None of it made any sense. They didn’t do anything wrong… they just disagreed with W!Gaster, nothing more. Why did they have to pay with their lives for having an opinion? 

Winter felt the tears that escaped his eyes freeze on his face as the harsh wind beat against his skull. He lowered his knives and stepped away from the two monsters. “Go,” he squeaked. “Go before he kills you himself.” 

The two monsters thanked him and bolted away. 

He heaved a great sigh. What a relief. It brought him peace to spare the lives of the innocent. He hadn’t done that before… but he knew from how he felt that it was the right thing to do. 

That peace quickly faded when he realized what punishment he would receive for committing such an act. Would W!Gaster throw him out to fend for himself in the storm again? Would he hurt him?

Would his father kill him? 

Winter didn’t want to think about it. He broke the crystalized tears off his face as he felt the books in his cloak get heavier. He shoved down his emotions and refused to feel them. There was always a looming reminder that his emotions were a weakness anyway. 

Stepping out of the alleyway, Winter!Sans removed the cloak from his face and walked quietly into town. He hoped that he could time his visit to the librarian just right that his father wouldn’t expect anything. 

Twenty minutes…

* * *

“I’m glad you enjoyed the books, Winter.” Winter!Toriel placed the books on the shelf before turning towards the child. “I’m even more grateful that you could read them.” 

Winter nodded silently as he sat in a chair away from the windows. The library was warm and extensive. There was a small desk that he sat in front of next to the hallway that revealed thousands of books on massive shelves. Winter wished to read all the books within the library but felt he couldn’t. An impending doom of getting caught grew heavier each time he came. Winter believed W!Gaster was catching onto his distant behavior, and he didn’t know how to mask it well enough. 

“Would you like some new books? I had a new collection come in…” Winter!Toriel paused, glancing back over at Winter!Sans. She tilted her head in concern as she observed him twirling his thumbs and staring at the floor. “Are you okay?” She asked gently, approaching him and leaning in front of him. 

Winter desperately tried to hold back his tears. “I couldn’t-” he gasped. “I couldn’t kill them this time…” 

“Oh, honey…” W!Toriel extended her arms and wrapped them around Winter. “That’s nothing to be upset about; you did the right thing.” 

Her embrace was so foreign to him. What is she doing? Was she going to attack him from behind? Why was she not moving? Winter didn’t know how to react. In fact, he just cried… the tears ran down his skull as he tugged on her cape. He didn’t want her to let go… her embrace was comforting, something he had never felt. 

“You are very touch-deprived, dear.” To Winter’s dismay, she let go and looked him in the eyes. “You feel better about not hurting them, right?” “Yes, ma’am,” Winter nodded. 

“That’s good, that’s how you should feel,” The librarian nodded slowly before standing up. She sighed with great worry before looking at Winter once more. “Winter, It’s… It’s not good for you or anyone else to stay with your father… I… I believe you need to leave.” 

Winter glanced up at her, his tears drying up. What did she mean? Why would he leave his father? He couldn’t go out in the snow again and expected him to return to the mansion promptly. “But I need to go home in ten minutes, or he’ll be mad.” 

“Honey, you wouldn’t return to him, ever,” W!Toriel explained. “You would run and start a new life, free from him and his evil plans.” 

… I can be free? 

The librarian kneeled in front of Winter, her voice hushed. “Listen to me closely, Winter. I can help you,” she glanced at the door before continuing. “The rebellion against the gasters wish to save you. They would help raise you in a much better environment than you are now.” 

Winter didn’t understand much of what she was saying. However, he knew what the rebellion was. It was the highest form of treason against the gasters to be a part of it. Winter gave slow and painful deaths to those accused of it and watched others suffer in W!Gaster’s grasp. The fact W!Toriel was even mentioning it means that Winter would have to kill her. 

Winter drew his knives, causing Winter!Toriel to back up. “I… I have to kill you. The rebellion is what my dad has ordered me against.” 

“But they can free you,” She insisted. “They will give you a much better life than you have now.” 

Winter’s hands were shaking with the knife in them. Everything in him told him not to attack the librarian, especially after all she’d done for him. However, he was told the rebellion was dangerous, and orders were orders. “The rebellion is bad-” 

“Is that what they call us now, the bad guys?” 

Winter and W!Toriel stared at the monster standing in front of the hallway. The boy’s jaw dropped. It’s the goat from the photo in my room… 

She looked similar to Toriel; the same species. However, she was much shorter and her horns were curved. Instead of wearing a blue gown patted with snow, her clothing was pure starlight and shined white like the snow on the ground. Her gaze penetrated with an uneasy amount of determination and power, but there was also understanding and care. It was a look Winter never understood. 

“Put the knife down young boy,” the starry goat demanded. “It is not your destiny.” 

“W-Who are you?” Winter’s voice quivered as he obeyed, laying the knife on the floor. Although he recgonized them from the painting, and had a good idea of who she was, he wasn’t sure. 

“I am Season!Toriel, co-leader of the rebellion against the gasters and the rightful queen of SeasonTale.” Season held her head high, looking down at the boy. “And I am here to rescue you.” 

“Well, I was going to introduce you to her, but it looks like introductions have already been made,” Winter!Toriel scratched her head, chuckling nervously. “I said you could live a better and happier life, Winter. If you go with Season, she will ensure of that.” 

Winter’s entire body was shaking now. There she was, the former ruler of SeasonTale, standing right before him—the ultimate target of W!Gaster, and the main threat to his throne. Winter had only read about her rule and power. Although she was a good and caring leader, his unfortunate circumstances have ruled him against her. He was only a boy, and he feared his death would come upon him any moment now. 

Season oversaw Winter, her eyes softening. With eloquent grace, she knelt on the ground to make herself smaller. She extended her hands towards Winter. “You don’t have to follow your father's footsteps,” she whispered. “You can rise above that and become a good and caring leader one day. Let me help you. Let me rescue you from Winter!Gaster.” 

Winter stared at her paws before looking at Season and then at Winter!Toriel. She nodded in agreement. Winter fought back tears. He wanted freedom; he wanted to escape. This was his opportunity. This might be his only chance. 

“I can’t.” 

* * *

Each step back to the castle got more painful. His teeth gritted against one another. He had given up his only chance to escape. 

He couldn’t even figure out why himself. Was it because he wanted his dad to be proud of him? Maybe there was some hope in turning his father around… Maybe, just maybe, he could find another way. 

But he couldn’t join the rebellion. 

There was no way… After all that he had done? Sure, they are fighting for justice; they are the good guys. Winter knew they would have treated him better. 

But would they have? 

Winter had killed so many rebellion members. His entire life, despite it not being that long, he fought against them. He was a threat to them… a target. 

He was a bad guy. 

He didn’t want to be, but he didn’t see how he could change. Although there was a slim hope he held out for his father, that same hope wasn’t measured to himself. 

And it swallowed him whole. 

“You’re two minutes and three seconds late,” W!Gaster’s voice boomed as he closed a pocket watch in his hands. 

Winter sighed, closing the door behind him, and took his coat off. It took him a bit to stomp off all the snow before answering. “I apologize. I had a bit of a delay with the bodies.” 

“Right, because you didn’t kill them.” 

It was as if the boy had been shot. He froze in place, fear taking control of his mind. Panic swirled within him. How did he know? How did he find out? Was he watching the whole time? 

W!Gaster let out a low, rumbling laugh. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out? Those traitors were spotted crossing the Summer Kingdom this evening. Thankfully, I had them taken care of-” he whipped around, his hand raised. “UNLIKE YOUR PATHETIC FAILURE TO DO THE JOB!” 

Winter collided with the ground from the punch that rolled across his skull. His vision immediately blacked out. No, no, no, no… 

He didn’t see the remaining hits that were laid upon him. “You had ONE JOB! ONE HELL OF A JOB! You failed, as always! You worthless piece of-”

The rest of the insults were muffled as his hearing rang. He curled up in a ball as he embraced hit after hit. His breath was shaking, and it was almost impossible not to cry. 

He had enough. 

Winter could make out the sound of a gaster blaster charging up. He braced for impact, but when it fired, he felt nothing. 

The beating had stopped. 

Winter sat up, his vision still blurred. He couldn’t make much out except for the new hole in the wall and W!Gaster’s boots hanging from it. When he turned around, he saw that the blaster was his own. 

His eyes widened with fear. What have I done? 

The next few seconds were the most rash seconds of his life. Winter didn’t waste any time before he grabbed a different coat and bolted out the door. He couldn’t stay… he was going to die if he did. His little feet carried him to the edge of the hill. He quickly looked around for something to get him down, as the stairs were too slow. 

He heard W!Gaster’s enraged roar from the mansion. With no time to think, Winter grabbed a giant icicle from the cliff and slid down the hill on it. Although it was slippery, and he fell off it at the end, it gave him the head start that he needed before teleporting into the town. 

His heart was beating faster than he ever thought it would. His feet were aching, but that didn’t stop him as he burst through the library door, his vision blurred once more. 

Winter!Toriel glanced up in surprise before rushing over to him. “Oh my gosh, what happened to you?” 

“Help,” Winter grasped onto her arms. “He’s after me. I have to go.” 

Before W!Toriel could call for her, Season was already by her side. She glanced at his face before kneeling, offering her hand quickly. 

He didn’t hesitate to accept her offer this time, squeezing her hand as the fear of his father gripped him like a python. “Please, help me.”