Innocence had already been more or lost by the Dreemurr brothers, but the friends and memories they'll make along the way are certainly worth it. The question is: will they grow and learn from the pain and challenges along the way to get there, and...
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"What did it feel like?" the elder companion says.
"Like I was drowning," the younger admits. "I'm scared to tell Mom more about what I did, too. I don't think she'd get it, especially with what happened to my sibling."
"Why so?" the elder asks.
The younger's voice trembles. "Because right after I resurrected, I nearly, um..."
The elder speaks once more, soothing currents flowing from his mouth. "Were you about to do something you'd regret forever?"
The younger nods quickly. "I'm really glad I'm still here. I never want to do anything cowardly like that again."
"Do you have any other regrets related to your emotional pain? Perhaps things that scare you?" the mentor asks.
The child nods and clenches his hand around his upper arm while shutting his eyes. "I...got into a fight with my sibling yesterday, the one who's still alive. That fight reminded me of how I hurt him many times in the past, and I got really mad at myself for hurting him again. That also...brought up my past in general."
The mentor bows his head slightly. "How did you hurt your sibling in the past? Did you hurt anyone else badly?"
"It wasn't just with trying to steal Frisk's soul at one point," the kid explains, "but at one time, I..." he pauses, thinking of the now defunct resets.
"At one time...what?" the mentor asks.
"I...I'm not sure if you'd get it," the child says. "But, I can explain it like this...if you re-arrange the last name of my dad and me, you'd know what both of us used to do. Except...it no longer counts for me, and since every monster since Frisk showed up is alive, I don't have a record anymore, thanks to this thing called the 'RESET'...I'm not sure if I can use it anymore, though. I don't want to try."
The counselor looks up at the ceiling and thinks for a moment. Swapping the letters of the child's last name, his eyes widen, and he realizes what the child is saying. "You have...a kill count?"
"Y-yes..." the child sputters. "But, I undid it all and broke the barrier, too."
The mentor breathes out slowly and forces himself to smile. "I can't imagine such a sweet, gentle, polite child like you being a murderer." He nods. "Well, if that's the case, it's like you said: every monster we knew in the Underground is alive today, and they also have their souls. Clearly, you've repented. It's a blessing, yes?"
The retired prince of monsters hangs his head. "I'm still surprised you're not angry or scared of me. I did so much wrong in my Flowey days, and how I keep hurting people now even though I don't mean to make me really upset at myself."
The child's therapist nods. "We are called to forgive each other, not only because it's a command, but also because it helps us feel peace as well."
Chest feeling as heavy as lead, the child reveals more about what happened the previous day. "Yet I can't forgive myself. I've burdened so many, so...I guess I thought I deserved some kind of retribution."
