Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/8827267. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Category: F/F, F/M, Other Fandom: Undertale_(Video_Game) Relationship: Alphys/Undyne_(Undertale), Chara/Asriel_Dreemurr/Frisk, Papyrus_ (Undertale)_&_Everyone, Chara_&_W._D._Gaster, Muffet/Original_Female Character(s) Character: Original_Female_Character(s), "Spider", Frisk_(Undertale), Chara_ (Undertale), Sans_(Undertale), Papyrus_(Undertale), Flowey_(Undertale), Asriel_Dreemurr, W._D._Gaster, Grillby_(Undertale), Asgore_Dreemurr, Toriel_(Undertale), Alphys_(Undertale), Undyne_(Undertale), Mettaton_ (Undertale), Napstablook_(Undertale), Muffet_(Undertale), Muffet's_Pet_ (Undertale) Additional Tags: Gore, Blood_and_Gore, Puppets, Religious_Imagery_&_Symbolism, Original Character(s), Undertale_Spoilers, EXP_and_LOVE_(Undertale), Pacifist Frisk, Chara_Swearing, Nonbinary_Chara_and_Frisk, Misgendering, Mind Games, Crying_W._D._Gaster, Scientist_W._D._Gaster, Goopy_W._D._Gaster, Parent_W._D._Gaster, Gaster_Needs_a_Hug, Big_Sans, Papyrus_Knows_More Than_He_Lets_On, Protective_Papyrus, Flirty_Frisk, Minor_Sans/Toriel, keeping_secrets, God_Complex, Evil, Chara_Possessing_Frisk, Chara_and Frisk_Share_a_Body, Guro, Body_Horror, Horror, Dark, Possession, POV Alternating, POV_Original_Character, POV_W._D._Gaster, POV_Frisk, POV Sans, Giant_Spiders, Lesbian_Sex, Human/Monster_Romance, Muffet_gets_some love, Multiple_Orgasms, Overstimulation, Mind_Sex, arachnophilia, Spider Kink, Never_thought_i'd_type_those_words_together Stats: Published: 2016-12-12 Updated: 2016-12-13 Chapters: 3/? Words: 5476 ****** Since when were You the One in Control? ****** by Nanubi Summary Reset Number 2195. Chara is...warming up to the idea of a decidedly non-genocide ending. Gaster is a few more nudges to the timeline away from being able to return. Sans has fessed up. To everyone. Everyone's HOPES...Everyone's DREAMS...They're on their way to being finally, FINALLY recognized. And then another human falls into the ruins. ...Oh...did I say fall? What happens when a "Spider" manages to snag a red string into its web? When something sneaky and dangerous gets a hold of fate itself? Something far, far worse than a megalomaniac is teasing the edges of the Underground. Something dark. ***** Author's Note/Plea for Forgiveness ***** In case you didn't notice yet, Chapter 1 is an Author's Note. In case you didn't notice, my tags for this are a bit...worrying. I will preface this work with 3 things. 1. An explanation. 2. A word of warning. And 3. A plea for forgiveness.   First off, these original characters are the main source of...tension...in this fic. "Spider" is...a bit of a mixed bag. And explaining him is hard. So I'll start with a little girl named Maia. She's 14 years old. She lost her virginity at 13 to the man her older sister married. And because of her own insecurities and fears, she didn't speak up. He took this as consent, and continued molesting her. Fact Number 1. When Determination is replaced with its opposite, Apathy, the SOUL grows weak. Fact Number 2. When a Human SOUL is weak, it becomes open to...meddling. On her 14th birthday, Maia started hearing voices. Well...just one voice. He was everything she was not. Confident. Powerful. Sure of his abilities and more than capable of proving them to those who doubted him. "Spider" gained her trust in a month and a half. He told her if she let him in, he'd punish everyone who had ever, ever caused her pain. Maia woke up on the slopes of Mt. Ebott with a splitting headache and the taste of ash on her tongue. Her home was a burnt husk. In fact, her entire town was little more than ashes. Spider had used Olde Magick to burn the heretics of the little town of Olivia Creek with the heat of its own hypocrisy. And he told her they weren't worth her tears. They had scowled at her. Ignored the scars on her arms. Pushed past her on the street as memories of grunting and sweat took over her heart on the way to school. Spider told her to harden her heart. Take the pain she was feeling and use it. Abuse it, like she had been abused. She was powerless before. But now she had EXP. She had LOVE. More LOVE than any other being on the planet, both above and below ground. Spider shared his with her. Gave her his EXP. Gave her his LOVE, which was all she had ever wanted. And then he had shown her the soul they now shared. A black, dripping caricature of a heart, alight with a sick, pale glow. And in bold letters, proclaiming to all who had ever laughed at her, called her weak... MAIA   LV: #### Next: NaN ATK: #### DEF: #### Hasn't felt this good in several millennium   Fact Number 3. The person in the timeline with the highest Determination has control over Time. The person with the highest LOVE, however, has control over E V E R Y T H I N G E L S E . I'm, ah...Unsure how I feel about letting "Spider" play in the Undertale Universe. Every time I've let him play with toys, he tears them apart and makes their loved ones watch. He's not redeemable. Not even Frisk can befriend Spider.   So I'm going to go about that warning now. If you have a trigger, like...for anything...probably don't read this? I mean, the tags have scared away those that can't handle rape, underage sex, gore, body horror, and the Hell that is the Chara/W.D. Gaster fan theory universe. But, ah...There are tags I refuse to add. So...consumption of human remains by a human. There's somewhere to start. The word cannibalism seems so impersonal, doesn't it? And I've always hated the term "torture porn." How is it torture when I love having my flesh forcibly twisted by a fellow consenting adult? Also, why should I warn people about my love for blasphemy when my own views so clearly will not be respected by the ones who consider it blasphemy? God is dead. We killed him. Why is a tag for trigger warnings necessary when my own creativity triggers me? For fuck's sake, I'm awake at 3 am, dizzy and nauseous, listening to my own thoughts and System of a Down as I fight the urge to write out, in great, morbid detail, a character made from all the worst parts of me possess a young girl and make her tear innocent people into tiny, deliciously glistening bits? Why?? Like, Ohmygod? My dear little meat pie...Those last few paragraphs were a test. Cleverly japed again. You. Still here. Not gone. You're who I'm looking for. A freak, like me. Welcome Home. See my comments section? Fucking regale me. You're safe, here, darling.   Now. That plea for forgiveness. Fucking forgive me for wanting to bend a universe over my knee and fuck it until it S C R E A M S . You know what's amazing about the 21st century? That fact that I can get on the internet, completely anonymously, I might add, and find just about anything or anyone I want. Undertale Undertale AU Horrortale Horrortale fan art Horrortale hentai Oh. Oh, shit, google, how kind of you~ That forgiveness I was asking for? Keep it. If you're still interested in this little pet project of mine, well...you're probably just as "desperate for forgiveness" as I am. Innit funny how the normies change their own thoughts to stay "normal?" Innit funny how they force themselves to shy away from darkness when it's so much prettier than the light? Think about it. Next chapter'll be up soon...ish. Are you ready for a debacle? 'Cause I'm finding myself oddly eager for a debacle. ***** Dark, Darker, yet Darker ***** Chapter Summary Take a look in the mind of the Spider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k4N3IAko3k {[NOTE: All links I post will be SFW unless otherwise stated. I will explain why a link is NSFW if the term is needed]} Psst...This link here? NSFW. Explicit language and blasphemy against the christian faith. It's a music. Ahhhh ahhh...Ahh ahh ahhhh ahhhh... The voice was familiar...simultaneously an old friend and a beacon of light, dragging me towards wakefulness. I'll wait here~ You're crazy~ Those vicious streets are filled with strays~ Singing...the song was familiar and alien at the same time. Not in my memories. I realized. In his. You should have never gone to Hollywood~ I came to with a sickly stench filling my nose, coating the back of my tongue with floral bile. I gagged before I could stop myself, eyes opening as I sucked in a breath through my nose, before coughing helplessly. Goooooooooood morning, Vietnam. Took you long enough, little mouse. I forced my eyes open again, when had they closed, wheezing at the overwhelming scent of flowers. It was...God, it's horrible... Hm. I've certainly smelt worse. I'm certain you have too. I grimaced, reaching up and fingering the hair tickling my ear. My fingers came away stained with red. Ah. Yes. I couldn't completely shield you from the damage. You fell a long way, little mouse. How the mighty fall. "E-enough..." I croaked. God, I sounded like a sick cat. No. A sick cat wouldn't have survived...Mmm. Sarcasm. How unbecoming of you. I snorted softly, easing my fingers along my ear. The wound was mild, mostly an abrasion from...striking the ground. I remembered falling now. The hole had been black and yawning. Spider had been adamant. This was where I was needed. Where we were needed. Time's a'wastin', little mouse. You're burning daylight. We're late. For a very important date. My head hurt. My tongue was still coated in what felt and tasted like pollen, and I had pieces of flower in places I didn't even knew I had. I winced, carefully standing. Unobservant. Inattentive. Unseeing...Synonyms. Look around, little mouse. You're only weapon at the moment is...well, that's a bold faced lie, isn't it? You have me. I was happy to have him. Aw. How sentimental. Even if he was a prick. Ah, there she is. I was getting worried. For a little while I was afraid the fall had made you W E A K. Never. Not again. Never again. Good. Now look about a bit, love. Explore. Learn. You'll need all the knowledge you can get in this place. I did as I was told, casting my gaze around the room. No. Cavern. I had fallen into a thick patch of yellow flowers, hence the stench. Looking up gave me a vague sense of light. Far, far above. How far had I fallen? Several thousand feet, little mouse. Thank me. I'm the only reason you're not a bloody pile of goo. I peered up, curious as I stepped away from the flowers. Ahead was an archway of sorts, the drab grey stone becoming a purplish brick that seemed oddly other to me. The manna from heav'n, gifted unto the children of God by an Angel. Wonder how the Church would feel about the "people" down here. Well that didn't make much sense. Keep moving forward, love. You'll see soon enough. There was darkness beyond the archway. Comforting, heavy and soft. I slipped into it, the tingle of...something...in the air shifting and twitching across my skin. It was all at once familiar and alien, memories that weren't mine slipping forward. Magick. Olde Magick. The Magick of an age long gone. Open up that pretty mouth of yours, little mouse. What do you taste? My lips parted, the action not entirely my own, and through the thick floral taste still coating my tongue was a sharp tang, completely unexpected. I sucked in a soft breath, the taste stabbing at my tongue. Aether. The starting point of even the simplest of cantrips. It is required for all Magick...though it is incredibly rare to find it staining an area so deeply. Staining? Tainted. The aether was painful. Unwilling. Very good, love. Close one eye, step to the side. What do you hear? Crying...wait. Crying? It was soft, almost...no. It wasn't crying I was hearing. It was a caricature, abrasive, sarcastic. Mocking. Listen close, love. Observe. learn. I slipped forward as quietly as possible, peeking around a corner into... The room was small, light shining down...somehow. Standing(?) in the exact center of the light was a little golden flower, swaying without wind. I strained my ears, attentive. The Magick was centered on... "Smiley trashbag..." The voice was high and childish, but with a bite that belied a deep, ugly rage. The flower swayed harder, leaves flailing. Sentient plants. What next, little mouse? Listen with those special ears. Quoth the Raven. "Can't believe even C H A R A...! Brainwashed...Do they even have a brain anymore? Motherfff...!" The flower cut itself off, stilling completely, unnaturally for a living thing. It whirled around, looking in my direction. Its face was twisted, seemingly melting as one eye slowly slid lower. Its teeth were like needles, and there were too many to properly fit into its mouth. And then with a soft, comical pop its face was friendly and hopeful as it stared toward the pillar I was hidden behind. "Golly diddly dee..." It hummed softly. "Swear I heard somethin' over towards..." The friendly tone of voice slowly melted as it spoke. What can you infer from the evidence laid before you? An accomplished actor, with a definite leaning towards sociopathy. The emotions are expertly faked...but faked nonetheless. Very good. What else. Chara...Longing, hope, frustration...This Chara is a figure the flower is desperate for, whether...no, not romantic...a leader. A figure of great power. Its lost without their guidance. I'm so proud. I stared as the flower turned away, bobbing from side to side as it manically began to hum. Let me have the reins, love. I'll handle this. I gave him complete control, sinking into a dreamy haze as my fingers curled into fists without my saying so. Watch a master at work, little mouse. My body stepped forward from the pillar, hands wringing as a whimper slid easily from my throat. "H...h-hello? I-is anyone...?" My voice was soft, meek and helpless, moments away from an emotional breakdown. But it wasn't me talking. You feel so good, love. Have you been working out? Yes...while he rested... Such a good girl. The flower twisted, looking shocked as he stared at him. Eyes wide with wonder. "H...Howdy...!" The flower looked lost as Spider went still, our eyes widening with shock. And then he began to cry, tears sliding down our cheeks, an effortless act as a broken whimper escaped our lips. "H-hey! Don't cry! A...You're new to the Underground, a-arent'cha?" Spider looked down at the little flower, curling in on himself. Take notes, this'll be on the test, love. Well over 80 percent of a conversation is body language. See, I'm making myself a smaller target. The tears accentuate our...womanly helplessness. We're small. We appear, from the outside, completely and utterly helpless. Just a little girl, unable to defend herself. We need a big, strong man to protect us. We can't do it ourselves, now can we? His sarcasm was biting and acidic, leaving me in giggles as I floated in my own consciousness. The flower looked up at us, eyes softening as he winced. "I...Golly, I hate seeing people cry...Especially a pretty girl! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower! What's your name?" Idiot. So eager to fall into my web~ "M-M-Maia..." My voice choked out of my throat, spider sending uneasy shudders up and down our body. "I...I don't u-underst-tand...." "It's okay, Maia! I've been down here an awfully long time. Hehe, I was born here! I can show you how it works down here!" There was a tug, oddly uncomfortable in our chest, and I panicked briefly as I realized what was happening. He'd be able to tell immediately, our soul was...! Relax, love. I'm a master, remember? A cartoonish heart slid easily from our chest...soft and green, fluttering like a frightened bird. Flowey looked at it was no small amount of wonder, eyes warm as he looked up at us. Such a simple masking illusion...so easy to fool a fool. "That's your SOUL! The very culmination of your being! And if you wanna get along around here, you'll need lots of LV!" Such a F U C K I N G fool! "What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't'cha?" "I-I still d-don't...F-Flowey, there's just s-so much going on...w-why's my soul Green? Is it okay?" Flowey's face went still at being interrupted, like it was the last thing he'd expected. "I...It means you're made of KINDNESS, Maia! Souls are colored depending on what they're made out of!" "O-oh..." So simple...so F O O L I S H... "W-what color is yours, F-Flowey?" Flowey looked stricken, eyes wide. Regret. It flashed across his face so quickly it was almost unnoticeable. There IS emotion there. Echoes of echoes of echoes, but he feels. Let's see how MUCH he can feel... "I-is everything okay, Flowey?" My voice was softer now, and my "soul" pulsed, edging towards the flower. He looked up, eyes going wide with surprise. "Yeah. It's just, ah...Sorry, Maia, I'm not my usual self today." The flower sagged a bit, still staring at the soul shining in front of him. "O-oh...Do you want to...Um, talk about it?" My voice was softer now, a hopeful tone barely hiding beneath. Flowey looked up, "brow" furrowing. "Oh. Um, no! It's okay, Maia! I won't dump my problems on you! I was about to share some LOVE with you! Around here..." Magick flared through the air, and little swirling white bubbles slid through the air, straining against themselves as they floated. "LOVE is shared through "Friendliness Pellets!" "Oh. They're so pretty..." Spider moved forward a bit, soul bobbing as it pulsed softly. "Those will give me LOVE?" "Yeah! Come one, catch them!" They sailed through the air, soul straining for the... Bullets, love. He intends to weaken us through raw damage and consume our SOUL. Little does he know just how little he can truly do to us. He was going to reveal himself? To the first thing we encountered? What was he...? Trust me, little mouse. It's a non-stop disco down here. Betcha didn't know~ The song lyrics eased my worry as the bullets collided with our soul. Nothing. No damage. Spider made us smile, eyes going wide. "It's...so warm...! Flowey, you really feel like this?" Flowey looked stricken, eyes wide as he stared at the soul. "I-I..." "So much apathy." Spider quit using my voice, using his instead. Deep, a growling baritone that was unmistakably male. Flowey looked up, eyes going wide as Spider stood to my full height, putting his hands on our hips. "Like there's nothing going on in that soul of yours. Like there's no soul to begin with." "W...What...?" Flowey looked completely lost, eyes wide as he shook into the soil. "What a-are you?" "How kind of you to ask." Spider squatted down so that he was level with the flower, green soul bobbing in front of his terrified face. And then the green melted away, replaced with the oil-slick wetness of our real soul. It shook with effort before slowly, slowly turning upside down, glistening black melting downward. "I am alpha and omega, Flowey." He said with a small, amused smile. "You're standing before God." "I-I...What?" "C'mon, Flowey." Spider chided. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours..." Text slithered from our soul, glaring Flowey in the face.   SPIDER LV: NaN Next: NaN ATK: 9999 DEF: 9999 Knows you're just a kid. Wants to eat you.   Flowey stared at the glitching text, eyes widening further. "C-can't be possible..." He whimpered. "Y-you can only get to LOVE 20." "Perhaps with the kills available to you. I've killed galaxies, Flowey. Snuffed out universes. Time and Space don't just bow to me like they did to you. They bend over and beg me to have my way." Spider reached out and gently stroked his petals, causing him to flinch. He was crying softly. "W-what do y-y-you want?" Flowey whimpered. No...Not Flowey... "It's simple, Asriel." The flower went stock still, staring blankly at Spider's amused smile. "I want to rest. I'm tired. I've been going and going for so long, I barely have it in me to control this body. And I want my gracious host to be happy here. I want Maia to see that there's kindness in the world, after what she's been through. I want her to meet a nice monster gal, settle down, maybe spew out a little SOUL or two." Flowey stared up at Spider, shaking again. "What do you really want?" Flowey whispered. Silly little prince, falling right into my web... "Chara." Flowey flinched. "You. The King and Queen. The little squirt, whatstheirface. The skeletons, the bunnies, the fish woman and the lizard. I want every SOUL in the Underground to let me stay here. I want to make myself known, Asriel. I want monsterkind to see that their prophecy hasn't failed them. But Asriel..." Spider reached out and gently tugged at his stalk, pulling him forward a bit. "E-eep..." Flowey squeaked, eyes widening impossibly further. "I want mosterkind to see that an Angel wasn't enough." Spider smiled, down at the flower, gently petting his petals. "God himself has decided to save you."       ***** Like a Toothache ***** Chapter Summary Frisk/Chara POV CHARA will always speak in Italics. SPIDER will always speak in bold. GASTER will always speak in underlines. And truly, the most horrifying of beasts...Temmie stays in strikethrough, forever damned to speak in eloquence to a world who hears only madness. Gibbering, greedy madness. Azathoth Himself knows no worse fate.../shudders Frisk and Chara knew the exact moment another SOUL fell into the underground. Frisk was sipping their Sea Tea as they thoughtfully regarded the chess board before them. Undyne gloated in the seat across the board, staring at the child smugly. I'm shocked. Apalled. How have we been outsmarted by a fish? Frisk was unsure when their victory slipped through their fingers. Hooded eyes swept across the board, desperate for...something! We cannot fail. We have survived much worse, Frisky. We must-- Pain. "Fuhuhuhu~ So HOPELESS, punks! Look at you! TOTALLY freaking out!" Undyne leaped to her feet, triumphant as the child's hands flew to their head, staring at the floor, stricken. F-Frisky, hold on! It'll pass, it'll pass! PAIN. "HA! What now, uh...Frisk? Hehe, punk, what're you...?" Frisk wailed. The pain was mind-numbing. Wrong. Something was...Something was so very, very...! Undyne stumbled back, speechless at the tortured cry that poured from the kid's mouth. Undyne had her phone out and a certain skeleton on the line in record time. It barely rang twice. "yo." "Sans, Frisk is having a freak out of some kind, I'm...Kind of at a loss here." Frisk, Frisky, breathe. C'mon, remember? In, 2...3...Out, 4...5...In, 2...3...Out, 4...5... Frisk's eyes were wide, bloodshot, tears streaming down their face. The subtle static displacement of one of Sans's shortcuts caused a small amount of recognition, and they shuddered. "hey, there...pal, uh...you ain't lookin' so hot." Frisk latched onto the familiar baritone, letting out a shuddering breath. Frisk. Sans is here, come on. In, 2...3...Out, 4...5... "heh, frisk, buddy. ya pasta be kiddin' me here." Oh god. That was weak, even for him. Frisk giggled breathlessly, the sound less than sane. Sans stepped up and rested his hands gently on top of their mop of hair. "patella the truth, kid, you've got me..." Nooooo... "seein' stars." Frisk looked, up, confused at the baseless pun. Chara's confusion joined their own. Sans winked an eye socket at them, pulling one side of his jacket to the side to reveal... For fuck's sake, saaaaannnsss... Frisk dissolved into giggles at the sight of the glow in the dark star stickers plastered to his ribs and spine. They looked like they'd be hell to get off. Sans relaxed visibly at the sound, his strained grin melting into a real one. "there. that's so much better, eh pal?" Sans stepped forward, accepting the hug Frisk threw at him. "wanna tell me what that was about?" Frisky, I need control. Frisk gave in easily, letting their eyes close as utter peace smoothed their features. Sans automatically changed the way he held the kid as he realized what was happening, hands shifting from Frisk's preference to Chara's. He didn't even have to think about it, his SOUL swelling with affection as bright scarlet eyes fluttered open, a look of mild annoyance flashing through the kids rapidly paling features. "Sans." Chara said, voice muffled as they pressed their face into his jacket. Smells like ketchup... Frisk giggled in their consciousness, and Chara closed their eyes, cracking a tired smile. That, Frisk, is a Snow Poff. Full blown laughter, the image of the bubbly child gripping non-existent sides as they came undone easing Chara's nerves. Get's 'em every time... "what's up, kiddo? ya look less than pleased." Chara cracked an eye open, looking up at the skeleton towering over them. "Someone fell on my grave." They said easily. Sans stiffened, sweat dotting his skull. "heh. heh, ah...that doesn't sound very pleasant." "S'not...Frisk felt it too. It's...Sans, another human's fallen." Sans flinched. This was...new. Sans did  N O T  like new. "i'll call alphys...tori's got those cameras installed in the ruins now, yeah? everything's peachy, kiddo. ya know me, i couldn't pear to lie to ya." Sans winked and pulled a banana from nowhere. "We're doing fruit now?" Chara asked exhaustedly. Sans snickered, sliding to the side a bit so Undyne could protectively check on the kid. "what can i say, kiddo? always gotta be ready. ya never know when you'll need new material." Sans put a single bony finger over his teeth before sweeping a curtain of fabric from nowhere and gathering both Undyne and the child in its warmth. "For fucks' sake!" "MotherFUCK, SANS!" Sans lost it, wiping a single blue tear from one socket as he regarded his charges. "what? 's cold in here. almost..." "NO." "Sans, I swear to Asgore, if you make a pun I'm breaking one of your ribs." "chills me down to the bone." "NGGGGAAAAAHHH!" Chara dissolved into snickering laughter as Undyne tore the fabric into pieces with her bare hands and tackled the skeleton with a scream of rage. "I'm gonna FUCKING END YOU, piece of bony...!" "HUMAN! BROTHER! UNDYNE!" Papyrus's voice calmed all three of them down instantly. The tall skeleton swept into Undyne's home, armor shining beautifully as he tucked his helmet under one arm. The wisp of orange magic from his eye revealed the shortcut he'd taken. "heya paps." Sans greeted easily, ignoring the way Undyne was gripping his throat. "UNDYNE...Why are you choking Sans?" Chara snickered, casting a scarlet glance at the mollified roll of sushi. "I, erm...He doesn't really know when to quit, Papyrus." I hate them all so much. Chara thought fondly, watching Papyrus swat Undyne's hands from his brother's throat. Frisk giggled in agreement, nudging for control. Are you alright now, Frisky? The serious nod they gave was a bit offset by the cheeky grin and finger guns. Ass. Chara slipped back, Frisk wiggling a bit as their complexion began edging back towards tanned and caramel-ish. They darted forward, tugging on Sans's jacket. "whassup, pal?" Frisk just pouted at him for a moment before holding out their arms. Sans sighed as he reached down and picked them up. "tori says you're gonna start losin' muscle if you insist on gettin' carried everywhere, pal." Frisk just stuck out their tongue at him. Sans quickly returned the gesture before they were both overtaken by laughter. "SANS! QUIT BOONDOGGLING AND COME WITH ME! ALPHYS HAS SOME VERY IMPORTANT NEWS." Sans shuddered, eye lights going out. New. Too new. Another human. "yeah...chara said something about a new human." "AH. YES, THEY'VE MADE IT INTO THE RUINS. THEY GOT SLOWED DOWN A BIT BY FLOWEY." "Fucking weed." Undyne growled. Papyrus NYEH'D unhappily and pointed a gauntleted hand towards the kitchen. "SWEAR JAR!" He screeched. "YOURS! NOT CHARA'S!" Frisk erupted into giggles all over again as they tugged at Sans's jacket, pointing happily in the vague direction of Hotland and Alphys's lab. "yeah, pal. let's get goin'." There was a brief moment of weightlessness and a non-gravity that closed up Frisk's throat like too-sweet pie. Eyes watched them as they slipped through the Void, far, far in the distance a figure was noticeable for a split second. Impossibly large yet microscopic. And then they were in Aphys's lab, standing in front of her camera array. "H-hey guys." Alphys slipped out of her elevator, worrying at a sheaf of papers without even looking up at her new guests. "Alphy!" Undyne swept forward, lifting the little lizard up in her arms as she kissed her cheek. "How's the little soul, baby? Have you been to Tori recently? Have you been eating healthy?" Alphys blushed, gently touching her stomach. "U-Undyne, not in front o-of everybody..." Undyne laughed, voice soft. "ALPHYS! WHERE IS THE HUMAN NOW?" "O-oh!" Alphys gently unangled herself from her wife and moved to her console, switching between cameras before finding them. A female. Her hair was dark and fell to her shoulders, but there were white streaks that seemed unnatural. Her eyes were green and soft. "she looks...what, fourteen?" "I-I-think so." Alphys frowned, switching a camera. "But that d-doesn't really matter. Th-this is why I was worried." At a certain angle, it was revealed that the child had a passenger. Flowey was uprooted, sitting on her shoulder with vines gently wrapped around her arm. He looked confused as he spoke to her. She answered after a moment. "what the fuck." Sans growled. "SWEAR JAR, SANS!" "can you get sound?" Sans completely ignored his brother as he glared at the screen." "G-give me a moment." Alphys fiddled a moment before her speaker started up. "...can't really explain it without giving it all away, Asriel." Sans went completely still, as did Frisk. They stared with wide eyes as Flowey didn't even react to his true name, answering her. "Damn cameras." He muttered. "I wish that damn lizard wasn't so nosy. But can you at least explain why you're here, Maia?" The human frowned, glancing down at the flower on her shoulder. "My uncle...sorry, ex-uncle. He...he did things to me. Things I didn't want. So I killed him." Sans flinched, staring as the girl's eyes grew far away. "And then when that wasn't enough...I burned down my house. My mom and dad died in the fire. Then I burned down my town. I made sure not a single person survived." "Sounds like they deserved it." Flowey sniffed. "They never believed me. I told them what he did to me. I showed them the scars from my knife. I told them everything. They just looked the other direction." "Knife, huh?" Flowey sounded hopeful. "You have that with you now?" "I don't need it." She said quietly. "I'm not going to be killing anyone else. Not unless they make me. I'm here to hide, Asriel. I'm here to get away from humanity. I'm sick of them." "M E  T O O." Flowey snarled, face melting. "Are you going to break the barrier?" "Maybe some day." She said, sounding unhappy. "I'll have to go back at some point. But...when I do...Do you think Asgore'll still call for war?" "No." Flowey pouted. "The fluffy sack of sap wants peace." "Hm." The girl glanced straight at a camera as she passed it, smiling a little. "I guess i do, too, then. At least...at first." Flowey laughed as Sans and his friend stared, all of them rigid and afraid. "At first, huh? What happens once everyone's happy, Maia?" "I destroy everything." She said simply. "And then I'll do it all again. And I'll keep doing it until we're accepted. No matter if we double the count of timelines. No matter if we quadruple them." "I missed this." Flowey giggled. "I was afraid...after Chara and Frisk got all chummy..." "Flowey..." The kid stopped, gently stroking his petals. "You're getting your soul back. Chara's getting a body. And if I need to put humanity in chains to do that, then I will. Monsters were here first. Humanity just doesn't know that." "I could use a few slaves..." Flowey mused, and Maia giggled. "I'm sure you could. But let's get to Snowdin first. I want to meet everyone. I miss having friends." "Friends." Flowey scoffed. "You have me. What else could you need?" "Asriel..." Maia patted his head. "The more love I get, the less my LOVE matters. The more I'm loved, the faster my EXP will lessen. If I can just get past Sans..." "You may have to try a few times, Maia." Flowey pouted. "He's killed Chara more times than I can count...And he's killed me a lot more." "Don't worry Asriel." Maia looked straight at another camera, stopping in front of the tree in Toriel's front yard. "He's gonna have a hell of a time taking me down." Sans's eye lights disappeared as he gentle nudged Frisk out of the way, moving towards the door. "i'm gonna go." He said darkly. "tori's not dealing with that alone." "BROTHER, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EITHER." "We're with you, punk." Undyne moved forward, lifting Frisk up as they closed their eyes. "We need to be together until we can lock down this timeline." Chara said softly, scarlet eyes opening. "...okay. we'll go together. but undyne, alphys...you guys need to watch the cameras. and be ready to start evacuating at a moment's notice." "I'll go talk to River." Undyne said grimly. "I'll go get the lab ready. H-hopefully we won't n-need it." Everyone moved out except for Papyrus, staring unhappily at the television. "...paps? what's up, bro?" "BROTHER..." Papyrus stared at the screen, eye sockets narrowing. "DO YOU THINK I COULD TALK TO HER BEFORE YOU?" "i don't...yeah, paps. that sounds like a good idea." Sans shifted uncomfortably. "we should get going bro." "OF COURSE, SANS! KEEP FRISK AND CHARA WITH YOU, I SHALL BE AT THE QUEEN'S IN BUT A MOMENT!" "heh...sure, paps." Papyrus stepped forward and simply disappeared in a wisp of orange. Sans looked up at the screen as Toriel answered her door, going rigid with shock at the sight before her. "O-oh! My child, what a...Flowey." Sans grimaced as Chara came up to stand beside him, putting their hands on their hips as they watched Asriel give a little wave. He had the nerve to look sheepish. "I really don't like this, Sans." They said quietly. Sans nodded, watching as Tori offered her home. Her heart. Her kindness. ""what'dya think, kiddo? any vibes?" "Sans...This new person...They're going to play it safe. They're going to do everything in their power to keep their secrets...But I have the strangest feeling that they have a lot of LOVE." "me too, kid." Sans sighed, reaching down and picking them up. "me too." They disappeared as Maia looked around her new room, setting Flowey in a pot. All going according to plan. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!