Skipping

"Can you get of my back now?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at Frisk.

Frisk hesitated for a moment before sliding down to the ground, her face a mix of relief and lingering concern. "Sorry, I just… it felt safer up there. And you're faster."

As I turned, I saw Papyrus approaching with his usual dramatic flair. His voice boomed with excitement. "I have discovered a human! Nyahaha! The great Papyrus has found you!" He struck a triumphant pose, his enthusiasm palpable.

"So now that you have discovered a human what are you gonna do?" I asked curiously.

Papyrus puffed out his chest even further, his skeletal grin widening. "What am I going to do? Well, human, prepare yourself! For I, the great Papyrus, shall capture you! Then I will finally become a member of the Royal Guard!" He paused for a dramatic effect. "Everyone will finally recognize my greatness! Nyahaha!"

Frisk, standing beside me, shifted nervously. "You're really going to capture us?"

Papyrus waved his hand dismissively. "Of course! But fear not, human! I will make it fun. You shall face my series of puzzles and trials! Only the most cunning can pass them! And don't worry, I'll be gentle."

I smirked. "Sounds entertaining. Go on then, what's the first test?"

Papyrus tilted his head, momentarily caught off guard by my nonchalant attitude. "You're… not afraid?"

I shrugged. "Not really. You seem more like the type who'd offer spaghetti than harm anyone."

Papyrus let out an exaggerated gasp, holding his hands to his chest as if wounded by my words. "How did you know about my legendary spaghetti?! Are you a psychic too, on top of being a human?"

I chuckled. "Lucky guess. So, are we doing this or what?"

Papyrus' eyes gleamed with determination as he pointed dramatically down the snow-covered path. "Very well! Face my first puzzle, if you dare!"

*I advise you leave this world soon…there are too many things that can easily wipe you out.

I rolled my eyes at the UI's warning. "Yeah, yeah. Noted. But I'm not leaving just yet."

Frisk glanced at me, a bit more relaxed now that Papyrus' dramatic antics had shifted the mood. "You think we should take this seriously?" she asked as we followed the path Papyrus had pointed to.

"Nah," I replied, smirking. "It's Papyrus. His 'puzzles' are more like mildly inconvenient obstacles. Just humor him, and we'll be fine."

Ahead, we spotted Papyrus standing beside what looked like a simple grid of tiles. He was gesturing wildly, explaining something we were too far away to hear yet.

As we approached, he turned toward us with a grand sweep of his arm. "Behold! The next great challenge! This, humans, is my diabolical… Tile Puzzle!"

I could feel the UI silently groaning in my head. I stifled a laugh. "Okay, Papyrus, explain how it works."

Papyrus jumped at the chance. "Nyahaha! You see, each tile has a different effect! Some are harmless, like green ones, but others, like red ones, will electrocute you! And some tiles will make you smell like lemons, which dogs hate!"

Frisk and I exchanged a glance. "Smelling like lemons?" I muttered under my breath. "That's a new one."

Papyrus continued enthusiastically. "Now, I will randomly generate the puzzle! And only the bravest, smartest humans can—"

Before he could finish, the tiles all shuffled rapidly, flashing different colors before finally settling into a neat pattern. Most of the tiles were… pink.

Frisk blinked. "What does pink do again?"

Papyrus paused, scratching his head for a moment. "Oh, uh… pink is safe. You can just walk across them."

The silence that followed was palpable. Frisk let out a small giggle, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Looks like you made it too easy, Papyrus," I teased, stepping onto the first pink tile.

Papyrus flailed his arms in frustration. "No! This isn't how it was supposed to go! You're supposed to be challenged! Confounded! … Not just walking across!"

Frisk giggled again, following right behind me. "Sorry, Papyrus. Maybe next time."

Papyrus dramatically sighed. "Very well… But don't think for a second that you've bested me, humans! There are more puzzles ahead! Even more devious than this one!"

I gave him a mock salute. "Looking forward to it, Papyrus."

As we walked past him, Frisk leaned closer to me and whispered. "Sorry but i don't seem to recall much ever since i was True Reset, but is he always like that"

I glanced at Frisk as we walked further along the snowy path, Papyrus' grand gestures still visible behind us. "Yeah, pretty much," I replied with a smirk. "Papyrus is always over the top, but that's part of his charm. He's harmless, though, so don't worry too much."

Frisk nodded thoughtfully. "It's weird… I know I've done this before, but everything feels fuzzy, like it's slipping away."

I frowned slightly. "True Reset probably wiped a lot of things clean, including memories. It's not surprising you feel a little off."

Frisk was quiet for a moment, then asked, "What about you? You're not affected by the resets?"

"Not really. Different rules for me," I said casually. "I don't follow the same timeline rules you do."

She looked at me curiously. "Different rules?"

I shrugged, keeping my voice light. "Let's just say I have a bit more freedom when it comes to messing with the flow of things. Doesn't mean I should, though."

Frisk's gaze lingered on me, clearly wanting to ask more but deciding against it. Instead, she nodded and smiled slightly. "I guess that makes sense."

Before I could respond, the sound of crunching snow caught my attention. I turned to see Sans standing in his usual spot, leaning lazily against a tree. His eyes—well, eye sockets—fixed on us with that same, unreadable smile.

"heya," he greeted, his voice low and relaxed. "heard you've been hangin' out with my bro."

I chuckled. "Yeah, Papyrus has been giving us the grand tour of his puzzles. Not exactly difficult, but it's entertaining."

Sans gave a small chuckle. "heh. classic paps. always goin' the extra mile."

Frisk stepped up next to me, looking at Sans a little nervously. "Are you… going to stop us?"

Sans' grin widened slightly, but his tone remained casual. "nah, you're cool. long as you're not causin' too much trouble."

*He knows something, UI suddenly interjected in my head. Be careful with Sans. He's one of the few who could be a problem for you.

I mentally nodded in agreement but kept my expression neutral. "Well, trouble's not exactly what we're aiming for. Just exploring the Underground, maybe solve a few puzzles along the way."

Sans didn't seem convinced but didn't press the issue. "alright, just a friendly reminder—some things are better left unbothered, y'know?"

I heeded Ui's words. UI can you just teleport us to asgores chamber so we can get the souls, i might as well leave as quickly as possible.

*Sure but expect to face Karmic retribution also if you're going to cause chaos anyways might as well break the barrier

I sighed at the UI's response. Karmic retribution, huh? Not exactly a welcoming prospect, but I was getting tired of playing these games.

"Fine," I muttered under my breath. "Do it."

Frisk gave me a concerned glance. "What are you—"

Before she could finish, there was a sudden shift in the air. The snow, the forest, Papyrus' voice in the distance—it all blinked out, replaced by the dim, ominous glow of Asgore's chamber. The stone walls around us radiated an eerie warmth, contrasting with the cold atmosphere we'd just left.

Frisk stumbled forward, eyes wide in shock. "W-what just happened? How did we—?"

I stepped past her, the UI already guiding my senses toward the far end of the room. The souls… I could feel them, pulsing faintly in their containers. They were close.

"Asgore's throne room," I said matter-of-factly. "This is where we need to be."

Frisk's eyes darted around, panic settling in. "But… we skipped everything! What about Papyrus, Sans, the others—"

"They're fine," I interrupted, my tone firmer than I intended. "This is where the real game begins, Frisk. Everything else? Just distractions."

Frisk hesitated, her face a mix of fear and uncertainty. "Are you… sure about this? Asgore isn't someone we can just—"

"Frisk," I cut her off again, my patience running thin. "I've got it under control."

She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber. My eyes locked onto the entrance as a towering figure stepped into the room.

Asgore.

His large frame was silhouetted against the dim light of the chamber, his fiery mane casting long shadows on the floor. His expression was somber, but there was a weight in his eyes, as if he already knew why we were here.

Frisk stiffened beside me, and I felt her hand instinctively reach for mine. I let her take it, even though my focus was entirely on the king before us.

Asgore's voice rumbled, low and sorrowful. "So… you've come, human." His gaze shifted between Frisk and me, lingering on her for a moment before locking onto me. "I see… this is not the first time."

*Be on guard, the UI warned, its tone more serious than usual. He is powerful and has no intention of letting you leave with the souls.

I smirked, already feeling the UI analyzing every move, every fluctuation of power in the room. "We're here for the souls, Asgore. Hand them over, and no one has to get hurt."

Asgore's face softened, but his voice remained firm. "I wish it were that simple. The barrier… it requires human souls to break. And I… I cannot let you go without taking what I must."

Frisk's grip on my hand tightened, her voice barely a whisper. "There has to be another way…"

"Frisk," I said quietly, squeezing her hand back. "It's too late for that."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the tension thick enough to cut through. Asgore took a deep breath, raising his trident. "I am truly sorry for this."

Here we go, the UI murmured, its presence coiling tighter in my mind.

The chamber crackled with energy as Asgore readied himself, his aura expanding like a wildfire, suffocating everything in its path. I could feel the power radiating from him, but I didn't flinch.

"Stay back, Frisk," I muttered, stepping forward and gently pushing her behind me. "I've got this."