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Kris and Frisk almost tripped over each other as they exited the ruins, the dim light here hardly any better than before.
"Cold!" Frisk said, showing Kris their hands with snow stuck to their nails.
Kris laughed weakly, wiping the tearstains from their face with their sleeve. "Yeah, Frisk, it's snow."
"Snow…?"
"Mhm. Freezing, sticky snow."
Frisk giggled as they continued on the path, Kris' feet aching already as they trudged through the white powder.
Snap!
Kris whipped around, drawing their sword sharply. But there was no one there, just a broken branch.
"…Frisk?"
"Mhm?"
"… watch we're you're going."
They continued on to find a narrow bridge, a broken wooden archway hanging over it ominously.
Kris yanked Frisk to a stop as they heard the snow squelch behind them.
"oh, c'mon, kid. Is that how you greet an old friend?"
Kris whipped around sharply, face to face with the skeleton they'd dreamt of slicing in half, sword drawn immediately. "YOU KNOW?!"
"yyyyyup. gotta say, didn't expect you to go all berzerk on those monsters down there. yeesh, kid, what did a couple froggits ever do to you?' Sans grimaced.
Kris stepped forward immediately, hands itching to just swing. "Are you why I'm down here? How do you know I'm not supposed to be here?"
"i didn't cause a thing, kid. as for how i know… well, a skeleton's gotta have his secrets, right?"
"I'll kill you. Right now."
Frisk's head snapped up with a soft "huh?", but Kris didn't dare look at them.
"oh, i'm sure you'll try, kid." The lights in Sans' eyes rolled as if he was amused. "i know you feel insane, right? willing to do anything to get the little guy home?"
Kris' jaw tightened. "What's it matter to you?"
"i can help you get 'em home, if you'll actually let me. i get that you hate me, kid, i really do, but i thought your mother raised you better than to go swinging a sword when peace was an option."
"… She's not here."
"i am. guess what? just a little bit ahead, you're going to run into my brother. can i give you a word of advice?'
Kris reluctantly—so reluctantly—put their sword away. "What?"
"if you kill him like you did all those innocent monsters in the ruins? well, let's just say, regardless of how much i might like your mom… you'll have a bad time."
…
Kris stumbled into the town, wiping blood from their nose. Welcome to Snowdin! The large banner read in bright and colorful letters, Christmas lights draped around the poles cheerily.
Frisk tugged on their hand and pointed to the building nearest them. "Inn. Bed."
Kris forced a tired smile. "You want to rest?"
"Mhm!"
"C'mon, then, it won't hurt you to take a nap."
Frisk dragged Kris inside and waved happily at the rabbit woman behind the counter. "How much for a room?" Kris asked softly, ignoring Frisk trying to hop to see over the counter.
The woman smiled kindly. "80g, but you two can just take this one on me."
Kris raised their eyebrows. "You really don't have to do that."
"I know." She handed over the key.
Kris promptly carried Frisk up the stairs and tucked them into bed, sitting on the edge as they waited for them to fall asleep as Kris gently stroked Frisk's hair.
"Mm…so sleepy, m'm…" they mumbled before immediately falling asleep.
Kris knew what the last mumbled word was, and it made them ill. They weren't Frisk's mother, and that's all Frisk wanted, really. Just to go home to their mom.
Kris could relate.
Slipping out and locking the door quietly, Kris headed east of town, hand tight around their sword handle already.
It was snowing hard, annoyingly landing in Kris' hair and eyelashes as they caught sight of Papyrus' silhouette.
Fuck whatever Sans said. Kris wasn't letting him or anyone else get in the way of taking Frisk home.
"AH! HUMAN! I SEE YOU HAVE DEPOSITED THE SMALL HUMAN SOMEWHERE SAFE!"
Kris drew their sword wordlessly as they approached him, the tip of the blade dragging in the snow.
"HUMAN! I, PAPYRUS, MUST BE HONEST WITH YOU." He sighed and shook his head. "THE PATH YOU ARE ON. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU."
Stopping, Kris tilted their head, their jaw still set.
"I BELIEVE THIS WILL END UP RATHER HARMFUL FOR YOU. BUT! EVERYONE CAN CHANGE, HUMAN! YOU CAN CHANGE FOR THE BETTER AND LEAVE THESE VIOLENT WAYS BEHIND!"
Kris raised their sword, eyes narrowing as snow blurred their vision.
"YOU HAVE SIMPLY BEEN ON YOUR OWN FAR TOO LONG! BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM OFFERING YOU… THE HAND OF FRIENDSHIP!"
Shaking their head, Kris shuddered. "No. You want us dead, like the rest of them."
"I ASSURE YOU, HUMAN, MY WAYS HAVE BEEN CHANGED! I DO NOT DESIRE TO CAUSE YOU OR THE TINY HUMAN PAIN! I AM OFFERING… MY FRIENDSHIP!"
Kris' lip quivered. From the cold, of course. "Liar. Fucking liar. You'll hurt us. You'll hurt them. I can't afford that."
They stepped closer.
Papyrus didn't step back.
"HUMAN… YOU HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL! DO NOT THROW IT AWAY BECAUSE YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME! I AM BEING TRUTHFUL! I WANT TO HELP YOU AND THE TINY HUMAN TO GET HOME! AS FRIENDS WOULD DO!"
Kris stuck the sword tip to his neck, hands trembling violently. Papyrus gently rested his hand on top of theirs, and the ash-covered blade fell from their grasp into the snow with a soft poof.
Attempting to smother the pathetic noises that escaped their mouth as tears slid down their cheeks, Kris pressed both hands to their mouth and tried to step back. Their knees simply gave out under them, the wet, cold snow soaking through their jeans.
Papyrus sank down right beside them, wrapping his bony arms around them without hesitation. "I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… AM PROUD OF YOU!"
Kris' hands trembled against their lips. The ashes of the monsters they'd slain before stuck to Kris' hands like glue. They weren't sure the feeling would ever fade. Maybe they were destined to be stuck as a murderer, no matter what.
They knew, deep down, they wouldn't hesitate to kill again. Not for Frisk.
But…
Maybe they'd try just a little harder not to. Not if there was a better option.
"knew you had it in you, kid."
Kris looked up, but only they and Papyrus were in the snowy clearing.
Typical.