When I went inside and closed the door behind me, nobody noticed.  They were too involved in their conversation.

"I've traveled across the entire Underground, but there's no sign of Chara anywhere," Sans announced.

"I haven't heard about anything when I was in the palace either," Undyne added.

"M-maybe Chara gave up?" Alphys suggested, wringing her hands.  Sans shook his head.

"Chara has waited years to come back.  She wouldn't just steal a SOUL and vanish again.  She wants to destroy the timeline, just like she wanted last time."

"What happened t-to Papyrus?" Alphys asked.

"Yeah, where is he?" Undyne agreed.

"I don't know.  He told me he would be back by now," Sans answered.

The door banged open behind me as Papyrus paraded in.

"I'm baaaaaack!" he sang.  "Oh, Frisk!  I was just looking for you!"

I backed farther into the room, making room for Papyrus and the person he had brought with him.  It was a tall monster covered in white fur.  She had two small horns on her head and wore a lavender dress.

"My child, I've missed you," the goat woman said.  I searched my memories, but I didn't have the faintest clue who she was.  Her smile faded as I didn't react.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Chara took Frisk's SOUL," Sans explained, moving to stand beside me.  "Because of that she lost all of her memories."

"Chara did this?" the goat woman gasped.  The others nodded.

"Frisk, this is Toriel," Sans introduced.  "She lives in the Ruins, where you met her when you first fell into the underground."

"I thought Toriel would be able to help Frisk remember," Papyrus explained with a pleased grin.

I strained to think back, searching what few memories I had left.  I could remember winding corridors, puzzle after puzzle, floors of impenetrable spikes.

"I remember the puzzles," I said.  Toriel smiled.

"I knew you would," she replied.  "I'll watch over you while the others follow Chara."

More waiting and being watched while the others followed Chara.  Was that all my life was now?  Sitting back, forgetting, letting the others handle it?  It was Chara.  She had been in my head and taken my SOUL.  I should be the one to confront her.

"We should break for the night," Sans suggested.  "It's getting late, and we could all use some sleep.  We can meet again in the morning."

Everyone exchanged hurried goodbyes before leaving their separate ways.  Soon the only people remaining were Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, and me.

"If it's alright with you, I think I'll stay awake and clean up a bit," Toriel said.

"If you want," Sans told her.  "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Papyrus and Sans went upstairs into their rooms, closing the doors behind them.  I laid down on the couch and pulled a blanket over my head, blocking out the world.  I could hear Toriel moving around the kitchen and humming to herself.  I drifted off to sleep.

---

When I opened my eyes the cabin was dark.  The only sound was a soft snoring coming from nearby.  I pushed off the blanket and sat up, glancing around the room.  Toriel was slumped in the nearby armchair, an open book in her lap and glasses sliding off her nose.  She was the source of the snoring.  A dark form was standing in the shadow of the kitchen.  When it stepped forward, the faint light coming from the window glinted off of a knife they held.  Chara.

"What a nice little place you've got here," she said, turning the knife over in her hands.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, clenching my fists.  Chara had my SOUL.  She probably had it with her right at that moment.

"Just came to check up on you," Chara replied.  "Wouldn't do me any good for you to get hurt now, would it?"

"Wouldn't it?  I figured it just means you get to keep my SOUL for yourself."

"That's a good point."

Chara started tossing the knife back and forth between her hands.  I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

"You're not doing a very good job of convincing me to let you leave here alive," Chara said.

"If you wanted me dead, you could make it happen no matter what I do or say," I pointed out.  She shrugged.

"Lucky for you, I need you alive a little more.  I was in such a hurry that I messed up the SOUL transfer.  I didn't follow Gaster's notes.  Your SOUL is still attached to you.  It's attached to both of us.  If I get hurt, you get hurt.  And if you get hurt, I get hurt."

"So you came here to kidnap me again?"

"No.  I came here to test if I really did mess up."

Chara's hand flicked, her knife flashing across her open palm.  I gasped as a burning pain sliced across my hand.  Chara frowned.  The cut on her hand closed up and the pain in my own hand vanished.

"I figured that was the case," Chara sighed.  She pocketed her knife.  "It was a lovely chat.  I'll be back later, once I've fixed my little mistake."

Chara walked to the front door, pushing it open.  She paused.

"I'll be back for my locket, too."

The door closed behind her.