//Chapter 5 Weird Route and Everything Spoilers
The constant mentions of bread and bread crumbs in this chapter is a clear allusion to the breadcrumb glitch from Mother 1/Earthbound Beginnings.
Bread crumbs in Mother 1 are an item that, when used, let you return to the place you first used the item. Basically, use it, create a breadcrumb trail.
The problem arises when you have a party member who uses it and then leaves. Commonly, this glitch is used by Pippi, a temporary party member whom you rescue, and is notably overpowered for her section.
This leads you to a glitched state, letting you go out of bounds, into garbage data, and the map loads as monochrome.
This explains... A lot of the weird odds and ends so far. Pipis? In reference to the character of a similar name, what's happening at the end? Noelle, our temporary party member who left, is now taking us out of bounds, likely to a land of monochrome.
Oh, and don't worry. This is spelled out to us in the Ch3 egg room.
Hm, it sure doesn't look good. "I sense nothing but evil from this place."
The "copies are monochrome" line could be alluding to this place as well, possibly some copy of Hometown? Or even Castle Town?
Sans giving the bread feels especially devious considering the uh... Sans is Ness Ninten connections >.>
There is so much more to go into too, breadcrumbs take you "back to where you started" which is Kressel/Kroner(lol) evidence. The nature of breadcrumbs referring to evidence.
For sure I can say this though. Kris and Noelle are NOT dead. The final face sprite shows light from below, and we are being clearly shown that there is a place these breadcrumbs lead us too.
We are going out of bounds, to somewhere nobody has ever been before
Not the shelter, not the location of Ch7 at least initially. Somewhere completely new. Maybe the "depths" but I don't think we are just taking Noelle to Chapter 7, we are going out of the game, and this monochrome land depths or otherwise is likely going to take us there, to the end, like a wrong warp or noclip glitch. Like the breadcrumbs.
Shoutouts to Portal Bump for making the connection for me initially, and Wikibound for info on the glitch.
