” She offers the cube to Papyrus who eagerly accepts, immediately trying to match the sides. Sans relaxes, whites returning to his eyes and approaches them. Frisk sees him approaching and waves. “Looks like your brother is here,” she says. Papyrus looks up and enthusiastically waves to him, saying “ SANS LOOK! I MADE A NEW FRIEND! THEY GAVE ME THIS PUZZLE, ISN’T IT COOL? ” Sans chuckles, saying “ i dunno paps, no way that puzzle can be as cool as you. ” Papyrus looks happy saying “ WELL IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO COMPARE IT TO ME. I AM VERY GREAT AFTER ALL. NYEH HEH HEH! ” Sans chuckles again and turns to Frisk, saying “ thanks for keeping my bro entertained kiddo. ” Frisk smiles and says “No problem, I had fun.” Sans turns to Papyrus and says “ time to head home pap. give frisk back her puzzle. ” Frisk shakes her head and says “No need, he can have it.” Papyrus gasps in happiness, asking “ REALLY? ” Frisk nods and Papyrus squeals in delight. She chuckles and says “Why don’t the two of you come to my lab at some point. I’ll give you a tour and introduce you to Mettaton and Napstatron.” Papyrus struggles to breath, despite not having lungs, and turns to Sans asking “ CANWECANWECANWE? PLEEEEASE? ” Sans looks at him then at Frisk before shrugging and saying “ i guess i can’t refuse an offer like that. you sure that’s okay kiddo? ” Frisk smiles and says “No problem at all and I’m sure Mettaton would love to meet such an enthusiastic fan.” Papyrus squeals in delight again. Sans thinks for a moment before asking “ would us coming in two weeks work for you? ” Frisk nods and says “I’ll make room for it, no problem. If you want, you can bring your other brother with you.” Sans chuckles and says “ i’ll tell him you offered. we should be headed back paps. see ya later kiddo. ” Sans and Papyrus walk away, Sans waving over his shoulder while Papyrus eagerly looks back, thanking Frisk for the gift. Sans wasn’t sure why but he felt something was off about her. He dismissed it and decided as long as his brothers were happy, he was happy.

…

You were tinkering with your special project when you heard the knock on the door. You checked the cameras and saw three skeletons outside. You closed the device which resembled a pocket watch and put it in a drawer, closing and locking it. You opened the doors and greeted your guests. Papyrus immediately rushed in, looking at every little thing and commenting how there were so many ‘science’ things here. You chuckle, watching him for a moment before turning to your other two guests saying “I’m glad you accepted my offer Sans. Welcome to my lab.” You look at the skeleton behind Sans. He’s taller than Sans but not nearly as tall as Papyrus would one day be. No cracks in his skull yet. It would stay that way if you can help it. You stand and walk towards them. You extend a hand and say “[You must be Wingding. A pleasure to meet you.]” Sans and Wingding looked surprised, Wingding asking “[You… you speak wingdings?]” You nod and say “[I decided to learn it after I extended my offer to you. It’s a very interesting font.]” Wingdings smiles and says “I thank you for your courtesy, but it will not be necessary.” You smile and ask “How did I do?” Wingdings tells you “It was rather impressive. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume it was your first language.” You smile at this. In reality, you had learned wingdings a long time ago and actually were fluent in it but there was no reason to share that.

You lead the skeletons through the lab, eventually entering the room where Mettaton, Napstatron, and Alphys were. Papyrus goes fanboy over the two robots and they appreciate his enthusiasm, Mettaton moreso. He invites Papyrus to be a guest star for the quiz show they scheduled for today and, at his brothers’ approvals, he agrees. You leave him in the hands of Alphys who you tell Sans and Wingding can be trusted not to let Papyrus get into trouble. You guide them through the lab, showing restoration projects as well as prototypes you hope to perfect. You tell them the goal of this lab is to make sure hope stays strong for all monsters until they can break the barrier. At the end of the tour, you tell them you have many openings if they have any interests in joining you in your endeavors. Sans seems reluctant at first but after Wingding agrees to a position where he can study humans he agrees as well. You meet back up with Alphys who returns Papyrus who reports that he had a blast. You bid them goodbye and say you’ll see them again soon. 

…

You tighten one last bolt before closing the watch and looking at it. Time within the barrier wasn’t constant, but instead tended to fluctuate compared to the outside world. You had learned that well during your loops. No matter how long you waited or how many days passed, you always exited the barrier at sunset. You needed to be able to track time properly if you wanted to ensure everything went smoothly. Checking the clock face, you watch as its numerous extra hands seem to jump around the clock, as if unsure what time it was. Only one hand, the red one, seemed to move at a constant rate, though it was slow. Of course at the end of the day, that was the only one that mattered.

…

Sans and Wingding showed up, eager to start their new work. You gave Wingding the job of restoration of surface technology and improving their designs while you told Sans you wanted to work with him to develop new magic. You head to a lower part of the lab to explain your theory to him.

“ so boss, what’s the plan? ” You think for a moment on how to explain your theory. “You are familiar with some of the various colored magics right?” Sans nodded, saying “ ‘course. it's magic 101. ” You nod and ask “And skeletons can use gravity magic, correct?” Sans nods and says “ it’s my specialty. ” You nod again and say “So what if we could repurpose that and make a new magic. Teleportation.” You hand him a couple documents on the desk in the room and he reads over them, nodding. “ interesting. never thought of it that way. have you tested any of this? ” You nod saying “I’ve only tested on inanimate objects but organic matter is different. With a solid object you just have to move the matter but with a living creature you suddenly have to make sure the data goes with it. Otherwise…” You trail off and he nods, understanding the risks. “A magic device cannot do that. Only a thinking being can manage that. Issue is, the only type of magic that could become teleportation is gravity magic.” Sans nods and says “ so only us skeletons would be able to use it. ” You nod and say “Yes though in theory I could as well.” He looks up at you and asks “ what do ya mean? ” You think how to explain and say “You’re aware that humans are capable of using magic like monsters? Well through my studies I have found that while monster magic tends to have a set form that it is strongest in, human magic can be more… malleable. In theory, if I learn the magical concepts, I can replicate the magic.” Sans rubs his chin, thinking hard on that. “ so i’d show you how to use gravity magic and you’d be able to teleport as well? ” You nod and say “That’s the theory. I’ve already learned magic from Toriel.” You summon a fireball in your hand to prove the point. Sans thinks hard and asks “ so let’s say i teach you gravity magic and we manage to learn to teleport. we still are the only ones who could use it. what would be the point? ” You look at him, smiling and say “We could respond to emergencies faster, move supplies quickly, get people across the kingdom in seconds. It would be a great opportunity.” If Sans had eyebrows, you could sware they’d be raised. “ and your real reason? ” he asks, sensing there was something more. You grin wickedly and say “Imagine the pranks you could pull.” Sans is silent for a moment before he starts laughing. “ heheh. kiddo, you’ve got yourself a deal. ” He stretches out his hand and you shake it. A drawn out fart noise echoes throughout the room. You both laugh as he says “ the old whoopie cushion in the hand trick. ” “It’s always funny,” you finish, still laughing.

…

You quickly ‘learn’ gravity magic from Sans. He comments how you’re a quick learner which is good because it means he has to teach less. After less than a week, the two of you are ready to begin the teleportation magic experiments. You set up the camera to document your progress and begin recording.

Chapter Text

THE FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF RECORDINGS FROM THE TELEPORTATION TRIALS

“this is sans. teleportation test one, attempt one. there is a barrier in my way and the goal is to teleport to the other side.” He takes a few steps back. Getting a running start, he jumps right before hitting the wall. He seems to flicker but doesn’t get moved, hitting the wall and bouncing off it. “ow. first trial failure, teleportation did not occur. note for future experiments, have proper protective gear.”

“this is sans. teleportation test one, attempt five. protective gear has been equipped.” Sans is wearing a helmet and has a ring of pillows around him. He gets a running start. He jumps at the wall and his body flickers again, disappearing for a millisecond. He reappears a few feet to the left without his protective gear, having teleported out of it. He hits the wall again and bounces off it. Muffled laughter is heard from the other side of the camera. “ow. again. fifth trial partial success. while i did teleport, it was in the wrong direction. protective gear was left behind.” More muffled laughter comes from behind the camera. Sans looks at the source and says “oh yeah? since you’re having such a great time, why don’t you go next?”

“this is sans. teleportation test one, attempt six. taking my place for this trial is frisk. you may begin when ready.” Frisk nods towards the camera and runs at the wall. Magic surrounds them and they disappear for a millisecond, reappearing on the other side of the wall but several meters in the air. They begin to fall but before they hit the ground, their SOUL appears and glows blue. They sigh in relief and say “Thanks Sans.” “no problem kiddo. sixth trial partial success. while frisk managed to teleport the other side of the wall, they ended up high above the ground.” Frisk stands and dusts themselves off. “good thing you didn’t go the other way kiddo. that would have been bad.” Frisk looks at where Sans is behind the camera and says “I don’t think I could. Theoretically, teleportation fails if the attempted jump space is occupied by solid mass.” “huh, that’s good to know. don’t want to accidentally teleport inside of someone. that would be a mess.”

“this is sans. teleportation test one, attempt eleven. protective gear has been equipped.” Sans runs towards the wall and jumps. He flickers and disappears, leaving the gear behind. He reappears on the other side of the wall, stumbling to a stop. He turns around, looking at the wall behind him before looking at the camera. “success. eleventh trial successful. while protective gear did not teleport, i was able to pass through the wall with no difficulty. next rounds of tests may begin soon.”

“this is sans. teleportation test three, attempt four. frisk will be taking my place for this test. the goal is to appear on the other side of the room without moving. you may begin.” Frisk nods towards the camera and closes her eyes, focusing. Their body flickers and they appear on the other side of the room, seeming dizzy. “success. fourth trial successful. frisk managed to appear on the other side of the room. how you feeling kiddo?” Frisk looks towards the camera and asks “Which one of you asked that?” She proceeds to turn to the side and vomit. “oh. after test notes. due to sudden displacement, it seems that anyone teleporting without movement experience a form of motion sickness. personal suggestion is to make sure you move when you teleport to avoid side effects.”

“this is sans. teleportation test sixteen, attempt one. goal of experiment is to see if long range teleportation is viable. i will attempt to teleport to snowdin.” Sans begins walking. Suddenly he disappears. A moment later, a phone is heard ringing in the background. After a moment of indistinguishable chatter, the phone is put on speaker and Sans’ voice comes through. “first try success! i am currently standing in snowdin and would be freezing my skin off if i had any. after teleportation, i feel both mentally and magically drained. while long distance teleportation is possible, i do not recommend it outside of emergencies. i’m gonna take a nap now.”