"Ow," Gaster grumbled, sitting up. He looked down at his hands and turned them over as though inspecting them. "I'm... back!" he whispered. "Haha, I'm back!" he said louder.

    Kaya dove off the bed and covered his mouth, saying, " Shh. We don't want to wake them up quite yet."

    She took her hand away, sat on her bed, and found that she jinxed herself. She heard footsteps rushing to her room, and her door opened a second later, light flooding inside. Standing in the doorway was her father, with her mom and her brothers behind him.

    Sans' expression was one of worry and anger, turning into surprise when he saw Gaster, and then into pure anger, which she could tell by his frown and empty eye sockets.

    I'm in soo much trouble, she thought  as her father used his telekinesis to pick up her SOUL and toss her over to Frisk. She collided and her mom wrapped her arms around her, confused by how tightly she was holding her. She turned in her mother's grasp and saw Sans advancing upon Gaster. By now he was on his feet, looking slightly worried.

    "Dad! Don't hurt him!" she shouted realizing what was happening.

    That made him stop in his tracks and he partially turned toward them, the same expression on his face. "How'd-" he started.

    "Don't hurt Grandpa Gaster! He wants to change! He wants to make up for everything he did in the past!" Tears came to her eye sockets and she realized why her mother was holding her so tightly: to keep her from stopping Sans. She sqirmed in her grasp. "I know this is something that you would've done, given the chance to get revenge, let your father suffer. Despite not knowing what he did in the past, since you've never told us, I know he isn't all that bad. He just didn't know any better. Did you lie to us, saying you want him back to actually meet his family, and instead meant it to get even with him? Why do you think I'm still here and not dead in the Void? Sure, it was because of my amazing abilities, help, and surprise, but it was also because he held back. It was a test, but one of how far I would go to save him!" Kaya had stopped squirming, and stared at her father with pleading eyes. "I believe he can change. Didn't you believe that in Aunt Chara? After multiple genocide runs after taking over Mom's body after her only complete run through it? If she can change and become a better person, then Gaster can become a better monster and father. And hopefully a pretty good grandfather. Give him a chance to prove himself worthy of staying here." She had changed into her human form, with tears still running out of eye.

    Her father sighed, his white eyes appearing, and smiled. "how long have ya been practicin' that?" he asked, glancing up at her.

    "Literally it all just came tumbling out of my head."

    "alright," he said, shrugging his shoulders and coming up to her. "i'll give 'im a chance. don' want another minute speech comin' out of ya." He rubbed the top of her head.

    "An' what's that suppose to mean?!" she replied indulgently, finally being let go of her mom's grasp. "You sayin' I'm a terrible speaker?"

    "nah, jus' that it's very influential and persuasive."

    "Oh." She hugged her father. "Thank you for giving him a chance to fix things."

    "anythin' for my lil' legend."

    "What?" she asked, changing into her skeletal form with her eye sockets going dark.

    "yeah," he laughed out. "don' ya know? there are legends about ya posted online."

    "What?!" She teleported to the family computer downstairs, knowing that the tab would've been left open by someone's habit, and read through 'her legends'. "The. Fuck?!!" she shouted a second later. "How do people know all of this?! And some of it isn't even true! 'The amazing power to locate objects using her mind'?! One, why would that be helpful in any situation, and two, what kind of crap is this?!"

    A hand covered her mouth, and she lowered her eyelids in the more calmer expression of, 'I fucked up'. I forgot Sarisk was awake after that 'dream'.

    What have I told you about holding your tongue? Lyra growled.

    To do it.

    And what didn't do?

    Hold my tongue.

    And how do you feel?

    What are you, a psychiatrist? Sigh. I feel guilt. But what other wording do you expect me to use when this kind of stuff happens?

    To use the less meaningful and known alternative words. Like how you just said 'stuff' instead of 'shit'.

    In situations like those, it's completely appropriate to use profanity.

    Then be more careful when saying them aloud!

    Her mouth was relieved from the hand after she sat down in the chair. She didn't bother to look to see who it was. She knew it was her grandfather; air still pressed up against her mouth in a circle, and he had a perfect circle through each of his hands. She was in a foul mood, despite having saved Gaster's life by being wrecked by her father, and stayimg inside wasn't going to help.

    "I'm going out for a walk," she said, hoping her grandfather was still in the room and had heard. She teleported outside, not having to put on her heels since she forgot to take them off, and walked toward the forest, with the ominous dark outline of Mount Ebbot getting clearer along the horizon. Dawn was approaching.

    By the time the sun was well up into the sky, Kaya was halfway through the forest, heading in a straight line so she doesn't get lost. Her phone rang out as she got a notification, which scared the living daylights out of her, and it echoed in the quiet wood. She checked it and found it was from her best friend.

    Skyla: Hey! It's been a while since you last updated me. Tell me if you're better and if you don't I'm hoing to have to assume you're dead 😭

    Kaya: Don't please! 😵😢 I'm better, much better, now. I'm sorry, I didn't have the time to text you, and I had forgotten any time I did

    Skyla: Oh, ok. Whatcha doing atm?

    Kaya: Nothin, really. Just walkin around

    Skyla: You promise to be careful? I heard that the monsters are planning something over in their section of town. And I know how close you and your family live to there

    Kaya: 1. I am being careful (I think, she thought) and 2. My family is the first to be a human-monster family. And no, I am pretty sure there are no revolutions going on in town

    Skyla: Oh, wait! Are you and your brothers half human and half monster?

    Kaya: Yeah, but only me. Is that something I forgot to say? Have you not seen me in both my forms? Or did you not really note it?

    Skyla: Maybe I did, but I could've sworn I've only seen you as human. And now I remember when we first met on the bus. So how are things other than yourself?

    Kaya: It's going fine, but I gotta stop texting for the moment

    Skyla: I'm preventing you from wandering, right? Can I join ya 😀

    Kaya: Sure, meet me at the base of Mount Ebbot

    Skyla: Alright, hurry up and get here then

    Kaya: Wait, you're already there?

    Skyla: You're not the only one who goes on leisurely walks through the forest early in the morning

    Kaya laughed quietly to herself and pushed off from the tree she was leaning on and teleported closer to the base of the mountain. Through the trees she could barely see her golden-red-headed friend waiting on a bench. She waited 'til she was in her human form to walk out into the open.

    "Wow, so you weren't that far away, huh?" her friend remarked when she saw her. It looked as though her dyed purple streaks had been recently redyed; they looked brighter and clearer than the last time she saw them. "How do you keep your hair that bright and clean?!" she asked, moving on without letting Kaya answer. "Aren't tips hard to dye?"

    "My tips aren't dyed," she happily explained to her, her recent foulness gone or hidden away. "I was born with them."

    "Oh, like your disability."

    "...My what?" She couldn't help it; she turned into her skeletal form, her eye sockets dark.

    "Uh.... wow... um, your disability?" Skylar tried, awkwardly explaining. "You know, your... eye?"

    "What? Are differences that don't match up with a normal human being called disabilities?" Her tail lashed at the ground. "I already found out that I'm a supposed legend, now I'm told I have a disability? What is wrong with human logic?"

    "Um... considering I'm one and I believe it all," her friend said, slightly offended, which made her normal white eyes appear, worried she had accidently upset her. "I would say, nothing, and you're not wrong to doubt us. Some humans view other humans the same way. And not all of us are bad, right?"

    Kay sighed, and replied with a small smile on her face, "Yeah. Not all are bad," and blushed slightly as she thought as someone else. She only realized she was when Skyla made a weird face that seemed to be shining and pinning her to the spot at the same time. "D-do I have something on my skull or something?" she asked uncomfortably and tried not to make eye contact.

    "Who is it?" her friend asked quietly.

    "W-what?!" Kaya blushed, much more visibly this time.

    "Who is it?!" she repeated. "Your whole skull's practically purple at the moment! There's no hiding it! Tell me who you're crushing on!"

    "I-it's no one." She walked past her and started up the path. "Now are we going or not?"

    "Wait, we're going up?" Skyla asked, her voice dimming as Kaya raced up the path toward the cave opening. "To the cave?"

    Shit, did I give too much away? she thought. Was it that obvious?

    To me, yes, Lyra answered. And to Skyla, I bet so, too. Friends can tell when something's up with the other. It is especially noticeable when you're best friends. So even a little blushing can answer a personal question like that. Plus, Skyla is pretty adept at reading expressions, so I wouldn't be surprised if she could tell the answer that quickly.

    Alright, fine. But I'll keep her guessing about who it is.

    Can't keep hiding it forever, though. Eventually she'll get it right.

    Yeah, but at least it'll buy me time.

    She reached the opening, slightly panting, and waited for her friend to arrive. When she did reach her, Skyla was breathless. It seemed as though she was more out of shape than her father, who must be the laziest skeleton and person in the whole town.

    "Can... can we... rest... for a moment?" she asked, putting her hand up against the mountain rock.

    "Sure, but I don't see how you're the one who's exhausted. You didn't have to run up after me."

    "I didn't... run. Do... you know how... steep the path... is?"

    "Um, no?" How did I get up here so fast and easily, then? she asked her guardian.

    I myself am unsure. Maybe it's because you are used to uneven surfaces because of your nightmares? But I don't see how that would affect you on the ground. You were always hanging in empty space in them.

    "Well, moving on," she said, meaning it to both Lyra and Skyla. "Are you fit to travel the Underground?"

    "Why do you want to go inside the cave?" her friend asked, finally gaining her breath back, and looked over Kaya's shoulder. "And why isn't it blocked off? Wouldn't it be dangerous for some random person to go into an unknown cave that had been blocked off for centuries?"

    "Frisk made it out, all the monsters had moved out of the Underground, and the only suitable areas are deeper in the cave, past Hotland. So there shouldn't be any animal, person, or monster past that point. And I really want to see Waterfall. From the stories Mom and Dad have told me, it's the most beautiful section of the Underground." She took a step inside and felt Skyla hold onto her arm.

    "Are you quite sure it's safe?" she pleaded, fear sparkling in her light blue eyes.

    "Yes I'm sure. Now c'mon, before any hikers or explorers come up here." She towed her trusted friend along behind her as she entered the Underground.