Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Over my many years of living in this lifeless limbo, I have seen countless things.

Many timelines change and grow, others shrink and die.

Dimensions and the multiverse itself are constantly shifting around me.

With the new powers granted by this void, I have seen the various timelines, and for a while, it seemed as if everything was set on their own paths, but each were similar…

Until now.

The timeline has been altered.

Some exterior force beyond anyone’s comprehension is… changing things.

The child, Frisk.

They, or rather, SHE, has forgotten everything.

The pacifists, the neutrals… even the genocides.

All forgotten.

The same applies for the rest.

Sans, Flowey…

None of them remember. None of them remember the various timelines and endless outcomes.

No one remembers but me…

However, once new information is gained, I could be very, very wrong.

Normally, if something this suspicious were to arise, I would intervene in some fashion.

Restore the memories, force a load of a previous SAVE like I have done countless times before.

But now… I have a pained curiosity.

I wish to see how this will all play out.

This timeline has been changed, in the way determination affects the monsters.

No longer will it create the monstrosities known as “amalgamates”...

No.

This new result…

…

Is far more deadly.

This new timeline, based on the skeleton of the old, seems…

Very…

Very…

...

Interesting.

Chapter Text

“BROTHER!” Papyrus shouted, “COME DOWN HERE AND QUICK! I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU!”

Sans opened his eyes and slowly sat up in his bed. He stretched, hearing his bones crack. He hopped out of bed, throwing on a pair of shorts, grabbing his sweatshirt which hung on the door. He wrapped it around himself and opened the door, the light almost blinding him.

“AH! SANS!” Papyrus said, smiling, “IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU UP AGAIN!”

“mornin’ bro,” Sans said, stumbling down the stairs, “how’re things?”

“OH, THEY ARE JUST GOING EXQUISITELY BROTHER!” Papyrus clapped, “I JUST FINISHED UP SOMETHING REALLY COOL!”

Sans looked at Papyrus, a look of interest in his eyes.

“hm?” Sans muttered.

Papyrus led Sans to the kitchen, throwing open the door, gesturing dramatically to what appeared to be a set of armor on the table. Sans looked at Papyrus, curious.

“what’s that?” He asked.

“IT’S MY COSTUME, SANS!” Papyrus replied, “FOR THE COSTUME PARTY COMING SOON!”

Sans thought for a moment, a sudden sense of realization washing over him.

“oh yeah, kinda forgot about that,” He shrugged, “heh.”

“FEAR NOT, DEAR BROTHER,” Papyrus said, “EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE BEEN SKULKING AROUND, NOT PREPARING YOUR COSTUME, I HAVE CREATED ONE FOR YOU!”

Sans chuckled.

“thanks bro,” He said, “I hope it didn’t…”

Papyrus’ eyes widened, and he glared at Sans.

“DON’T.”

“... costume much of your time!”

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Papyrus shrieked, “I WILL NOT DEAL WITH THIS RIGHT NOW!”

He grabbed a bag, throwing it at Sans.

“GO TRY IT ON! NOW!”

“okay,” Sans replied.

“AND NO MORE PUNS!”

Sans walked out of the kitchen, turning and strolling to the end of the living room, stepping up the stairs.

“okay.”

“WE HAVE THREE HOURS SANS!” Papyrus shouted, holding up four fingers, “WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO WASTE! I WANT US TO BE THE GREATEST THERE!”

“don’t worry, we will be,” Sans said, stepping into his room. He dropped the bag, and sat on the edge of his bed, letting out a deep breath. He put a hand to his head, his forehead feeling like it was on fire, grunting.

what is going on? He thought, my head hurts, I wake up and my whole body hurts, and to add on top of that… I feel like I'm forgetting something…

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

it’s probably nothing, but still…

“SAAAAANS!” Papyrus shouted.

“be right there, bro.” Sans shouted back.

He grabbed the bag, and took out the costume, quickly throwing it on. He walked back out the door, looking into the room, seeing Papyrus pose in his new costume.

“lookin’ good, bro,” Sans said.

“THANK YOU, BROTHER!” Papyrus replied, “I KNOW, I AM VERY GREAT!”

Papyrus turned and jumped up, an excited expression on his face.

“YES! IT FIT PERFECTLY!”

“you thought it wouldn’t?” Sans asked.

“OH OF COURSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD FIT PERFECTLY!” Papyrus said, “I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, THAT’S ALL!”

Sans looked at him, and shrugged.

“alright.”

Papyrus glanced over at a clock on the wall, his eyes opening wide.

“WOWIE! WE BETTER GO!” He said, grabbing Sans hand, “COME ON, SANS!”

Sans was dragged by Papyrus, both of them leaving the house. Sans looked at Papyrus, confused.

“pap, we’ve got two more hours,” He said.

“YES, BUT IF WE GET THERE FIRST, WE’LL WIN THE COMPETITION THIS YEAR FOR SURE!” Papyrus said, “AND WE CAN HELP THEM SET UP SOME LAST MINUTE DECORATIONS!”

Suddenly, Papyrus stopped and turned around, rushing back to the house, dragging Sans.

“WE FORGOT THE SPAGHETTI!”

Chapter Text

Alphys’ grabbed another handful of popcorn, chomping it down and reaching for another, her eyes glued to the TV. She sat wrapped in a blanket on her couch, a small TV with a DVD player sitting in front of her on a little table. Her lab coat hung on a coat rack near the entrance to the lab, and she wore her pajamas, a tank top and sweatpants. She grabbed another handful of popcorn, tossing it into her mouth, crunching as she ate, watching Mew Mew Kissy Cutie Season 1 on the TV.

C’mon, She thought, watching as Mew Mew and her friends went up against a fearsome foe, C’mon c’mon c’mon! You can do it!

She leaned forward slightly, completely lost in the show. She waited in anticipation, watching the scenes play out, the characters moving and fighting against their enemy. She grabbed another handful of popcorn, eating it before reaching over to the cupholder on the couch, grabbing her cup of soda, slurping it down.

“C’mon c’mon c’mon!” She said to herself, “Y-you can do it!”

She continued to sit there, watching the anime with almost undying focus. No detail went past her unnoticed. She leaned forward even more, her eyes getting wide as the scene was nearing its end, Mew Mew getting ready to use her ultimate power. To Alphys, it seemed like the whole world had stopped…

“ALPHYS, DARLING!” A robotic voice called.

“AHH!” Alphys screamed, jumping to another end of the couch, pausing the show, knocking over the cupholder. Warm soda spilt on the floor, and Alphys cursed under her breath, glancing at the box of a robot that had entered the room.

“ALPHYS, DARLING,” Mettaton said, “HOW IS MY NEW BODY COMING? MY SHOW IS SUPPOSED TO START NOT TOO LONG FROM NOW.”

Alphys sat up, blushing in embarrassment.

“I-i-it’s coming!” She stuttered, adjusting her glasses, “I promise! I-it won’t be too long!”

“THAT’S VERY VERY GREAT, DARLING! I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE MY EXCITEMENT!”

“Y-yeah! You should be v-very excited!” Alphys stuttered, “I promise, you’ll l-love this body!”
Mettaton glanced over at the TV, which was paused on a very revealing frame of Mew Mew.

“...ALPHYS?” Mettaton said.

“Y-yeah…?” Alphys replied, slowly turning in the direction Mettaton was looking.

Her cheeks went bright red, and she let out a whine, quickly hitting backwards, skipping back to the beginning of the scene.

“NOW WHAT WAS THAT, DARLING?” Mettaton asked, making an audible wink sound.

“N-NOTHING!” Alphys screamed, rushing to push Mettaton out of the room, “Just please go wait while I finish your body it’s almost ready please just go!”

“ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT,” Mettaton replied, “NO NEED TO NAG, DARLING. I SIMPLY WANTED TO CHECK UP ON PROGRESS.”

“It’s coming along g-great, n-now please leave!”

Mettaton chuckled.

“OF COURSE, DARLING.”

He began to roll out of the room, still chuckling.

“ENJOY YOUR… CARTOON, DARLING.”

“I-IT’S NOT LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME, I-I SWEAR!”

Mettaton laughed, and rolled down the halls of the lab, back to the workspace where his laughter died down. Alphys looked around, and then sighed, walking back into the room. She looked at the spilt soda, and a sad expression spread across her face.

Great, She thought, Just great. Now I have to clean all of this up.

Sitting down on the couch, rewrapping herself in her blanket, she let out another sigh.

I-I guess I’ll just have to finish this later, I have so much to do, Mettaton's body, maintaining the CORE, and breaking down that door that won’t open down in the lower lab. I hate this, but anime will have to wait.

She yawned, and stretched her arms, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes.

G-guess I should sleep though, She thought, I-it’s getting late, a-and I can’t fall asleep on the job! So much to do...

She stood up, and grabbed some paper towels from a different room, cleaning up the spill and popcorn. Throwing it all away and shutting off the TV, she walked back out of the room, heading back down the halls, stumbling into her room. She passed the strange pink goop machine, the workbench with Mettaton’s blueprints, and the many bookshelves, finding herself at her bed, which was folded into a box. Tapping a button on its side, the bed unfolded, and she plopped down, closing her eyes and burying herself in the blankets, exhausted. She yawned, and grabbed a nearby pillow, hugging onto it. Cuddled up with the pillow, taking comfort from it, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Light shone into the throne room, the flower pedals seeming to glow golden. The sounds of chirping birds could be heard, a distant echo of laughter finding its way to the ears of the king. Asgore knelt in his throne room, tending to his garden, the golden flowers all resting neatly and calmly around his throne. He watered a little, blooming flower, and then stood, looking over his whole garden. His eyes wandered, and he spotted the other throne that he had long since covered with a white sheet. His smile faltered, painful memories shooting through his mind.

“I can’t believe you!” A voice in his mind shouted, a familiar, once calming and loving voice, “How could you? HOW COULD YOU?”

Tears began to swell up in his eyes, and he bit his lip, fighting them back. He walked out of the throne room and back down the long hall, the light shining brighter than ever through the stained glass. He stepped out, and strolled over to the edge of a raised path overlooking the city. Leaning over the edge and looking out at the city below, he watched children play in the streets, adults run their errands, shopkeepers sell and barter, patrolling guardsmen. He smiled, watching his people go about their business. His smile faded again, as another memory flashed in his mind.

“Once again, the humans have taken everything from us,” His own voice said, in an angry, hurt tone, “Once again, all of our hopes for peace were crushed by the humans. But, we will not give up hope! We will not simply vanish into the darkened hell we were banished to! From this point onwards, any and all humans are our enemy! And we will kill those who dare stand in the way of US AND OUR FREEDOM! MEN! WOMEN! AND EVEN CHILDREN! NONE SHALL BE SPARED! THIS IS OUR TIME TO FIGHT BACK, AND REGAIN WHAT THE HUMANS STOLE FROM US: HOPE! HOPE THAT WE SHALL SEE THE SUN’S LIGHT AGAIN!”

He remembered the cheers that came after, the chants for war, the chants of his name. He remembered them clearly, and he felt a tear roll down his cheek. He then remembered the six humans who fell, their souls now resting by the barrier, the seventh and final one yet to be found. Sighing, he hung his head low, a feeling of regret and remorse washing over him.

What have I done? He thought, resting his head in his hands, What have I done…?

He looked up at the ceiling of the large cave.

I was so foolish… what was I thinking? He thought, Even… even with seven souls, countless monsters would die in the fighting. Even if we won, defeated the humans, destroyed them all, our losses would be heavy, and all we’d be left with is destruction, death, and hopelessness.

He hung his head low, and took a deep breath.

Meaningless to think of such things now, He thought.

He walked down the path, stepping back into his home, taking off his armor, hopping into casual clothing. He walked over, lighting the fireplace and put down his watering pail, stepping into the kitchen and washing off his hands in the sink. Preparing himself a warm cup of tea, he sat himself at the dining table, sitting alone with his thoughts. He took a long, thoughtful sip, smacking his lips and peering over towards the exit to his home, the path leading back to the castle. Glancing down at the tea, he saw his reflection staring back at him. His hand trembled, he no longer saw a calm, confident, caring king. All he saw was a timid, hopeless, frightened coward, one who murdered children for the sake of his own species freedom, one who declared war out of grief and loss, and one who had put so much on the line, all because of one fateful night where he lost everything. Drinking the last of the tea, pushing the thoughts away, he grabbed the saucer and the cup, plopping them down in the sink and rinsing them out, heading for his room.

He cracked open the door and stepped inside, looking at his bed, and then to his desk, his journal resting on top of it, flipped open to a page full of writings, all of which repeated a single phrase: “Nice day today!”

Sitting at the desk, he picked up his pen, and prepared to write down at the paper… until he stopped himself. He let out a sigh and put the pen down, letting it roll away across the table. He picked up the journal and slammed it shut, shoving it into his desk before stepping towards his bed and hopping in, pulling the comforter over himself. With his crown placed on the nightstand beside him, his armor on the floor next to that, he took in a deep breath, and simply lay there, waiting for sleep to take him.

Chapter Text

Papyrus and Sans strolled through the snowy paths, walking back home as fresh snowflakes fluttered to the ground around them. Papyrus giggled, holding the medal they had won in his hands.

“WE DID IT, SANS!” Papyrus shouted, jumping up and down, “WE DID IT!”

“I know, and first place too,” Sans replied, putting his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

“I KNEW WE COULD DO IT, BROTHER! ALL OF MY HARD WORK DID NOT GO TO WASTE!”

“heh, you were right, bro,” Sans closed his eyes and shrugged.

The two continued walking down the paths back to their home, the snow crunching under their feet, the soft flakes drifting around them. Sans glanced around, looking out into the snow. He took a deep breath, his breath visible in the ice cold air. He felt a sense of peace wash over him, and he closed his eyes, still walking at Papyrus’ side. Papyrus looked at the medal, a smile spread wide across his face. He twirled it around on his hand, and then tossed it up, catching it again. He looked around, stopping in his tracks. Sans was gone.

“S-SANS?” Papyrus called out.

He turned around, looking back out into the snow. Sans wasn’t there.

“SANS?” Papyrus called, “HELLO? SANS?”

Sans opened his eyes, finding himself standing upright far behind Papyrus, who was rushing over to him.

“AH, THERE YOU ARE, SANS!” He said, “PLEASE DO TELL ME NEXT TIME YOU DECIDE TO TAKE A NAP LIKE THAT!”

Sans looked at Papyrus, and then out at the village, and then back to his brother.

“I fell asleep?” Sans asked.

“WELL, OF COURSE YOU DID! WHAT ELSE WOULD EXPLAIN YOU RANDOMLY STOPPING LIKE THAT?”

Sans shrugged. Papyrus sighed.

“NO MATTER, I SHALL CARRY YOU HOME IF YOU ARE THAT TIRED.”

Sans shook his head.

“no, bro, I’m fine,” He said, “you don’t need to do that.”

“ARE YOU SURE? IT WOULD BE NO TROUBLE AT ALL, I ASSURE YOU, BROTHER!”

“yup, I’ll make it back fine on my own two legs.”

Papyrus hesitated, appearing bothered, before his regular confidence returned.

“WELL ALRIGHT! WE BEST BE HEADING HOME NOW! WE MUST PREPARE FOR OUR BIG DAY TOMORROW!” Papyrus exclaimed, holding out a fist triumphantly, “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!”

“that has been your big dream,” Sans said.

The two turned and began to walk back home, Papyrus leading, his strides long and confident. He threw open the door to their home and stepped inside, Sans following afterward. Sans looked around the house and then shut the door, beginning to walk up the stairs to the balcony.

“SANS?” Papyrus called out.

Sans looked down at him, seeing a worried expression on his brother's face.

“yeah?” Sans replied.

“ARE YOU OKAY?” Papyrus asked, “I NOTICED YOU’VE BEEN ACTING A BIT OFF, YOU SEEM… TROUBLED…”

Papyrus cupped his hands, rubbing them together nervously.

“I… I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE OKAY…”

Sans looked back at Papyrus, his wide smile faltering slightly. He put his hand on the railing, and hesitated, thinking for a moment.

“I’m... I’m okay,” He said, “just not getting much sleep, I get pretty bone -tired… heh…”

“SANS, I CAN TELL SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU, AND IT IS MY DUTY AS YOUR BROTHER TO CARE FOR YOU, AND HELP YOU WITH WHAT IS WRONG!” Papyrus looked up at Sans, concern flashing in his eyes.

Sans turned away, waving off the concern.

“I just need sleep is all,” Sans replied, “I’ll see you in the mornin’, ‘kay?”
Papyrus looked away.

“A… ALRIGHT…” He replied, “IF THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED, I WILL NOT STOP YOU. SLEEP WELL, BROTHER.”

“night, pap.”

Sans stumbled into his room, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

The darkness of his room began to consume him. Sans’ smile faltered, almost becoming a neutral frown. He threw his sweatshirt off, and sat on the edge of his bed, thinking. He slunk down, laying on his bed, closing his eyes and rubbing them.

what does it all mean? He thought, the nightmares, the constant feeling of deja vu…

He opened his eyes and stared at the dark ceiling above him.

I don’t understand, what does it all mean?

He put his hands on his chest, feeling it rising and falling with each breath.

are they just bad dreams and feelings, or are they something more… He hesitated for a moment, ...real?

He sighed.

and what if they are just feelings and dreams? what explanation could there be for them? for how constant they are? they happen so much, and… and who… who is that… thing at the end of the hallway?

His mind flashes to an image, a long hallway, the sunlight shining through the windows casting dark, almost pitch black shadows in the corners. A lone figure approaching, holding something shiny, or… it used to shine, but was now covered in a mysterious dusty powder. He took a deep breath.

it’s probably nothing, He thought, just bad dreams, nightmares, that’s all it has to be, right?

He pulled the blanket over himself, tossing and turning.

they’re just bad dreams…

Chapter Text

1 day later...

“NGAAAAH!” Undyne shrieked, pulling her arm back far, swinging forward, hitting the dummy, following it with an uppercut with her other arm.

“Jeez!” The Mad Dummy said, “You are REALLY pissed today!”

“Not pissed! JUST HYPED!” Undyne smiled widely, leaping up and kicking the Mad Dummy, sending it to the ground, “HYPED TO KICK THE SNOT OUT OF THE NEWBIES! THAT’LL PUT THEM INTO SHAPE! NGAAAAAH!”

She used her magic to create a pattern of spears, launching them at the Mad Dummy. Most of them hit, and Undyne laughed.

“Ha! And that’s that!” She wiped her forehead, which was drenched in sweat.

“We’re done, then?” The Mad Dummy asked.

“Sure are!”

The Mad Dummy sighed and got back to its place, going silent while Undyne walked inside. She took a deep breath, puffing out her chest, straightening her back, confidence and determination in her eye. She quickly looked over at the counter, hearing her phone buzz.  Walking over, she glanced at the caller number and quickly answered, recognizing it immediately.

“Hey Pap,” She said, “What’s up?”

“HELLO UNDYNE!” Papyrus replied, “I WAS JUST CALLING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STILL HAVE OUR ONE ON ONE TOTALLY PRIVATE TRAINING TODAY!”

“Sure thing! When can ya head over?”

“IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO! ONCE I COMPLETE MY ROUNDS IN THE FOREST TODAY, I’LL HEAD ON OVER! DOES THAT WORK?”

“Yeah! Sure thing! I’ll make sure everything is ready for ya! Just tell me when you’re coming over!”

“YOU GOT IT! I’LL SEE YOU THERE, UNDYNE!”

Papyrus hung up the phone and put it down on the table. He walked to the door, when he felt something grab his arm.

“hey bro,” Sans said.

“YES, BROTHER?” Papyrus replied.

“why don’t you just head to your training today, ‘kay?” Sans asked, “I'll handle sentry duty.”

“REALLY?”

“yeah,” Sans shrugged, “I know how much these mean to you, getting into the guard and all, so why don’t you head out now?”

“PROMISE ME YOU WON’T SLACK OFF!”

“ok.”

“YOU PROMISE?”

“ok.”

“SAY YOU PROMISE, SANS!”

“you know I hate making promises.”

Papyrus sighed. Sans let his head drop.

“alright, I promise,” He said, immediately getting a hug from Papyrus.

“OH THANK YOU BROTHER!” Papyrus shouted, spinning in a circle, holding Sans up in his arms.

“heh, anything to make you happy, bro,” Sans replied, rubbing his skull when Papyrus stopped. He looked at his brother, seeing a smile spread across Papyrus’ face. He felt his own smile widen a bit, and Papyrus put him down.

“CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW IF ANYTHING HAPPENS! OR CALL IF YOU’RE EVER JUST…” Papyrus paused for a moment, giggling to himself, “ BONELY !”

Papyrus bolted off towards Waterfall, cackling “ NYEH HEH HEH HEH! ” as he went. Sans stood in the doorway, watching Papyrus run off. He sighed, and put his hands in his pockets, walking out into the snow, gazing up at the cavern ceiling above, watching snow drift down around him. He stuck out his hand, some snow landing on his fingers, the rest just slipping through the cracks, a small chuckle escaping his mouth. He put his hand back into his pocket and walked out into the village, strolling down the path and over the bridge, out into the Snowdin forest. He walked through the trees, coming up on a small little structure, the roof covered in a new layer of snow. Stepping toward it, he sat at the chair underneath, leaning forward on the countertop. He reached under, grabbing a bottle of ketchup from the various assortment of condiments, and popped it open, chugging it. He put the empty bottle down, letting it rest in the snow and rested his head on his arms, taking a long, deep breath. His eyes began to close, and he felt relaxed as he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

“Uh-huh,” The dog said, scratching behind his ears, which lay under his hard hat, “Uh-huh, and you’re sure it’s this door?” He asked.

“Y-yeah! Th-this is the only door that matches the one on the m-map!” Alphys replied, holding up the map and pointing to the door with one of her fingers. The dog glanced up at the door, and then back to the map.

“Well alright, just let me call the crew down here,” He said, giving Alphys a wink and a thumbs up, “We’ll get your lab opened up in now time!”

“Th-thank you!” Alphys said, quickly reaching into her pocket, pulling out 50 gold, “Here, a l-little in advance.”

“Thanks,” The dog said, pocketing the gold, both of them walking toward the elevator. The dog pulled out his cellphone, dialing in a number. He held the phone up to his right ear, and on the third ring, he got a response.

“Robbie?” He said, “Yeah, it’s me, Cade, you think you and the crew could get some of the heavy duty stuff down here?”

The dog rested a hand on his hip, still holding up the phone.

“Yeah, this door is heavy duty, we’re gonna need something a little bigger than a crowbar.”

He tapped his foot, listening to the response of another voice.

“25 minutes? Cool, we’ll be waiting for ya.”

25 minutes pass.

The rest of the crew arrive, and they all go down into the lab, Cade and Robbie moving quickly to set up the equipment. Cade glanced back at another monster, who held the remote to the device. Cade gave a thumbs up, and he and Robbie backed away as the monster pushed the button. The door did not move, but suddenly, the door began to vibrate, until it burst open, revealing a long, dark hallway. Alphys smiled, and looked to the crew.

“Th-thank you again,” She said.

“No trouble at all,” Cade replied, “Now, that’ll be around 500G.”

“O-of course! Just let me-”

Everyone glanced over to the hall, hearing a groan echo off the metal walls.

“The hell was that?” Robbie asked.

Footsteps echoed through the halls, and everyone watched the darkness, Cade taking a slight step forward. Alphys felt a chill run up her back as she heard more footsteps.

“Cade?” The other monster called out, shaking.

Suddenly, a figure leapt from the shadows, tackling Cade.

“AH!” He screamed, looking up at the horribly disfigured, almost melting face of what had been a monster from Snowdin. The monster bit down into Cade, and he screamed in agony, his resistance against the monster short lived as he went limp. More figures rushed out of the darkness, all of them looking disfigured and somewhat melted. Alphys covered her mouth as many of them piled onto Cade, biting down into him.

“Oh my GOD!” The other monster screamed.

Robbie stepped forward, summoning magic attacks, hitting the ones charging at them with everything he had, to no avail. Only one collapsed and turned to dust. The others charged on, tackling Robbie. The ones on Cade rushed off, Cade rising behind them, shambling towards the other monster and Alphys. Alphys screamed and ran out of the lab, climbing into the elevator, frantically pushing the button as she heard more screams come from the lab. She curled up into a ball in the elevator, crying as the screams grew louder and more pain filled. Eventually, the elevator began to work, and the doors shut, the screams finally silencing. She rushed out of the elevator, and ran up to her workbench, grabbing her phone, frantically searching her contacts, calling Asgore, tears rushing down her face.

Asgore looked up from his tea, an expression of curiosity on his face. He grabbed his phone and answered, smiling.

“Hello, Alphy-” He said, not able to finish as Alphys started to panic, rambling and shouting into the phone.

“Asgore please help me!” She shouted, “Something went wrong! Something went so wrong!”

“What?” Asgore asked, standing up, “What happened?”

“W-we opened the door to the old part of the lab I was telling you about, a-and something rushed out and attacked the crew!”

“What was it?” Asgore asked.

“Th-they were monsters! B-but they started… started… e-eating the crew, b-but then the guy they got first got back up when he should’ve turned to dust, a-and… they looked… they… oh god…”

“Stay where you are! I’m going to get some Royal Guardsmen down there now!”

“Pl-please hurry, Asgore!” Alphys said, her voice sounding even more panicked, “I-I can hear them screaming down there!”

Several minutes pass.

Alphys sat down at the desk in her lab, waiting anxiously for the guards. She stared over at the elevator, hearing more screams and cries echo up into her part of the lab. Tears rushed down her face, and she swallowed, feeling sweat drip down her forehead.

“Alphys!” Undyne shouted, rushing into the room, several more guardsmen behind her.

“U-Undyne!” Alphys called out.

Undyne pointed to three of the guards.

“I want you three to go down there and find out what the hell is going on!” Undyne shouted.

“Yes ma’am!” One of them replied, nodding to the others. They all ran to the elevator, opening it and stepping inside, pushing the down button as the elevator closed. Alphys stepped close to Undyne, shaking, an expression of fear on her face.

“Oh god,” She muttered, “Oh god oh god oh god…”

“It’s alright, Alphys,” Undyne said with a confident smile, “I know those guys! They can take anything!”

Suddenly, screams of pain echoed up into the room, followed by more cries and screams. Undyne’s smile faded, an expression of worry on her face. Minutes of silence later, the elevator doors opened, and she let out a sigh of relief, seeing the three guards.

“Thank god you’re alright,” She said, “Now, what the hell went on down there?”

The guards groaned, and began to shamble into the room, glaring at Undyne with blank, dead eyes. She glared back at them, summoning a magic spear to her hand, the other two guards summoning attacks as well.

“Hey, soldiers!” Undyne shouted, “You alright?”

The floor of the elevator burst open, and more of the monsters started to climb out, charging out into the room. Alphys screamed and Undyne watched as one guard went down, being eaten alive before he could even react. She attacked, charging with the other guard, hitting the monsters with a barrage of spears, which didn’t do much damage to them. She took a step back, shocked, and scared. She hit them with more spears, looking to see the other monster get taken down. Undyne spun around and grabbed Alphys, rushing out of the lab, turning and heading to MTT Resort.

“WH-WHAT’RE WE DOING?” Alphys screamed.

“WE NEED TO WARN ASGORE BEFORE THIS GETS ANY WORSE!” Undyne replied, “HANG ON!”

Undyne rushed through the resort, screaming at the residents to get to safety. Taking the elevator up, she rushed into Asgore’s home.

“ASGORE!” She screamed.

Asgore glanced over, shocked.

“U-Undyne? Alphys?” He asked, surprised, “What happened?”

“Th-the things attacked, and… and the g-guards are dead! But they came back, l-like the crew!”

Asgore stared at the two, horrified.

“Are… are you serious?”

“Yes!” Undyne replied, “We need to do something! If those things get out, they’ll spread!”

The three stopped, and turned to look out at the Capital, hearing a series of screams.

“What’s that?” Undyne asked.

“They… they got out…” Alphys said.

“That’s impossible! There’s no way to get from the CORE to here without an elevator!”

Undyne turned to Alphys, and Alphys shook her head.

“There was another way…”

Undyne’s expression contorted into one of sheer surprise, shocked. She then turned and looked out into the city, hearing more screams and cries.

“We must prepare,” Asgore said, Alphys and Undyne glancing over at him, “The worst has yet to come.”

Chapter Text

“SANS!”

Sans jolted awake hours later, startled. He glanced to his right, seeing Papyrus marching towards him.

“THERE YOU ARE, BROTHER!” Papyrus shouted, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULD WORK TODAY SO I COULD HEAD TO TRAINING!”

“oh, welp, sorry pap,” Sans winked, shrugging, “but just to let you know, I did a ton of work today…”

“SANS…” Papyrus cringed.

“a skele-”

Suddenly both Sans and Papyrus froze, hearing screaming coming from the Snowdin village deeper in the forest. Papyrus spun around, and Sans hopped off the chair, both of them looking ahead.

“WHAT THE?” Papyrus said, quickly grabbing Sans, “COME, BROTHER! SOMEONE IS IN DANGER!”

“woah wait!” Sans said in protest, “shouldn’t we let the canine unit handle this?”

“NO! SANS WE MUST PROVIDE SUPPORT! THIS COULD BE THE PUSH I NEED TO GET INTO THE GUARD, AND BESIDES THAT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! NOW COME ON!”

Sans and Papyrus rushed back towards the village, the sounds of screaming getting even louder, several bangs and thuds could be heard as the local guards began to fight back.

“I don’t like the sound of that…” Sans said.

“I DON’T EITHER, BUT WE HAVE TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN! WE CAN’T JUST LEAVE THESE PEOPLE, BROTHER!” Papyrus picked up the pace, practically dragging Sans. “THESE PEOPLE ARE OUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, PEOPLE WE KNOW! WE HAVE TO HELP THEM!”

“I know,” Sans replied, “just promise me you’ll be careful, ‘kay?”

“OF COURSE BROTHER! I’LL BE PLENTY…”

Papyrus skidded to a halt, an expression of shock coming across his face as he looked out across the bridge towards the village. Both he and Sans’ eyes widened, watching as monsters attacked other monsters, eating each other alive while others ran screaming. The guards attempted to fight, two of them being taken down, consumed by the monsters before they charged another, the already battered defense seemingly dissipating entirely under the pressure. Papyrus’ expression hardened, and he summoned two bones the size of staffs, holding them in his hands. He bolted across the bridge, Sans rushing after.

“papyrus!” He screamed, “wait!”

Papyrus ignored his brother, smacking two monsters, watching them stagger before they stood strong again. Their bodies looked slightly melted, a strange, deathly aura emitted from them, their pale, white eyes staring back into Papyrus’ sockets. They groaned and charged, their mouths wide open, ready to bite, when Papyrus smacked one down, trapping another in a cage of blue bones.

“WHEN THE BONES ARE BLUE, YOU CAN’T MOVE!” Papyrus shouted triumphantly, “THAT SHOULD KEEP YOU FROM HURTING ANYONE ELSE! NYEH HEH-”

The monster shrieked, smashing through the bones, lunging at Papyrus, who was tackled by it, quickly grabbing it by the head, keeping it from biting him. The monster growled and snarled, trying desperately to bite Papyrus’ neck, Papyrus using his strength to hold the monster back. He summoned an attack, stabbing the monster through the stomach with a bone, quickly throwing it off into the snow. He staggered to his feet, watching the monster slowly rise again. He heard the screams of others, and turned to see more of the other monsters approaching, eyes a pale white, their bodies slightly melted. Papyrus summoned more attacks, glaring at the monsters.

“AS A FUTURE MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, I ORDER ALL OF YOU TO STAND DOWN!” He shrieked.

The monsters groaned, and then began to rush toward him, growling and snarling. Papyrus summoned a wave of bones, launching them at the monsters, most of them staggering back after the blows. Papyrus prepared another wave when suddenly, another burst of bones hit the monsters, sending them to the ground. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Sans, his hand outstretched, a worried look in his eyes. Worried as well, Papyrus’ eyes widened as the silhouette of another monster was sneaking up behind Sans, prepared to attack.

“SANS!” Papyrus screamed, “LOOK OUT!”

Sans spun around, quickly turning the monsters soul blue, throwing him back across the bridge, taking a few steps back. Sans rushed to Papyrus, who stood tall, watching the other monsters, who began to rise again.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ORDER YOU ALL TO STAND DOWN!” He screamed.

“it’s not gonna work, pap,” Sans said, “there’s something wrong with these guys.”

“THEY MUST LISTEN, SANS!” Papyrus said, “IF THEY ARE LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, THEY WILL STAND DOWN!”

“pap, they were just eating other monsters,” Sans said, “they’re not gonna stand down!”

Papyrus began to sweat, a sense of nervousness washing over him.

“THEY HAVE TO…” He muttered, “THEY…”

Sans left eye began to glow, and he summoned as much magic as he could, punching the ground, bones shooting up, stabbing and impaling the monsters approaching, each of them growling and howling as they thrashed around, desperately trying to get to Sans and Papyrus. Papyrus took a step back, turning back to Sans, who was kneeling in the snow, sweat dripping off of his skull, his eyes closing slowly.

“SANS!” Papyrus shrieked as Sans slowly passed out.

Hours later…

A small bunny child poked her head out from her mothers inn, looking around at the carnage that lay around her. Dust hung in the air, the aura of death lingering around her. She slowly stepped out, seeing others slowly exit their homes, looking around in the snow, feeling the cold breeze blowing on them. Papyrus sat by his home, Sans sleeping at his side. The remaining guards had each sat down to rest, panting and exhausted, the hard fight over. The little bunny ran out into the snow, rushing toward Papyrus, a worried look on her face. She stopped near Sans, clasping her hands together, glancing at the skeleton brothers.

“E-excuse me, mister skeleton?” She said.

“NYEH?” Papyrus said, looking at the child, “OH, HELLO LITTLE ONE, ARE YOU OKAY?”

The bunny nodded.

“WELL, THAT’S GOOD, IS YOUR FAMILY OKAY? IS ANYONE HURT?”

“N-no sir,” The bunny replied, “I think everyone is okay…”

“OKAY, THAT’S GOOD! I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE!”

“Mister?”

“NYEH?”

The bunny looked at Papyrus, a worried expression spreading across her face. Papyrus looked back at her, a worried expression on his face as well.

“Why did those monsters attack us?” The bunny asked.

Papyrus sighed, scratching the back of his head, searching desperately for an answer, not finding any.

“I… I DON’T KNOW, LITTLE ONE…” He said, “I… DON’T… I DON’T KNOW… JUST RUN HOME, OKAY? YOU’LL BE SAFE THERE…”

The bunny nodded and ran back home, leaving Papyrus and Sans in the snow, Papyrus thinking about the attack, the slightly melted, pale white eyes, and ghastly look of the monsters sticking in his head. He rubbed his forehead, feeling a slight wave of pain wash over him.

WHAT… WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THEM? He thought, THEY TOOK SO MUCH DAMAGE, AND THEY STILL WOULDN’T STOP… THEY HAD TO BE KILLED TO BE STOPPED… THEY JUST… WANTED TO KEEP… KILLING…

He looked down at his hands, panic rising in him.

COULD IT BE THAT… THAT WE ARE FALLING PREY TO SOMETHING…? IS SOMETHING CONTROLLING US…? IS THERE EVEN HOPE THAT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, WE COULD EVEN HOLD OUT AGAIN…?

He glanced over, watching as the people came out of their homes, many crying and falling to their knees, others standing in shock, the guards all sweating and panting with exhaustion. Papyrus watched them for a moment, before a sense of confidence swept over him, and he stood.

NO! He thought, WE WILL REMAIN STRONG DURING THIS TIME OF CRISIS! I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF OR THEM TO GIVE UP HOPE, NOT WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST! 

He trudged toward them through the snow, confidence radiating from him.

I WILL DO WHATEVER I MUST TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SAFE, I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THIS WON’T EVER HAPPEN AGAIN!

Chapter Text

It seems that it has taken less than a few days for the world to descend into madness.

First, the monsters fall to a corruption caused by the determination experiments ...

And soon too, the humans will fall back into their cycle of war.

Tensions are brewing.

Many are dying.

As dark as it may sound… this experiment feels like it might be a worthwhile endeavor.

Getting to see the consequences of letting this go untouched for myself…

Will be worth it.

I just know it.

…

Even more changes are taking shape.

I can feel it.

The time for Frisk to fall has been delayed.

Not just by a single day, or by several weeks, or months even…

She will fall two years later than she is meant to…

This...

I can use this to further the experiment.

For now, I must leave this timeline to…

Ferment.

I must leave it to its own devices, let the scenario and experiment play out.

We shall see how everything will play out in the end… won’t we?

Chapter Text

Weeks after the initial outbreak…

“SANS?” Papyrus called.

Sans looked up at his brother, walking beside him, the snow crunching under their feet with each step.

“yeah?” Sans replied.

“DO YOU THINK THAT… THAT MAYBE THESE ‘CORRUPTED’ MONSTERS DON’T HAVE TO DIE? THAT THEY CAN BE CHANGED BACK?”

Sans went silent, his already faltering smile faltering even more.

“I’m gonna be honest, bro,” He sighed, “no, I don’t think so.”

“WHY NOT?” Papyrus asked, looking slightly surprised and agitated, “THEY’RE STILL MONSTERS, AREN’T THEY? OUR SOULS ARE MADE OF COMPASSION, SURELY THEY MUST STILL HAVE IT IN THEM TOO!”

“have you even tried to grab these things with blue magic, pap?” Sans asked, “their souls are different than ours, not just in look, but right down to how they function. the souls for these ‘corrupted’ are still monster like, but it feels like the soul is… fractured. it’s unstable, about to collapse at any moment, yet some weird force holds it together… like some really tough super glue.”

“IS THAT WHY THEY CAN TAKE A LOT OF DAMAGE?”

Sans hesitated, before shrugging.

“your guess is as good as mine,” He said, “that could be it, it could not be, I dunno.”

“WELL, HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN BE DONE FOR THEM,” Papyrus said, confidence in his voice, “I BELIEVE IN THE GOOD DOCTOR ALPHYS! SHE’S THE ROYAL SCIENTIST, SHE’LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FIX ALL THIS AND EVERYTHING WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL!”

Sans sighed, turning away from his brother. He felt a sense of guilt wash over him, knowing that what Papyrus was saying simply wasn’t possible. He knew they couldn’t be cured, and that things would most likely never be normal again. They continued to walk in the snow, soft little flakes fluttering around them in the cold winds of Snowdin Forest. Sans gazed up at the trees around him, the soft snow crunching under his feet as he walked beside his brother, who stood tall and confident, looking straight ahead as they made their way through the forest. Sans glanced away from where they were heading, looking down a long, deep hallway like part of the forest. His vision flashed suddenly, and he saw a bright hallway, light shining through the windows, the Delta Rune emblem casting a deep shadow on the floor. On the other side of the hall stood… something menacing. A twisted smile was on its face, and it held a sharp object in it’s hand, dust filling the air. Sans' eye sparked, and he felt a surge of burning pain shoot through him. He grunted and collapsed onto a tree. His left eye felt like it was on fire, the rest of his skull feeling a massive pressure, as if at one moment, it would crack and split open, turning him into nothing but dust. He gripped tightly to the bark of the tree, covering his eye with his hand, feeling a strong warmth on his bony fingers. He began to panic, breathing faster, inhaling and exhaling faster and faster, his body beginning to shake, the feeling of worry and fear creeping over him more and more, almost consuming him.

“SANS!” Papyrus shouted.

Sans snapped back to the present, dazed, looking up at his brother, who stood right in front of him, hands on his shoulders, a worried expression on his face.

“SANS! OH MY… OH MY GOD, ARE YOU OKAY?”

Sans took a moment, blinking and shaking his head, looking quickly around, getting out of his brother's grasp, his breathing coming back down.

“I…” He muttered, “I… what…”

“SANS?”

“where... who was…”

“SANS!”

Sans turned back to his brother, taking a deep breath, calming himself.

“SANS, WHAT HAPPENED?” Papyrus asked, “YOU FROZE AND COLLAPSED ONTO THE TREE, NEXT THING I KNOW YOUR EYE IS LETTING SPARKS OUT AND YOU’RE ABOUT TO COLLAPSE ON THE GROUND! WHAT HAPPENED, BROTHER?”

Sans stared at Papyrus in silence, before he blinked and shook his head.

“sorry I worried ya,” Sans shrugged, trying to act cool and casual, “it was nothing, don’t worry too much okay?”

Papyrus glared at him, unconvinced.

“SANS, THIS DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN,” He said, “THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE EVER SEEN YOU THIS SCARED IN A LONG TIME! THE LAST TIME YOU FROZE YOU JUST SEEMED TO BE LOST IN THOUGHT, NOW THIS TIME IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE… WERE… FRIGHTENED. WHAT HAPPENED, BROTHER?”

“just got thinking about the corrupted, okay?” Sans replied, “I'm fine.”

“YOU’VE NEVER DONE THIS WHEN YOU THINK OF THE CORRUPTED!” Papyrus shouted, “WHENEVER YOU THINK ABOUT THEM OR WE EVEN TALK ABOUT THEM YOU NEVER FREEZE UP LIKE THAT! PLEASE DON’T LIE TO ME, I ONLY WANT TO HELP!”

“look, I'm fine, just froze up, okay?” Sans winked, “just let my mind get a little… corrupt. ”

Papyrus sighed.

“ALRIGHT, FINE, IF YOU WON’T TALK HERE, THEN LET’S GO.”

Papyrus grabbed Sans by the hand, dragging him behind, trudging through the snow, irritated. Sans glanced up at his brother, seeing the anger inside him, the frustration he truly felt. Sans let out a sigh, looking away as he walked along with Papyrus, hanging his head low, listening to their feet crunch in the snow.

The darkness of Waterfall consumed the light of the luminescent water, dust lingering in the air. Two monsters ran through the fields of plants, injured and afraid. They heard footsteps behind them, and kept running, hearing several voices shouting from the dark, their pursuers using light magic to see in the dark. The two monsters continued running, ducking into a large brush of plants, hunkering down, watching from the cover as two figures ran up to each other, one a fire monster, the other a birdlike monster.

“Where’d they go?” The fire one asked.

“Dunno, but they’re somewhere! Couldn’t have gone far!”

The two monsters then rushed off, leaving the other two hiding in the plants. They looked again, and then rushed out, running through the maze of small islands that made up the marsh of Waterfall. They continued to run, both of them panting and panicking, the sounds of rushing footsteps seemingly all around them. One glanced behind them, seeing the light of magic shining towards them. He panicked, quickly tackling his friend into the cover of more plants and tall grass. The two then ducked further back into the plants, watching the lights of the other monsters' magic rush past them before they got up, rushing out again, running away from the light. They continued running, before a sudden flash of magic cut them off. Stumbling and falling to the ground, two other monsters rushed at them, summoning attacks.

“Stand down!” One ordered.

The two on the ground looked up, seeing the fire monster and bird monster from before, holding up their hands, magic at the ready. Behind them, a new figure approached, holding a magic red scythe in one hand, slapping it into the palm of the other. He walked into the light, revealing his wolf like appearance, his snarl wide, showing his many sharp fangs.

“There you are,” He said in a deep, calm, yet agitated growl, “Little thieves, thought you could take from us and just run off, didn’t you?”

“L-look! Just let us go man!” One of the monsters pleaded, “We were just hungry, w-we needed the-”

“Shut it,” The wolf monster growled, “I get it, you were hungry, you needed supplies, I get that… but…”

He stepped closer, leaning over the monsters who lay on the ground, both of them cowering.

“That doesn’t mean you get a goddamn free pass to steal from us and attack us.”

“Please just let us go!” One of the monsters cried, “Please!”

The wolf huffed.

“Oh, you want me to let you go?” He snarled, “And just why would I do that?”

“We won’t bother you ever again!”

“But you’ll run off to the guard and beg them for help, won’t you?”

The two monsters fell silent, shivering in fear. The wolf sighed, shrugging.

“Alright, let ‘em go,” He said.

The two monsters at his sides nodded, and stepped back, letting their attack magics fade. The two monsters who lay at their feet got up, rushing off into the dark, panicking and panting.

“Why’d you let them go?” The fire monster asked.

“Trust me, out here…” The wolf said, right before he heard the screams of the monsters, followed by the growls and groans of the corrupted, “They wouldn’t stand a chance. Not against us, and especially not against the corrupted. Serves ‘em right.”

The wolf turned, and the other two monsters looked over their shoulders at him. He smiled, still holding the scythe he made with magic in his hand.

“Let’s head on back, boys,” He said, “The nights will only be getting darker now, and with the hordes we’ve already faced here, just hunting those two…”

He took in a deep breath.

“We’ll just let the Royal Guard take the brunt of it for now.”

Chapter Text

In the initial days of the infection…

Undyne rushed through the chaotic streets of the Capital, energy spears in her hands, a scowl on her face. She ran around other monsters, throwing a spear through a crowd, striking a corrupted, sending it to the ground. She charged forward, throwing another over her head, stomping through its chest while she threw her other spear, pinning another corrupted to the wall. The corrupted under her foot scratched at her, and tried to bite through her armor. She kicked it, stunning it for a moment before she slammed her boot into its face, kicking it again and again until it stopped moving with a loud crack, it’s body turning slowly to dust. She wiped sweat off of her forehead, and glanced around, summoning more spears as more corrupted began to run towards her and the dozens of other monsters around her.

“Run!” She screamed, “Get out of here! Go to the evac route near the castle, I’ll handle these freaks!”

She then burst into a sprint, letting out a battle cry as she began to cut through countless corrupted, dust flying through the air, their groans and screeches being cut off by her attacks, her spears slicing and impaling them. She kicked one to the ground, grabbing another and throwing it back into the horde, spinning and stabbing another through the head, ripping the spear out and slicing through one that charged toward her. She panted, her throat feeling tight, her breaths wheezy.

“D… damn it…” She cursed, “I’m exhausted… but I can’t just give up… not… yet!”

She began to fight again, a corrupted taking her by surprise, attacking her from behind, ripping her helmet off, her eyepatch coming off with it.

“AGH!” She screamed, grabbing the corrupted and slamming it into the rocks, stabbing it with a spear, causing it to scream, “Sneaky little-!”

She heard more screams, and looked up, seeing more and more of the corrupted rushing toward her. Her vision began to get blurry, and her eyelid felt heavy, the vision in her one good eye beginning to fade as exhaustion began to sweep over her. She shook her head, trying to get herself awake, but to no avail. She collapsed, and tried to rise, her body giving up, the need for rest taking her over.

“Come… on…” She groaned, trying to stand, “Come… ON!”

Behind her, she heard the sounds of bodies collapsing, swords slashing, and magic attacks of all kinds being used. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing several Royal Guard soldiers charging through, annihilating the corrupted horde. Undyne smiled, raising her hand to wave them over, a sense of pride filling her mind.

Give em hell, guys, She thought, Show them just how badass we are…!

She completely collapsed, her eye shutting, her body relaxing slightly as she fell unconscious.

Weeks after the initial outbreak…

Undyne sulked through the halls of the Waterfall Fortress, the lights that hung above flickering, the power for the facility barely stable. She took a sip of her tea, her hair and clothes a mess, her eyepatch gone, revealing her injured grey eye, a stark contrast to the bright yellow of her better eye. She stepped into the small courtyard that was constructed, seeing King Asgore, tending to a small batch of flowers he had set up. Undyne walked over, looking at Asgore, her old mentor and friend.

“Hmm?” Asgore muttered, “Is someone there? Just give me a moment, I must finish watering the flowers.”

Asgore finished up, and then put the bucket down, turning to look over his shoulder.

“Ah, Undyne,” He said.

“Hey,” Undyne replied.

“You look quite… interesting this morning.”

“Well, I did just get up.”

Asgore chuckled.

“That sounds about right, though I must say, it is awfully early.”

“It’s never too early when you have an army of freaks banging down your door,” Undyne said, taking a sip of her tea, “I figured I’d come out here and say hi to ya for a bit.”

“Ah, well, you chose a perfect time,” Asgore said with a smile, “Come, walk with me, we can talk then.”

Undyne nodded, and the two began to walk through the small courtyard, the bright glow of the river that flowed into the base being the only source of light.

“It is nice to see you back in your prime,” Asgore said, “Watching the battles wear you down each and every day… I will not lie, I was concerned for your health.”

“Hey, you got nothing to worry about, Fluffybuns,” Undyne chuckled, “I’m the toughest fighter we got! I only got worn down a little because I couldn’t sleep much, those first days were around the clock work!”

“Indeed they were, indeed they were…”

The two continued to walk, Asgore taking a moment to stop and look in the water, Undyne looking in with him.

“How are your friends?” Asgore asked suddenly.

Undyne glanced at him, confused.

“Which ones?”

“The brothers, Sans and… Papyrus are their names, right?”

“Oh yeah, them…” Undyne turned away, “I… don’t know, ever since this whole thing started, we haven’t had even the slightest contact with Snowdin at all, radio communications with the Canine Unit went down in the first day, and since it isn’t safe out there anymore, and with the CORE breaking down… it gets harder and harder to even try and reach out to Papyrus…”

Asgore’s expression changed, but he hid his face, turning away from Undyne.

“Ah, I see…”

“I’m not too worried though, Papyrus is frickin’ tough! If anyone in that town can handle these things, he can!”

Undyne let a large smile cross her face, which faded as she looked at Asgore, who continued to face away from her.

“I am sorry to cut our conversation short, but… I must go… there are some things I… I need to think about. Alone.”

“Hey, wait!” Undyne called out as Asgore began to walk away, “Asgore…”

He walked back into the base, and Undyne let out a sigh, putting her free hand in her sweatpants pocket, taking another sip of her tea. She looked up to the rock ceiling above, thinking.

Papyrus, if you’re out there… She thought, Please keep strong, okay? We can’t continue your training if you’re corrupted, and… I’d at least want to see you, one last time…

Chapter Text

Seated in her armchair, the warmth from the fire filling the room, Toriel sat in silence, a book in her hand, putting her glasses on and opening to the bookmarked page. She began to read, silently enjoying the book, smiling to herself.

Such a nice novel, She thought, And such a quiet day, too.

She continued reading, the fire crackling in the fireplace, the sound soothing and relaxing. She kept reading, minutes going by, until she heard something bang in her home. She looked up, startled, and closed her book.

“Hello?” She called.

Another bang echoed in the house.

“Is someone there?” She called again, taking her glasses off and putting them on the arm of her chair.

The bang got louder, and then, she heard a loud scream. Rushing out into the other room, turning and running down the stairs, she heard the banging get louder and louder, the screams being followed by shrieks and growls. She began to panic, rushing to the door.

Oh no, oh no oh no, what has Asgore done? She thought, Are they under attack? Did the humans come after us, or did…

She skidded to a halt, the large door between the Ruins and the Snowdin Forest, shaking with each bang. The screaming continued, and Toriel ran to the door, hearing more people crying, the shrieking and growling getting louder.

“Hold on!” She shouted, “I’ll open the door! Just give me a moment, I…”

She ripped the door open, and gazed at the scene in front of her, her eyes widening. She saw several monsters laying on the ground, others hunched over them, biting into them, tearing them apart. She lit a flame in her hand, summoning more fireballs.

“Get off of them!” She shouted her expression becoming stern and serious.

The corrupted glared at her, leaving the other dying monsters in the snow, charging towards her. She launched a barrage of fireballs, the corrupted continuing to charge through, even when the attacks hit them head on. Her eyes widened and she stumbled back, one of the corrupted tackling her down, trying to bite into her neck. Throwing it off,, grabbing another and throwing it out the door, she quickly tried to slam it shut as the rest rushed toward her. She slammed it nearly closed, a hand of a corrupted getting through the crack. Summoning a fire attack, she burnt the hand off, closing the doors with a loud thud. She took several steps back, the corrupted banging on the door, more and more growls coming from the other side. She continued to walk backwards, watching and listening as the corrupted continued to bash and screech, the banging becoming more aggressive and desperate. Toriel turned, and ran up the stairs, panic rushing through her. She ran out of her house, tripping and falling by the trunk of the tree, glancing over and slowly crawling away, panicking. She stopped, and stood up, slowly walking back to the house. She peeked in, listening, cautious. The banging or the screeching had stopped, and slowly, she walked inside and down the stairs, turning and stepping toward the big door, the noises of the corrupted having gone silent. She slowly approached, pulling the door open only slightly, peeking through, seeing the white of the snow around her, blocking the door. She looked down, and her eyes widened. The bodies of the other monsters were gone, and there wasn’t a single speck of dust in the snow. She walked back up the stairs, and looked around, feeling a sense of discomfort still lingering. She sat in her armchair again, grabbing her glasses and putting them on, grabbing her book, trying to read again, the feeling of discomfort still lingering.

What… what is happening out there? She thought, Have we fallen so far that… that that is how we are? We attack one another in such a brutal fashion?

She sighed, and looked up, paranoid.

I have to be wary, She thought, They may come back. I just hope that comedian on the other side made it through alright…

Chapter Text

Gone…

Gone…

All… GONE…

He took it all from me…

My power…

My vessel…

My WORLD, all GONE…

Because of that arrogant SCIENTIST…

HE TOOK IT ALL FROM ME…

HE TOOK MY POWER, WHEN I WAS FINALLY GETTING CLOSE TO BEING THE MOST POWERFUL BEING…

He took it all, and…

And…

Now he’s gone.

He left me. Alone.

In this VOID.

My body MELTS.

Hate.

Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HIM.

Hate.

He took everything.

He took my final chance at finishing the plan.

This world wouldn’t exist, and I could move on.

But HE STOPPED ME AT THE VERY END.

THE SOULS WERE IN MY HAND.

AND HE TOOK THEM FROM ME.

I won’t let him rest contently.

I won’t let his actions have no consequences.

I’m going to ERASE this whole universe, I will destroy it all.

Nothing will stop me.

Nothing.

=)

Chapter Text

The wind whistled through the trees, the aggressiveness of the storm getting worse as each minute passed. Snow and ice flew through the air, massive banks of snow building up, taking down many of the trees in the old Snowdin Forest. The bridge between the forest and the village creaked and cracked, the wood and rope tearing under the pressure of the winds. Snow pounded on the houses in the village, the residents inside shivering, freezing, except for two. Papyrus looked outside at the storm, a somber expression on his face. He rested his hand on the window, staring out into the snow, the coldness of the weather barely affecting him, being only a minor annoyance. He sighed, and continued to watch, a sense of hopelessness rushing through him.

“bro?” A voice called.

Papyrus glanced over his shoulder, seeing Sans standing on the stairs, leaning against a railing.

“you alright?” He asked, “you’ve been standing there for hours.”

“I…” Papyrus started, turning back towards the window, “I’M… I’M WORRIED, BROTHER.”

“about what? the corrupted?”

“NO, ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE HERE IN TOWN…” Papyrus put his hand on the glass window, watching the storm, “THEY’RE ALL STUCK INSIDE, FREEZING, I… I CAN TELL… I’M WORRIED THAT IF WE DON’T GET TO THEM, THEY’LL… THEY’LL…”

“hey, pap,” Sans walked down the remaining steps, heading up to his brother, “don’t worry, ‘kay? I promise, everyone’s gonna be okay. sure it’s a bad storm, but these people have lived here for a long time, they can take the cold. and, with any luck, we won’t be stuck in here for long.”

Papyrus smiled a bit, putting his hand on Sans’ shoulder.

“THANK YOU, BROTHER,” He said.

Sans glanced at his brother, his smile now seeming more genuine. Papyrus smiled at him as well.

“YOU’RE RIGHT, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE WILL BE OKAY WHEN THE STORM ENDS. I BELIEVE IN THEM, THEY’RE STRONG, I KNOW THEY ARE! IF THEY HAVE LIVED THIS LONG HERE, THEN THEY CAN MAKE IT THROUGH!”

Sans playfully punched Papyrus on the arm.

“that’s the spirit, bro,” He said.

They both gazed out, watching the fierce storm hit them harder. They stood in silence, watching the snow and ice fly through the air, barely able to see the Gyftmas tree in the center of the town, the forest beyond not even visible through the snow. They watched for a few more moments, before they eventually turned around, sitting on the couch. Sans slouched back, while Papyrus sat upright, glancing down at his brother, groaning.

“BROTHER! YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOOD POSTURE! GET UP!”

Papyrus grabbed his brother, forcing him to sit up, Sans slouching back down moments later.

“GAH!” Papyrus sighed, crossing his arms, “WELL, DON’T BLAME ME WHEN YOUR BACK HURTS!”

“it’ll be fine, i’ve got plenty of backbone, ” Sans chuckled.

Papyrus rolled his eyes, grabbing the TV remote, flicking it on, surprised when static showed up on the screen.

“HEY! IT’S STILL WORKING!”

“I think they only send royal guard messages now, bro.”

“WELL, IT’S STILL VERY IMPORTANT! AS A POSSIBLE FUTURE MEMBER OF THE GUARD, I MUST STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THE CURRENT UNDERTAKINGS!”

The two skeletons looked at the screen, watching as the static faded, revealing the rectangular form of Mettaton, papers in his hands, wearing his red news anchor suit, pictures of the corrupted and Royal Guard members appearing beside him.

“HELLO, BEAUTIES AND GENTELBEAUTIES!” Mettaton said energetically, “I AM BACK ON THE AIR! NOW AND FOREVER, THANKS TO MY GOOD AND LOYAL STAFF, ALONG WITH SEVERAL WELL TRAINED AND FABULOUS SOLDIERS! THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING ME KEEP THIS SHOW GOING FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE! NOW, LET’S GET ON WITH THE NEWS, SHALL WE?”

Mettaton shuffled the papers, clearing his nonexistent throat.

“THE ROYAL GUARD HAS TOLD ME THAT I AM NOW REQUIRED TO ALERT YOU LOVELY WATCHERS AT HOME OF THE NEAREST SAFE HAVENS, ACCORDING TO YOUR SPECIFIED ZONES, AND THAT ANY INFORMATION I AM GIVEN BY THEM, AND TOLD TO REPORT ON, I MUST REPORT ON, SO LET’S START OFF WITH THE ONE CLOSEST TO HOME, FOR MANY OF YOU OUT THERE, THE CAPITAL: NEW HOME!”

Mettaton gestured to his side, a picture of the monster capital appearing on the screen.

“CURRENTLY, THE KNOWN SAFE HAVENS ARE AS FOLLOWS: ROYAL GUARD BARRACKS NEAR THE CASTLE, OUTPOST NEW HOME LOCATED IN AN OLD APARTMENT COMPLEX BY THE ELEVATOR, AND OUTPOST DELTA RUNE, LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY. HOWEVER, DO NOT, AND I REPEAT, DO NOT ENTER THE CASTLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. THE GUARD HAS BLOCKED IT OFF COMPLETELY, AS IT IS COMPLETELY INFESTED BY THE CORRUPTED, SO PLEASE, DEAR VIEWERS, DON’T GO NEAR THERE!”

“wait,” Sans said, sitting up, his smile faltering, “did he just say that… the castle fell…?”

“I… I BELIEVE HE DID…”

“what happened to the king, then?”

Papyrus remained silent, unsure of what to say. They turned their attention back to the TV, watching as Mettaton announced the last of the safe havens in the remaining zones, only one being located near Snowdin, the whole zone cut off by the storm.

Chapter Text

1 week later…

Undyne walked through the fortress, a smile bright on her face. She wandered through the halls, hearing her other soldiers all chatting and laughing, seemingly happy for the first time in weeks. She smiled even brighter, thinking to herself.

It’s so damn good to hear everyone like this again, She thought, It’s nice to hear that people haven’t given up yet… heh, as if I’d let them give up! Being hopeless is for cowards! We’re all that stands between monster kind and annihilation! We can’t afford to lose hope now!

Her phone vibrated, and she reached into her pant pocket, whipping it out, her smile getting larger, her eye getting bright. She read the name of the caller and saw the picture, knowing instantly who it was. She quickly answered, and heard the voice of a friend she had hoped was still alive.

“UNDYNE!” Papyrus shouted, “YOU PICKED UP!”

“Hey, Papyrus!” Undyne shouted, “Nice to finally hear from ya!”

“I’M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THE LENGTH OF MY SILENCE, BUT I’VE BEEN BUSY! REALLY REALLY BUSY!”

“Nah, it’s fine, Papy, I’m just happy to hear from you two again,” She paused, “Sans is still with you, right?”

“heya,” Sans said.

“OH YES! MY BROTHER AND I ARE QUITE OKAY, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES… HOW IS THE KING? IS HE OKAY? WE HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT THE CASTLE FELL!”

“Yup, he’s a-okay. We’re just out here in Waterfall in a nice little fortress.”

“OH! THAT’S GOOD TO HEAR!” Papyrus audibly smiled, “SPEAKING OF FORTRESSES… CAN I ASK YOU HOW TO MAKE ONE? AND… HOW TO RUN A GROUP OF PEOPLE?”

“What?” Undyne asked.

“YEAH… THE PEOPLE HERE NEEDED A LEADER, SO NATURALLY I STEPPED UP TO THE CHALLENGE, BUT…” Papyrus let out a nervous chuckle, “IT’S A LOT HARDER THAN I THOUGHT. IT’S NOTHING I CAN’T HANDLE, OF COURSE! BUT I JUST NEED A LITTLE ADVICE…”

Undyne chuckled.

“Don’t worry too much, you’ll do great,” She said reassuringly, “I mean, you’re the greatest, right? You can do it, Papy!”

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus laughed, “OF COURSE! I’LL LEAD THESE PEOPLE TO A GOLDEN AGE, WHERE EVERYONE IS HAPPY! NOTHING WILL STOP THE GREAT PAPYRUS FROM TRYING HIS BEST TO BE A GREAT LEADER! NYEH HEH HEH!”

“HELL YEAH, MAN!” Undyne shouted, “You GO for it! You be the best damn leader there ever was!”

They both let out a laugh, and after a moment both fell silent.

“Goddamn it was good to hear from you Papy.”

“YOU TOO, UNDYNE. I HAD GOTTEN WORRIED I WOULDN’T EVER HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN…”

Undyne sighed.

“Don’t worry about me, Papyrus,” She said, “I’ll be fine. Just got a helluva lot to do. Dealing with the corrupted, evacuating people, fighting bandits…”

“BEING A MEMBER OF THE GUARD SOUNDS SO… EXHAUSTING…”

“Oh yeah, it gets really tough sometimes…”

“BUT I WON’T LET THAT STOP ME! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE A WELL RESPECTED SOLDIER, AND A GREAT MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!”

Undyne smiled.

“Hell yeah you will,” She said, “Hell yeah.”

Undyne hung up the phone, continuing to walk down the halls, her smile even brighter than before, a sense of confidence and determination seeming to emanate from her as she made her way through the base. She strided confidently, head held up high, hope in her eye.

We’re gonna make it through this, She thought, Doesn’t matter what is thrown at us, we’ll always push through!

Papyrus hung up the phone, putting it back down on the table, a soft smile on his face. Sans glanced over at him, lounging on the couch, one of his arms hanging over the side.

“so?” He called.

Papyrus turned to him with a smile.

“THEY’RE ALL OKAY, SANS,” He replied, “IT’S JUST BECOMING RATHER STRESSFUL FOR HER AND THE KING, WITH THE CORRUPTED AND ALL.”

“ah, okay.”

Papyrus took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

“EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE STRESSED, THEY’RE PUSHING THROUGH! THEY CAN ALL MAKE IT, I BELIEVE IN THEM!”

He opened his eyes, a look of confidence on his face. His brother noticed, and looked a little surprised, but he wore a genuine smile, seeing his brother so motivated to fight on. He felt genuinely happy, looking at Papyrus, who walked in strides towards the door.

“COME ON, BROTHER!” Papyrus shouted, “WE MUST START BUILDING THE WALL AROUND THE TOWN I CAME UP WITH! THERE’S NO TIME TO LOSE!”

Sans chuckled and slid off the couch, following his brother outside, their feet crunching in the snow as they walked. They walked to the shed besides their home, and Papyrus threw open the door, revealing massive piles of wood, ready to be used in the making of the wall. The two grabbed what they could, and set off, starting to build a wall around the perimeter of the town.

Chapter Text

I’ve looked more into this world.

These… things…

These… corrupted …

...

…

They’re like me.

Their souls…

And what they’re made of…

They’re me .

What I’m made of now is what is keeping them from dying.

My corrupted determination keeps them alive.

…

I…

I think, if I can get myself into that world…

I can control them …

…

The plan might be something I can go through with after all…

=)

Chapter Text

“HELLO ONCE AGAIN BEAUTIES AND GENTELBEAUTIES FOR ANOTHER EXCITING SHOW!” Mettaton exclaimed in his usual showy manner, “I’M ONCE AGAIN BACK ON THE AIR, WITH SOME THRILLS! CHILLS! AND ADVICE ON HOW TO NOT BE KILLED! NOW, FIRST OFF THE CHOPPING BLOCK, ANOTHER WARNING FROM THE FINE SOLDIERS OVER AT THE ROYAL GUARD!”

Mettaton clapped his hands, confetti flying from dispensers off camera, a picture of the Royal Guard Emblem popping up besides him.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION OVER THERE, YOU’RE DOING THE GOOD WORK! BESIDES WHAT I DO, OF COURSE. NOW, ONTO THE WARNING!”

Mettaton grabbed a pile of papers and began to shuffle through it, tapping it on the desk to straighten it out. He cleared his nonexistent throat, coughing to the side for a moment before facing the camera again.

“IT HAS COME TO THE GUARDS ATTENTION THAT A GROUP OF HOSTILE MONSTERS HAS BEEN RAIDING THE HOMES OF OTHERS. THE MONSTERS ARE BELIEVED TO BE ESCAPED CONVICTS FROM THE ROYAL PRISON IN THE TUNNELS BEYOND THE CAPITAL. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL FIELD REPORTS PROVIDED FROM THE GUARD THEMSELVES, THE CONVICTS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO WEAR MAKESHIFT ARMOR TAKEN FROM THE PRISON, MIXED IN WITH CIVILIAN CLOTHES. THEY ALSO HAVE AN EMBLEM STITCHED ONTO THE CLOTHES THEY WEAR, THE EMBLEM ITSELF APPEARS TO BE A WOLFS HEAD IN A RED CIRCLE, IT’S FANGS VISIBLE. IF YOU SEE ANYONE THAT HAS THIS EMBLEM, IMMEDIATELY ALERT THE NEAREST ROYAL GUARD OUTPOST. THEY WILL HANDLE THE SITUATION ONCE YOUR REPORT HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND VERIFIED.”

The monster rushed through the Snowdin Forest, corrupted coming up close behind. Panic rushed through his body, adrenaline from his soul pushing him forward, away from the things behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the corrupted still chasing him, their dead eyes locking on to him, all of them groaning and growling, a few of them screeching. The monster let out a scream, and looked ahead, seeing a small shack. He broke into a full sprint, diving into the structure and slamming the door behind him. The corrupted smashed into the door, clawing and banging at it, most of them growling and screaming. He summoned magic, preparing himself to fight and took a deep breath, when outside, he heard a lot of thuds and cracks, the screeching and growling beginning to die down as he heard the sounds of bodies collapsing into the snow.

“HELLO?” A voice called, “IS ANYONE IN THERE?”

The monster hesitated, but after a moment, went to the door, cautiously opening it.

Sans put his hands in his hoodie pockets, watching the door as it slowly opened, a reptilian, green scaled monster stepping out, holding up his hand, a magic attack ready. He looked at Sans, and then at Papyrus, who stood by the door.

“heya,” Sans said.

“GREETINGS, OTHER MONSTER! I AM THE GRRREAT PAPYRUS! AND THIS IS MY BROTHER SANS!”

The monster lowered his hand.

“Nice to meet you,” The monster said, calmly.

“IT’S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE!” Papyrus stuck out his hand for a shake, “ARE YOU HURT? DO YOU NEED ANY HELP?”

“Actually, I’m very lost,” The monster said, scratching the back of his head, “Would you mind helping me find somewhere safe?”

“OH OF COURSE!” Papyrus said, “COME! I’LL TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE SNOWDIN VILLAGE!”

“Thank you,” The monster said.

Sans eyed him, feeling a sense of confusion and caution wash over him. He stuck close to the other monster as they began to walk back to the village, Sans not taking his eyes off the newcomer.

“SO, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?” Papyrus asked, “YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE YOU’RE FROM AROUND HERE.”

“Well, I used to be with a group in Waterfall,” The monster said, “But… they didn’t make it.”

“OH…”

“It’s okay, just bad times,” The monster chuckled, “Y’know?”

“YES… TIMES ARE PRETTY BAD, BUT THEY’LL GET BETTER! I JUST KNOW IT!”

Sans looked the monster up and down, paranoia beginning to take over. He felt uneasy, as if this new monster was a threat to him and his brother, like whatever this monster said would turn out to be nothing more but falsehoods and misdirection, uncertain of why he felt that way.

“SO… IF YOU DON’T MIND ME ASKING… WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN WATERFALL…?”

The other monster thought for a moment, before speaking again. Sans kept his eyes on this new monster, his suspicions starting to fade.

“Well… it isn’t all happy, but it’s not completely down. I mean, the Royal Guard draws most of the hunters away, so that’s a good thing. Seems like their numbers grow here though.”

Sans chuckled, looking at the monster with a more casual, friendly expression.

“hunters, eh?” He repeated, “that’s what ya call ‘em?”

The monster shrugged.

“Hey, they hunt us, so my group thought it was fitting we call them hunters. Corrupted is a stupid name anyway.”

“more accurate than hunters,” Sans rolled his eyes as the monster began to talk to Papyrus again. Sans took a deep breath of the cold air, glancing over at the monster again, his eyes widening, a cold chill running up his spine as his gaze locked onto something he had not noticed until this moment. On the sleeve of the monster's jacket was the emblem Mettaton had shown on the announcement that morning… the emblem of the convicts. Sans clenched his hands into fists in his pockets, glaring at the monster, his eyes pitch black for a moment. His pupils returned, and he put on a casual face, tapping Papyrus on the shoulder.

“hey bro, mind if I steal our new friend for a second?”

“OH NOT AT ALL, BROTHER!” Papyrus replied, “YOU TWO TALK, YELL IF YOU NEED ANYTHING!”

Sans nodded at his brother, winking at him before putting an arm around the other monster, who was confused as Sans took him through the forest, away from Papyrus. Sans turned to look over his shoulder, making sure he was out of Papyrus’ sight, before his expression changed. He threw the monster into a tree, pinning him against it, glaring into the monsters eyes, which were filled with fear and confusion.

“alright, enough bullshit,” Sans said, “who the hell are you, and what do you want?”

“I-I just want to be safe, man!” The monster stuttered, “Honest!”

Sans continued to glare, ripping off the patch with the emblem, holding it in front of the monster's eyes, which went wide, confusion replaced with only fear.

“then what is this?” Sans asked, his voice colder than the air.

“I-I-I don’t run with that pack anymore! I-I left!”

“so, you lied, huh?”

“N-no! I’ve never l-lied in my whole life!”

“maybe that’s why you’re so bad at it. ”

The monster began shaking, looking right at Sans as his pupils seemed to disappear, being replaced by the void like eye sockets in his skull.

“you’re a scout, aren’t you? you were gonna get in our home and then report back to your leader, huh?”

“N-no! I-I-I wasn’t-”

Suddenly, Sans raised his arm and bones shot up from the ground, surrounding them. The monster jumped, panicking.

“cut the act,” Sans said, “you’re not fooling me. if you’d just be honest...”

“I-I’m being honest, I-”

Sans shushed the monster, stepping away from him, taking a deep breath. The monster stared at Sans, who closed his eyes, putting his hands in his pockets, seeming to be deep in thought. Sans eventually sighed, and shrugged.

“oh well, this isn’t the first thing I’ll regret, and it won’t be the last,” He didn’t open his eyes, but his smile perked up a little, in an almost remorseful way.

“sure was ice to know you.”

The monster’s expression contorted to one of confusion, before bones sprung from the tree, impaling him, making him gasp in pain. His soul shattered, and he faded away into a pile of dust, which scattered through the snow. Sans, who had raised his hand in front of him to summon the attack, relaxed, the bones disappearing again. He let out a sigh, and turned in the direction of Papyrus, beginning to walk back over. He stumbled back to his brother, his eyes dim, his smile faded slightly. Papyrus spotted him and smiled brightly at his brother.

“SANS!” He called “IT’S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK! I WAS WORRIED FOR A SECOND!”

Sans smiled a little more, his eyes remaining dim.

“heh, don’t get too chilled to the bone , I’m a-okay.”

“REALLY, SANS?”

Sans shrugged, and Papyrus rolled his eyes, looking expectantly back into the forest.

“WHERE’S THE OTHER MONSTER?” He asked.

Sans went silent, thinking up an excuse.

“he…” Sans shook his head, glancing up at his brother, “he had to go.”

“OH? WHY SO?”

“he said he thinks some of his friends might’ve survived in waterfall, and he wanted to go see if he thought right, or… if he was just hoping.”

“OH! WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT MAKES SENSE,” Papyrus replied, sighing, “IT WOULD STILL BE NICE IF HE CAME WITH US, WE COULD’VE HELPED HIM.”

“this is something he said he wanted to do alone,” Sans said, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets, “I say we respect his wishes, don’t you?”

Papyrus thought about it for a moment, looking out into the forest again, deep in his own thoughts.

“OF COURSE, WE SHOULD RESPECT WHAT HE WANTS,” Papyrus motioned forward, and they began to walk again, “LET’S JUST HEAD ON HOME, MAYBE WE’LL HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT HIM OVER THE RADIO!”

“yeah…” Sans said, guilt and shame consuming him whole, leaving him feeling empty again, “maybe.”

Chapter Text

Several Days Later…

“This is a message broadcasted to any and all Royal Guard troops stationed outside of the Waterfall Fortress,” A voice said through the communication line, “Do not, I repeat, do NOT under any circumstances let unknown civilian monsters into your outposts. We have had several reports of outposts accepting in seemingly wounded or lost monsters, with no follow up reports or any further communication. This is not a coincidence. As much as it hurts to do, please turn away any monster that asks to be let in. Too many outposts have fallen because of our compassionate nature.”

Undyne crept through the brush, two guardsmen following close behind, the glow of fireflies and the water of Waterfall illuminating the landscape, dust particles becoming lightened up around the bugs. Sneaking through the marsh, they made their way to the connecting point between Hotland and Waterfall, the sign above reading “WELCOME TO HOTLAND” dull and powered down, most of the Underground losing its power as the corrupted numbers grew. The three continued through the marsh, making it through the area filled with lantern crystals, all of them holding weapons at the ready. One of the guardsmen began to speak, keeping his voice to a low whisper.

“So, are you sure that these convict guys are out ‘ere, cap’n?” He asked, looking over his shoulder, the sounds of corrupted deeper into the marsh giving him chills.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Undyne said, “They’re out here, somewhere. We just gotta find them and kick their asses!”

“Do you think the rumors are true?” One soldier said to the other.

“What’dya mean?”

“That these are the end times for monster kind? And that whatever is causing this was some sort of curse the humans put on us?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time the blokes screwed us over…”

Undyne turned to them, glaring with her one good eye.

“Hey, you shut your damn mouth! Things are looking bleak, really REALLY bleak, but come on! Don’t give up just like that!”

“But what if this is the end?”

“Well we're sure as hell not going down without a fight! C’mon!”

Undyne continued along the path, the two soldiers turning to each other for a moment, pausing, and then following.

The three continued to make their way into Hotland, heat filling the air, the sound of bubbling lava and footsteps being the only sounds that filled the ears of the guards as they walked in, weapons in their hands. They stuck close together, watching every corner, magic forming into attacks. A set of footsteps began to approach, and they turned in the direction of them, seeing two monsters approaching, their bodies slightly melted, their eyes vacant and empty. Undyne's brow furrowed, and she summoned several spears, charging at the corrupted.

She rushed and attacked, impaling one corrupted and flinging it off into the lava, quickly hitting the other with three spears, launching a yellow one which bounced off a nearby rock wall, shooting out the chest of the corrupted, its soul shattering as its body crumpled into dust. The spears disappeared, and she motioned the other two forward, all of them walking along the path. Several minutes passed, the guardsmen continuing to walk along the paths of Hotland, their footsteps being the only sound other than the lava below them, bubbling and flowing. A thud echoed ahead, and the guards ducked into cover, creeping their way towards the noise. Hiding behind some boulders, the three peeked over, seeing a flame monster and a kitsune monster, the fire monster finishing off a fallen corrupted.

“Nice catch,” The kitsune said, in a feminine voice, “Stupid thing almost got us both.”

The corrupteds body turned to dust, and the fire monster stood, shrugging.

“Hey, gotta keep our eyes peeled,” He said, in a masculine, almost deep voice, “It started in the lab here, right?”

“Yeah, It sure did.”

“They got the insignia?” Undyne whispered to one soldier.

The soldier with the accent watched the two, his eyes widening when he saw the emblems, nodding.

“Spotted ‘em.”

Undyne grinned.

“Hell yeah, lets pounce ‘em!”

The guards then sprang from their hiding spots, charging at the two.

“HANDS UP!” Undyne shrieked, “ROYAL GUARD!”

The two looked over, shocked before summoning attacks, the two of them being knocked to the ground in seconds as the guardsmen took them down, raising weapons to their throats.

“Take that!” The guard with the accent shouted.

“Alright, now…” Undyne began, “You two are part of that escaped convict group…”

The two remained silent.

“Right?”

The fire monster and the kitsune looked at each other, and then, the fire monster sighed. No use in lying now.

“Yes, yes we are,” He said.

“Alright, now, mind telling us what you were doing out here?”

“Just let us go,” The kitsune said, “We haven’t even done anything.”

“Trust me, kid, I would, but with how things are right now, I can’t really do that,” Undyne growled, “So just tell me what the hell you were doing out here.”

“We don’t have to tell you anything,” The fire monster said.

Undyne grabbed him by the coat, holding him up slightly, raising a spear to his throat.

“You wanna say that again?” She growled.

The fire monster simply glared at her, before eventually answering.

“We’re just trying to survive out here, just like the rest of you,” He sneered, “The two of us were out looking for supplies so we could live another damn day. Not our fault mostly everything nearby was raided and the capital is flooded with those damn things!”

Undyne snarled, before dropping him, glaring at them both.

“That’s it, huh?” She asked, unconvinced.

“Yes, that is all we are doing,” The kitsune said.

Undyne looked between them both, eventually sighing.

“Y’know what? Fine, run off.” She said.

“Captain?” One guard asked.

“Let ‘em go. It’s not like we have cells to put ‘em in, anyway.”

The two other guardsmen nodded, moving aside as the convicts ran off, until they were out of ear shot. Undyne turned to the other guards with a grin.

“They’re so full of it,” She chuckled.

“Then why’d ya let ‘em go?” The other guard asked.

“I’m gonna call up some pals of mine, and they’re gonna track these guys down to their HQ, then we can really find out what they’re up to. I have a theory that they’re the ones behind all of those outposts falling, but I can’t do much without evidence.”

The other two guards looked at each other, confused.

“C’mon, let’s get back to our own base. I’ve got some talkin’ to do!”

The two guards glanced back at Undyne, nodding before the three of them rushed off, heading back down the main path into Waterfall, the two convicts sneaking behind, sneaking past the guards, making their way towards the frostbitten wasteland of Snowdin.

Chapter Text

In all the timelines I’ve seen, in every outcome I’ve encountered…

It always was two outcomes of that human and monster war:

Humans win, monsters are sent underground, or…

Humans lose, and monsters destroy them all.

When the humans win, so many possibilities can occur.

They prosper, they degrade, and in some cases, they never change.

In some cases, however…

Their civilization barely survives the 22nd century.

…

Based on what I’ve seen from this timeline, and given how unstable the tensions between them are…

I ponder whether this timeline will fall into the same cycle of war, that will eventually cause their end.

…

How this will affect the events that unfold within the Underground…

...

We will just have to wait and see.

This timeline… it keeps diverging and changing, and soon, it will almost be unrecognizable.

Fascinating…

…

What do all of you think?

Chapter Text

Hours later…

The fire monster and the kitsune made their way back through Hotland, a sense of anger burning inside them. They walked along the paths, making their way to the elevators, ascending to the third floor before stepping out, heading down the long and abandoned road that led to the old Underground Factory established many years before. They made their way to the old factory, the fire monster kicking a corrupted into the lava below, it’s body completely melting, the dust not even able to spread into the air. Lava bubbled around them, the heat in the air covering them, making their anger feel almost like rage at what they had seen, the murder they had watched at the hands of a skeleton. Holding a small camera in hand, the fire monster walked up to the main doors of the factory, the kitsune leaning against the wall and crossing her arms, popping a cigarette into her mouth. The fire monster stepped inside the factory, turning towards the elevators and walked inside, ascending to the top floor of the building, where the administration office was.

The doors slowly opened, and the fire monster stepped in, clutching the camera in his hand. He stepped over to the door to the office, and knocked, hearing footsteps from inside after a while. The door opened, and there stood his leader, the wolf who wielded the red scythe.

“Ferno,” The wolf said, calm, friendly, “Good to see you made it back alive, then again, you’ve shown me how tough you can be.”

“Something important must be discussed,” Ferno said, in a cold, angered voice, clutching the camera in hand, “Now.”

“Oh?” The wolf replied.

Ferno pushed passed the wolf, setting the camera down on the desk in the center of the room while the wolf closed the door.

“What’s got you so riled up?” The wolf asked, stepping over to the desk, “I’ve never seen you like this before. Well, maybe a few times.”

“Fang, take a look at this footage. Now.”

Fang looked at the camera, his eyes widening.

“That’s… that’s Basher’s camera, isn’t it?” Fang asked.

Ferno nodded, pressing the play button, a screen on the back of the camera turning on, footage beginning to play. Fang leaned over the desk, watching as the events unfolded. He saw Basher become hunted by several corrupted as he made his way to his goal: Snowdin Town. He watched as Basher became cornered in a small abandoned shack in the middle of the forest, a horde of the corrupted banging down his doors. Basher appeared to be summoning magic, preparing to fight back. Glancing up to Ferno, with a perplexed look, Ferno crossed his arms, and Fang continued watching. The skeletons arrived, saving Basher and taking him with them, walking along the way to the town, before they all suddenly stopped, the shorter skeleton, with large eye sockets and an unchanging grin leading Basher off into the forest, before becoming suddenly hostile, his eyes going pitch black as he interrogated the frightened basher. Fang's eyes widened as he saw the skeleton holding the patch of fabric with the emblem on it, holding it in front of Basher's face. Eventually, the skeleton stepped back, the whites of his eyes returning.

“sure was ice to know you,” The skeleton said before bones shot up from the ground, killing Basher almost immediately, the camera falling into the snow as his body crumpled into dust. The skeleton could be heard walking away, his footsteps crunching in the snow.

Fang stared in disbelief for a moment, shocked at what had happened. He stood upright, putting a hand to his forehead, growling. He turned, punching the wall behind him with a loud metallic thud, a massive dent now formed into the wall. Continuing to growl, he held his bruised hand.

“That footage was taken days ago,” Ferno said, “That’s why he never reported back. The skeleton, Sans, he killed him.”
“All because he had that stupid emblem on his clothes…” Fang growled, “DAMMIT! I told him if he was going to do this he needed to take it OFF! Ever since that stupid celebrity told everyone what it looked like, more of our people have been targeted, but none of them were just… killed in cold blood!”

A moment of silence passed, which was suddenly broken by Fang punching the desk, making the camera bounce.

“What… else… did you find?” He growled.

“We found the town itself, and we mapped it out,” Ferno replied, “We know the best routes to get there, and we even did a check on their security. All they have is one Guardsmen unit and the tall skeleton to protect them, plus a wall they constructed.”

Fang glared up at Ferno, eyes burning with rage.

“We need to capture those skeletons,” He growled, “Rally some monsters and take them from the village! Hold the place hostage!”

He slammed his hands on the desk, glaring at Ferno.

“Bring those skeletons here,” He snarled, “I want to… talk to them myself.”

Ferno nodded, stepping out of the room, descending into the elevator to the ground floor. Stepping out, he tapped the kitsune on the shoulder.

“Get some good fighters,” He said.

“So we really are going after that Sans guy, aren’t we?”

Ferno nodded, the kitsune nodding back before walking off to a smaller section of the factory, coming out a while later with several other monsters, armed to the teeth with magic and weapons. Ferno summoned his magic weapon, all of them leaving the factory, making their way to the entrance to Snowdin, their sights set on taking over the Snowdin Town, Ferno and the kitsune monster planning on taking the skeletons back to Fang, so he could… talk to them in person.

Chapter Text

They’re all just like me.

They’re all just like this place.

Empty.

Devoid of any true life.

They wander around, shambling, hunting and killing monsters.

Just like my old vessel.

They’re so…

Perfect…

But, at the same time…

They could be so much more.

…

Something remains untapped in their souls…

Something that could…

…

Change them…

…

…

I…

…

I must look into this.

I must look into them.

I must know what makes them tick, and how…

I can make them all change.

How I can make them all my vessels.

How I can make them all…

…

Perfect.

=)

Chapter Text

Something…

Peculiar, has happened to the Chara of this world.

They have changed into something I am all too familiar with.

They, too, have been changed like I have, to be an observer from the infinite void.

Their body melts…

Their soul remains empty…

The darkness of the void consumes their form, day by day.

This could prove…

Interesting.

It appears my assumption that no one remembered was wrong after all.

Truly fascinating…

This brings up numerous questions I have not been able to explore until now.

How will this void affect humans?

How will the mental state of such a hateful being fair against merely being able to observe?

What will come of their actions in the future?

…

These questions are ones I shall ponder while I let the experiment play out.

However…

Should they attempt any major harm to the experiment…

We must make sure they are stopped.

We cannot allow this unique timeline from collapsing because of them.

I will not allow it.

However…

This is merely a last resort.

We should wait and see if the human, Frisk, will be any match for their newfound power, should they make their move.

Chapter Text

A day later…

A soft snow fell onto the forests and town of Snowdin, making the monsters feel at ease. The harsh storms had stopped for a moment, and now, the villagers all went out to walk around their town once more, the children playing in the snow while the adults chatted or went to Grillby’s, the day seeming calm. Sans stood in front of the door, sipping out of his ketchup bottle, glancing out at the townspeople, doing nothing. He heard the click of the doorknob and footsteps walk out into the snow, feeling his brother's eyes fall upon him.

“AH!” Papyrus exclaimed, “THERE YOU ARE, SANS!”

“sup,” Sans replied, waving at Papyrus.

“SO GOOD TO SEE YOU UP AND ABOUT, BROTHER! YOU’VE BEEN DOING NOTHING BUT TAKING LONG NAPS AND EATING FOR WAY TOO LONG!”

“long naps?” Sans chuckled, “you mean sleep?”

“WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, I KNOW YOU STILL DID IT TO GET OUT OF WORK!”

“welp. caught me there.” Sans shrugged in defeat.

“WAIT…” Papyrus looked at his brother, disappointed, “YOU’RE STILL DOING NOTHING, AREN’T YOU?”

Sans smirked some more, sipping from his ketchup bottle. Papyrus groaned.

“SANS!” He shrieked, “WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING WATCH ON THE WALL! WHAT IF MORE MONSTERS SHOW UP? OR WHAT IF…”

Papyrus leaned in dramatically, whispering at Sans.

“...A HUMAN ARRIVES?”

“still going on about that whole human thing, aren’t ya bro?”

“WHY YES, SANS! WITH THIS NEW SITUATION I NEED TO BECOME A GUARDSMEN MORE THAN EVER! THEN I DO I CAN DO SO MUCH MORE TO HELP! NOT THAT WHAT I’M DOING ISN’T ALREADY GREAT AND EXTREMELY HELPFUL!”

Sans smiled softly, nodding.

“yeah, bro, you’re doing the greatest at keeping us safe.”
“I KNOW! NOW, COME SANS! LET’S CHECK THE WALLS!”

Sans pushed himself off the wall and walked with Papyrus towards the Eastern Gate, which stood between them and the passages to Waterfall. Climbing the ladder into the station, Sans and Papyrus looked out over the snowy ground, Papyrus holding his hand above his eyes, trying to see further, squinting. Sans took another sip of ketchup, looking up at his brother.

“see anything?” He asked.

Papyrus sighed.

“NO, AT LEAST NOT… WAIT…” He leaned over the edge of the station, squinting his eyes further, “I THINK… I SEE…”

Sans stared out, and his eyes went dark and widened, seeing a bright flaming magical arrow soaring towards them. He grabbed Papyrus and threw him to the ground, ducking as well, three more hitting the station ceiling.

“GAH!” Papyrus yelped, he and Sans quickly leaping out of the station, landing in the snow as the gate blew open, monsters in makeshift armor stomping in, their feet crunching in the snow, magical weapons in their hands, most of them swords or axes, some having bows. A green flame monster rushed in front of them, shouting.

“Take them all down! Restrain the skeletons!” He ordered, and the monsters charged, the Snowdin townspeople running away, screaming in fear. The Canine Unit of the Royal Guard rushed out from Grillby’s, all of them armed to the teeth, ready to fight. Papyrus flicked his arm, summoning a bone staff and other attacks, getting into a battle stance, glaring at the attackers. Sans sighed, summoning attacks of his own, shrugging.

“AS THE PROTECTOR OF THIS TOWN AND IT’S PEOPLE, TURN AWAY NOW!” Papyrus shouted.

The monsters continued to charge, and began to attack, Sans and Papyrus leaping and ducking around their strikes, Papyrus having to block many, while Sans just seemingly dashed around them, too fast for them to hit. Smacking one of the attackers' weapons out of their hands, Papyrus whacked them across the face with his bone staff, smacking another across the back. He summoned blue magic and grabbed one monsters soul, throwing him into the wall. The flame monster rushed to Papyrus, slashing with such ferocity that Papyrus hadn’t even experienced before. Their weapons and eyes locked, Papyrus and the flame monster glaring at one another, before one monster snuck up behind Papyrus, smacking him over the head with a weapon, causing Papyrus to fall into the snow with a shout.

“NGEH!” Papyrus groaned, smashing into the snow, his vision blurry from the sheer force of the blow. He glanced up for a moment, seeing Sans dodging the attacks masterfully, almost as if he knew each one before it happened. But Papyrus could see it in his brother's expression, he couldn’t just dodge forever. And then, Sans fell, exhausted, and a monster kicked him into the ground, knocking him out cold. The flame monster turned Papyrus onto his back, and Papyrus looked up, seeing the Canine Unit out of the corner of his eye, surrounded, helpless. The flame monster kicked Papyrus in the face, and with that one, strong blow, Papyrus fell unconscious, the last thing he saw being the townspeople scared as the monsters pursued them too.

Chapter Text

“Stop him!”

A Royal Guardsman, a small cat like monster, rushed through the caverns of Waterfall, a group of well armed monsters chasing behind him, some firing arrows at him. He yelped as one almost hit him in the tail, and he tried to run faster, almost tripping over himself. Dashing and leaping into bushes, and crawled deep into the brush, hopping out of the other side, running deeper into the marsh.

“Where did he go?” One of the pursuers shouted.

“Fan out! Don’t let him escape!” Another shrieked.

The Royal Guardsman continued to run through the marsh, hearing the constant shouts of the pursuers, all of whom were wearing the emblem of the convicts, sending a chill down the guards spine. Coming to a river, he skidded to a halt at the luminescent water, seeing that the bridge which once stood proudly over the water was now nothing but plywood floating away. His ears perked up and he turned around, hearing the whizz of arrows and the call of voices.

“There he is!” A pursuer screamed, “Over by where the bridge used to be!”

The Royal Guardsman glanced back at the river bank on the other side, knowing he could only just barely make the jump. He stepped back three times, took a deep breath, and ran, leaping high into the air. He landed just before the bank, the current of the river dragging him away, the pursuers screaming and shouting, trying to follow. Swimming towards the river bank, the Guardsman pulled himself to shore, standing up and shaking dry before he ran off again, trying to reach the Waterfall Fortress as fast as he could… running right into a large horde of corrupted.

His body ran cold, and his eyes widened as he heard the corrupted scream and groan, suddenly charging at him. He ran away from them, back towards the river again, hoping to find some way to break away from his now corrupted hunters. He took a sharp right turn at the river, some of the corrupted able to follow, most of them either stopping or falling into the river, being carried away. Dashing through more brush, leaping over a small corrupted slime monster, he ran as fast as he could through the cavern, making his way back to the fortress as best as he could. The corrupted screams echoed behind him, but he continued to run, seeing more and more of them out of the corners of his eyes, the corrupted seeming to be everywhere. Rushing through one final set of brush, he came out the other side, seeing the fortress now. He sighed with relief and began to sprint towards the base, the corrupted still chasing him. The squad of Guardsmen posted outside the gate, all turned, summoning their weapons, charging at the corrupted.

“Get inside!” The leader shouted, “Captain Undyne wants you ASAP!”

The Royal Guardsmen nodded and went inside the fortress, the squad taking the corrupted downa

Rushing through the halls, the Guardsman turned and rushed into the strategy room, where Undyne, the other leaders of the Guard, the Royal Scientist, and the King met. He barged in, seeing Undyne and Asgore at the table, sharing some tea.

“CAPTAIN!” He screamed, “Captain! I have terrible, terrible news!”

“Oh my,” Asgore exclaimed.

“What happened, soldier?” Undyne ordered.

“Snowdin Town, ma’am, Snowdin Town has been raided and taken over!”

“What?” Undyne and Asgore shouted.

“A group of convicts took over the town! They took out the canine unit and captured the two skeletons!”

“They did WHAT?” Undyne shouted in pure fury.

“They captured the two skeletons and are taking them somewhere! I don’t know where, I was going to follow, but-”

“ALRIGHT, I’ve had IT!” Undyne shrieked, summoning her spears, “I’M GONNA MAKE THOSE CRIMINALS PAY MYSELF! NGAAAAAAAH!”

“Captain!”

Undyne rushed out of the room, out of the sight of the Guardsman and Asgore. Asgore turned to the soldier.

“Gather up some of the Royal Guardsmen! And hurry! Don’t let her go alone!”

The Guardsmen nodded and rushed out of the room, right out of the gate, calling to the guards stationed there, who watched as Undyne tore through the corrupted and ran off. The gate slammed shut behind him as a new set of guards came out, the Royal Guardsman calling to the squad.

“FOLLOW THE CAPTAIN!” He shrieked, “BY ORDER OF THE KING, FOLLOW AND SUPPORT THE CAPTAIN!”

The leader of the squad nodded, and turned to his troops.

“You heard the man, troops!” He shouted, “Follow and assist Captain Undyne! King's order! Move out!”

The Royal Guardsman collapsed, out of breath, one of the new Guardsmen helping him inside the fortress, the squad and Undyne already too far gone to even hear.

Chapter Text

Sans eyes opened slightly for only a moment. His vision blurry, his body, and even his soul, aching. He tried again to open his eyes, still, his vision remained blurry. One final effort was all it took. He opened his eyes fully, squinting as he felt his eyes burn in an intense light. He saw the silhouette of two monsters standing above him, a wolf, and a fire monster. He tried to make out what he was seeing, but then, he came to, and found himself back in the glowing golden hallway, sunlight shining through the windows. Panic coursed through his body, and he turned to face the other end of the hall, the same dark, shadowy figure stood there, covered in dust, knife in hand. The shadow smiled, and Sans came back to reality, his skull feeling like it was on fire. He fell to the floor, scrunching up his face in sheer agony, his left eye feeling like it was burning.

“SANS!” Papyrus called.

Sans eye’s shot open, and he looked at Papyrus, who was right next to him, fear in his expression.

“You’re awake,” A rough voice growled, “Finally.”

The two skeletons glanced up at the wolf, Papyrus feeling confused and scared, Sans only feeling anger.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Papyrus shouted, “WE DID NOTHING TO YOU! WE’VE NEVER EVEN MET YOU BEFORE!”

“Yeah, you didn’t,” The wolf growled, “But you met someone I knew.”

“WELL WHOEVER IT WAS, I’M SURE THEY WERE VERY NICE, AND WE DID NOTHING TO THEM! SURELY THEY WOULDN’T KIDNAP US AND TAKE OUR HOME AWAY!”

“Shut up for a damn second,” The wolf snapped.

Papyrus sat still. The wolf turned his attention to Sans, a snarl spreading across his face. Sans just glared back.

“You.”

“yeah?” Sans replied, “what about me?”

“You know exactly what you did. Don’t even try to hide it, I saw the footage. I saw what you did to him.”

“SANS? WHAT’S GOING ON?”

“stay calm, pap.”

“Don’t talk to him, skeleton. Keep your focus on me.”

Sans went silent, just glaring back at the wolf.

“Did you get some sick pleasure from it?” The wolf growled.

“from what?” Sans demanded.

“Did you get some sick pleasure from killing my friend?”

“WHAT?” Papyrus shouted, “THAT’S NOT TRUE! SANS WOULD NEVER KILL ANYONE, NEITHER OF US WOULD!”

“y’know? now that you mention it…” Sans eyes went pure black, “...guess I did.”

Minutes earlier...

The Snowdin Town remained silent, the invading monsters taking over, already having two guards stationed at the entrances. Snow drifted softly through the air, putting the conquerors minds at ease for a moment, the townspeople hiding in their home, the members of the Royal Guard tied and beaten in the center of the town, the townspeople only able to watch. Suddenly, far off from the cavern to Waterfall came a loud sound, almost like a battlecry.

“NGAAAAHHHHH!” Undyne shrieked, leaping over the wall of the town and slamming down into the snow, glaring at the convicts with her one good eye. She charged at them, summoning more and more spears as they charged to fight her. Launching a swift barrage of spears, many of them fell, injured, but not anywhere close to death. One tried to attack her from behind, but she spun around and grabbed him, lifting him over her head and spiking him into the snow. The rest of the convicts rushed at her, but before they could reach her, they were pelted with other magical attacks, and Undyne spun around, seeing more Royal Guardsmen charge in, weapons at the ready, the long range archer mages keeping their distance, magical bows in their hands. Undyne nodded to the troops, and stomped over to one of the convicts, grabbing him by the shirt and yanking him into the air, glaring at him.

“Alright, punk!” She screamed, “You have A LOT of explaining to do! So, start talking! Right now!”

“Or what? You’re gonna hurt me more?”

Undyne punched him across the face, almost knocking him out cold, a large bruise on his skin. She glared directly into his eyes, pure rage in her expression.

“You want more where that came from?”

The monster shook his head.

“I’ll… I’ll talk…” He coughed, “Please don’t hit me again…”

“Alright then, START TALKING NOW!” Undyne screamed, “WHERE DID YOU PUNKS TAKE MY FRIENDS? WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?”

The wolf glared at Sans, enraged, his eye twitching. Papyrus stared at his brother, completely and utterly horrified, his jaw dropping.

“S-SANS?” Papyrus cried, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU’VE NEVER KILLED ANYONE!”

Sans ignored his brother. He glared at the wolf for a minute, and then sighed.

“I did get some pleasure out of dusting your pal. you wanna know why, freak?”

Everyone in the room turned to look at Sans, the flame monster shocked, same as Papyrus, the wolf only feeling a rising anger.

“because I knew exactly what he was, or at least, what he was getting into. he was gonna spy on us, then, when the time was right, you and all of your little pals would come and kill us. that’s what you are. that’s what all of you are, so yes, I am happy I killed him . means there’s less people like you.”

“You… you little…” The wolf growled.

“SANS… THAT’S NOT TRUE… IS IT?”

Sans' expression turned sorrowful, and his head dropped.

“I’m sorry, papyrus.”

“NO! NO THAT’S NOT RIGHT! SANS, YOU WOULDN’T-”

The door to the factory exploded off its hinges, crashing to the ground. Everyone turned to look, seeing Undyne charge in, spear in hand.

“ALRIGHT PUNK! You hold it right there! You’re under arrest for kidnapping my friends and raiding an innocent town!”

The wolf summoned magic of his own, a red scythe manifesting in his hands. Undyne leaped up, launching the spear at the wolf, who dashed out of the way, the spear flying right past him… a loud shattering sound echoing through the room as it struck Sans in the left eye, his whole eye shattering, skull shards flying in every direction. Undyne landed, and her eye went wide as Sans collapsed, the world turning black, his one remaining eye empty, the last sounds he heard being Papyrus screaming out for him, calling for his brother.

And then, all went black.

Chapter Text

The world went still, everything around Papyrus seeming like a dream, or an unending nightmare. He leapt to his brother's side, using the spear to cut through his binds, grabbing his brother, tears flowing like a stream down his face.

“SANS!” He called, “BROTHER! PLEASE, PLEASE GET UP!”

He cradled Sans’ body, the magic within him feeling his soul begin to crack and shatter, Papyrus summoning all the magic he had, trying desperately to keep him alive.

“PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME, SANS! PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T SHATTER, BROTHER!”

He rocked back and forth, holding Sans close to his chest, tear drops splatting on Sans’ broken skull, his one eye remaining empty.

“I NEED YOU, BROTHER… DON’T GO…”

Undyne dodged a slash from the scythe, the wolf glaring at her as she glared back. The two charged at each other, locking weapons, a burst of magic from their colliding power sending them both back. Undyne held her hand in the air, and summoned a flurry of spears, launching them at the wolf. He charged, cutting through most of them with his scythe, leaping over the last few and landing on the ground in front of Undyne, quickly punching her under the jaw, making her stagger before he kicked her back, slashing with his scythe. Undyne ducked and pounced the wolf, headbutting him and kicking him in the chest, making him stumble, holding his head. The two glared at each other again, the world standing completely still…

They charged at each other, their weapons clashing in a bright display of blue and red, magic and sparks flying all over as they fought, Undyne and the wolf slashing and stabbing at each other, their weapons colliding each time as they dashed around the room, fighting viciously. Undyne parried an attack from the wolf, following it up with a thrust of her spear, only to find that the wolf had stepped out of the way, and was slashing at her. She caught the weapon with her hand, and shoved the wolf back, kicking him and then leaping at him, spear high above her head.  The wolf blocked with his scythe, pushing her back before he dashed away from another spear which glowed a bright yellow. The spear bounced off the walls, the wolf deflecting it each time, locking weapons with Undyne again. The spear came rocketing at the wolf from behind, and he leapt up, letting it crash into Undyne. She let out a scream, her chest plate shattered at the force of her own attack, and she fell to the ground, her body filled with pain. The wolf walked over to her, and she glared up at him, fury in her eye. He summoned his scythe, and was about to kill her when she brought up her spear, blocking the attack, the two at a standstill, their weapons locked.

Papyrus looked up from his brother and saw Undyne on the floor, being pushed to her limits, the wolf monster about to break her defense, the flame monster walking up to her, summoning a magic attack of his own. Papyrus felt fear rush through him again, and his mind began to race.

SHE NEEDS MY HELP… He thought, BUT… SO DOES SANS… I… CAN’T HELP THEM BOTH, I… I NEED TO CHOOSE… BUT… WILL SANS LAST LONG WITHOUT MY HELP…?

Papyrus gazed down at his brother, who lay silent in his arms, breathing softly. Papyrus summoned a powerful burst of energy and gave it to Sans, the healing magic within him taking over, keeping his soul together.

THAT SHOULD KEEP YOU HERE FOR A WHILE, AT LEAST UNTIL WE GET HOME, Papyrus thought, DON’T WORRY SANS…

Papyrus stood defiantly, glaring at the flame and wolf monsters, a bone staff appearing in his hand.

“I’LL TAKE IT FROM HERE!” He shouted.

Undyne, the wolf, and the flame monster all turned to Papyrus. He dashed towards the flame monster, bashing him with the staff, sending him rocketing into a wall, knocked unconscious.

“Ferno!” The wolf cried, his attack slipping for a moment, Undyne pushing him back before Papyrus rushed over, smashing him away with the staff. He stood in front of Undyne, his stance confident, his expression one of anger and determination. Undyne tried to stand, but staggered, Papyrus motioning for her to stay down.

“IT’S OKAY, UNDYNE,” Papyrus said, “I CAN HANDLE THIS.”

“Papyrus…” Undyne sighed.

The wolf let out a howl, and charged at Papyrus, who stood steadfast, twirling the staff in his hand. He held the staff in front of him, the scythe smashing against it, not even cracking it. Being launched backward and staggering on his feet, the wolf summoned magic blades, launching them at Papyrus, who summoned a barrage of bones, launching them, all of the blades and bones colliding, exploding into magic sparks. Papyrus charged at the wolf, and the two locked weapons, glaring at each other, the wolf wearing a vicious scowl. Papyrus snapped his fingers, and suddenly, blue bones shot up from the ground, surrounding the wolf, and even passing through him. He tried to squirm away, the bones suddenly cutting deep into him as he fell and crawled away, his body scorched and cut. The wolf looked up at Papyrus, who stood over him. He held out his hand, and the wolf’s soul appeared in front of his chest, and then turned blue.

Suddenly he rocketed into the ceiling, and then back to the floor.

“YOU’RE BLUE NOW! THAT’S MY ATTACK!”

Papyrus threw him into a wall, the bang echoing on the metal walls.

“NYEH!”

He then threw him into a wall on the other side of the room with a loud thud.

“HEH!”

Papyrus then summoned the wolf back with his magic, glaring at the bruised, cut, and beaten monster in front of him. He sighed, feeling remorse, and then threw him through the window.

“HEH!”

The wolf slammed to the ground, weak and beaten, the sound of Royal Guardsmen and convicts fighting outside getting even more intense as the battle progressed. The wolf tried to stand, but collapsed.

Papyrus let the bone staff disappear, and he stood still by the window, not making a sound. Undyne stood, looking at Papyrus with concern.

“Papyrus…?” She called.

Suddenly, they both tensed up, hearing the shouts and cries of the corrupted, the sounds of them fighting the convicts and Guardsmen getting louder and louder as time progressed.

“Grab Sans and let’s go!” Undyne screamed.

Papyrus turned to her and nodded, rushing to Sans and hoisting him over his shoulder, using his magic to heal Sans once again.

“Run! Run! RUN!”

The two rushed out of the factory, Undyne calling for her troops to follow her, all of the Guardsmen retreating, leaving the convicts to deal with the horde, it only taking a few seconds before most of them were wiped out, the wolf being the only one who disappeared, the corrupted never getting their hands on him.

Undyne, the Guardsmen, and Papyrus all ran through Hotland, only stopping when they reached the nearest outpost. Papyrus collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he held Sans in his arms. Undyne looked down with sorrow in her eyes, but then, her expression turned into one of determination, and she glanced around at the Guardsmen that fought at the factory, and the ones stationed at the outpost.

“MEDIC!” She screamed, “I need a medic here NOW!”

Two healing mages rushed over and kneeled by Sans and Papyrus’ side, using healing magic on Sans, focusing on his soul. They used the full extent of their power, trying desperately to keep his soul from shattering. Their faces scrunched up as they used more and more magic, their bodies shaking as they fought harder and harder to keep Sans alive. Papyrus joined them, using his magic to heal his brother, summoning everything he had to heal him. Eventually, they all stopped, Sans soul becoming stable, but for only a few minutes.

“Quick! Get him inside!” One of the medics called. Papyrus stood and rushed with them into the outpost, holding Sans in his arms. Plopping him down on a medical bed, the medics rushed to work, tearing open Sans’ sweatshirt and pulling up his shirt, exposing his ribs and his soul. They took a special device and strapped it to his chest, them and Papyrus quickly fueling it with healing magic, the device going to work, healing his soul. They all let out a sigh of relief as the machine went to work, keeping Sans’ soul stable.

Sans slowly awoke hours later, finding himself in a strange room, several machines hooked to him. He glanced around, seeing Papyrus sitting in a chair near his bed, his foot tapping impatiently on the ground. Sans slowly rose, putting a hand to his head, feeling the bandages over the left side of his head.

“papyrus?” Sans groaned.

Papyrus shot up and turned to Sans, eyes wide, tears pouring down his cheeks.

“SANS!” He shouted, rushing over and hugging his brother.

Sans was surprised at first, but then hugged his brother back, sighing.

“miss me much?” He said.

“OH, I MISSED YOU SO DEARLY, BROTHER!” Papyrus cried, “I THOUGHT I’D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD… I… I… I WAS SO SCARED!”

“hey, hey hey, it’s okay, bro. I’m just fine now.”

“I KNOW. BUT… I WAS SO WORRIED…”

“you don’t have to worry about me now, pap. trust me, I’m okay now, I promise.”

Papyrus pulled back and looked into his brother's eye, tears rushing down his face. Sans smiled at his brother weakly, feeling relief seeing his brother was alive. The door to the room opened, and the medics entered, surprised.

“Oh! He’s awake!” One said.

“That was fast… anyway, Sans, do you feel anything? Any pain or aches?”
Sans expression changed to his normal casual expression.

“well, I am missing an eye, but otherwise I’m just fine.”

“Of course, heh,” One of the medics chuckled, “If that’s the case you two can go home. Just, Sans, don’t take off the device on your chest, and don’t take off those bandages. They’re using magic from your soul to try and heal your body, so it’s very VERY important you do NOT take those off.”

“I get the picture,” Sans shrugged, “thanks, doc.”

The medics nodded, and Papyrus helped Sans to his feet, the two of them walking out of the base, saying their goodbyes to Undyne, who hugged Sans tightly before they left, heading back to fix the home they almost lost.

Chapter Text

It appears that we have reached…

A conclusion.

The convicts defeated and wiped out.

Brothers reunited.

And a secured Royal Guard victory.

All… appears to be fine.

For now.

But I can feel the power.

Creeping to the underground.

Two immensely strong forces.

One, the human.

The other… something familiar.

Void corruption.

Chara…

They are making their move...

Whatever happens next, will be…

Very, very…

Interesting…

That much I can guarantee to you.

Chapter Text

2 years later… 

The tall, seemingly endless mountain stood high above Frisk, who stood at it’s base, gazing upwards towards the sky. Filled with determination, she scaled the mountain on her own. She climbed and ran up the slope, feeling a sense of wonder as she ascended higher and higher up the mountain. She reached a small cave near the end of the first quarter of the mountain, her curiosity piqued. Poking her head in, her eyes went wide as she stared down into a large hole surrounded by vines, leading down into a deep abyss. Stepping closer to the hole, she looked down, awed by just how far the hole went. Grabbing a rock from the ground and tossing it in, waiting for a bang or some type of thud, she heard one after at least 30 seconds of it falling. She began to step away from the hole, when suddenly, the ground shook all around her. She heard the sirens of her home city just outside the cave, the roar of fighter jets and chopping of helicopters booming from the outside as well. The ground shook even more violently as something rumbled outside, Frisk struggling to maintain balance. Her foot caught on a vine, she fell backwards, falling deep into the hole, letting out a loud scream, trying desperately to reach out to the vines on the sides of the cave walls as she fell, to no avail. She turned to look down, closing her eyes and spreading her body out, trying to slow herself even a little. She crashed down onto a bed of flowers, bouncing up for a moment before hitting the ground again with a groan. She stood, rubbing her head, which throbbed with pain. She felt a sudden sharp pain shoot through her arm, and she looked at it, finding the rock she had thrown was stabbed into her forearm. Grimacing, she yanked it out, finding a small cut, which now began to bleed. She held it, and glanced ahead, seeing that the cave continued on. Looking around the dark room, she called out for help.

“Hello?” She yelled, “Hello? Is anyone there?”

No response.

“Hello?” She called again.

Not a word.

She waited a moment, sighed, and then turned to the cave walls, all of which were too steep to climb, the vines that were present at the top now completely gone. She turned back towards the dark cavern beyond, and began to walk, finding a pair of ancient stone doors, with an odd symbol on them of three triangles and a pair of wings surrounding a circle, the figure appearing angelic. She stepped into a dark room beyond the door, a small patch of grass illuminated by sunlight sticking out in the center of the room. She heard something rustle, and then, out of the ground sprang a flower, a golden flower.

“Oh howdy!” The flower spoke, revealing itself to be a sentient, talking flower, “I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower!”

Frisk just stared, at a loss for words. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at Flower again, in complete shock.

“Oh don’t worry, you didn’t hit your head so bad you’re hallucinating,” Flowey smirked, “I’m right here! And ready to help you!”

“A… talking flower?” Frisk muttered.

“Yup! Sure am!” Flowey said before mumbling under his breath, “Anyway! You’re new to the Underground, aintcha?”

“I… yes…?”

“Well hey! Don’t worry, I’ll teach you the basics and then you’ll be able to get around here in a snap!”

Frisk was about to respond, when suddenly, a red heart appeared in front of her chest, glowing bright in the dark room.

“That is your soul, the very culmination of your being!”

Frisk looked at it, confused.

“Your soul is strong, but it can get even stronger if you raise your LV! What’s LV? Why, LOVE, of course!”

Frisk glanced back at the flower, his tone and speech putting her on edge.

“Want some LOVE? Here! Accept some friendliness pellets!”

Frisk took a step back, ducking as the pellets went past her, hitting the cave behind her with loud thuds.

Flowey gazed at Frisk with a smug expression.

“Hey, buddy, you missed them.”

Frisk turned to him.

“Let’s try this again!”

More pellets. Frisk dodged them again, Flowey getting even more frustrated.

“Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!”

Flowey froze, quickly changing his expression and composure.

“Eh… friendliness pellets!”

He shot them at Frisk, who didn’t dodge them in time, getting hit, collapsing to the ground, feeling gravely wounded. Flowey let out a laugh.

“You IDIOT!” He screeched, “In this world, it’s KILL or BE KILLED!”

Bullets started to surround Frisk, slowly closing in, Flowey continuing to laugh, Frisk trying to stand, to no avail. Suddenly the bullets vanished, and both Frisk and Flowey looked confused, a fireball flying from the side and smacking into Flowey, who vanished under the grass. A large, anthropomorphic goat ran up to Frisk, concern and worry in the creatures' eyes.

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth.”

Frisk looked up as the creature kneeled, putting a large, furry paw on Frisks shoulder.

“Ah, do not be afraid, my child,” The creature said in a soothing, motherly voice, “I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. You are the first to fall in a while. Let me heal you, and then, I shall guide you through the catacombs.”

Frisk felt herself be healed by Toriel, a strange green light emanating from her hand as she held onto Frisk, who slowly gained her strength and stood, feeling better. Toriel smiled warmly at Frisk, and took her hand, leading her out of the room. They stepped into a room with two staircases leading to a doorway, a massive pile of leaves sitting in the center of the room between the stairs. Frisk followed Toriel up the stairs, entering the next room, seeing several switches on the ground.

“The Ruins ahead are filled with puzzles, traps and things of the like. You will need to solve them to make your way around here, so please adjust yourself to the sight of them,” Toriel explained.

Letting go of Frisks hand for a moment, she solved the puzzle ahead, and the door to the next room opened, Toriel returning and taking Frisks hand, leading her through the Ruins, eventually coming to another puzzle.

“This next puzzle will require you to flick only certain switches, but fear not, I have marked the ones you need to flip.”

Frisk nodded, and Toriel let go of Frisks hand again, letting her walk up the switch, yellow paint pointing towards it, other markings making note that it, indeed, was the one to flip. Frisk pulled the switch down, and the spikes on the bridge ahead went down. The two walked over to the next two switches, one of them surrounded by the same markings as before, the other, surrounded by nothing. Frisk walked up to them, and stared at them for a moment, curious.

What happens if…?

She grabbed the unmarked switch and flipped it, nothing happening.

“Ah! My child, that is not the right switch,” Toriel called, “Were the markings not clear…?”

Frisk glanced back at her, shrugging awkwardly, embarrassed.

“Sorry! I-I was just curious!”

“Oh, don’t worry, my child. Perhaps I should’ve said that switch would do nothing when flipped.”

Frisk nodded, and flipped the right switch, the second spike bed sinking back into the bridge.

“Ah! Very good! You are doing very good!” Toriel clapped, stepping into the next room, Frisk following. They walked into a room, what looked like a training dummy sitting on one side, old and tattered.

“Now, although I may not like it, some monsters may not be as welcoming as I am. When you encounter one, please stall them, I will handle it.”

Frisk nodded.

“Now, please, go up and talk to that dummy. Just for practice.”

“But… what if you’re not around?” Frisk asked, turning to Toriel.

“Just strike up a conversation. Maybe you can convince them peacefully to not hurt you…?”

Frisk turned to the dummy, and then strode to it, determined.

“Hi!” She said, “You look very… good… today…?”

The dummy tipped over slightly. Frisk sighed.

“Very good, my child!” Toriel said, “Now, come along, we must keep going.”

They walked into the next room, Frisk noticing a pattern on the floor, the bridge ahead covered with spikes.

“This next puzzle is a little dangerous, but…” Toriel turned to Frisk, looking at the child, her eyes filled with motherly care, “Come, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

They walked towards the spikes, Toriel stopping, Frisk stopping right behind her. Toriel sighed.

“Just… hold my hand, I will guide us across.”

Frisk nodded hesitantly and grabbed Toriel's hand, the two of them walking across in a pattern, the spikes disappearing as they followed the set path, Toriel careful to keep a tight grip on Frisks hand.

“That one would’ve been too dangerous…” Toriel remarked as they entered the next room.

“You have been doing well thus far, my child,” Toriel said with a smile, which quickly changed, “But… I have something difficult to ask of you…”

Toriel fell silent, Frisk watching her, confused.

“I want you to proceed to the end of the room without me. Please forgive me for this.”

Toriel then disappeared off down the long hall, Frisk watching, reaching out to Toriel before she disappeared in the dark.

Chapter Text

They fell.

Finally.

That other brat fell.

Frisk.

I was waiting for the time when they’d fall down into this hell.

It really was just a matter of patience.

They aren’t as useful as my last vessel, but…

I’m sure they can be easily hurt.

…

…

…

I can’t control her…

Oh well.

I guess I can make her watch as all of her friends die to the corrupted.

She can’t stop that.

…

This is going to be so much fun.

I’m playing the game that only I can win.

And there’s no way in hell her or that skeleton can stop me now.

If they even remember me.

Which…

I’m pretty sure…

They don’t.

=)

Chapter Text

Frisk quickly darted down the hall after Toriel, following the path on the floor, rushing to the end. She saw a pillar on one side of the room and stepped close to it, seeing what looked like Toriel's foot peeking out from the side. It quickly disappeared, but Frisk sighed to herself, stepping past the pillar, Toriel immediately coming out from behind it, standing in front of Frisk, who just looked at her with a questioning expression.
“Oh, do not be afraid, my child,” Toriel said, Frisk just looking at her suspiciously, not even scared, “I was merely behind this pillar the whole time!”

Frisk glanced at the pillar, and then to Toriel, sarcastically nodding and rolling her eyes, chuckling. Toriel chuckled as well, sighing.

“However, this exercise was used to prepare you. I must go on alone, and you must remain here. But… ah, I will give you this cell phone. Call me whenever you like, or when there is some sort of emergency. I must get going, please, remain here until I return. I am deeply sorry, my child.”

Before Frisk could respond, Toriel rushed out of the room, leaving Frisk alone with the cell phone. She picked it up in her hand, and smirked. It was older than her by at least a dozen decades or so, maybe even longer. She turned it on, and her smirk turned into a warm smile as she found it fully charged, Toriel's number already in the contacts. Frisk sighed and sat next to the pillar, thinking about Toriel.

She’s… she’s so nice… Frisk thought, If I’m gonna be stuck down here for a while… I’m happy it’s with someone like her. She… she’s like a mom… she feels like what my mom would’ve felt like… if I knew her.

Frisk frowned, sighing.

But, do I call her… mom? It feels right, she feels like what my mom would be like… but I haven’t even known her long, but she feels so much like a mom… maybe it would be weird? But if I’m down here for long, then… maybe it’ll just happen anyway?

She glanced down at the phone, tapping on Toriel's number and holding it up to her ear, listening to it ring. It picked up after the first one.

“Oh! My child! What is it?” Toriel asked.

Frisk took a deep breath, and then sighed.

“Can… can I call you ‘mom’?” She asked.

“O-oh? You wish to call me, ‘mom’? Would that make you feel better? To call me, mother?”

Toriel's voice shook a little, and Frisk tensed up, hoping she didn’t make the wrong impression.

“Yes, yes you can. You can call me mother, if that’s what will make you feel better.”

Frisk smiled, letting out a relieved sigh.

“I must go, my child. Call me again whenever you like.”

Frisk nodded, and the phone hung up. Frisk sat in the room alone again, the phone in her hand, her cheeks bright red.

That could've gone so bad… She thought, That could’ve gone really REALLY bad…

Frisk leaned on the pillar, taking a deep breath.

Don’t stress out, it’s okay. She took it well, and… maybe she understands. Maybe… maybe she thinks… because you said that… maybe she thinks you don’t have a mom, and calling her mom…

Her train of thought was cut off when she heard footsteps enter the room. She dashed behind the pillar, and peeked out, seeing a frog-like monster hopping through the room, scurrying into a little hole down on the other side, disappearing. Frisk stepped out, and put the phone in her pocket, feeling a sense of determination.

I can’t just wait around here forever, She thought, I need to make my own way through the Ruins. I mean… that’s how I’ll learn to live here. Plus, maybe mom… Toriel… will be away longer than she thinks…

Frisk stepped out of the room.

Welp, whether she likes it or not, I need to head out on my own, I can’t wait here forever.

Chapter Text

Frisk walked down a hallway, leaf piles to her left and right. The silence and calm of the Ruins helped her relax, the kindness of Toriel only adding to her calmed mood. She began to reflect on what had brought her here, thinking of the world she had just left, the one where her family was, waiting for her to come home. She sighed, rubbing her arm, which still stung, but only barely noticeable. Glancing around at the ancient stone and bricks that made up the Ruins, she continued to walk, her feet crunching down on the dried up leaves. She bumped into something, and looked ahead, her eyes widening as she saw a frog monster, similar to the one she saw before. The frog monster's eyes went wide, and it hopped back, glaring at her.

“Ribbit!” It shrieked.

Frisk's eyes darted, before she smiled, looking at the frog monster.

“Hey, little guy!” She said, even though it was almost her size, “You look… uh… very… cute?”

The frog's eyes went wide, and then it smiled and closed its eyes, sheepishly blushing. Frisk didn’t know if the frog understood, but it seemed flattered anyway. Hopping away with a delighted pep in its hop, the frog left the room, Frisk awkwardly waving goodbye before running out of the room, her heart racing. She took a moment to collect herself, and then turned ahead, finding herself in what looked like a normal hall, two small openings on the wall, spaced out from each other, the floor in that space looking darker than the rest, cracks forming. She began to walk to the other end of the hall, stepping on the odd looking stone floor, which immediately gave way. Frisk tumbled down and landed on a pile of leaves, being bounced up and onto the hard floor. She stood, rubbing her back, and peered over her shoulder, seeing what appeared to be doors on either side of the leaf piles. Walking into the door on the right of the leaf pile, she found a small tunnel that went upward, a light shining through the top. Crawling through the tunnel and popping out of the other side, she plopped to the ground. She found herself back up on the floor she had just left, seeing that she was now on the other side of the broken stone floor. Glancing around, she moved on, walking into the next room.

Stepping into another large room, she saw a rock and a switch just in front of it, a sign on the far wall to her left. She took a step into the room, her phone immediately buzzing and ringing. She fished it out of her pocket and pressed the answer call button, holding the phone to her ear.

“Hello? This is Toriel,” Toriel called, “For no reason in particular, which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?”

“Oh,” Frisk replied, “Um…”

She thought about it for a moment, before her mind came to a conclusion.

“Uh… cinnamon…”
“Oh, I see. Thank you very much!”

The phone hung up, and Frisk looked at it, confused.

What could that mean…? She thought.

Shrugging, she began to walk further into the room, until her phone went off again. She snatched it from her pocket again, and pressed the answer call button again, holding it to her ear. It was Toriel.

“Hello? This is Toriel. You do not dislike butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but… would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?”

“Um… no?” Frisk replied, confused.
“Right, right. I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way.”

The phone hung up once again. Frisk stood, confused for a moment, before she shrugged, walking over to the rock. She gave it a push, sliding it over the switch, the spike bed just ahead going down. She walked through the next door, and found herself in a second large room, a massive section of the floor in it all made out of the fragile floor that she had seen and fallen into before. Looking around the room, she saw no other way across. She stepped on the fragile floor… but it didn’t fall. She continued to walk along the floor, which remained stable under her feet. She turned to walk towards the door, but the floor immediately broke, causing her to tumble down once again. Slamming to the ground, she rose and let out a sigh, glancing around the room. She saw what appeared to be a path surrounded by leaves, and a sign on the far end of the room. Walking up to the sign and peering at it, despite her never having seen the language before, she understood it clearly.

“Please don’t step on the leaves…” She read.

She gazed around, puzzled for a moment, and then stepped on the leaves, looking up to where she fell. It clicked in her head, and she snapped her fingers.

“Oh!”

She rushed back to the other side of the room, seeing a door, and went through, climbing back up to the top. Walking along the floor, this time keeping in mind the leaf patterns she saw below, she did her best to remain away from where she remembered the leaves being. She came to the door and left the room, hoping she would never see those kinds of floors again. Sneaking past a group of monsters, including one frog, one moth looking monster, and a slime, she looked ahead, seeing three more rocks, a bridge, a small stream, and a spike bed on the bridge. She walked over to the first rock and pushed it onto the switch, hearing a click. She pushed the second, and once again, a click. She went to push the final rock, which retaliated, pushing her back instead.

“WOAH there, pardner!” It said with a thick western accent, sounding like a cowboy, “Who said you could push ME around?”

Frisk chuckled, genuinely questioning if she was going crazy.

“Heh, sorry about that, but do you think you could move?”

“Hmm? So you’re ASKIN’ me to move over?”

Frisk shrugged awkwardly.

“Okay, just for you, pumpkin.”

The rock moved slightly, not even close to the switch.

“Uh… do you think you could move just a little more?” Frisk asked.

“Hmm? You want me to move some more?” The rock asked.

Frisk nodded.

“Alrighty, how’s this?”

The rock moved to the left, still not close to the switch.

“Um… that’s the wrong way…” Frisk sighed.

“Hmm? That was the wrong direction?” The rock thought for a moment, “Okay, think I got it.”

The rock slid onto the switch, which clicked once more, the spike bed falling away. Frisk let out a deep exhale, putting a hand to her chest.

“Thank you,” She sighed.

She walked past the rock and towards the bridge, the spikes suddenly shooting out, making her jump back and scream.

“AH!” She slammed to the ground, her head shooting to glare at the rock, “HEY!”

“Hmm?” The rock called back, “What?”

“Stay on the switch! I could’ve gotten hurt!”

“You wanted me to STAY there? You’re giving me a real workout.”

The rock slid back onto the switch, and the spikes receded again. Frisk sighed and stood up, wiping dust off herself before she stomped out of the room, arms crossed. Tiptoeing past some sleeping monsters, she saw a small table, a piece of cheese sitting on it. She walked to it, curious, and tried to pull it off, to no avail. She sighed.

“Of course it’s stuck to the table… it’s probably bad anyway…”

She heard a squeak, and turned around, seeing a little hole in the wall, a small mouse looking up at Frisk. She smiled, and gave it a wave.

“Well, at least someone gets to enjoy the cheese.”

She continued through, finding a ghost laying down on a pile of leaves, separating her from the rest of the Ruins. She came up to it, and heard it continuously say “zzzzz”, just pretending to be asleep. She shook her head, and tapped the ghost to get it to move, when it sprang into action, looking frightened and depressed.

“oh….” The ghost sighed.

Frisk looked at it, feeling empathetic for it. She gave it a soft smile, seeing the tears in it’s eyes, which now started to roll down it’s cheeks.

“heh…” The ghost smiled a little

Frisk smiled, and decided to tell the ghost a joke, hoping to cheer it up.

“What did the fish say when he swam into the wall?” Frisk asked.

“what?” The ghost asked.

“Dam!”

“heh heh…” The ghost chuckled.

Frisk took a deep breath, still smiling at the ghost, who seemed happier now.

“i would like to show you something,” It said softly, “let me try…”

It’s tears flew up from its cheeks, forming a tophat on its head.

“i call it ‘dapper blook’,” The ghost said, “do you like it…”

Frisk smiled.

“Yeah, I think you look really good with that,” She said.

The ghosts cheeks flushed with blush.

“oh gee…” It groaned, “i usually come to the Ruins because nobody’s around… but today i met somebody nice…”

The ghost went silent for a moment, before looking back at Frisk.

“oh, i’m rambling again,” It sighed, “i’ll get out of your way.”

The ghost then disappeared, leaving the path open for Frisk. She continued ahead, feeling determined, knowing she made the day of that one frog and her new ghost friend better. She walked into the next room, seeing a sign and three frogs, all of them hanging around the room. She silently walked in, heading towards the sign, reading the text written on it.

“Did you miss it? Spider Bakesale down and to the right,” She read, intrigued, “Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!”

She felt a shiver crawl up her spine, and she stepped away.

“Nevermind,” She said, feeling creeped out.

She walked down the hall, looking at one of the frogs, who just sighed. She shrugged, seeing that none of them were coming after her, and walked along towards the end of the room. She saw something on the wall that caught her eye, and she saw one of the other frogs wave her over. She walked up to it, and it spoke.

“Ribbit, ribbit,” It croaked, “I have heard that it is possible that there could be four frogs in this room. But I only have seen a maximum of three! This is troubling, to say the least…”

Frisk chuckled and walked up the oddity in the wall… and saw a tiny frog! It waved at her, and she waved back awkwardly, walking out of the room, the last frog stopping her.

“Ribbit, ribbit,” It said, “I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human. Most others would try to hurt us, but you just flatter us, make us feel good, and you let us take nice naps. Thank you, human.”

Frisk smiled warmly at the frog.

“You’re welcome,” She said, determined, walking out of the room as the frog waved her goodbye.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up, Toriel speaking again.

“Hello!” Toriel said with some energy in her voice, “I have just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon, so there are probably a lot of things lying here and there. Please don’t carry more than you need, my child, someday you might see something you really like, you’ll want to keep your pockets open for that.”

Frisk hung up again, and walked into the next room, immediately feeling a sense of frustration wash over her as she saw the crumbling floors once again, the door cut off by spikes.

“Oh my god, come on!” She shouted, “Crumbling floors AGAIN? I know this place is supposed to be full of puzzles and traps but really? The same thing THREE TIMES?”

She sighed, putting her hands to her face, groaning.

Here we go again…

Chapter Text

Several minutes later…

Frisk managed through the last few puzzles, finally making it to a small intersection, the only paths leading to her left and to straight ahead. She glanced around the empty room, and then proceeded forward, finding herself in another room, another Froggit standing near a doorway on the other side. She walked up to it, and it noticed her, ribbiting several times to get her attention.

“Ribbit, ribbit,” It croaked, “Between you and me, I saw Toriel come through here a while ago. She was carrying a lot of groceries, but I didn’t ask what they were, we’re all too intimidated by her to ask.”

Frisk smirked, patting the little frog on the head.

“I’m sure she was just getting stuff for dinner or something,” She chuckled, walking out through the doorway, finding herself on the end of a long downhill path, outlooking a massive city in the Ruins, not too active but not completely abandoned. She gazed down at the streets below, seeing the monsters of all kinds going about their days, seeming content with their lives. She smiled, and took a deep breath before she turned back for the door. Walking back through, she turned and went towards the other door on the other end of the room. Stepping in, she found herself confronted with a large tree, its bark black and old, leaves scattered around the base of the roots, piling up higher and higher, any leaves that had grown on the tree seeming to fall off near immediately. Footsteps echoed on the stone paths, and Frisk peeked around the tree, seeing Toriel step away from a small little house, taking a deep breath.

“Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would,” The goat monster sighed, reaching for her cell phone before she noticed Frisk standing near the tree, her eyes going wide.

“Oh! My child!” She cried, rushing over to Frisk, kneeling besides the small human, cupping her face in her big soft paws, “Oh, my dear child! Are you hurt?”

Finding several scrapes and bruises, Toriel's hands glowed a soft green as she healed Frisk, Frisk smiling at the monster, appreciative but believing she was a little too worried.

“There, there, let me heal you,” Toriel cooed, “I should not have left you alone for so long, it was irresponsible of me to try to surprise you like this…”

Toriel's expression changed rapidly from shock to a warm, motherly gaze, a smile on her face.

“Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer,” She said, motioning for Frisk to follow, leading the small human into the calm, warm atmosphere of the house. 

Toriel spun around, posing somewhat dramatically, a big smile from ear to ear on her face.

“Surprise! Can you smell that?”

Frisk sniffed the air, a smile on her face as she smelled something sweet in the other room, smelling of cinnamon and butterscotch.

“I know you said your preference was cinnamon, but I was just too unsure, so I decided to make a Cinnamon-Butterscotch pie! I want you to have a pleasant stay here, so I will hold off on snail pie for tonight.”

Toriel then motioned for Frisk to follow her again, and Frisk complied, letting Toriel lead her down the hall, the two stopping in front of an old door, Toriel looking at it, what appeared to be a small tinge of regret and pain in her eyes.

“And here you have your very own room! I hope you like it well.”

Toriel ran a hand through Frisk’s hair, Frisk feeling herself become calm, taking a deep, calm breath of the warm, homey air. She did not dare to move, wishing for the moment with her new mother to last forever, the calm and serene feeling like it should last for all eternity. Suddenly, Toriel stopped, turning back towards the other rooms, her eyes wide.

“Is that something burning?” She muttered, looking at Frisk, “Er, make yourself at home!”

Toriel rushed off, leaving Frisk alone in the empty hall, her only company being a small cabinet and a potted plant. Turning and walking down the hall, Frisk found a mirror, and looked into it, smiling at the face on the reflection.

“It’s me,” She whispered to herself, pointing at herself, taking another deep breath before she turned and went toward her new room. Opening the door, she found a soft red little room, a bed on one side, toys and stuffed animals crammed around the bed. She took a minute to walk around her new room, looking at all the little nooks and crannies, opening the cabinets and the drawers, finding old dusty picture frames, not a picture in them. She opened the small trunk of toys.

Look at all these cool toys! She thought, None of them look interesting.

Closing the trunk, she turned her attention to the bed, patting a hand on the soft fabric of the comforter, a smile on her face, reminding her of her own room back at home. Her smile faltered as she reminisced on home, and thought about her father and little brother, and how scared they might be with Frisk gone, and how hurt her father would be if she didn’t return to them soon. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she sniffled, wiping some of them away, pulling back the sheets and crawling under the covers, pulling them over herself, feeling suddenly exhausted. She curled up under the blanket, slowly succumbing to the call of sleep, drifting off deeper and deeper into a deep, deep sleep, feeling a serene calm wash over her as she fell asleep. She rustled around in her bed, turning onto her other side, only to flip back over again. Nuzzling into the pillows, she began to breathe more calmly, relaxed.

She began to dream, dream of the bright beautiful sun, her laughing, loving father, and her small infant brother, who was only two years old. She smiled at the thought of them, and craved to spend more time with them as the image faded away, replaced by her scaling the mountain again. She turned back, and looked out over the world, wishing to go up further, but also wishing to go home, back to where her father and brother waited, waiting so patiently for her return. She began to run back down the mountain, far away from the point where she fell before, and ran back home, to see her brother and father one more time. She reached for the door, about to fling it open…

When her eyes shot open, and she was back in the red bedroom, deep underground, a strangely motherly goat monster taking care of her now.

She slowly rose up, and smelled something sweet in the air, hopping out of bed to see a small piece of the pie on a plate on the floor, sitting in the calm, quiet center of the carpet, its existence begging for Frisk to take it. She smiled, and picked it up, and with the silverware Toriel had left for her, she bit down into the pie, smiling as she felt the rich sweetness hit, her mind already at calm as she ate the pie, feeling for one moment, a tinge of peace.

Chapter Text

Frisk has now fallen.

The events have been set into motion.

Nothing can stop this now.

Chara schemes in the shadows, survivors fight the corrupted hordes, and Frisk lives comfortably with Toriel.

This…

This is quite the turn of events.

This timeline…

It…

…

It truly is an anomaly.

Within this greater multiversal and dimensional space…

With countless timelines splitting apart, coming together, disappearing, and forming…

This has proven to be an interesting experiment…

…

…

…

I wonder for how long we can let this go before we must intervene, or the timeline utterly collapses in on its own weight.

…

Don’t you?

Chapter Text

Stepping into the small dining and living room, Frisk rubbed one eye, stretching and yawning, Toriel glancing up from her book, smiling at the human.

“Oh, up already, small one?” Toriel asked, a calm serene feeling filling the air, “Um, I want you to know how happy I am to have you here. There are so many old books I would like to share, I want to show you my favorite bug hunting spot, and I have even prepared a curriculum for your education.”

Frisk gazed at Toriel, a smirk spreading across her tired face, bags sagging under her eyes as she looked at the motherly goat. Toriel scratched the back of her head, her cheeks slightly pink with slight embarrassment.

“This may come as a surprise to you…” She said softly, “But I have always wanted to be a teacher.”

She chuckled, letting out a slight sigh.

“No,  maybe that is not surprising…”

Toriel's cheeks went back to their normal white as she sat up straighter in her large armchair, her expression tightening.

“STILL,” She said, going back to her calm, motherly smile, laid back in the chair, “I am glad to have you living here.”

Frisk simply smiled at Toriel, feeling a soft, warm, homey feeling being in the little house, a tear on her cheek, which Toriel quickly but softly wiped away, looking down at the child with a knowing and understanding gaze, making Frisk feel more comfortable.

“My child,” She said, soothingly, “What’s wrong?”

Frisk sniffled, wiping more of her own tears away.

“I…” She started, stopping as Toriel picked her up, setting her down on her lap.

“It’s alright, my child,” Toriel said, waiting patiently for Frisk to answer, “Take as much time if you need. If you do not wish to talk about it now, then we can discuss it later, if that is what you wish.”

“N-no, it’s okay…” Frisk said, “I’m… I’m just sad.”

“Why is that, my child?”

“I… I miss my dad, a-and my little brother…” Frisk said, sniffling back tears, “I-I went to hike the mountain alone, a-and I found the hole over the Ruins… I was gonna go back home b-but then something happened… the ground shook, there were loud booms, and… and then I fell down… and… and I…”

Frisk began to cry more as she thought of her father and little brother, her dream returning to her as she began to cry more.

“I want them to be okay…” She cried, Toriel pulling her close for a hug, Frisk hugging her back, “I-I just want them to be okay…”

“Shh, shh,” Toriel shushed softly, “It’s okay, my child. I’m sure your family on the surface will be alright, humans are resilient, they’ll make it through whatever happened.”

Toriel rubbed Frisk’s back, holding her softly, waiting for her to calm down. Frisk eventually calmed, and pulled away from Toriel, who wiped off more of Frisk’s tears from her face.

“Do not worry, my child,” Toriel said calmly, soothingly, “Your family will be alright, I promise you that. Whatever goes on up there, they’ll be just alright. I know you must miss them dearly, but… I am sorry, my child, there is simply no way back up that hole… it is far too steep to climb…”

Frisk nodded, sniffling, more tears creeping down her cheeks. Toriel wiped them away, cupping Frisk’s face, turning her gaze towards herself. Toriel smiled warmly, Frisk noticing a glint of sorrow in her eyes, and a glint of desperation that set Frisk slightly on edge.

“You do not need to worry, my child,” Toriel said, “I promise you I can give you a good life. We can live peacefully here, and you’ll be safe from any harm. I promise you, my child.”

Frisk nodded, hugging Toriel one more time, who hugged back, and after a moment, the two let go of each other, Frisk hopping down from Toriel's lap. Frisk turned and smiled back at Toriel before walking out of the room, Toriel giving her a little wave before she went back to reading her book, Frisk going to explore the house. She walked down the hallway and opened the door to the room next to hers, finding Toriel’s bedroom, a large bed, bigger than a queen-sized bed, a bookshelf, another potted plant, a bureau, and a small table, Toriel’s diary sitting right on top. Walking up to the bed, Frisk put her hand on the comforter, feeling the soft, soothing fabric against her fingers. Turning to the bookshelf, she walked to it, taking a random book and opening it to a random page, the page being about a plant commonly known as a “water-sausage”. She looked at the potted plant, and smiled.

“Oh,” She chuckled, “Those are called water-sausages. Heh heh.”

Putting the book away, she opened the top drawer of Toriel’s bureau, finding only her socks. Frisk closed it, and then went over to the table, glancing up at Toriel’s diary, standing on her tiptoes to even read the open page. She began to read a circled passage, her expression going to one of disappointment and slight annoyance when she realized all of the passages were just puns. Leaving Toriel’s room, she walked to the next door, finding it locked, a sign on it saying “Under Renovations”.

Frisk walked around the small home, looking in the cabinets and opening the books to random pages, even finding an old calendar from the 21st century. Walking more throughout the small house, she noticed stairs going down to a basement in the center room. She walked over and looked down the railings, seeing the return of the stone that made up the Ruins as the stairs went down. Stepping down the stairs, she found herself in a long, dark hallway, leading deep into a dark, dark place. Frisk began to walk through, feeling a cold chill rush up her spine as she went, her footsteps echoing on the old stone path. She heard footsteps upstairs, and heard the stairs creak as someone came rushing down. She turned around to see Toriel coming over to her, her face and body hidden in shadow as she took Frisk's hand, taking her back upstairs.

“I think you should play upstairs,” Toriel said, coldly, “It’s dangerous down here.”

“But-” Frisk began, right as they reached the upper floor, Toriel going back to the living room without a word, Frisk left uneased.

She looked over the railing again, and then back to where Toriel ran off to, feeling a cold chill rush up her spine again.

What… She thought, confused, and slightly scared, What’s down there that she won’t let me see…? Is it something bad…? Why…

She gazed down again.

Why is the basement of the house, which is left wide open… dangerous?

Chapter Text

Heh…

There she is…

The human of the hour…

The savior of monsters…

Pathetic.

She wouldn’t make as good of a host as the last one anyway.

…

…

…

Oh well.

Guess not everything can work out according to plan.

But now that she’s here…

I…

I can use her soul…

If I can control the corrupted monsters, I can make them go after her…

I can get her SOUL…

…

…

…

I could use the corrupted to destroy humanity.

Well…

Whatever is left of them, anyway.

Who knows?

Maybe they’ll just off themselves…

Like they should’ve just done from the start.

=)

Chapter Text

Hours later, deep into the night…

Frisk lay awake in her bed, not even feeling close to tired. She tossed onto her side, facing out into the room for a moment before flipping back to face the wall. The room was dark, silence filling the air as the world around her had settled for the night. She held her blanket close, feeling uneasy, confused, and scared.

What is down there? She thought, If Toriel doesn’t want me to go down there… is it something really bad?

She thought back to the staircase, remembering how it led back down from the nice, furnished and tidy house to a dark, dusty stone hallway.

It… it looked old, like she hadn’t even stepped foot in it for years…

She turned on her back, facing the ceiling, still deep in thought.

There’s got to be something down there, something, ANYTHING that would make her act that way...

Creeping out of bed, Frisk tiptoed to the door, opening it and peering out into the hallway. Looking around the dark, empty hallway, she stepped out, keeping as silent as she could, closing her door before creeping down the hall, towards the stairs. She leaned over the railing for a second, and glanced down again, seeing the stone walls and the dust once more. A determined look spread across her face, her face getting tense with a need to know.

...and I’m gonna find out what it is!

Going down the staircase, she came to a long hallway made completely of stone, the same darkish purple color that made up the Ruins, a stark contrast to the light, warm colored wood that made up the house. She looked around the abandoned hall, and then, began to walk down, keeping as quiet as possible, her footsteps barely making a sound as she stepped along the stone path. She came to a corner, and looked down the other end, seeing nothing but darkness and shadow. Taking a deep breath, and preparing herself for whatever she would find, unsure if she would find anything, she took one look back towards the staircase to see if she was followed, seeing nothing, not even a hint that Toriel would be coming for her. Turning back to the dark hall, she began to walk across, what once was covered in the veil of darkness becoming more clear as she approached. Fear began to shoot through her spine, uncertainty consuming her mind, the unknown only a few more steps away. She came to the end of the hall, and all that was left was confusion. In front of her stood a massive door, the strange emblem spread across it. It creaked and shook, as if wind was blowing on it from the other side. Frisk was about to reach for it, when she stopped, feeling a cold chill rush up her spine.

Something was watching her, she knew it.

She spun around, seeing only a glimpse of yellow petals before they sank back into the ground. She walked towards where she saw them, finding nothing as she glanced at the floor where they disappeared, only a small hole left.

“Flowey…” She whispered to herself, the name giving her chills. She glanced around and began to walk back down the hall, feeling her fear begin to take over more and more as she crept back towards the stairs. Walking up the staircase and back down the hall, she made it to her room, barely making a noise. She quickly hopped back in bed, her breathing becoming fast, slightly panicked, her confusion still lingering.

“Well, now I know at least something is down there…” She said to herself, “A door… and…”

She flinched in fear.

“...Flowey.”

She turned onto her side, facing the wall, tugging her blankets close to her, shivering, her thoughts racing to try to make sense of it all.

“What was he doing there? Was… was he watching me? Is there something he wants from me…?”

She flipped onto her other side, facing the room.

“None of this makes any sense…”

She tossed and turned for the rest of the night, trying desperately to think of something, anything that would help her make sense of her new discoveries…

But her mind returned blank. She had nothing.

Frisk woke up hours later, her hair a tangled mess, dark bags under her eyes. She sat up in her bed and yawned, stretching. Slowly rising out of the bed, she groggily snatched a quick outfit for the day, tossing her pajamas away and slapping on her new clothes, her vision still slightly blurry. She opened the door and stepped into the bright hall, holding her arm in front of her eyes as they adjusted to the new light that nearly blinded her. Walking down the hall, chuckling at the water sausage, she stepped into the living room, seeing Toriel already awake, once again in her reading chair by the fire, which burned brightly. Toriel looked up from her book, smiling as she saw Frisk.

“Ah, good morning, my child,” She said, chuckling, “Oh my… small one, your hair…”

Frisk glanced up at her hair, shrugging. Toriel put her book down on the arm of the chair, setting her glasses down on top of them, snickering.

“Oh, no no,” She said, “We are going to brush that. Come with me, my child, I have a hair brush we can use.”

Toriel grabbed Frisk’s hand and led her down the hall, opening the door to her room, taking Frisk inside. Toriel searched through her drawers and bureau, pulling out a small hair brush, smiling at it. She turned back to Frisk, who looked at the brush skeptically, Toriel chuckling.

“Oh, do not worry, my child,” She said softly, “I have my own, you can have this one. You won’t end up with any of my fur in your hair, do not worry.”

Toriel began to brush Frisk’s hair, Frisk wincing whenever Toriel brushed through a knot, Toriel silently apologizing whenever she did. After a minute of brushing, Toriel stopped, stepped back, and smiled.

“My, you do look pretty,” She said soothingly, “Take a look, my child.”

Frisk walked toward the mirror and gazed into it, her hair looking neat and tidy, no longer a mashup of tangled strings. She smiled, but rustled it a little bit, preferring her hair to look slightly messy. She turned back to Toriel, who sighed a little, shrugging.

“If that is how you want your hair to look, my child, please go ahead.”

Frisk smirked cheekily at Toriel, who shook her head.

“Come now, you haven’t eaten yet. Today will just be to let you get used to the Ruins, so I have nothing planned, but still, I want you to be healthy, small one. There is still pie left if you would have that for breakfast.”

Frisk nodded, and Toriel led her back to the kitchen, cutting Frisk a slice and handing it to her on a plate, Frisk snatching a fork and knife, settling down at the dining table before eating her pie. She smiled, the pie was still warm, the sweet taste of the cinnamon and butterscotch making her feel at home once again, her mind at peace, feeling calm. She took a deep breath, and continued to eat the pie, a smile on her face. Toriel sat down back in her chair, flipping open her book as she put her glasses back on, glancing at Frisk every now and then, a smile on her face too.

Frisk finished the pie, wiping her face with a cloth before she took her silverware and plate to the kitchen, setting them down in the sink before she threw her cloth away, walking back out to the dining room, looking at Toriel.

“Hey, mom?” She said.

Toriel looked up from her book, smiling warmly at Frisk.

“Yes, my child?”

“Can I go explore the Ruins for a little while?”

Toriel nodded, turning back to her book.

“Yes, of course you can,” She said, “But please, be careful. I know you understand all of the puzzles and traps, but please remain on your guard and best behavior. And don’t get into trouble!”
Frisk smiled as she walked out of the house, turning back to Toriel for a second, her smile fading. The night before returned, and she remembered the door, the hallways… and Flowey. She looked out at the Ruins, and sighed, stepping outside, looking around before heading out, aimless, only wanting to be away to think clearly, and, at least she hoped, get a better understanding of what was going on in her new home, and the new world she had fallen into.

Chapter Text

The Ruins remained silent, the caverns growing dim as the lights began to fade. Night was setting once again, casting a shadow on the world outside, and the world below, a calming darkness consuming the world as a whole. Frisk sulked along the stone paths, looking around at the walls of dark purple rock, vines growing down, almost reaching the floor. Walking over small bridges that hung over tiny streams that coursed through the Ruins, Frisk continued her hunt, hoping desperately that she would find an answer to her questions somewhere deep within the catacombs. Taking a left and staring down a dark tunnel, she stepped toward it, but froze, quickly spinning around, ready for anything.

But nothing was there.

She let out a sigh of relief, and turned back to the cave, ready to go ahead when suddenly, she heard what sounded like soft sobbing, echoing in the halls of the Ruins. She felt a cold chill rush up her spine as she turned, walking towards the sound of the crying. Poking her head around a wall, she smiled empathetically, seeing one of the Froggits leaning against a wall, tears rolling down it’s face.

“Hey, little Froggit,” Frisk called in a friendly, caring voice, “Are you okay?”

The Froggit looked over at Frisk, and her smile almost faded, a sharper chill rushing up her spine, feeling like blades of ice. She stepped towards the Froggit, shaking as she saw the deep, dark fear in it’s eyes. She kneeled down at it’s side, and it gazed at her, trying to croak up a response.

“R-r-r-ribbit, ribbit,” It finally cried, streams of tears rushing down it’s face, “H-human, I-I-I’m scared…”

Frisk looked at the monster, puzzled, but her eyes widened when it spoke again.

“Ribbit, r-r-r-ribbit,” It croaked again, “I-I snuck into her basement while she was getting the groceries, a-and… there was this b-big door… I… I went up to it, b-b-b-but… there… the screams…”

The Froggit stared Frisk dead in the eyes, the whole world around them coming to a halt as the Froggit continued to speak to Frisk, it’s eyes pleading for some sort of comfort or help.

“Only screams came from that door…”

Frisk stared at the monster as it suddenly let out a fearful croak, rushing away into the darkness of the Ruins, footsteps echoing as they got closer and closer, a familiar calming voice calling out for Frisk, her fear and new confusion overwhelming her sense of comfort.

“My child?” Toriel called, “You have not gotten into trouble, have you?”

Turning a corner, Toriel smiled, which quickly fell into an expression of worry when she saw Frisk’s face, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open, fear in her expression, Toriel’s eyes getting wide as she rushed to the humans side, her voice slightly shaky.

“My child!” She cried out, putting a hand on Frisk’s back, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Frisk shook her head, blinking rapidly and turning to Toriel, speechless. Toriel picked her up, cradling her, and then turned to head back home, carrying Frisk through the darkening corridors.

“Small one, please, tell me,” Toriel began, “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Frisk remained silent, hugging Toriel, who sighed, holding Frisk close.

“I guess that subject will have to wait until tomorrow,” Toriel said softly, “Let’s have a nice little meal together, calm down, and then we can go to bed. Does that sound alright with you, my child?”

Frisk nodded as Toriel stepped into the house, closing and locking the door behind her, setting Frisk down at the dining table.

“Wait right here,” Toriel said, “I’ll prepare us dinner, you can wait here. Don’t worry, I will check on you every minute or so, and just come bother me if you have any sort of problem.”

Frisk nodded, Toriel looking at her with a concerned expression, a soft smile spreading across her face. Toriel leaned in, giving Frisk a kiss on the head, running her massive fluffy hand through Frisk’s hair.

“Do not worry, my child,” She said, calmly, “Whatever happened out there won’t hurt you in here. I’ll be right here to protect you, I promise you that, small one.”

She then turned and walked into the kitchen, stopping and turning to look at Frisk for a moment, seeing the small human putting her arms on the table and resting her head on them, already seeming to be calming down. Toriel’s expression turned to slight sorrow as she turned away, leaving Frisk alone, the deafening quiet filling the living room and the rest of the Ruins once again, Frisk feeling more uneased than ever before, unsure of her own future in the strange new world she found herself in.

Chapter Text

Several days later…

Frisk lay alone in her room, a cold sweat rushing over her body. Another nightmare, once again revolving around the mysterious door. Telling Toriel was a no go, she could not know what was going through Frisk’s mind. She may have called Toriel her mother, but her safety was still in question. Not moving an inch, Frisk stared blankly at the ceiling, hoping desperately for the cold hand of sleep to come take her back to the endless void of unconsciousness. She hoped it would come for over three hours… almost four…

But nothing came.

She blinked, her eyes dry, her whole body feeling stiff. She turned toward her bedroom door, and a quick thought ran through her mind. She dwelled on it for a second, and then clenched her hand into a fist, leaping out of bed. Her fear was quickly being replaced with the burning fire of her determination, her sense of will pushing her to the door. She didn’t care if Toriel caught her anymore, her nightmares about the basement and the door had tortured her long enough. Throwing the door open, she immediately rushed for the basement, running down the stairs and into the corridor, her footsteps echoing with every touch against the stone floor, the dark basement seeming like an endless void, until she finally reached the door. She turned around, not seeing anything, but she heard movement. Toriel knew what she was doing, and she was coming for her. Frisk turned to the door, grabbed the handles, and pulled them wide open, being hit by a large gust of snow and wind, making her recoil in shock, the sudden temperature change shaking her to her core. She shivered, teeth chattering, and looked beyond the door into the dense snowstorm, making out massive mounds of snow, several tightly packed trees just beyond. A forest lay ahead of her, a massive, dense forest, the fierce snowstorm making it almost impossible to see.

She squinted her eyes, seeing two figures in the snow, approaching slowly. She took a single step towards the two, only their silhouettes visible in the snow, and immediately stopped, hearing the crunching of snow approaching at lightning speeds.

They were coming for her, and they wouldn’t stop screaming.

Howling, crying, screeching, groaning, and growling was all the monsters did as they charged, Frisk soon seeing their dead, grayed eyes, their frozen husk like bodies, and the bloodlust in their gaze. She felt a sharp fear shoot through her as they came closer and closer, and her mind screamed at her, begging her to run…

But she remained motionless, paralyzed by fear as the two monsters came closer.

Footsteps echoed behind her, and she heard a loud, fearful scream as two fireballs flew at the monsters, hitting them both, making them stagger and fall, Toriel rushing to Frisk and ducking away, rising as the two other monsters attacked, slashing and biting at the two, Toriel and Frisk only barely able to avoid the gnashing teeth of the two. Toriel hit them with punches, her fists covered in her flame magic, the monsters staggering back. She summoned more fireballs, and launched a barrage, the other monsters howling and screeching as they got hit, charging again. One grabbed Toriel's arm, the other scratching her across the face, sending her to the ground with a loud thud. Toriel yelped and her face scrunched up in pain, her eyes shutting tight before opening, looking at the frightened form of Frisk, who was laying only a few feet away.

“Child, RUN!” Toriel screamed as the monsters pounced, slashing at Toriel and biting, Toriel keeping the bites away but missing the slashing claws, which cut deep into her body, pain coursing through her body. The world was starting to go black, Toriel almost giving up, when suddenly the monsters were hit back by Frisk, who stood in front of Toriel, holding a small, sharp rock she found on the floor of the hall. She kicked one monster back and slashed at the other, the monster grabbing her and preparing to bite into her neck when Toriel launched another fireball, slowly getting up, legs shaking, breaths short and hollow. Launching another fireball, Frisk kicked back one monster and slashed the other, quickly grabbing the doors and slamming them shut, leaning against them for a moment, wiping sweat off of her face. Turning to Toriel, she rushed to her new mother’s side, tears streaming down her face.

“Toriel!” She cried, “No, no no! Toriel? Are you okay?”

Toriel grunted in pain, falling to her knees. Frisk sobbed harder, embracing Toriel with a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry, I should’ve listened,” Frisk cried, “B-but I kept having nightmares, I-I thought that th-there wouldn’t be anything behind the door, b-but…”

She hugged Toriel tighter, crying into her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, mom,” Frisk cried, her voice cracking, “I’m so sorry…”

Toriel hugged her back weakly, trying to calm Frisk down.

“No, n-no, do not apologize, my child,” She gasped, coughing, “I… I should apologize to you… I should’ve explained why I didn’t want you down here… that… that something dark was behind this door… maybe…”

She grunted again, gasping, Frisk trying to help her stand.

“You can get up, right?” She asked, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Y-you’ll be okay, right? Y-you can lean on me if you need to!”

“I’ll be fine, my child…” Toriel replied, leaning against the wall, walking slowly back to the staircase, Frisk following closely, “I… I can use my healing magic, and… and I’ll be alright… but… what about you? You didn’t get hurt, did you not?”

“I’m okay, they didn’t get me,” Frisk replied, “But they got you so bad…”

Toriel looked down at her cuts, letting out a small sigh as she closed her eyes, opening them after a moment and turning to Frisk, seeing the worry and fear on the human’s face.

“Small one…” She started, Frisk looking at her anxiously, “I… I’m unsure if… if I…”

Toriel took a deep breath, and then finally spoke.

“I’m unsure if I can take care of you in a state like this… these cuts… they’re deep… it will take-”

Toriel suddenly slipped and fell, Frisk trying to catch her, almost getting dragged to the ground with Toriel. Toriel let out a yelp, and slowly tried to stand, her whole body shaking.

“It will… take… several days, maybe more… for me to heal enough to take care of you…”

She looked to Frisk, who glanced back at her, shocked and scared.

“M-my… my child… I hate to ask this of you, but… can you manage on your own, while I heal? You… you have proven with tonight alone you have determination and will… you are strong, you will be okay…”

Frisk nodded, grabbing Toriel’s hands.

“Don’t worry about me, mom,” She said, her determination starting to swell up again, “I-I can handle on my own, but…”

“Yes, my child?” Toriel said through gritted teeth, the pain in her body getting worse.

“I…” Frisk took a deep breath, and looked into Toriel’s eyes, “I need to know what is going on out there.”

Chapter Text

One day later…

A calming silence settled over the Ruins, a nice warm breeze filling the catacombs and hallways, monsters going about their day in the peaceful day. Frisk looked out the front door, a soft smile placed firmly on her face, a tray with a piece of pie and small tabs of medicine resting in her hands. She watched for a moment, as the old tree outside of Toriel’s home grew leaves for only a moment, before they fell again, adding more to the leaf pile. Frisk walked down the hall, and stopped by Toriel’s door, giving it a soft knock, waiting for a response.

“You may come in, my child,” Toriel replied, Frisk opening the door and stepping in, smiling at the old goat monster, who lay awake in her bed, “Good morning, small one.”

“Morning mom,” Frisk said with a warm smile, walking over to Toriel, handing her the tray.

Toriel smiled, running a hand through the human’s hair, smiling down at her.

“Thank you,” She said, “I do apologize for making you do this, however. It is not right for a child to have to take care of their mother-like figure.”

Frisk’s eyebrows raised for a moment, her expression returning to calmness.

“Don’t worry about me, okay?” Frisk said softly, “You got hurt really bad, and if I have to be the one to step up and make sure you’re okay, I’m happy to do it.”

Toriel smiled, cutting up her pie with a knife, beginning to pick up remains with a fork, sliding them into her mouth.

“You are a peculiar one, my child,” Toriel chuckled, “You are so kind… I do hope that never changes about you.”

Frisk nodded, smiling at Toriel before she turned to step back into the hall, ready to continue with her day, before a soft murmur got her attention.

“Wait, child,” Toriel sighed, swallowing the magic healing tabs Frisk had gotten for her, “I… I must discuss something with you.”

Frisk nodded, and closed the door, walking over to the side of the bed, Toriel picking up the small human and plopping her down in front of her, sitting up to face the child.

“You… you said to me, before we got back up here, that you wished to know why all of this happened,” Toriel said calmly, “Did you not?”

Frisk looked down, clasping her hands together, sighing.

“Yeah, I did,” She replied.

“I know,” Toriel said, taking a deep breath, “My child… while I do not have the answers, I must tell you what happened yesterday… it was not the first time I had encountered monsters like that…”

Frisk gazed up at the tall goat monster, who turned away from her for a moment, letting out a deep sigh.

“Around two years ago, I was down in the basement. I had heard banging and screaming, so I went to investigate. When I opened the door… they were attacking other monsters, in the same brutal, feral fashion. I tried to save them, but in the end… I could not…”

Toriel shook her head, closing her eyes.

“I have not slept right since that day, if I am being honest with you. I… I can still sometimes hear what happened that day, my child.”

Frisk put her small hand on Toriel’s big fluffy paw, looking up at her, concern deep in her face.

“My child, I know how humans are,” Toriel continued, “They are inherently curious creatures, and through their own determination, they go through their journey in search of knowledge. While I do appreciate and respect humans, and while I do wish to protect you, I know that, one day, you will wish to see the rest of the world beyond the doors. The Ruins, while peaceful, are small… and…”

Toriel sniffled, fighting back tears.

“Perhaps… it would not be right to keep you here forever, even if you are safer. Your life would be too quiet, nothing much happens here anymore…”

Toriel turned away, hiding her face from Frisk’s gaze.

“If… if you do wish to leave, please… give me a day to prepare you. I… I know someone on the other side of the door. Someone who is caring, funny, he… he will protect you.”

Silence filled the room before Toriel glanced back up at Frisk, pleading in her eyes, almost begging for Frisk to stay. Frisk looked back at her, and her expression turned to sorrow as she also turned away from Toriel for a moment, taking a deep breath before looking back, nodding.

“I do want to go, mom,” She said, “I don’t want to leave you forever, but… I need to know what happened and why it happened… I need to see what is out there, even if there is danger. I don’t want to be confined to the same hallways and puzzles for my whole life…”

“And… and I understand, my child…”

“...but, at the same time, not yet,” Frisk continued, “I won’t leave until you are feeling better and don’t need to be in bed all day. Until then, I will still help you, mom. Even if I wished you didn’t keep the basement a secret from me, and even if what happened to you is my fault, I still love what you have offered me and given me… I didn’t think I would get to meet someone like you the day I fell down the mountain.”

Toriel smiled softly at the child, and the two embraced each other, Toriel beginning to sob as she held Frisk tightly, nuzzling Frisk’s head with her own. Frisk began to cry as well, holding onto Toriel tightly, the two sobbing with each other, embracing one another, as the day and the world outside continued to march onward, time never stopping.

Three days later...

The deep, cold midnight set on the Ruins, the once bright and vibrant hallways now dark and silent, only a soft breeze blowing through the catacombs making a faint sound. As the night continued to roll on, Toriel slowly rose from her bed, tiptoeing to the door and peeking out, looking around the darkened hallway. She slunk out of her room and pulled the door closed, creeping down the hall as quiet as she could, hoping her footsteps would not wake Frisk, who slept soundly through the night. Stepping down the stairs, a soft creak echoed from one of the boards, Toriel stopping dead in her tracks. Her fur stood on end, and she looked back up the stairs, expecting to hear something, a door opening, footsteps approaching, anything…

But nothing happened.

Toriel let out a soft sigh of relief, and continued back down the stairs, stepping as lightly as she could until she reached the dark, long hallway leading to the Ruins exit. Taking a deep breath, the goat monster began to walk ahead through the darkness, and when she finally got far enough in, she lit a ball of fire in the palm of her paw, holding it up to the dark, replacing some of it with a bright orange-yellow light. She crept further and further down the hallway, eventually reaching the large stone doors that stood in between her home and the cold, harsh forests of Snowdin beyond. She walked up to the door and paused, extinguishing the flame. Raising her hand, she reached to the door, but then stopped, her thoughts beginning to race quickly.

I can’t let them leave, She thought for a moment, It’s… it’s too dangerous out there… isn’t it?

An internal argument sparked in her mind, and she paused, her hand trembling.

But… would they truly be better trapped in here? For the rest of their life? All alone, the only company being… me?

She choked up, her throat tightening.

But… those things are out there… they’d… they’d-

A sudden knock broke her thoughts, and she snapped back to reality, hearing a familiar voice coming from the other side of the door.

“quite a cold night you chose to show up,” The voice said with a chuckle, “heh, guess it must be really important if you had come out here so late, and I don’t have that much material right now.”

Toriel chuckled and smiled for a moment, before her joy went away, being replaced by a serious, unsure nature.

“Good evening,” She replied, “I… I do apologize about the weather, I did not mean to cause you trouble.”

“hey, don’t be sorry,” The voice said, “it’s not too bad compared to what we get consistently over here.”

A moment of silence hung in the air, the two voices waiting for one to continue the conversation. Trembling, Toriel contemplated what to say next.

“so, what’s it going to be this time?” The voice chuckled, “some bad jokes, good laughs…? or…”

Toriel sighed, and began to speak again, leaning against the door.

“Please, hear me, alright?” She asked.

“I'm all ears, well, if I had them,” The voice chuckled again.

“Please, this is a serious matter.”

“right. sorry, lady.”

Toriel took a deep breath, resting her head against the door. She took a moment to clear her thoughts before she spoke once more, her tone pleading and desperate.

“Tomorrow, a human will pass through here,” She said, her voice shaking as tears welled up in her eyes, “I… I need you to promise me one thing, will you not?”

The voice didn’t reply, but Toriel continued, knowing he was still listening.

“I need you to take care of them. Bring them home with you, protect them, watch over them. Keep them safe, as safe as you can out there. They cannot stay here, a life in the Ruins would not be fit for someone like them. They are strong, kind, and… determined. They wish to know why what happened on that side of the door happened, why we all fell so far…”

Another pause.
“Please, promise me you will protect them and watch over them. I cannot let them go if they will not have someone to protect them.”

The air remained still, both voices going quiet. Toriel desperately waited for a response, hoping that the voice on the other side would respond, unsure if what she wanted to hear was a yes or a no. Eventually, the voice spoke once again.

“okay, lady. I promise I'll watch over the human, just make sure to get them well prepared to go. snowdin isn’t exactly… friendly anymore.”

Toriel smiled, a somber tear rolling down her cheek as she leaned against the door, her voice still shaky.

“Thank you,” She cried, “Thank you.”

The voice on the other side went silent, but then finally responded, sounding warm, kind, and genuinely happy.

“anytime, lady.”

Chapter Text

The day grew bright as the sun rose over the mountains, light pouring into the halls of the Ruins. The world sprang to life, monsters beginning their days, all of them hopping and scurrying around the purple halls, sulking through the long and windy corridors.

Frisk and Toriel went through her home, Frisk holding a small backpack, old and faded, Toriel filling it with food and band aids, packing Frisk an extra set of clothes as well. Grabbing a small, faded jacket from the closet in the other bedroom, Frisk put it on and zipped it up, the jacket wrapping around her snuggly and comfortably. Heading back to the kitchen, Toriel walked over to Frisk and opened her backpack, putting in a small container labeled “pie”. She then turned around and, hesitating for a moment, grabbed a small knife from her cupboard, handing it to Frisk.

“My child, please remember this is not a toy,” She said, “I know I told you that you needed to be kind to others and they would be kind to you, but… the other side of the door will not be as forgiving as the Ruins. Only use this when you need to, will you not?”

Frisk nodded, taking the knife out of Toriel's paws, sticking it into the pocket of her jacket. She smiled up at Toriel, who smiled back down at her, the two standing still together, suddenly wishing that Frisk would not have to leave. But then, they stopped, and Toriel stood up straight, holding her paw out to Frisk, who held it tight, the two turning and walking back out into the main room. Turning to the staircase, the two descended, finding themselves in the dark, dusty corridor. A deep sigh echoed through the hall as they both looked down, and then turned to each other.

“Small one…” Toriel began, kneeling down to Frisk’s height, “I must… I must ask you to promise me one thing, will you not?”

Frisk nodded.

“I promise, mom.”

Toriel sniffled, beginning to cry, her grip on Frisk tightening.

“Please… please do not return…” Toriel choked up, “I… I am sorry, but I fear if you return, I… I may not be able to let you go again…”

Frisk’s eyes went wide, their heart feeling like it shattered in two. She looked at her mother figure, tears coming to her own eyes, rolling down her cheeks, a single tear suddenly turning into a full sob. Toriel took her into a strong embrace, Frisk hugging her back, the two holding each other for a moment, before letting go, stepping away from each other.

“I… I’ll miss you,” Frisk said, stepping deeper into the hall.

“I will miss you too…” Toriel replied, wiping tears out of her eyes, “Goodbye, small one.”

“Goodbye, mom.”

Frisk turned and walked down to the corner of the hall, stopping and peering over her shoulder, the motherly figure of Toriel now gone. She began to cry more, and then continued down the hall, seeing the door coming closer in sight. She felt her heart sink deeper, her determination beginning to spark, a whole new world about to be opened for her… until a small yellow flower sprouted from the ground, a grin on its face, blocking her path.

“Wow! Look at you!” Flowey chuckled, “All packed for your little field trip?”

Frisk felt her sadness slip away, replaced with anger and disdain.

“Get out of the way, Flowey,” She snarled, “I’m going ahead whether you want me to or not.”

“Oh, I know you will, so I won’t stop you,” Flowey chuckled, Frisk staring at him, confused, “I know nothing I can do will truly stop you. You have some power, the same I had. You’ve got some determination in that crummy soul of yours…”

Flowey grinned widely, his eyes turning into large black sockets, small white lines peering back at Frisk, sending a chill up her spine.

“So don’t worry, pal, I don’t plan on taking it from you…”

Flowey then grinned wider, his teeth large and on display, the white slashes in his eyes disappearing.

“Your little journey will be so much more interesting!”

Flowey let out a loud chuckle, turning into a full on laugh, Frisk taking a step back. Flowey then returned to normal and shrunk back into the ground, disappearing once again. The room went silent as Frisk stood still, waiting a moment for Flowey. Nothing happened, and Frisk took a deep breath, stepping up to the door, grabbing the handles. With one deep breath, and all of the emotional strength she could muster, she threw the door open and stepped through, her feet crunching in the snow as flakes pelted her body and clothes. She hugged herself tightly, the cold alone making her teeth chatter uncontrollably. She turned back to the door, and watched as it slowly shut with a loud thud. She ran to it and tried to open it, but the door would not budge, the Ruins being sealed off from her and the rest of the Underground.

Chapter Text

And so, another chapter closes on the story of this timeline.

Frisk has arrived and left the Ruins…

Flowey is now hellbent on tracking her every move, all the while Sans moves to protect her…

The Underground is now a near complete wasteland, and the surface…

Well…

Humans are known well for their destructive power.

I’m sure you can figure out what happened to them.

But, nonetheless, this timeline has been proving to be a very…

Very…

Interesting little experiment…

…

…

…

What happens next?

That is for us to discover, isn’t it?

So, let us move on to the next event, the next part of the journey.

This timeline gets more interesting as each second passes.

Chapter Text

She’s left the Ruins.

She’s left that little bubble of safety.

She’s in MY game now.

She’s in the world of the corrupted, now and forever.

She thinks that little knife will save her?

And does the comedian honestly think HE of all monsters can protect her?

Pathetic.

She’ll be consumed, just like the rest of them.

And even if she isn’t killed by the normal ones…

…

I have planned for this.

No matter what happens in this new, odd world…

...

…

…

I will make sure none of them survive.

Not her, not Sans, not even Asriel…

No one.

Although, regarding Asriel…

…

I can find use for him.

=)

Chapter Text

The cold bit down deep into Frisk’s skin as she trudged through the snowstorm, her teeth chattering, body shaking uncontrollably. She hugged herself tightly, her arms shivering as she struggled through the piercing winds, every part of her body feeling as cold as ice. She looked down at her hands, which were red and shivering even harder, not even able to feel them anymore. Continuing to march on, she tried her best to make her way through the snow, until her legs suddenly gave way, sending her down into a deep snow poff. She tried to rise, but fell again, her body resisting her own movements. Looking up from the snow, she heard several groans and screams, seeing two figures walking through the icy wind, their bodies melting, and their eyes a pale white color. They screeched at the sight of Frisk, and began to run over, their teeth gnashing, getting closer and closer with each step taken. Frisk attempted to stand again, getting to her knees before she fell again, not even her determination able to keep her going. She watched as the two came closer and closer, almost towering over her as they ran, gnashing and biting at her.

And then, right as they almost reached her, one flew away, seemingly thrown deep into the forest, smashing into a tree with a loud thud. The other continued, but was suddenly impaled by bones, collapsing to the ground with an ear piercing scream, it’s body turning to dust seconds later. Behind where the other monster fell stood a new figure, a shorter figure, one only slightly taller than Frisk. It stood, staring at her, hands held in front of it, looking like they were in the pockets of a hoodie. Frisk reached for the figure, her vision getting blurry as it approached, reaching out a skeletal hand to her. Right before she could grab the hand of the new monster, she blacked out, the exhaustion and the sheer cold of the harsh climate finally knocking her unconscious.

Hours later, Frisk stirred awake, her eyes barely opening on first go. She tried again, her eyes opening more, her vision completely blurred. One last try was all it took to get her eyes back to normal, everything coming clear now, adrenaline suddenly coursing through her veins. In front of her sat an odd looking skeleton, taller than her, but not by too much, wearing a faded blue hoodie, black shorts and pink slippers, bandages wrapped all around the left side of it’s head. It wore a smile, and it’s right eye was a large, pure black socket, with a white pupil looking directly at her. It wore a calm, almost relaxed expression, a little surprised by Frisk’s sudden awakening.

“heya,” It said in a calm, somber voice, “guess you had an ice nap?”

Frisk just stared at the skeleton, the adrenaline slowly wearing off as it continued to speak.

“what’s up, kid?” It chuckled, “never seen a skeleton before? what kind of biology do they teach you in human school?”

The skeleton closed its eye, taking a deep breath, leaning against the wood wall of the small structure they were in, the only light being a small lantern sitting on top of the counter to Frisk’s right, snowflakes drifting in from the darkness outside. The skeleton stuck out its boney hand, expecting a handshake, Frisk reaching out to it.

“I’m sans,” The skeleton said, “sans the skeleton.”

The two shook hands, Frisk letting go and curling back into a ball, still shivering.

“F-F-Frisk,” She said through chattering teeth, “I-I’m F-F-Frisk.”

Sans smiled warmly at her, making her feel at ease.

“frisk, huh?” He said, “heh, nice name.”

Frisk smiled at Sans, who began to take off his hoodie, tossing it to her.

“here, put this on, kid,” He said, “I don’t really have much use for it, I just like wearing it. you can actually get cold, though, so nine outta ten times I’d recommend putting it on.”

Frisk slid into Sans' hoodie, which felt heavier than it looked, but not too heavy as to weigh her down, just slightly heavier than the jacket she was already wearing. Warmth began to slowly come to her, and her chattering started to relax as her body heated up.

“Thank you,” She said, letting out a deep sigh, her breath turning into a small white cloud.

“hey, no problem, kid,” Sans shrugged, “just doing what I can to help you.”

Frisk nodded and hugged herself in the hoodie, the pure calm of the small structure they were in, along with Sans’ relaxed attitude putting her at ease, eventually, the call of exhaustion making its way to her. Yawning, she stretched, Sans chuckling.

“tired, kid?” He asked.

Frisk nodded.

“welp, guess that sorta thing happens when you almost freeze in a snowstorm.”

Frisk chuckled now, glancing down at the floor, feeling an immense wave of tiredness wash over her, swaying between being awake and falling asleep. Sans noticed, and tapped her foot with his own.

“hey, frisk,” He said calmly, “why don’t we get some sleep, alright? we’re not heading back out there tonight, you already almost died once, so why don’t we get some nod off time?”

Frisk nodded, laying down on the floor of the small structure, using Sans’ hoodie as a blanket, wrapping herself in the warmth. Sans reached into his shorts pocket, and fished out a cell phone, dialing in a number.

“just gonna call my brother,” He said, “just so he knows I won’t make it back home tonight.”

Sans held the phone up to his head, the phone not even finishing the first ring before someone on the other end picked up, someone with a confident, energetic voice, brimming with brotherly concern.

“SANS!” The receiver shouted, “THERE YOU ARE, BROTHER! IT’S EXTREMELY LATE! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO REPORT BACK HERE HOURS AGO! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?”

“nothin’ much,” Sans shrugged, “just have a survivor here I found in the forest. we’re making camp in the old sentry post I manned, y’know… back when capturing humans was your main goal?”

“OH! A SURVIVOR?”

“yup.”

“WOWIE! I HAD NO IDEA THERE WERE STILL PEOPLE OUT THERE!” The brother replied excitedly, “YOU STAY RIGHT THERE, I’LL BE RIGHT OVER AS SOON AS DAWN BREAKS! DON’T GET HURT OUT THERE!”

“okay, see you in the morning. get some sleep, bro.”

“OF COURSE, SANS! ALTHOUGH I WOULD PREFER A BEDTIME STORY, A CALL THAT TELLS ME YOU’RE ALRIGHT DOES JUST AS WELL! TELL OUR NEW FRIEND I SAID HI FOR ME!”

“papyrus says hi,” Sans said, turning to Frisk, “welp, ‘bout time our friend and I nod off. you know where to find us, but I’m closing the shutter. too cold and snowy to leave it open, just give it a bang when you get here.”

“RIGHT! SLEEP TIGHT, BROTHER AND OTHER NEW SURVIVOR!”

“you too, pap.”

Sans hung up the phone and slid it back into his pocket, chuckling for a moment.

“isn’t my brother just the coolest?” He said, Frisk chuckling, letting out another yawn.

Sans yawned as well, stretching, several of his bones cracking and rattling.

“yup, about time to head off,” He yawned, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, “get some sleep, kid. we’re gonna have a bit of a day tomorrow.”

Frisk closed her eyes, the call of sleep getting closer and closer as she faded further and further back into exhaustion, eventually falling into a relaxed, calming sleep, a smile on her face.

Chapter Text

The morning light sweeped over Snowdin, the snow glistening in the very little patches of sunlight that made it through the mountain, making the forest sparkle through the haze of dust that filled the air. The sound of crunching snow and heavy breaths echoed through the trees, Papyrus racing through the snowy landscape, smacking away the corrupted that stood in his way, leaping over piles of snow and hopping around fallen trees. He came to the small sentry station just beyond the Ruins door, and he walked up to it, knocking on the shutter sealing the inside off from the harsh cold outside. He crossed his arms, and called out for his brother.

“SANS!” He shouted, “SANS ARE YOU IN THERE?”

He knocked again, tapping his foot impatiently, waiting desperately for an answer.

“BROTHER…?”

The shutter shot open, and Sans looked up at his brother, a smile on his face.

“morning, pap,” He yawned.

“AND GOOD MORNING TO YOU, BROTHER!” Papyrus replied excitedly, “IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU’RE OKAY! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU HAVEN’T HAD ANOTHER MOMENT, HAVE YOU?”

“nope, no random stopping or anything like that.”

Papyrus let out a sigh of relief, pulling Sans out of the small shack and embracing him with a tight hug.

“IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU, SANS! I WAS REALLY WORRIED WHEN YOU DIDN’T CALL BACK UNTIL SO LATE!”

“sorry ‘bout that,” Sans shrugged, “I… well, I got caught up saving a new friend.”

“OH! RIGHT, OUR NEW FRIEND!”

Papyrus cleared his non existent throat.

“EH HEM! DO NOT WORRY, GOOD CITIZEN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND MY BROTHER SANS WILL GUIDE YOU TO A SAFE PLACE! A PLACE UNDER PROTECTION...”

He struck a pose, summoning his bone staff and holding it high in the air, confidence emanating from his form.

“OF THE GREAT AND MAGNIFICENT PAPYRUS, THE NEWEST LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk rose groggily from the floor, stretching and rubbing her eyes, glancing at the two skeletons standing outside the sentry station. Papyrus had a more normal look for a skeleton, but stood tall above her and Sans, who both were only three fourths of his height. Papyrus immediately dropped the pose, his eyes going wide.

“OH MY GOD!” He turned to his brother, trying to whisper, his naturally loud voice making it blatantly obvious what he was saying, “SANS, IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?”

“yup.”

Sans pointed in Frisk’s direction, conveying a wink, somehow, even though his other eye was covered in bandages.

“that is, as you guessed, a lantern.”

Papyrus immediately sulked, crossing his arms and looking at the ground, disappointed.

“OH,” He groaned.

“hey, what’s that behind the lantern?”

Papyrus gazed back in the direction of the lantern, this time, his eyes going wide as he hopped in excitement.

“OH MY GOD! SANS, IS THAT A…” He posed dramatically, leaning in to get a better look at Frisk, “...A HUMAN?”

“yup.” 

Papyrus reached into the sentry station and ripped Frisk out, who barely had enough time to grab her back pack.

“OH THIS IS SO EXCITING, SANS!” Papyrus cheered, “A HUMAN IS HERE! AND GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE WON’T HAVE TO CAPTURE THEM…”

Papyrus paused, and then sighed.

“OH WELL, IT DOESN’T MATTER NOW! I’M ALREADY A MEMBER OF THE GUARD, AND I DON’T NEED TO MAKE THEM SIT THROUGH AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM! THIS IS ACTUALLY AMAZING!”

“sure is.”

Frisk looked at Papyrus chuckling. Papyrus smiled at her, becoming more cheerful than confident.

“SO, WHAT IS YOUR NAME, HUMAN?”

“Frisk,” She replied, “Nice to meet you, The Great Papyrus.”

Papyrus chuckled.

“NYEH HEH HEH! NICE TO MEET YOU TOO, FRISK! WOWIE! THE FIRST HUMAN I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE, AND ALREADY THEY’RE A FRIEND!”

“heh, you seem pretty excited about all this, pap.”

“WHO WOULDN’T BE EXCITED, SANS?” Papyrus turned to his brother, a large smile spreading from non existent ear to non existent ear, “THE FIRST HUMAN WE’VE MET IS REALLY NICE, AND NOW OFFICIALLY A FRIEND OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Sans chuckled, shrugging, Frisk chuckling as well.

“NOW THEN, HUMAN FRISK, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE OUR GREAT HOME? I ASSURE YOU… OUR HOME IS THE MOST PLEASANT PLACE EVER! EVEN IF IT HAS…”

Papyrus groaned.

“...GRILLBY’S.”

“aw, c’mon, pap,” Sans replied, nudging his brother with his elbow, “what’s wrong with some good old burg?”

“THE HORRIBLE GREASE!” Papyrus stomped his foot, “THE FOOD THERE MAY BE OF VARYING QUALITY… NOT MATCHING MY SPECTAZING COOKING, MIND YOU… BUT THE GREASE…! GAH!”

“you, uh, realize neither of us have stomachs…?”

“I KNOW! BUT I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS! AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO!”

Sans went silent, appearing to think hard and long, before immediately shrugging, winking again, despite one eye being gone.
“nope. sorry. guess my standards can’t ever match the standards of you, bro.”

“OH.”

Papyrus looked around, posing confidently, closing his eyes.

“WELL, OF COURSE! NO STANDARDS CAN EVEN COME CLOSE TO MATCHING THOSE OF ROYAL GUARD LIEUTENANT AND MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS!” Papyrus then grabbed his brother, carrying him and Frisk, “NOW THEN, OFF TO HOME!”

“You’re going to carry us?” Frisk yawned.

“WHY, OF COURSE I’D CARRY YOU THERE, HUMAN!” Papyrus replied, “CAN’T HAVE YOU TAKING A NAP WHEN THERE’S STUFF TO DO! LIKE GETTING TO SEE OUR WONDERFUL LITTLE TOWN!”

“it’s pretty cozy,” Sans added.

“I’M CARRYING HIM BECAUSE…”

Papyrus paused, his expression changing slightly, seeming to be full of concern and sorrow, before he shook his head, his confidence returning.

“I CARRY HIM BECAUSE HE’S EXTREMELY LAZY! HE’D PROBABLY JUST FALL ASLEEP AND I’D HAVE TO GO AND FIND HIM!”

“guilty as charged.”

“WELL, GLAD THAT THAT HAS BEEN SETTLED… WHY DON’T WE HEAD ON HOME? I CAN MAKE THE HUMAN A PLATE OF MY FINEST SPAGHETTI!”

“That sounds nice,” Frisk replied with a smile.

“HEH NYEH! THEN OFF WE GO!”

Papyrus then rushed off, running back along the path he came, leaping over the same trees and around the same snow piles, running as fast as he could to reach the small village he and Sans called home. Eventually, they reached the bridge leading into the town, and Papyrus set Sans and Frisk down, turning to them.

“THIS IS AS FAR AS I CAN CARRY, I’M AFRAID,” He said, clasping his hands together, “MY ARMS ARE… QUITE TIRED… GUESS THAT MEANS I’M BEING A GREAT FRIEND!”

Papyrus then struck a pose, a sparkle in his eye.

“NOW ENTER OUR LOVELY HOME… IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!”

Papyrus rushed back into the village, throwing open the gate leading in and slamming it closed, coming back to open it.

“FORGOT IT LOCKS,” He added, disappearing into the village again.

Sans put his hands into his shorts pockets, turning to Frisk.

“hey kid, can I get my hoodie back?” He asked, “not that I’m cold, just that, y’know… I like wearing it.”

Frisk took off Sans hoodie and tossed it to him, Sans quickly hopping into it, his hands already in the pockets. He smiled at Frisk, who smiled back, a warm feeling in the air.

“thanks, kiddo.”

Sans walked across the bridge, stopping and turning to Frisk.

“you comin’ or…?”

“Oh! Yeah, heh heh, I’m right behind you!”

Frisk hopped into action, hurrying after Sans as they crossed the bridge, hanging far above a long fall into the deep lower forest making up the Snowdin region. Passing through the gates, Frisk gazed around at the bustling town, full of life. Many different types of monsters went about their days, rabbits, bears, canines, rocks… and countless other monster types continued their lives behind the walls surrounding the entire town. Sans walked ahead, and Frisk followed, people immediately noticing.

“Hey, Sans!” One monster called.

“Hiya, Sansy!~” Another monster, a small, drunk bunny called.

Sans waved to them, and continued to lead Frisk through the town, who looked around at the small town with a smile plastered on her face. She glanced around at the several buildings, seeing the Grillby’s restaurant, an Inn and a Shop, a path leading to more homes, a tree decorated with several ornaments and lights, presents lying beneath, and a house decorated with other holiday type decorations, a reef hanging on the front door. Sans walked up to it, and stopped.

“welp,” He said, gesturing to the house, “here’s our little home. make yourself at house.”

He opened the door and stepped in, Frisk following shortly after, the two entering a warm living room, a green couch stationed in front of a large TV sitting atop a small table, another table with a quantum physics book placed beside the couch. Frisk turned to her right, seeing another table, a rock sitting on top of a plate covered in sprinkles, and to the floor besides a tall doorway was a sock covered in sticky notes. Frisk chuckled, and suddenly, Papyrus leapt over the balcony railing, slamming to the floor and standing, dramatically posing.

“WELCOME HOME, HUMAN FRISK!” He cheered, “IT’S SO SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE! YOU CAN’T BELIEVE HOW EXCITED I AM!”

“really?”

“YES! I AM VERY MARGINALLY EXCEPTIONALLY EXCITED!”

“gotcha.”

“NOW, HUMAN, TAKE A DEEP BREATH OF THAT AIR…”

Frisk complied, taking in a deep breath, smelling something in the air, the smell of boiling water and cooking pasta. She looked at Papyrus with a warm smile.

“‘WHAT AM I SMELLING?’ YOU PONDER,” Papyrus said confidently, “‘OH, WHATEVER COULD IT BE? COULD MY COOL NEW FRIEND PAPYRUS BE COOKING ME SOME OF HIS FINEST SPAGHETTI RIGHT NOW?’ IF THAT IS AT ALL WHAT YOU ARE THINKING, YOU’D BE SO VERY RIGHT, HUMAN!”

Papyrus motioned for Frisk to follow him into the kitchen, Sans following as well. They all stepped in, Papyrus gesturing towards the pot on the stove.

“NYEH HEH HEH! BEHOLD, MY FINEST SPAGHETTI!” He looked at the pot, and then back to Frisk, “...IT’S NOT READY, BUT IT SHOULD NOT TAKE LONG! FEAR NOT, FRISK, YOU WILL GET YOUR HEALTHY SERVING OF PASTA IN ONLY A SHORT FEW MINUTES!”

“Oh, well, thank you, Papyrus!” Frisk chuckled.

“OH YOU ARE SO VERY WELCOME, FRISK!” Papyrus replied, “ANYTHING FOR MY COOL NEW FRIEND AND MY ALSO SLIGHTLY COOL BROTHER!”

“you’re the best, bro.”

“NOW, WHILE I FINISH COOKING THE PASTA…” Papyrus thought for a moment, “WHY DON’T YOU AND SANS SEE WHAT’S ON TV?”

“Okay,” Frisk replied, shrugging, “Don’t keep us waiting too long!”

“THAT I SHALL NOT DO! THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS AIMS TO PLEASE, AND NEVER SETTLES FOR ANYTHING LESS! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk turned around and stepped out of the kitchen, glancing towards the couch, Sans already slouching down into the cushions, smirking at Frisk. She walked over and climbed onto the couch, relaxing into her seat, grabbing the remote off of the arm and turning the TV on, finding only static.

“yeah, they don’t have many shows playing anymore. or at all,” Sans shrugged, “it’s mostly military announcements now, and even then, those have become hard to find. oh well.”

Sans and Frisk went silent for a moment, Sans breaking it moments later.

“so, my brother… he’s pretty cool, right?”

Frisk looked at him, nodding.

“yeah, of course he is. you see that outfit he’s wearing?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“well, funny story… we came up with it for a costume party. we won first prize in this little contest thingy they had. needless to say, he loves it, wears it every day, calls it his battle body.”

Frisk chuckled.

“Really?”

Sans nodded, snickering to himself.

“yup,” He continued, “the only time he took it off was when undyne made him do it so the guard could fit it with more armor, and even then, he was willing to wear it while they added plating and such to the inside. oh well, at least he washes it, and by that I mean he wears it to the shower.”

Frisk giggled, Papyrus stepping out of the kitchen, two steaming plates of spaghetti in hand.

“here comes the grub.”

“AND HERE, FOR MY NEW HUMAN FRIEND, A PLATE OF SPAGHETTI…”

Papyrus handed the plate to Frisk, a fork already wrapped in the noodles, the handle sticking towards the sky, shining in the light.

“AND FOR MY NOT-AS-GREAT-AS-ME BROTHER, ANOTHER PLATE OF MY FINEST SPAGHETTI!”

“thanks, pap.”

“Thank you, Papyrus.”

“NYEH HEH HEH! YOU’RE VERY WELCOME! ANYTHING FOR YOU TWO!”

A knock at the door snatched away Papyrus’ attention, and he ran over, opening it to find a dog dressed in a robe holding a battle axe, saluting at him.

“Sir! We have a transmission coming from the Waterfall Fortress! Captain Undyne would like to speak with you!”

“OH! OF COURSE! I’LL HEAD OVER THERE RIGHT NOW!” Papyrus turned to Sans and Frisk, waving as he ran through the door, “ENJOY THE MEAL! THERE’S MORE IN THE KITCHEN! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk waved back, and the door shut, leaving her alone with Sans. Picking up her fork, which was pre wrapped in spaghetti, she ate a mouthful, slurping down the last noodles. The taste was bland, the sauce being very tasteless and overall, the meal felt very basic. She continued to eat, however, determined to finish the food Papyrus lovingly cooked for her and Sans. Sans plopped his plate down beside him on the couch, Frisk looking over at him, surprised. He sighed, leaning backwards into the cushions.

“y’know, for my brothers cooking, that wasn’t too bad,” He said.

Frisk nearly choked on her spaghetti, staring at Sans, bewildered.

“trust me, back when he was taking lessons with undyne, his cooking was… basically inedible. now, since I have been giving him lessons, he’s been improving. now his stuff is actually edible. needless to say, I’m proud of my bro.”

Frisk nodded and smiled, continuing to eat her meal, sitting in a calm silence with Sans, finishing the last of her spaghetti. She set the plate down to her side, relaxing on the couch as well, taking one more deep breath.

Chapter Text

1 day later…

Sans and Frisk threw open the door to Grillby’s, Frisk kicking off the snow on their shoes before walking in, Sans already saying hello to everyone inside.

“Hi, Sans!” One robed dog called with a deep masculine voice.

“Hi Sans!” Another robed dog added, with a feminine soft voice.

“Greetings, Sans!” A green, huge mouthed monster cheered.

“Hiya, Sansy~” The drunk bunny from before said, somehow still intoxicated.

Sans looked back to Frisk and nodded forward, her and Sans going up to the bar. Taking a seat, Frisk heard a loud pft sound erupt from the stool, her body tensing up, embarrassment on her face.

“whoops,” Sans chuckled, grabbing a red rubber circle from underneath Frisk, “sometimes weirdos put whoopie cushions on the seats.”

Frisk rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, Sans still chuckling. Snapping his fingers, a monster made of fire, wearing a vest, dress pants, and glasses came over, holding a notepad in his hand. Sans nudged Frisk, who turned to him.

“what do you want, kid?” He asked, “burgers or fries?”

“Burgers… for breakfast?”

Sans shrugged.

“sure, why not?” Sans leaned on the counter, “papyrus can’t cook for us right now, and the shop doesn’t open for another hour.”

“Well, um…”

Frisk thought for a moment, before glancing up at the flame monster with a smile.

“A burger for me, please,” She said.

The flame monster nodded, looking back to Sans.

“same here, grillb,” He said, “double order of burg.”

The flame monster nodded once again, and then stepped out of the fire escape door, disappearing from the main bar. Sans scratched the back of his head, Frisk yawning, the two remaining silent for a moment. Sans stretched and let out a sigh, breaking the silence.

“so, frisk,” He began, “how’re you liking things so far? finding everything comfy?”

“Yeah, this is a cute little town, Sans,” Frisk replied, “It’s nice, the people are nice, and being with you and Papyrus is overall a great time! So, yeah, I don’t have any complaints. Except the cold…”

“well, you get used to it. except me, I don’t have skin, don’t have to deal with something pesky like that.”

“Heh heh, good for you.”

Sans chuckled.

Grillby stepped back through the door, holding two plates and a bottle of ketchup, stepping over to Sans and Frisk. Plopping the plates down in front of them, Sans nudged Frisk, turning her attention to the food.

“here comes the grub,” He said, grabbing the ketchup bottle, “want some ketchup?”

Frisk shook her head, grabbing the burger, preparing to bite down.

“welp, suit yourself,” Sans said, “also might wanna drain that a little bit, it’s kinda greasy.”

Frisk squished the burger hard, grease dripping down from the patty and onto the plate. She turned to Sans, her eyes going wide as she watched the skeleton down the entire bottle in seconds, chugging it all. He plopped it down on the counter, and Grillby walked over, replacing it with another bottle, visibly annoyed, but keeping his cool. Frisk bit down into the burger, smiling at the taste, going back for several more. Sans leaned onto the counter, ketchup in hand, looking at Frisk.

“enjoying the burg?” He asked.

“It’s really good!” Frisk replied excitedly.

“welp, that’s grillby for you. he’s a great chef, kinda wish papyrus would let him teach his cooking lessons instead, he’s got this whole cooking thing nailed down. I just know the basics.”

Frisk took another bite of her burger, the juiciness of the patty combined with the warm bread of the buns making the meal a joy to eat. Sans drank more of the ketchup, chugging it down, the bottle now only half full, or half empty. Finishing the last bite of her burger, Sans slid his plate over, shrugging.

“have mine too, kid,” He said, “I ain’t hungry.”

“Hey, you need to eat too, Sans,” Frisk replied.

“nah, I got up earlier than you, snagged some leftover spaghetti and had that. plus, I’m not that hungry, you can have it.”

Frisk glanced at the burger, and then picked it up, squishing and draining all of the grease onto the plate. It all plopped down into a little puddle, and then she took another bite, smiling. Sans put down his ketchup bottle, which was almost empty now, and tapped Frisk on the shoulder, getting her attention.

“so, what’s your plan now?” He asked, “you gonna move on, stay here a while? what do you want to do, frisk?”

Frisk paused, putting her burger down on the plate, thinking for a moment. She scratched the back of her head, searching her mind for answers, eventually coming up blank.

“I… I don’t know, Sans,” She replied, “I… I do want to stay here with you and Papyrus, but… but I have to get to the surface somehow, my family is probably worried sick about me, it’s been almost two weeks…”

Sans went silent, turning away from Frisk.

“well, whatever you decide to do…” He started, “pap and I got your back, don’t worry about a thing.”

The two sat in silence, Frisk finishing up her second burger in a few moments, Sans just staring down at the counter, his eye pitch black, only a slit.

“hey, you done eating?” He asked.

Frisk wiped her face with her sleeve, smiling.

“Yeah, I’m done-”

With a sudden snap of Sans’ fingers, time around them froze. All of the other attendants in the restaurant stopped, the world around Sans and Frisk going dark, an invisible spotlight keeping them out of the darkness. Sans turned to Frisk, his eye still pitch black.

“good.” He said, “let me ask you something.”

He put his hands in his pockets, letting out a sigh.

“have you heard of a talking flower?”

Frisk froze up, remembering the twisted laugh and golden petals of her floral stalker, the one who nearly killed her when she first found herself in the Ruins. She swallowed down the pit in her throat, and nodded.

“huh,” Sans shrugged, “figured you wouldn’t have heard of them… the echo flowers.”

Frisk felt a cold chill run up her spine, her face going pale. Fear shot through every part of her body, her breaths uneasy. Sans looked at her, his eye going wide, still pitch black.

“you alright, kid?” He asked, “didn’t figure talking about an echo flower would rile you up so easily.”

Frisk took a deep breath, trying to regain composure.

“D… do echo flowers look… yellow?” She asked.

Sans’ pupil returned, an expression of pure confusion on his face.

“what?” He replied, “no, they’re cyan and blue…”

Suddenly his eye went pitch black, an expression of anger on his face, Sans realizing what Frisk meant.

“what yellow flower?”

“I-in the Ruins,” Frisk started, “Wh-when I fell down, th-there was this flower, named Flowey… he attacked me, tried to kill me, almost did… but Toriel saved me, and… here I am.”

Sans expression seemed to relax, his eye pitch black.

“huh,” He replied, “well, that’s quite an interesting little first time underground visit. hopefully that weed stays in the Ruins.”

Frisk looked at Sans, his hand clenched into a fist, his other hand digging into the wood.

“Sans…?” Frisk called.

“huh?” Sans replied, putting his hands back into his pockets, “sorry ‘bout that kid, just… the way you described that flower… reminds me of... something… but I can’t put my finger on it...”

Frisk felt the uneasiness start to take over, it slightly going away when Sans shook his head, looking at Frisk with a relaxed posture.

“well, what I was going to say was that there are these blue flowers that pop up all over the marsh in waterfall, say something to them and they repeat it for infinity, and over two years ago, papyrus told me something… he was having these conversations with a flower, it would only pop up when no one esle was around... it gave him advice, encouragement, compliments… predictions… it disappeared when all hell broke loose… guess the guy who was using the echo flowers to mess with paps is either too busy being alive or way too busy being dead. who knows? just... keep your guard up, okay?”

Frisk nodded, and eventually, time began to move around her again, the world coming back to life. Frisk looked around at all the other patrons, and then back to Sans, who was wearing his casual expression, eye closed, smile wide on his face.

“welp, that’s all I wanted to say,” He said, “don’t worry about payment… hey, grillby?”

The flame monster turned to face Sans.

“put it on my tab.”

The flame monster just stared at Sans for a moment, wrote down in his notepad, and then walked over, ripping out a note and slamming it in front of Sans. Frisk peeked at it, chuckling.

“PAY YOUR DAMN TAB. IT’S BEEN OVER TWO YEARS.” was all the note said, Sans quickly pocketing it, sweating, his eye wide.

“welp, thanks for your excellent service as always, grillbs,” Sans chuckled, stepping off the stool, walking towards the door, Frisk following, “see you around.”

“Thanks, Grillby!”

As Frisk walked out, she turned back to look at Grillby before the door closed, hearing him say something to her in a soft, calm voice, Frisk barely able to hear it.

“....you’re welcome.”

Chapter Text

The soft flakes fluttered to the ground, covering the already solid snow with a new, fluffy layer of white. A calm, serene feeling flowed through the air, the quiet calmness of the forest putting tensions to rest. Sans, Papyrus and Frisk walked through the forest, Papyrus walking in long, confident strides, Frisk following with a happy pep in her step, Sans slinking along behind them. Papyrus took a deep breath, which solidified in front of him for a moment before disappearing, the snow crunching beneath his feet.

“WHAT A NICE DAY TO TAKE A STROLL!” He exclaimed, “IT’S BEEN TEN MINUTES AND WE STILL HAVEN’T ENCOUNTERED ANY CORRUPTED!”

“Do you think that maybe they’re all gone?” Frisk asked.

Sans shrugged.

“doubt it, they’re probably in the deeper bits of the forest, the valleys and whatnot.”

“YES, PROBABLY, BUT STILL! IT’S SO NICE TO FINALLY TAKE A NICE WALK THROUGH THE FOREST AGAIN! SOFT SNOW FALLING, A NICE BREEZE THROUGH MY HAIR…”

“yup, it sure is…”

Papyrus spun, glaring at his brother, his hands clenched into fists.

“SANS…”

“ ice. ”

Papyrus stomped his foot into the ground, kicking up snow, his arms crossed.

“GAH! SANS, STOP PLAGUING MY LIFE WITH INCIDENTAL PUNS!”

Frisk chuckled, covering her mouth with her gloved hands, Sans just shrugging.

“what can I say?” He winked, “I didn’t snow if I’d get the chance again.”

Frisk rolled her eyes, chuckling while Papyrus turned, walking away from them.

“AND JUST LIKE THAT THIS WALK HAS BEEN RUINED! GREAT JOB, SANS!”

Sans chuckled, him and Frisk hurrying after Papyrus, who was still stomping away, arms crossed. Frisk caught up, walking besides Papyrus.

“AH, MY BROTHER…” Papyrus sighed, “WHY DOES SOMEONE AS COOL AS ME HAVE TO PUT UP WITH BAD PUNS AND INCIDENTAL JOKES?”

Frisk smiled up at the skeleton, nudging him in the ribs.

“Come on,” She teased, “You smiled!”

“I DID AND I HATE IT!”

Frisk chuckled, and after a moment, Papyrus smiled too, letting out a small giggle of his own. The two went silent, the only sounds being the calm winds and the crunching of snow as they walked through the forest in the serene quiet. Eventually, Papyrus looked down at Frisk, a curious expression on his face.

“SO, HUMAN FRISK?” He called, “WHAT’S IT LIKE ON THE SURFACE? ARE THERE OTHER COOL SKELETONS LIVING AMONGST THE HUMANS? NOT AS COOL AS ME, OF COURSE…”

Frisk smiled, thinking to herself for a moment.

“Well, it was… calm, for the most part. I just… uh...?”

Frisk paused, trying to think of better wording. She sighed, defeated, shrugging.

“I don’t know, it’s hard to describe…”

“OH, DON’T APOLOGIZE, FRISK!” Papyrus posed confidently, “I’M SURE THE SURFACE IS PLENTY COOL! AND I’M SURE YOUR LIFE UP THERE WAS ALSO PRETTY ICE…”

Frisk giggled, Papyrus letting out a loud groan.

“SANS YOU ARE A BAD INFLUENCE!”

The two stopped, going silent, expecting a response, another snow pun…

But nothing came.

Their smiles vanished, and they turned to look around, not seeing the smaller skeleton anywhere. Papyrus glanced frantically around, shooting his head in every direction, his eyes darting all over, his breaths becoming quick.

“SANS?” He called, “SANS?”

Frisk looked around too, feeling a wrenching panic in her heart, her body beginning to shiver.

“Sans?” She screamed, “Sans!”

“BROTHER, WHERE ARE YOU?”

Suddenly, a shout came from back the way they came, and Papyrus rushed off, hearing magic bone attacks being summoned, the scream of a corrupted following short after. Frisk flicked her knife out of her jacket pocket, rushing after Papyrus, who held a bone staff tightly in his hands.

“SANS!” Papyrus screamed, he and Frisk rushing off towards the source of the screaming, the sounds of splintering wood and pained cries echoing through the trees.

The duo continued, rushing farther and farther back along the path they came. Tears began to rush down Papyrus’ cheek bones, fear taking over as he rushed.

“SANS!”

Sans collapsed back into a tree, ducking as the corrupted slashed at him with it’s sharp claw like hands, scraping into the bark. Summoning another bone, he hit the corrupted with the attack, making the thing stagger. Using his blue magic, he launched the corrupted away and stood, blinking, his eye going wide. The golden corridor greeted him again, and he saw the figure, it’s eyes and smile glowing a bright red, the rest of their body covered in shadow. They smiled at Sans, their eyes piercing deep into his souls, a cold, dark sense of familiarity coming from the figure, who held a dust covered knife in one hand, the dust dulling the shine of the blade. They flicked their knife, dust floating into the air, Sans feeling the particles clinging to his clothes. He glared at the figure with pure black eyes, which went wide when he heard a voice call for him, a voice that was so loud, yet only sounded like a whisper. He heard it again, and looked to the figure, who was holding a single finger in front of their mouth. Sans froze, he didn’t know what could happen next, or what he should do. He tried to summon an attack, but nothing came to him, leaving him defenseless, vulnerable. He began to panic, his breathing getting faster and faster as his name became repeated countless times in the whispering voice, the figure not even moving.

“ Sans ,” He heard, “ Sans, where are you ?”

His eyes widened, the voice of his brother intertwined with the whispers he heard, the cries of Frisk breaking through as well. He heard their voices clearer and clearer, until he felt something grab him, shaking him back to reality.

“SANS! SANS CAN YOU HEAR ME?” Papyrus screamed, looking Sans dead in the eye with a desperate expression.

Sans blinked twice, and shook his head, stepping away from his brother, looking around the forest, seeing Frisk standing next to them, a scared look on her face. He backed away, the left side of his head feeling like it was burning. He groaned, putting a hand over it, Papyrus and Frisk staring at him with concern.

“SANS, DID IT HAPPEN AGAIN?” He asked.

“wh... what?” Sans replied.

“DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER MOMENT?”

Sans glanced over to where the corrupted had tackled him, and his eyes trailed to where he launched it with his magic, seeing the dusty pile of the corrupted’s remains get swept away by the breeze. He scratched the back of his head, still in a daze.

“I… I guess so…” Sans said, lost, “I got attacked, one of them snuck up on me. I fought it back, and then… I…”

Sans shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets, tension filling the air around him.

“I’d rather not talk about it,” He sighed, “can we just go back home?”

“OF COURSE, BROTHER, OF COURSE,” Papyrus replied, “WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO CARRY YOU BACK? I KNOW SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET A LITTLE TIRED AFTER A MOMENT.”

Sans thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

“nah,” He said, “don’t… don’t worry about that… let’s just head home… I’m… I’m just tired…”

Papyrus felt his heart sink, and then watched as Sans began walking home, hugging himself tightly in his hoodie. Wishing to say more, he searched his mind for words…

But nothing came.

He turned to Frisk, and the two looked at each other with concern, the fear washing away. Eventually, Papyrus let out a sigh, looking back toward his brother, who was gone.

“HE MUST’VE TAKEN A SHORTCUT HOME,” Papyrus grabbed Frisk’s hand, beginning to trail back from where they came, “COME ON, HUMAN FRISK. WE SHOULD HEAD HOME TOO, VERY HOME, AND MAKE SURE HE’S OKAY, VERY OKAY...”

“Has this happened before?” Frisk asked.

Papyrus hesitated, and then spoke.

“Y-YES, IT HAS,” He answered, “MANY TIMES, IN FACT, BUT… I… I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER SEEN HIM THIS DEFEATED AFTER HAVING A MOMENT… HE’D AT LEAST MAKE A PUN… OR SOME OTHER BAD JOKE, BUT…”

Papyrus went silent, Frisk keeping quiet as well, letting the skeleton think.

“I WORRY ABOUT HIM, FRISK. I WORRY ABOUT HIM A LOT… I’M HIS BROTHER, AND AS SUCH IT IS MY DUTY TO TAKE CARE OF HIM, BUT… IT GETS HARD… ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WON’T TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG…”

“He won’t tell you?” Frisk asked, confused, “Why won’t he tell you?”

“I WANT TO KNOW THAT TOO, FRISK,” Papyrus replied, “I’VE BEEN WANTING TO KNOW FOR OVER TWO YEARS.”

Chapter Text

1 month later…

“what?” Sans chuckled, “c’mon, kid, you know I’m not a fighter.”

“You can still show me a thing or two,” Frisk groaned, “Come on, Sans! You can fight okay, isn’t there anything you can teach me? Anything?”

“nope, sorry kid,” Sans shrugged, leaning against the Gyftmas Tree, “like I’ve told you a bajillion times, papyrus can train you better than I ever could. me…?”

Sans smirked, turning away from Frisk.

“I’d rather just relax and focus on doing nothing.”

Frisk crossed her arms, glaring at Sans, staring deep into his socket. Sans closed his eye, waiting for Frisk to leave. She did not move. Sans began to sweat slightly, his breaths materializing in front of him for a moment before disappearing into the air, the cold biting weather barely effecting him. He scratched the back of his head, shrugging.

“I honestly have no idea what you’re trying to gain from this,” He said.
“Sans, please can you just train me a little bit? Papyrus is always busy running the town and the Royal Guards that protect it! You’re the only real person I can ask to train me!”

Sans looked away, thinking.

“Sans, I need to know how to fight if I’m going to be stuck down here with the corrupted, and I need to know how to protect myself when you and Papyrus aren’t around.”

Sans stuck up his hand, stopping Frisk.

“first off, doubt that’ll happen besides rare occasions,” He started “second… nevermind, I don’t have a second point.”

Rolling her eyes, Frisk grabbed Sans by the sleeve, forcing him to look at her in the eyes, determination burning in her soul.

“You’re going to show me whatever you know,” Frisk said, “Okay? Even if it’s basic, I need to know.”

Sans thought for a moment, and then shrugged.

“you, uh, really are determined, aren’t you, kid?” He chuckled, “alright, guess I can spare a minute to teach you some basics.”

Sans began to walk towards the western gate, Frisk following eagerly. Opening the gate, the two slunk through and Sans grabbed Frisk’s arm, leading them into a secluded part of the forest, a good distance away from Snowdin Village.

“just figured I’d take you out here so we don’t cause the others some trouble,” He said.

Frisk smirked, and watched as Sans walked a good distance away, putting his hands in his pockets, standing still.

Only the cool air blowing through the ice covered leaves made a sound, a high whistle echoing through the forest. The whole world began to slow down around Frisk, who reached for her knife, whipping it from her jacket pocket, the blade glinting in the light. The two combatants stared at each other, the whole world going silent around them. Time itself seemed to stand still, Frisk feeling her determination swell up within her soul, a smirk of defiance on her face, a relaxed grin resting on the skull of Sans. Sans suddenly shot his arms out of his pockets, and Frisk prepared herself for an onslaught, her determination feeling like a burning fire of courage… only for it to be replaced with disappointment as a single bone slowly floated towards her head, giving her a little tap on the forehead before falling into the snow and disappearing. Frisk glanced down at the ground where the bone disappeared, blinked, and then turned back to Sans, who was looking at Frisk with a smug gaze.

“pretty snazzy attack, huh?” He chuckled.

Frisk just stared, letting out a sigh.

“alright, alright,” Sans stuck up his arms in defense, “I guess I can throw in a little more difficulty.”

He snapped his fingers, and Frisk snapped into defense mode, only to let her guard down and watch as two slow bones approached her from both sides, tapping her shoulders and disappearing, the disappointment only growing in power. She looked to Sans, who still wore the smug grin.

“Can you actually take this seriously, Sans?” She asked.

Sans remained silent, and then shrugged.

“sure, why not?” He replied, “could be worth a shot.”

Frisk crossed her arms, expecting another set of harmless bones, when all of a sudden a flurry of attacks came flying towards her. She ducked as they smashed into the trees behind her, the loud cracking of bark breaking a mostly consistent silence, Frisk’s eyes going wide as she saw another wave of bones approaching.

“lesson number one,” Sans began “when in a battle, always try to look for patterns in an attack… or don’t and just wing it, either works, really.”

More bones flew at Frisk, who slashed them down with her knife, knocked to the ground by a sudden bone to the back of the head. Pulling herself up from the cold snow, she glared at Sans, determined to continue.

“lesson number two,” Sans continued, “make sure you actually know how to use your weapon. honestly, kid, the way you handle that knife is… really really poor. somebody oughta train you, don’t know who.”

Frisk stood strong, ducking and dodging around the bones as best as she could, several of them hitting her, knocking her back to the ground. She lifted her head from the snow, a bone conking her on the top of the head, making her let out a sigh. Sans’ hand went up high, three fingers raised, and he closed his eye, starting to continue.

“lesson number three,” He began once more, “you gotta… gotta… you…”

Sans voice began to trail off, and his eye suddenly shot open, pitch black, staring at nothing.

“gotta... you…”

Frisk slowly walked towards Sans, sheathing her knife back into her jacket pocket, a look of concern on her face. Sans went silent, going completely still, the atmosphere now filled with an indescribable tension. Taking another step towards the skeleton, Frisk stopped, reaching out to Sans.

“Sans…?”

Sans blinked twice, his white pupil returning as he came back to. He glanced around the forest, and then turned to Frisk. He jumped, his breaths becoming faster and panicked, his body starting to shake. In only a split second, Frisk had changed. She had been replaced by the dark figure Sans would always see at the end of the golden hall, wearing a smile of suffering, glowing a deep crimson red. The red eyes mocked Sans with their sense of dread, the smile only adding to the effect as the face stared at him, the hand raised up to the mouth again, shushing the skeleton.

Sans took several deep breaths, calming down as he looked at Frisk, who was backed away in fear.

“Sans…?” She called.

Sans hesitated, and then let out a deep sigh.

“heya, kid,” He replied.

“Are… are you okay?”

Sans waited a moment, trying to think of a response before he shook his head, looking away from Frisk.

“I… uh… I’m fine… just, um, tired all of a sudden… we need to head home… about now.”

“Oh… okay, well-”

Sans put his hand on Frisk’s shoulder, he led them further away from the village, turning and walking behind a tree. With the snap of his fingers, they appeared back at the house, Sans immediately climbing the stairs to his room, opening the door and slamming it shut. Frisk stood in the doorway, confused. Her concern for Sans raised even higher than it had been before, a sense of dread hanging over her as she sighed and slumped down on the couch, deciding maybe Papyrus was her best bet after all.

Sans slumped down onto his bed, covering his bandages with one hand, a burning feeling slowly creeping into his left eye. He could feel the burn getting stronger with every moment he had, and every vision he saw of the golden hallway, the dark figure always smiling now. The figure was always the same, taller than him, completely pitch black, save for the knife they held, and the red glow of their eyes and smile. They always smiled, and always stared, the knife held tightly in one hand. Sans lay down on his bed, staring up to the ceiling, thinking long and hard about the visions, his mind racing, answers seeming so far gone, almost impossible to find. He covered his eye with one hand, shutting it, taking a deep breath.

what the hell…? He thought, it’s always the same hall, there’s always the dust in the air… and there’s always that… thing…

He opened his eye, his hands falling onto his stomach.

is there something I’m missing in all of this? He thought, there has to be, right? none of this would just… happen, right?

He let out a sigh.

every single time… it feels so real, but… it’s just a hallucination, or a daydream, or… something… but it still feels like I’m there, and that…

His breaths stalled.

...and that I might die, that I can’t afford to not care anymore.

He threw off his hoodie, which slumped to the ground, and he pulled his blanket lazily over himself, taking a deep breath. He rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, letting out one more deep breath before the cold hands of sleep dragged him down into the unconscious void.

Chapter Text

Something about Sans…

Some way, somehow…

Through his visions, he is remembering the past timeline.

But he cannot see it as such.

They are merely odd hallucinations in his eyes.

Meaningless visions, or some twisted, unending nightmare.

They are slowly gaining more control over him.

I doubt he will be able to stay in reality, unless there is a major change.

Perhaps he will figure out what they mean…

Perhaps not.

Either way, he will be haunted by them.

Until the final day, on which they will completely corrupt his mind.

…

…

…

No, perhaps they won’t.

Sans is stronger than most realize.

He will pull through.

…

…

…

But watching him fall would still be an interesting event, wouldn’t it?

Chapter Text

2 years later…

“ALRIGHT HUMAN,” Papyrus announced, standing tall and confident, “TODAY IS YOUR FINAL DAY OF TRAINING! I KNOW YOU’VE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS, AND NOW IT IS TIME TO TEST YOUR SKILL! LEAVE YOU IN AWE! AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE…”

Papyrus pointed dramatically at Frisk, who stood several feet away from Papyrus, a smirk on her face.

“WE CAN TRULY SEE HOW STRONG YOU ARE AGAINST THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOUR TUTOR AND TEACHER! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk drew her knife, flipping it in the air and snatching it back, smirking at Papyrus, who summoned a bone staff, kicking it into his hands, ready to start. He looked over Frisk and then towards Sans, who was leaning against a tree, watching.

“SANS ARE YOU STILL KEEPING WATCH?” Papyrus called.

Sans gave Papyrus a tired thumbs up, Papyrus shouting back to him.

“YOU BETTER NOT FALL ASLEEP, BROTHER! THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DAY FOR FRISK! TWO WHOLE YEARS OF NON STOP COMBAT TRAINING TAUGHT BY THE COMBAT MASTER PAPYRUS ALL AMOUNTS TO THIS ONE LAST SPAR!”

“don’t worry, bro,” Sans called back, “I’m watchin’.”

Papyrus rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Frisk, his confidence and eagerness returning.

“NOW, ARE YOU READY, HUMAN FRISK?”

Frisk pointed her knife at Papyrus, confidence and determination in her stance, coursing through her veins like blood.

“I am, but are you?”
“NYEH HEH HEH! EN GARDE!”

Frisk charged at Papyrus, who charged at her, the two attacking, the bone and knife colliding, a crack echoing through the trees. Frisk slid between Papyrus’ legs, and leapt up right as a bone shot out from beneath her, barely missing. She slammed back down to the ground, snow flying in every direction as she rushed back at Papyrus, who launched a wave of bones at her. She cut several of them down with her knife, sliding under several more and then leaping over a row on bones which sprouted in front of her, almost smashing her in the face. She slashed at Papyrus, who knocked it back with his staff, the two of them trading blows, knife and bone clashing again and again until Papyrus launched Frisk back, cackling.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” He laughed, “YOU HAVE GOTTEN SO STRONG, FRISK! I’M SO HAPPY AND PROUD!”

“Thanks, but compliments won’t win you this spar!”

“NYO HO HO! MY PLAN HAS BEEN FOILED! NO MATTER, I GUESS WE’LL JUST HAVE TO USE OUR REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACKS!”

Frisk and Papyrus chuckled and then charged, Papyrus launching more bones at her, Frisk slashing them away, leaping and sliding through countless more, punching Papyrus in the shoulder. He swept her away with his staff, summoning a massive row of bones, Frisk stabbing into the ground and halting her slide, quickly ripping her knife from the snow before dashing around Papyrus’ massive bone swarm. Running up to him, they began to slash at each other again, the knife and staff colliding countless times, making more loud cracks. Frisk ducked as bones flew at her, but she quickly stood and continued the fight, the two continuing to hack at each other, Frisk dodging and slashing through every bone thrown at her with expert movements, Papyrus feeling his pride rising as he continued the spar. Rolling under a wave of bones, Frisk kicked at Papyrus, who danced out of the way, Frisk launching herself up and charging at the skeleton, who smacked away her attack with a flick of his staff, Frisk tumbling into a snowbank. She leapt out and threw a snowball at Papyrus, smacking him in the face. He wiped it away, and with a chuckle, launched another wave of bones, Frisk charging at him, the fire of determination burning in her soul, the spar continuing.

Watching from a distance, Sans leaned against a tree, letting out a long yawn. He watched as Papyrus and Frisk sparred, bones and magic sparks flying all through the air as Frisk ducked, dodged, and danced around the attacks, trading blow after blow with Papyrus, seeming like nothing would stop their duel. Sweat dripped down their foreheads as Sans observed, tapping his foot in the snow. Papyrus turned to his brother, shouting.

“ALRIGHT, SANS! KEEP WATCHING, FOR I AM ABOUT TO USE MY…” He turned around dramatically towards Frisk, twirling his staff, “...SPECIAL ATTACK!”

“woah,” Sans chuckled, “you’re really going all out on this one, huh?”

“OF COURSE, SANS! THIS IS FRISK’S FINAL TEST! A TRUE SHOW OF MASTERY! I CANNOT SIMPLY USE ONLY REGULAR ATTACKS!”

“alright, just keep it safe and above the belt, you two.”

“NYEH HEH… ABOVE THE-”

Papyrus was caught off as Frisk leapt up and punched him in the jaw, making Papyrus stagger back. He turned to Frisk, a grin wide on his face.

“NYEH HEH! NICE TACTIC, FRISK, BUT I WILL NOT BE BEATEN! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NOW, PREPARE YOURSELF, BECAUSE IN A MOMENT I WILL SHOW YOU MY TRUE SPECIAL ATTACK!”

Sans chuckled, and the two continued their duel, trading blows once again, Frisk and Papyrus panting and sweating as they fought, bones flying everywhere, Frisk cutting them down or ducking around them, slashing her knife at Papyrus, loud cracks echoing as she hit his staff. Sans shook his head, and blinked, everything around him suddenly blurry. He felt confusion begin to rush through him, and he blinked again, everything becoming even more blurry, a golden tint decorating the area. Sans blinked again. He was back in the golden hall.

His eye went wide as he stared straight ahead, the figure was approaching. His breathing quickened as he suddenly flashed into Snowdin, seeing Papyrus with outstretched arms, looking like he was going to accept a hug from a strange figure. It looked human, but Sans could not see it as such. Dust covered its hands, drifting down all over its clothes, its eyes bathed in darkness. Sans' mind filled with thoughts of fear as he watched the figure approach Papyrus, who stood there, visibly uneased, slightly shaking. Papyrus spoke to the figure, his voice hopeful but also shaky.

“I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING, ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE?”

Sans felt stuck, unable to move, only able to watch.

“WOWIE! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING! HUMAN, I WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR! I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!”

But the human only approached, not saying a word.

Sans felt anger rush through him as he heard a voice far off begin to speak to him, taunting him, mocking him.

“ Papyrus. Forgettable. ”

Sans' eye went pitch black, his fists clenching tightly in rage.

“ Looks like free EXP. ”

Papyrus and Frisk paused, both of them panting and sweating, staring each other down, smirking. Papyrus twirled his bone staff in his hand, standing tall.

“YOU’VE DONE GREATLY SO FAR, FRISK,” He cackled, “BUT DON’T GET COMFORTABLE YET! FOR NOW… HERE COMES… MY…!”

Papyrus posed dramatically, swiping his staff through the air before pointing towards Frisk.

“SPECIAL ATTACK!”

Frisk stretched and cracked her knuckles, and rushed forward, until she was suddenly launched away, smashing into a tree with a loud crack, collapsing to the ground, holding her stomach. Papyrus’ eyes went wide, and he turned to look at Sans, who had his arm outstretched, magic emanating from his soul. Papyrus glared at Sans with a furious expression, ready to scold his brother.

“SANS! STOP!” He shouted, “THAT WAS TOO VIOLENT! YOU’LL HURT…”

His eyes went wide as he looked at Sans’ face, seeing the pitch black socket, which was now a slit, and the enraged expression covering his brother's face, easily tearing through his endless grin. Papyrus watched as Sans began to walk forward, summoning a wave of bones and launching them at Frisk.

Frisk stood, and her eyes went wide as the barrage came close. She quickly grabbed her knife and slashed at the bones, smacking a few away, most of them hitting the ground and trees, while others crashed into her, cutting her skin and clothes, blood trickling from the wounds. She grasped at her left arm, several cuts and bruises littering it under the scratched jacket, more wounds all over her body. She stood, and heard the ground rumble beneath her, ducking to the ground as bones shut up behind her, faster and with more force than anything Papyrus had summoned. Glancing up, she saw another wave of bones flying towards her, ready to impale her. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms, only to hear countless cracking sounds. Lowering her arms, she saw Papyrus spinning his staff like a rotor, the bones Sans launched scattering in the snow, disappearing into magic sparks.

“SANS! LISTEN TO ME!” Papyrus shrieked, “WHATEVER YOU’RE SEEING, IT’S NOT REAL! PLEASE, STOP THIS, BROTHER!”

Sans said nothing, continuing the attack, Papyrus sweeping around and grabbing Frisk, hoisting her into his arms before rushing out of the way of another barrage. Frisk’s soul turned blue, and she was launched, Papyrus holding tightly onto her. They flew through the air, heading straight for a tree, Papyrus turning them so he smashed right into the bark, the two of them collapsing into the snow. They flew again towards a different tree, Papyrus spinning them, taking the brunt of the hit, his battle body torso cracking. The two lay on the ground, exhausted, Papyrus feeling like his body was ready to give in to the force. Looking up at his brother, Papyrus sprang up and rushed towards Sans, his legs feeling like they would collapse at any moment, Papyrus trying to ignore the pain. He leapt towards Sans and wrapped his arms around him, hugging his brother close.

“STOP THIS, SANS!” Papyrus cried, “PLEASE, STOP THIS NOW! BROTHER, LISTEN TO ME! PLEASE!”

But Sans remained silent.

Suddenly, Papyrus let go and spun around, watching in horror as Frisk glanced at her soul, which once more, was glowing a bright blue. Her face turned up to Papyrus, her eyes filled with fear, begging for Papyrus to save her. In a moment, she was launched, slamming into yet another tree, Papyrus gasping and preparing to rush over, starting and then stopping, reaching out with his own blue magic, catching Frisk as Sans began to throw her again.

“HANG ON, FRISK!” Papyrus shouted, “I’LL-”

He felt control get ripped from him as she was launched into a snow bank, suddenly slamming into the bark of another tree, slumping over on the ground, barely able to breath. Papyrus spun around, glaring at his brother, rushing back over, suddenly forced to smack away bones as Sans launched another attack, aimed at Frisk. With all of his might, Papyrus rushed to Sans, once again embracing him tightly, Sans barely resisting.

“SANS! PLEASE! HEAR ME!” He cried, “STOP THIS! PLEASE STOP! WHATEVER YOU’RE SEEING, WHEREVER YOU ARE, IT’S NOT REAL! I’M REAL! I’M HERE!”

The attacks stopped, Sans eye going wide, the white pupil in his eye returning. His breathing went panicked, but calmed after a short moment, hugging his brother back. Sans glanced around at the devastation, completely in shock, seeing Frisk leaning against a tree, holding her bleeding arm, blood rushing down her face, her nose red. Sans let go of Papyrus, the two of them rushing to Frisk, Sans kneeling at her side.

“kid!” Sans shouted, “oh my… kid… frisk… what…”

“BROTHER, WHAT HAPPENED?” Papyrus asked, “ONE MOMENT YOU WERE OKAY, THE NEXT YOU ATTACKED US!”

Sans turned to his brother, confused, still in a daze.

“what…?”

“SANS… YOU ATTACKED US… IT SEEMED LIKE YOU... LIKE YOU WERE TRYING TO KILL FRISK…”

Sans looked at Papyrus’ battle body, seeing the cracks forming in the torso, his eye wide. He turned back to Frisk, a wave of sorrow covering him.

“dammit…” He murmured, “I’m so sorry, kid…”

“SANS, THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN PUT OFF FOR TOO LONG!” Papyrus said sternly, “YOU ARE GOING TO TELL US WHAT THESE MOMENTS ARE DOING TO YOU, RIGHT NOW!”

“no.”

“THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE ANYMORE! YOU SERIOUSLY HURT FRISK, YOU CRACKED MY BATTLE BODY, YOU DIDN’T RESPOND TO ME WHEN I WAS CALLING FOR YOU, AND IT TOOK ME RUNNING UP TO YOU AND HUGGING YOU TO GET YOU TO STOP! I’M NOT NAIVE, I CAN TELL THESE MOMENTS ARE SERIOUSLY AFFECTING YOU EACH TIME THEY HAPPEN, AND I WON’T WATCH YOU BE TORN APART BY THEM ANYMORE! NOT AGAIN!”

Sans went silent, closing his eye, knowing he had to tell his brother. He didn’t say a word, Papyrus standing above him, arms on his hips. Eventually, Papyrus leaned down, carefully picking up Frisk, who was sobbing, curling up in pain, blood still trickling down her body.

“THERE THERE, FRISK,” Papyrus said, summoning healing magic, “WE’RE GOING HOME, WE’LL GET YOU BANDAGED UP, AND YOU’LL BE ALRIGHT IN NO TIME!”

Papyrus turned to his brother, seeing him still kneeling in the snow, staring down at the blood, not moving.

“SANS… COME ON…”

Sans let out a deep breath, and then stood, his hands in his pocket, looking away from Papyrus and Frisk. The two began to walk through the forest, complete silence and tension filling the air as they went. The two brothers refused to look at each other, eventually reaching the eastern gate. Papyrus threw it open and the two stepped inside, Frisk still curled in Papyrus’ arms, the villagers and the guardsmen all glancing towards the three, eyes going wide, gasps echoing through the air, small whispers chiming through the village. Papyrus kicked open the door to their home and stepped inside, Sans following. Laying Frisk down on the couch, Papyrus sat next to her, using his healing magic to the best of his ability, focusing on Frisk, Sans closing the door behind them. He crossed over the room and sat next to Papyrus, slouching over, his eye pitch black, sadness filling his soul. The two sat in tension filled silence, not even looking towards each other for a moment. Sighing, Papyrus looked at Sans, sorrow in his eyes.

“BROTHER, I KNOW THIS MAY BE A HEAVY TOPIC, OR EVEN AN UNCOMFORTABLE ONE… BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH YOU. YOU CAN’T GO ABOUT THIS ALONE ANYMORE.”

Sans remained silent, not even looking at Papyrus, turning away.

“BROTHER PLEASE…”

Sans let out a deep sigh, and then turned towards Papyrus and Frisk, hesitating before speaking.

“yeah,” He said, “I… I guess I owe both of you an explanation for what happened, or… well… what has been happening during those… moments…”

He shifted uncomfortable, taking a deep breath.

“for the past… I think four years, I have had those moments… I… I remember the first one being after the costume party… remember when I froze in the forest?”

“YES, OF COURSE, BROTHER,” Papyrus replied, “I WAS SO WORRIED, YOU HAD NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE, AND I WAS… WAS…”

“I know… and I shoulda told you there, but… I… I didn’t… and it just kept happening, over and over again… I’d see things, I’d… I’d feel like I was somewhere completely different… a golden hallway… it was always the golden hallway…”
“GOLDEN… HALLWAY?”

Sans nodded.

“yeah. same place, every time. there would be dust floating through the air, light shining through the windows, and there was always a figure at the other end of the hall, pitch black… it looked like it might’ve been a human, or a monster, but… I knew it wasn’t either… it was something worse, way worse.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WORSE…?”

Sans went silent, then spoke after a moment.

“they were covered in dust, the knife they held was covered in dust… it was the dust all monsters crumble into when we die… and they were covered in it, there was so much of it in the air...”

Sans fell back onto the couch, sighing.

“but... today…” He began, “when I attacked… I was in snowdin. I saw you, bro, and I saw… a different figure. it wasn’t pitch black, but it still had dust all over it’s hands. they were walking up to you, and you were just standing there, arms outstretched like you were gonna get a hug… but I knew what they wanted to do… so I attacked, thinking I was protecting you… but…”

Sans covered his face with his hands, taking deep breaths.

“I… I ended up hurting you and frisk…”
Papyrus turned away for a moment, processing what he had just heard, putting a hand to his forehead, feeling like it was burning. He struggled for words, he and Sans just sitting in silence. Eventually, the silence was broken.

“BROTHER… I DON’T UNDERSTAND…”

Sans sighed.

“I know.”

“BUT… BUT I CAN STILL HELP YOU! I MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU, OR HOW, BUT I KNOW THAT WE CAN PULL THROUGH IF WE GO AT THIS TOGETHER! WE CAN HELP YOU OVERCOME THESE DARK VISIONS AND THESE FEARFUL NIGHTMARES! WE CAN DO IT ALL, TOGETHER! I WILL HELP YOU, SANS! I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I PROMISE YOU THAT!”

Sans smirked, letting out a chuckle.

“yeah…” He murmured, “that… that would be very nice…”

Papyrus hugged Sans tightly, and Sans hugged back, the two brothers holding each other tightly, Papyrus still focusing his healing magic onto Frisk, who had gone unconscious, the pain being slowly taken away thanks to the healing magic of The Great Papyrus.

Chapter Text

1 day later...

Frisk slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the living room, finding herself wrapped in a warm blanket, bandages covering her head and arms, her body aching. She tried to sit up, feeling pain shoot through her back, hearing footsteps come down the stairs as Sans walked up to her, shaking his head.

“nah ah,” He said, “sorry, kid, you’re not exactly allowed to move.”

Frisk looked at him for a second, and then laid back down, Sans pulling a chair over and sitting besides the couch, slouching over. The two remained silent, unsure of what to say, until Sans eventually broke the silence.

“so…” He started, “how… how do you feel?”

Frisk glanced at Sans, an unsure expression on her face.

“I… I guess I’m mostly fine, but my back hurts, a lot…”
“yeah... I figured as much… the tree didn’t exactly look like good cushioning… heh heh...”

Silence filled the air once again, tension rising between the two. Eventually Frisk tapped Sans, who looked at her, a soft, caring expression in his eyes.

“what’s up, kid?” He asked.

“I… I heard what you told Papyrus, most of it, at least…” She said, “I… I don’t really know how to help either, but I want to help you, Sans.”
Sans chuckled.

“quick to forgive me for almost breaking your back?”

“You weren’t in the right place, Sans. You were having a moment, a pretty vivid one if you lashed out like that… I know that wasn’t you, that wasn’t who you are, I think at least…”

Sans sighed.

“yeah, guess it really wasn’t. but... I… I still hate how I hurt you, kid. I didn’t even realize I was hurting a friend until it was too late, all I saw was someone about to kill papyrus, and I had to stop them with anything I could use, so… I threw you against a tree.”

“I know, Sans. It was scary, terrifying even, to see you like that, but like Papyrus was saying, we can help you work through this, okay? It’ll probably take a good long time, but we can do this, I know we can.”

Sans looked down at Frisk, tears welling up in his eye as he tried to wipe them away, blinking, wishing them gone. He eventually stopped trying, letting them roll down his cheeks, seeing Frisk smile at him. Frisk reached to him, patting his hand, a smirk on her face.

“It’s going to be okay, Sans,” She said, “We’re getting through this… but… do you think next time, you could not throw me so hard?”

Sans chuckled, wiping his face with his sleeve, his smug expression coming back.

“sure, sure thing kid,” He said, winking, “next time I throw you, you’ll float like a leaf.”

The two chuckled, Sans putting his hand on Frisk’s shoulder, looking away for a moment.

“by the way, it’s just gonna be us today,” He shrugged, “papyrus is out of the house for a while, so I guess I’m gonna have to step up and take care of you today. just ask me if you want something, I can get it for you.”

Frisk thought for a moment, feeling the pit in her stomach. She looked down at it, and then back to Sans.

“Do we have anything to eat?” She asked.

Sans smirked, standing up and walking towards the kitchen, coming back with two bags labelled “Grillby’s”.

“burgers and fries sound good to you?”

Frisk smiled.

“Yeah, it does.”

Sans plopped down a bag beside Frisk, who reached into it, grabbing a burger, Sans sliding her a plate as well. Sans helped Frisk sit up, leaning her against a pillow on the arm of the couch, adding one more for support, Frisk thanking him. Gripping the burger, Frisk bit down into it, immediately regretting it as grease spewed from the patty all over her face. Sans chuckled, handing her a paper towel.

“here ya go, kid,” He said, “remember to always drain them, they get real greasy.”

Frisk smirked at Sans, squishing the burger like she had done before, all of the grease dripping onto the plate. Chomping again into the burger, she smiled, the taste as enjoyable as the first time she had it, the patty perfectly cooked, collapsing softly as Frisk chewed, letting out a deep breath. She turned to Sans, who popped open a ketchup bottle, downing half of it in only a few seconds. He popped the cap back on and put it down besides him, pulling his own burger out of the bag, handing Frisk her fries. He drained and chomped into the burger, somehow his grin remained on his face as he ate, the burger seeming to disappear more and more as Sans ate. Frisk watched him confused, Sans just shrugging.

“hey, I don’t judge your eating style.”

Frisk stared for a moment, and then shrugged, going back to eating her burger. The two ate together in the calm silence, a moment of peace and serenity filling the house, everything in the world seeming mostly okay.

Chapter Text

Interesting.

So, so interesting.

The corrupted monsters…

Their SOULS…

They’re so… strong.

And their power…

…

…

They can’t tap into it.

But…

All they need…

Is a little push…

…

And then, they can be the force to destroy them all.

…

I need to tap into their SOULS…

Harness their power.

Use them as my means of following my plan through…

…

They could be UNSTOPPABLE.

It’ll only take a push to set them off…

And I’m so close to finding it…

…

…

…

But…

There’s one thing I must consider…

Besides the human, the comedian, or anyone else...

Asriel…

He failed me before…

But maybe, in his new state…

He can be useful again.

He’ll follow me blindly if I can find a way to get to him.

He can be a powerful tool.

He can be a powerful weapon.

He…

Well…

He can be useful.

At least… until the human is gone.

Then…?
…

…

…

There’s no need for such unnecessary weight…

When nothing else exists.

=)

Chapter Text

2 weeks later…

“OH, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE REST OF THE UNDERGROUND IS LIKE?” Papyrus asked.

Frisk nodded, looking over at him, Papyrus sitting straight and tall, thinking.

“HMM…” He thought aloud, “WELL, IT’S BASICALLY THE SAME EVERYWHERE! CORRUPTED, OTHER MONSTERS, ROYAL GUARDSMEN…”

“old sentry posts…” Sans added.
“THE AREAS ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT, AND ARE NOT AS GREAT SINCE THEY’RE NOT MY HOME, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, REALLY, THE SITUATION EVERYWHERE IS RELATIVELY POSITIVELY THE SAME!”

Frisk nodded, leaning forward, resting her chin on her hand. She thought for a moment, and then looked back to Papyrus.

“Do you think I could see it?”

Sans shot up, confusion on his face.

“what?” He asked.

“HMMM…” Papyrus thought again, “OF COURSE, HUMAN FRISK! IT WOULD BE NICE TO TRULY SEE WHAT’S OUT THERE, CONSIDERING I ALSO KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT WATERFALL, HOTLAND, OR THE CAPITAL… BUT WATERFALL IS WHERE UNDYNE AND THE KING LIVE NOW, SO IT CAN’T BE ALL BAD!”

Frisk turned to Sans, who shrugged.

“I mean, you know it’s gonna be a dangerous trek, right, kid?”

Frisk nodded.

“I know, but if I’m gonna live down here, I need to know what else is out there. Have you been around the underground more, Sans?”
“well…” Sans shrugged, “you could say I have.”

“WHAT?” Papyrus asked, surprised, “SANS, YOU’VE BEEN AROUND THE UNDERGROUND MORE THAN ME? HOW CAN THIS BE? YOU’RE USUALLY A LAZY BONES!”

Sans shrugged again.

“I mean… you do remember we were captured, right?”

“OH…”

“and we had to walk all the way from hotland back to snowdin?”

“THAT’S TRUE… BUT STILL, THAT WAS ONCE! AND EVEN THEN IT WAS AGAINST OUR WILL!”

Frisk put up her hands, stopping the brothers from speaking more.

“Wait,” She said, “You two were… kidnapped?”

“YES!”

“yup.”

“OH, THAT WAS SUCH A TERRIBLE DAY! A GROUP OF BANDITS CAME AND TOOK OVER SNOWDIN, AND SANS AND I WERE CAPTURED! WE PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT, BUT WE WERE OVERWHELMED! SOMEHOW SANS MANAGED TO STAY IN THE FIGHT LONGER THAN ME, AND… WELL… WE BOTH KNOW HOW SANS CAN BE!”

Sans chuckled.

“ANYWAY, WE WERE TAKEN TO THIS HORRIBLE PLACE, AN OLD FACTORY, AND THIS  WOLF MONSTER THERE INTERROGATED US! HE ACCUSED SANS OF… HORRIBLE THINGS, AND… THEN…”

“I got this, bro,” Sans said, slouching into the couch, “I’ll tell her the rest.”

Frisk turned to Sans, who took in a deep breath, a long sigh exiting his skull before he spoke again.

“well, I was… accused of killing another monster… the guy was a criminal, leader of some sort of criminal gang, so when one of his goons tried to come back to snowdin with pap and I, I… I might’ve led him away, tried to get information out of him, but when it was clear to me he was lying through his teeth and not telling me a thing, I… I killed him.”

Silence filled the room, Sans and Papyrus looking away from each other, Sans taking another deep breath.

“they caught up to us, raided our town, held it hostage, and took us to the old industrial area of hotland. they interrogated us, I told him his guy needed to die, and then… undyne came to rescue us. one poorly thrown spear later, and…”

Sans pointed to his bandages wrapped around the left side of his head, Frisk covering her mouth with her hands, letting a shocked gasp escape. Sans let his hand slip back into his hoodie pockets, shifting uncomfortably on the couch.

“yeah,” He sighed, “now you know this isn’t just left over from a costume I was too lazy to take off.”
“IT… IT WAS SCARY,” Papyrus added, “I… I REALLY DON’T LIKE THINKING ABOUT THAT DAY. THERE WAS A LOT OF PAIN…”

“yeah,” Sans nodded, looking back at Frisk, “that was quite the bad day.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Frisk asked.

“four years…?”

“ROUGHLY…”

“four years.”

“Oh… I’m sorry...”

Sans sat up, still slouching, patting Frisk on the back.

“eh, don’t worry yourself about it, kid,” He winked, “that was a while ago, so don’t stress yourself over it. we all came out just okay in the end.”
“OKAY?” Papyrus gasped, “SANS, YOU’RE MISSING AN EYE!”

Sans shrugged.

“oh well, better than the alternative.”

“WELL, YES, THAT IS TRUE. BUT STILL, YOU SHOULD HAVE BOTH OF YOUR EYES!”

Sans slouched back into the couch, eye closed.

“eh, nothing to do about it now.”

The room filled with silence again, the three sitting on the couch together, not a word being said. Eventually, Papyrus cleared his throat, his confident demeanor returning.

“WELL, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION,” He said, clearing his throat which did not exist, “WE CAN INDEED GO THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND! THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF THE GUARD, THERE ARE PLENTY OF SAFE HAVENS AND OUTPOSTS ALL OVER!”

Frisk turned back to Sans, nudging him.

“Does that work for you, Sans?”
He shrugged.

“it’ll be dangerous, but yeah, it’s probably best you know what’s out there now,” He sat up, “also you’re probably old enough to hold your own and explore. how old are you now? twelve? I’d say that’s a pretty adult-level age.”

Frisk smirked, chuckling.

“Sans, I’m still kind of a kid.”

“nah, you’re an adult now, and I’m just an old bag of bones.”

Papyrus glanced at his brother, disappointment in his expression.

“SANS, YOU’RE ONLY TWENTY TWO.”

“I’m an old man, papyrus, I don’t have the energy I used to as a youngin.”

“SANS!”

“oh, I’m gettin too old for this.”

Frisk chuckled, Papyrus rolling his eyes, before excitement suddenly shot through his core.

“OH! I KNOW JUST WHEN TO START THIS JOURNEY!” He said.

“When?” Frisk asked.

“WELL, WHY NOT TOMORROW? I HAVE A MEETING WITH UNDYNE RIGHT AT THE CAVERN THAT LEADS INTO WATERFALL, AND I’D BE GONE FOR THE DAY ANYWAYS, SO WHY NOT START THEN?”

“That works,” Frisk smiled.

“well, that’s gonna be dangerous, pap,” Sans replied, “you know how undyne would react to frisk, considering her strong… feelings about humans.”

“YES, I KNOW, BUT I COULD DISTRACT HER WHILE YOU TWO SLIP BY! YOU TWO COULD GET PAST HER AND I COULD MEET UP WITH YOU LATER, AND THEN WE COULD CONTINUE!”

“hmmm…”

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, BROTHER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NEWLY RANKED LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL GUARD WILL HELP US HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY!”

“eh, alright.”

“IT’S SETTLED THEN! WE SHOULD ALL GET SOME REST, TOMORROW WILL BE SUCH AN EVENTFUL DAY!”

“shouldn’t you tell your troops you’re heading out?”
Papyrus shot up from the couch, pointing towards the ceiling.

“RIGHT! OF COURSE! I’LL GO TELL THEM NOW!”

Papyrus burst out of the house, slamming the door behind him, leaving Sans and Frisk alone in the living room.

“hey, kid,” Sans called.

Frisk looked over at him, Sans sitting up, putting his hand on Frisk’s shoulder.

“look, I know you’re curious and all, and I do think it’s important you know more about the underground, but… this will be dangerous, very dangerous, especially for you. the guards in waterfall aren’t a joke, and unlike what papyrus probably thinks, they won’t be under his command like the snowdin units are, and they won’t be nearly as friendly. they will come after us if they see you with us, and it may not end pretty… but if you’re sure you want to go through with this, see the rest of the underground, then we’ll go.”

Frisk nodded, looking down at her hands, resting calmly in her lap. She took in a deep, thoughtful breath, and took a moment to think, before she turned back at Sans, determination flowing through her soul.

“I want to do this, Sans,” She said, “I want to see what’s out there, I need to. If I’m stuck down here for a while, I need to know who and what is out there.”

Sans shrugged, his eye closed.

“alright,” He said, “guess we got ourselves a little adventure. I’m catching a headstart.”

Sans rose, stretching and walking up the stairs, slinking to his room. Frisk watched him, confused.

“what?” Sans asked, “gotta make sure you’re well rested before a big journey.”

“Sans, it’s two PM.”

“exactly. see you tomorrow, frisk.”

Frisk opened her mouth, starting to speak, but then stopped as Sans stepped into his room, slamming the door shut. She stood and snatched her bag from beside the couch, a mental list already in her head, telling her what she would need for the adventure ahead.

Chapter Text

Sunlight poured through the openings in the mountain, lighting up the Underground once again, rays shining on the darkened world. Frisk woke up, stretching as she sat up on the couch, rubbing her eyes. She peeked out the window, seeing the small town light up as the day began, several monsters already out and about, the Snowdin Units of the Royal Guard waiting outside for the departure of her, Sans and Papyrus. She heard loud footsteps of pure energy rush down the stairs as Papyrus leapt to the ground, quickly rising up, hands on his hips.

“GOOD MORNING, FRISK!” He announced, “OH, IT IS SO NICE TO SEE YOU UP AND AWAKE! NOW WE NEED SANS UP, AND WE CAN START OUT ADVENTURE!”

Frisk smiled, throwing her blanket off and slipping off the couch, stretching, trying to calm her tangling hair.

“Yeah,” She chuckled, “Let’s get him up.”

Papyrus turned to her, his eyes slightly wide.

“FRISK, YOUR HAIR IS AN UTTER MESS! AND YOU’RE NOT EVEN DRESSED! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?”

Papyrus crossed his arms.

“DON’T TELL ME YOU’RE TAKING NOTES FROM SANS!”

“nah, she’s not.”

Papyrus spun around and the two glanced up at the balcony, seeing Sans standing there, holding a bag.

“I got up at least an hour ago, got prepared while I took another nap.”

“THEN… HUMAN FRISK, NO! YOU CANNOT TELL ME YOU’VE BEEN LAZIER THAN SANS!”

Frisk and Sans chuckled, Papyrus letting out a groan.

“WHATEVER! WE MUST GET READY TO GO! I MUST MEET WITH UNDYNE IN LESS THAN THIRTY MINUTES!”

“papyrus, the cavern to waterfall is only-”
“WE MUST PREPARE! FRISK, GO GET DRESSED! AND PACK THAT BAG YOU CAME WITH! WE MUST GO ON THE PRONTO! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk grabbed her jacket, fresh clothes, and a pair of gloves given to her by Sans, throwing them on and quickly brushing her teeth, cleaning and tossing away the toothbrush as well. Quickly zipping up her bag, she threw it around her back, slipping her knife back into her jacket pocket, hopping up to Papyrus.

“Okay, I’m all ready!”

“NYEH HEH HEH! THAT WAS QUITE FAST, FRISK! COME NOW, SANS! WE ARE STARTING THIS ADVENTURE NOW! LET’S GO!”

“okay.”

Sans stepped down the stairs and slunk behind Papyrus as the three of them burst out of their house, the Royal Guards and several townsfolk watching them. Papyrus waved to them all, energy and enthusiasm radiating from him, Sans giving them a calm, quick wave as the group all ventured out of Snowdin through the East Gate, closing it shut. In the watchtower stood Dogamy and Dogaressa, two Guardsmen of the Canine Unit. They waved to the three, calling out to Papyrus and Sans.

“You two better keep your wits about you!” Dogamy yelled, “You’ve got a tough journey ahead!”

“Do you know when you’ll be back, Lieutenant?” Dogaressa asked.

“HMMM, GOOD QUESTION, DOGARESSA!” Papyrus replied enthusiastically, “I ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO IDEA!”

“maybe a couple days or so,” Sans shrugged, “give or take.”
“Well, alright then,” Dogaressa replied, “We’ll handle things back here! Don’t worry about us!”

“Have a good adventure, Sans!” Dogamy shouted.

Sans winked.

“don’t worry, we’ll be a-okay. who knows, maybe we can stop by for brunch.”

Dogamy and Dogaressa chuckled, Sans waving back to them before the three walked away, the two dogs nuzzling their noses together, embracing one another. Frisk looked away from the two and back to Sans, who chuckled.

“yeah, they do that,” He said, “kinda their thing.”

Frisk chuckled as well, and the three continued on through the cavern, eventually reaching the entrance to Waterfall, finding one of the abandoned sentry posts.

“I used to man that,” Sans said, “kind of a nice room this was, got to slack off pretty easily.”

“SANS, I TOLD YOU WHEN OUT ON WORK YOU HAD TO WORK!”

“sorry, pap,” Sans winked, “two jobs means twice as many legally required breaks.”

“GAH! WHATEVER, LET’S KEEP MOVING!”

The three continued through the cavern, eventually reaching a dark, silent area, Papyrus stopping them and turning to Sans and Frisk, whispering.

“THIS IS WHERE I’M SUPPOSED TO MEET WITH UNDYNE,” He pointed up to a ledge towering over the path, large rock formations coming down from the ceiling, connecting with the ground, “YOU TWO MOVE THROUGH THE TALL GRASS, I’LL KEEP HER ATTENTION AWAY FROM YOU!”

“alright, pap,” Sans replied, “but if anything goes wrong, you get out of there asap, capiche?”

“OF COURSE… HEH, IT’S A LITTLE BIT FUNNY…”

“what’s funny?”

“I WAS ABOUT TO TELL YOU AND FRISK THE SAME THING. NOW, YOU TWO GO, I’LL GET MY CHARM ON WITH UNDYNE!”

Papyrus snuck away, cackling silent “NYEH HEH HEHs” as he went. Frisk and Sans looked at each other, and then crouched down to the ground, silently creeping ahead and into the grass, continuing ahead as quietly as possible, barely making a sound. They heard Papyrus rush up to Undyne, Papyrus’ voice shaking, nervous energy coming from his speech.

“H… HELLO, UNDYNE!” He said, “I’M HERE WITH MY REPORT! THE SNOWDIN UNIT IS PERFORMING AS GOOD AS EVER, THE TOWN IS COMPLETELY SECURE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO ODD OCCURRENCES OR ANY SUCH EVENTS!”

“Papyrus?” Undyne replied, her voice filled with concern, “Is… is something wrong? You look really nervous.”

“O-OH! NO, NOTHING IS WRONG! NOTHING AT ALL! NOPE, NOT A THING IS WRONG AT THIS CURRENT TIME!”

Papyrus began to sweat, his eyes darting to the tall grass for a moment. Undyne walked up to him, reaching out.

“Papyrus, are you okay? You’re not… yourself, right now.”

“I-I’M FINE, REALLY I AM!” Papyrus clears his nowhere throat, “JUST… UH… JUST DIDN’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP! YEAH, I’M JUST SLIGHTLY MORE TIRED THAN USUAL, NOTHING ELSE IS THE MATTER! I AM OKAY!”

Frisk and Sans continued through as the conversation went on, keeping low to the ground, practically crawling their way through the grass. A silent moan made them stop in their tracks, Frisk’s heart beating out of her chest as she heard another one, closer. Sans looked ahead, and saw a corrupted crawling to them, a small slime monster approaching, barely able to move, it’s body horribly scarred, covered in magical burns. Frisk unsheathed her knife, and crept towards it, and with one swift strike, the corrupted turned to dust. She turned to Sans, who gave her a thumbs up, and then his eye went wide as another corrupted let out a screech and leapt at Frisk, who also let out a scream, the corrupted tackling her to the ground.

Undyne spun around, her and Papyrus hearing the screams, a light blue magic spear already forming in her hand. She ran to the edge, staring down at the tall grass, Papyrus rushing over, sweating even more.

“Papyrus, ready up!” Undyne shouted, “We’ve got some creeps lurking around here!”

Papyrus summoned a bone staff, shaking, wiping his forehead with his mitton, tapping Undyne’s shoulder.

“HEY, I-I DON’T THINK IT CAME FROM THERE, UNDYNE,” He said, his voice shaky, “I-IT CAME FROM OVER THERE!”

“Papyrus, what the hell are you talking about?” Undyne asked, “That scream came from right there!”

“W-W-WELL MAYBE YOU GOT IT WRONG…?” Papyrus wiped more sweat off of his forehead, his eyes darting to the tall grass, “I-I-I THOUGHT IT CAME F-FROM OVER THERE!”

“Papyrus!”

Papyrus snapped away, visibly shaking, filled with fear.

“C’mon, it’s just the corrupted! You’ve fought them before, why’re you so damn spooked?”

Suddenly, another small yelp came from the tall grass, followed by the sound of a magic attack. Undyne spun around, stomping towards the edge, seeing Sans and Frisk rush from the tall grass, surprise and a feeling of anger suddenly rushing through her body. She leapt off the edge and crashed into the ground, crushing the corrupted that jumped Sans and Frisk, glaring at the two.

“Human!” She shouted, rushing after them.

Sans and Frisk ran as fast as they could, the sounds of loud, metallic footsteps trailing them, the armored form of Undyne getting closer and closer, the only color coming from her being her light blue spear and her red ponytail, which flowed behind her as she ran, getting closer and closer. Sans glared back at her, and then looked back to Frisk, holding his hand out to her.

“take it, kid!” He shouted.

Frisk grabbed on, and Sans spun behind a rock, the two of them disappearing as Undyne caught up. She looked around the rock, shocked, and then glanced back up to the edge, seeing Sans reappear with Frisk, grabbing Papyrus and then hopping behind a stalactite, disappearing.

“NGAAAAAHHHH! Dammit!” Undyne shouted, still in shock.

She clenched her spear tightly, pulling out her handheld radio.

“All soldiers in Waterfall! We’ve got a human in the area!” She shouted, “They’re with Lieutenant Papyrus and his brother Sans! Kill the human and take their soul, but don’t harm Papyrus OR Sans! Capture them and bring them back to the Fortress!”

She glanced around, and then rushed off towards the Fortress, thousands upon thousands of thoughts and questions firing in her mind, confusion slowly replacing the anger.

A human? She thought, And Papyrus was protecting them? Sans too? Of course this would happen, I knew he was too nice to be a Royal Guard! I just knew it, darn it!

She sighed, sorrow creeping into her mind as well, mixing in with the confusion and the anger.

Papyrus, please… She thought, Please don’t fight what’s gonna happen next, I… I can’t let you get hurt.

After running for what felt like hours, the group ducked into a small cave, going back as far as they could, panting, fear filling all of their minds. A moment passed, and nothing came for them, no guardsmen, no corrupted. Not a single thing threatened them in the cave. They all took in deep breaths, Papyrus holding his forehead, rubbing his temples.

“WOWIE, THAT WAS REALLY STRESSFUL,” He said.

“yeah, that was… honestly really terrible,” Sans sighed.

Frisk leaned against the cave walls, falling down, exhausted, rubbing her forehead with her hand, a throbbing pain echoing throughout her body.

“Everything aches…” She groaned.

“same, kid.”

“I THINK… WE SHOULD GET SOME REST HERE…”

Sans looked at Papyrus, chuckling.

“you wanna take a nap?”

“NOT A NAP! WE SHOULD JUST… REST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.”

Sans stopped, thinking of a witty remark, but decided against it, leaning against the cave wall.

“welp, time to get some more z’s. see you two in a while.”

“SANS…”

Sans ignored Papyrus, slowly falling asleep, snoring loudly as he lay against the rock wall. Papyrus rolled his eyes, and looked at Frisk, who also had fallen into a deep sleep, snoozing softly beside him. For a moment, Papyrus felt calm, and smiled, watching both his brother and the small human, sighing. He used his magic to erect a wall of bones at the cave entrance, and then laid back against the wall, slowly closing his eyes, sleep eventually coming for him too.

Papyrus slept soundly, a dream creeping into his head. He found himself back at home, reliving the memory of the night before the costume party, where he was up and about, crafting his battle body with expert care, every measurement precise down to the millimeter. He cut his scarf with precision and expertise, getting it to look just as he wished: ragged, but not in a torn up or ruined way, a way that would make him look heroic, battle hardened, and like a member of the Royal Guard. He smiled, humming a tune to himself, and continued to work on the battle body, carefully putting it all together before he stepped away from the table, smiling.

“AH, IT’S PERFECT!” He beamed, standing tall and proud, arms on his hips.

He gazed down at his costume, and then over to the one he made for Sans, a sense of disappointment coming over him.

“HE BETTER HAVE MADE HIS OWN COSTUME, BUT EVEN IF HE HASN’T, BEST TO BE PREPARED!”

Stepping out of his room, Papyrus leapt down the stairs, finding his brother on the couch, slouching, scrolling through the Undernet on his phone. Papyrus groaned.

“SIT UP STRAIGHT, SANS! YOU NEED BETTER POSTURE!”

“sorry, can’t do that.”

“WELL, WHY NOT?”

“the couch has gone feral, it’s eating me whole, pap.”
“SANS!”

“oh, welp, see you around bro, the couch is getting really hungry…”

Papyrus swept his brother off of the couch, plopping him on the floor, Sans standing completely still before he slammed into the floor.

“SANS!” Papyrus shrieked, “BROTHER ARE YOU OKAY?”

“yeah, I’m good,” Sans replied, “just, uh… make sure you wake up, okay?”

“...WHAT?”

“you heard me. wake up, bro.”

Papyrus blinked, and then slowly awoke, finding Sans kneeling right in front of him, holding his hand in front of his mouth, shushing his brother.

“SANS, WHAT-”

Sans held a finger in front of Papyrus’ mouth, shushing him. Frisk slowly stirred awake, and Sans quickly shushed her too, both of them looking at Sans in confusion. Sans glanced over his shoulder towards the entrance to the cave, glaring ahead.

“take down the bone wall, papyrus,” He whispered.

“WHAT? WHY? WHAT’S GOING ON, BROTHER?”

“do it.”

Papyrus made the bone wall collapse, and his eyes went wide, the stomps of metallic, armored footsteps echoing into the cave. A platoon of six Royal Guardsmen passed by the cave, weapons all at the ready, some even summoning magical attacks. The platoon continued to march by, their faces hidden under their helmets, their bodies grey and black, covered in the thick metal plating of their armor. The group remained silent until the platoon was gone, far enough away so the footsteps could not be heard anymore. Sans let his hands drop, letting out a deep sigh, Papyrus looking at the cave exit, confused.

“THAT WAS STRANGE,” He said, “NORMALLY GUARDSMEN PATROLS AREN’T NEARLY THAT LARGE…”

“that wasn’t a patrol, bro,” Sans replied, looking back out of the cave, “that was a hunting party.”

“HUNTING PARTY? HUNTING FOR…”

Papyrus suddenly realized, and his eyes went wide. He looked to his brother, who looked back, a sorrowful, knowing gaze in his eye.

“THEY’RE… HUNTING FOR US?”

“yeah, pap…”

“W-WELL, MAYBE I CAN TRY TO TALK THEM OUT OF IT! I-I’M LIEUTENANT PAPYRUS, I…”

“bro, don’t,” Sans piped up, “they may be your colleagues, but they’re not your friends right now. they want to find us, capture us, and take frisk’s soul.”

“BUT… THAT WOULD HURT HER… WOULD… KILL HER... THE GUARD WOULDN’T DO THAT, WOULD THEY?”

Sans remained silent for a moment, and then, his tone cold, answered Papyrus.

“you know what the law about humans is,” Sans stood, “they’re the enemy, and any human who falls is to have their soul captured.”

Papyrus leapt up, a shocked expression painted on his face, his breaths quick and confused.

“THAT… BUT… NO…”

“c’mon,” Sans said, helping Frisk stand, “we gotta move before they come back.”

Frisk and Sans walked to the entrance of the cave, and then stopped, Sans glancing over his shoulder at his brother, sighing. Papyrus held a hand to his head, still processing what Sans had said, a confused expression covering his skull, disbelief in his eyes.

“papyrus…”

“OH, RIGHT,” He summoned a bone staff, leading Sans and Frisk out of the cave, a new resolve coming over him, “LET’S GO.”

Chapter Text

1 hour later...

The trio continued through the darkened caverns of Waterfall, creeping through the marshlands, the cries of the corrupted echoing from all around. Trudging through, the three walked across small bridges of bridge seeds and around the countless echo flowers, all of which repeated the cries and screams of the last monsters they heard, a sense of dread hanging over them as they walked. Papyrus led them along, holding his staff tightly in his hand, an expression of sorrow on his face. Sans hopped to his side, looking up at his brother.

“hey, pap?” Sans called, “are you okay?”

Papyrus said nothing at first, only letting out a small sigh.
“I… I DON’T KNOW, BROTHER,” He replied, after a moment of silence, “I… I DON’T GET IT… WHY WOULD THE GUARD BE ORDERED TO KILL JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS… HUMAN? ESPECIALLY NOW, WHEN ALL LIFE IS EVEN MORE PRECIOUS?”

Sans shrugged.

“I don’t know what to tell you, to be honest,” He scratched the back of his head, looking down, “maybe the king has some old grudge against humans? I couldn’t tell ya. yeah, it’s a dumb law, but that’s how it’s been for… well, a long time.”

Papyrus held his staff tightly, looking ahead, an expression of defiance on his face, purpose in his eyes.

“WELL, THAT MAY BE THE LAW, BUT I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT! AS A ROYAL GUARDSMEN, I, LIEUTENANT PAPYRUS, WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO PROTECT THIS HUMAN! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT EVERYONE, NOW MORE THAN EVER, AND THAT’S WHAT I’LL DO!”

Sans patted Papyrus on the shoulder, the two brothers glancing at each other, Sans wearing a soft, genuine smile on his face.

“you do that, papyrus,” He said, “frisk and I are rooting for you.”

Frisk tapped Papyrus on the arm, and he turned toward her, seeing her giving him a thumbs up and a wide smile. Papyrus felt tears coming to his eyes, but quickly wiped them away.

“THANK YOU, FRISK, AND YOU TOO, BROTHER. I PROMISE YOU BOTH, I WON’T LET EITHER OF YOU DOWN!”

Sans patted Papyrus on the shoulder again, chuckling.

“and we’ll have your back twenty four seven, won’t we, kid?”

Frisk nodded, about to reply, when a rustle echoed out of the tall grass, followed by the groans of several corrupted monsters. Papyrus twirled his staff around in his hand, and Frisk unsheathed her knife, the blade glinting in the light of the luminescent water. Another rustle, and then three corrupted sprang from the brush, screaming and slashing as they charged at the three. Papyrus smacked one away with his staff, hearing it smash into the ground with a crushing thud, followed up by Frisk rushing forward and slashing the second one down, the bodies collapsing into dust. Sans summoned a mini staff of his own, bopping the corrupted on the head before kicking it down onto the ground, the monster barely being able to move before a dozen bones shot out of it, the body fading into dust. Sans and Frisk put their weapons away, Papyrus still holding his staff tightly in his hands, the three of them slightly confused.

“THAT… WAS ODD,” Papyrus said, “THOSE ONES WENT DOWN IN ONLY ONE HIT.”

“Maybe they already got in a fight?” Frisk replied, shrugging.

Sans put his hands in his hoodie pockets, sighing.

“gotta agree with the kid, these guys must’ve been beaten up by the guardsmen but slipped out anyway.”

“Then… they’re close…”

“NO MATTER! WE’LL JUST HAVE TO EXERCISE EXTRA CAUTION IN THIS AREA! WE SHOULD KEEP MOVING, HOWEVER.”

Sans and Frisk looked to Papyrus, and then back to each other, Frisk wearing a worried expression on her face, fear in her eyes. Sans shrugged and walked up to her, putting his arm around her.

“don’t worry, frisk, you’ll be a-okay,” He said with a wink, “we have your back.”

Frisk smiled and nodded, and then the three continued, trudging on through the marsh, the only light coming from the rivers of luminescent water flowing throughout Waterfall. Finding a dock with a small boat, the three of them hopped on, Papyrus holding Frisk and Sans as the tiny plank of a boat floated through the stream of dark, navy water, carrying them calmly to the other side. They all hopped off, and Papyrus plopped down Sans and Frisk, the trio continuing ahead into the deeper corners of the marsh.

Walking along another dock, the three felt a calm feeling of peace wash over them for a moment, when suddenly, a light blue, glowing, magic spear came flying towards them, smashing into the dock directly in front of them before disappearing. The three all looked up, and at the top of a tall ledge beside the dock stood Undyne, spears in hand, summoning more and more all around her, glaring at the three through her dark gray helmet. Sans, Frisk and Papyrus all turned and began to sprint down the dock, more and more magic spears flying through the air, smashing and crashing into the dock, wood splinters and magical sparks filling the air as the trio danced and dashed around the incoming spears, many of them barely grazing the three. Papyrus spun around, bashing away several of them with his staff, summoning a tiny bone and flinging it at Undyne, hearing a soft thud as the bone smacked into her helmet, making her stagger back. She quickly recovered and continued to launch spear after spear, the barrage continuing as the three rushed past, Papyrus summoning a wall of bones to their side, blocking most of the spears. Running forward, the three all rushed ahead and ducked into a large plain of tall grass, shifting down as more spears flew at them, the loud metallic footsteps of Undyne echoing through the area as she came charging towards them, more spears already launched with a flick of her wrist. Papyrus spun around and smacked many of them away, the three continuing to run through the tall grass, Papyrus taking a look back at Undyne. He thought for a moment, and then a spark shined brightly in his eye as he turned to Sans and Frisk.

“BROTHER! FRISK!” He called, “YOU TWO KEEP MOVING, I’LL GET HER OFF OF US!”

“what?” Sans shouted.

“Papyrus, wait!” Frisk cried, but before she or Sans could convince him to stop, Papyrus leapt out onto a small dock, flinging several bones at Undyne, forcing her to stop and slash them away, glaring at Papyrus. Hopping onto another small plank, Papyrus began to float away, launching more bones at Undyne, who leapt onto another to give chase, the two leaping off the planks to another dock, Undyne chasing Papyrus as he ran off, leaving Frisk and Sans alone. The two looked at each other, and let out a collective sigh, both of relief, and of worry, hoping they would see Papyrus again soon.

Looking ahead, the two stepped out of the tall grass, finding themselves in a small cave with a table and an echo flower, a piece of cheese sitting on the table, covered in magic crystal. Stepping in, the two took a moment to breathe, Frisk chuckling at the sight of the cheese. Sans shrugged, chuckling as well before he and Frisk moved on, finding a small area of quiet, a large connection of luminescent rivers and bridges crossing over them ahead, echo flowers and water sausages growing all around the marsh, pitch black grass covering the ground. Sans and Frisk looked at each other, and Frisk unsheathed her knife, Sans summoning a bone staff before the two continued, bubbles of light floating from the rivers before they faded away, the groans of the corrupted being echoed by the flowers on the shores.

The two marched along the pathway leading them through the marsh, crossing over the black grass and the small bridges connecting the tiny islands, making their way through the massive maze of bridges and islands. Finding themselves at the entrance to a smaller cavern, the two stepped in, the area ahead dark and damp, the groans of corrupted echoing inside. The two nodded and stepped in, several corrupted charging at them, screeching and clawing, their melted bodies glistening in the light of the rivers, their pale white, dead eyes locking onto Sans and Frisk, who raised their weapons, and charged ahead, Frisk slashing down one corrupted with three swings before stabbing another, kicking it and ripping her knife from it’s torso, cutting it down with a quick slice. Sans summoned a small barrage of bones and launched it at the two corrupted approaching him, impaling one several times with over a dozen bones, it’s body collapsing to dust as the second continued to rush towards him. Sans dashed out of the way of the slash, quickly stabbing the corrupted with his bone staff, turning the last one's soul blue as it rushed at Frisk, picking it up and slamming it into the ground before throwing it into a bridge, all of the bodies collapsing into dust. Frisk and Sans proceeded forward, creeping through the area ahead, finding themselves in a long room with nothing but water on the sides of a narrow path, leading towards the next room. The two walked along the path, dust floating through the air around them, dulling the water with a gray tinge. Frisk felt a shiver rush up her spine, and stuck close to Sans, holding her knife tightly in her hand. The two stepped into the next room, walking on through and finding themselves along another path surrounded by tall grass and echo flowers, rain seeming to pour down, large puddles covering the ground. Sans stepped towards a bucket filled with umbrellas and popped one open, nodding at Frisk.

“c’mon,” He said, “we’ve still got a way to go kid.”

“Wait, hold on,” Frisk piped up, grabbing an umbrella and hopping into the room they just left, seeing a statue being pelted by rain on the far wall. She leapt up to it, and put the umbrella on it, a music box beginning to play a calming tune, a smile wide on Frisk’s face as she left the statue room, returning to Sans.

“Now let’s go,” Frisk replied, hopping under the umbrella with Sans, who let out a chuckle, the two walking down the rainy path, the echo flowers around them being strangely silent.

They continued through the dark caverns, rain pouring down on them and pelting the umbrella, the only sounds being the soft plops as the raindrops hit it and the ground around them, giving them a moment of calm and serenity, walking together through the pouring rain. They continued along the path, tall grass and plant life surrounded them, the larger marsh they were in before now gone, the whole world around them seeming to be the cave they trudged through, alone, only having each other. Stepping out of the almost endless cavern of puddles and rain, the two found themselves in a large, rocky space, overlooking a large area of marshland and rivers, a large castle looming far away in the distance, crystals above them twinkling like stars. Frisk and Sans stopped, Sans taking a deep breath, the two of them looking at the castle in the distance.

“that’s the kings castle…” Sans said, slowly turning to Frisk, “so, kid, if you don’t mind me asking… why did you want to go on this journey, this little adventure?”

“I want to see what’s out here,” Frisk replied, “If I’m going to-”

“I know that, frisk, believe me. I know that’s important for you and all, you’re a curious kid, but I can’t shake the feeling that’s not the only reason you wanted to do this.”

Frisk went silent, looking back at the castle, Sans letting out a sigh.

“you’re really homesick, aren’t you?”

Frisk sniffled.

“I can’t just not try to find a way home, Sans,” She replied, “My dad, my brother, they’re up there, and I need to find them. I’ve been down here for more than two years now, I can’t wait down here forever. I need to find a way to get back to them, I have to.”

“I know, kid, but… maybe, just maybe, you should take a look at what you got now. you have friends, food, drink… would fighting through this hell really be worth it in the end, if there was no way back? wouldn’t it be better to… take what’s been given to you down here?”

The two looked at each other, sorrow in each other's eyes before they both turned away. Sans sighed, his shoulders dropping.

“nah, maybe it’s best you do try,” He said, “hey, if you really want to go back, I’m rooting for you, frisk. let’s keep moving.”

Frisk nodded, and the two walked on ahead towards the other side of the cavern, ending up in front of a large ledge, too steep from them to climb. Sans thought for a moment, and then put his hand on Frisk’s shoulder, snapping his fingers. In an instant, they were on top of the ledge, Sans proceeding while Frisk took a moment to process before rushing to catch up. They found themselves on a massive dock hanging far above the water, more dock below them, suspended above the rivers below. The two walked silently along, Sans having put the umbrella back into a different barrel, his hands in his pockets, Frisk’s hands holding her knife tightly. Crossing along the maze of docks and bridges, the two continued forward, until they came to a stop, several blue circles covering the floor around them. Spears shot from the circles, and below them, Undyne came into view, glaring up at the two, spears in hand.

Papyrus rushed through the marshlands, smacking away corrupted and leaping over the rivers, dashing and dodging after Undyne, who had rushed further away from him in pursuit of Sans and Frisk. Rushing out on a dock, built over a large body of navy blue and black water, Papyrus looked ahead, seeing Frisk and Sans rushing along the docks and bridges above, spears shooting up around them.

“BROTHER! FRISK!” Papyrus shrieked, glaring at Undyne.

Papyrus rushed forward, staff in hand, and leapt up, smacking Undyne across the face. She quickly spun around, kicking Papyrus down before she continued to trail the two above, more spears shooting out from the docks around them. Papyrus rushed forward, and Undyne summoned a spear, blocking a swing from him, the two trading blow after blow, spear and bone smashing into each other, sparks of magic soaring through the air around them. They continued to fight, Undyne trying to launch spears at Frisk and Sans, Papyrus trying to fight her back, summoning bones beneath her. Undyne leapt up, and Papyrus sent the bones away, charging at Undyne and smashing his staff at her, a spear blocking his attack.

“Papyrus, please, stand down!” Undyne shouted.

“YOU WON’T GET TO THE HUMAN OR MY BROTHER, UNDYNE!” Papyrus replied defiantly, “THEY ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION, AND I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PROTECT THEM!”

The two launched each other away, Papyrus summoning several bones up from the docks, shooting up as Undyne leapt up, kicking off the bones and onto the upper dock, Papyrus panicking.

“OH NO! FRISK AND SANS! SHE’S UP THERE WITH THEM!”

Papyrus summoned more bones, and then leapt up onto them, bouncing off and climbing onto the upper docks, rushing after Undyne. He caught up with her as she launched a barrage of spears into the docks, causing it to collapse, Frisk and Sans falling right behind it.

“BROTHER! HUMAN!” Papyrus cried, leaping after them, Undyne reaching out, trying to grab him.

“Papyrus! No!” She screamed, watching as Papyrus, his brother and the human all plunged into the deep abyss, eventually fading from her sight.

Chapter Text

“Oh? You’ve fallen down,” A soft, childlike voice called, “Here, let me help you up.”

The voice went silent for a moment, before continuing to speak again.

“Chara, huh?” It giggled, “That’s a nice name.”

The voice suddenly changed, getting deeper, sounding more mature, echoing.

“M y  n a m e  i s . . .”

Frisk opened her eyes, blinking twice before sitting up, finding Sans and Papyrus sprawled out around her, unconscious. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around, finding them in a garbage dump, surrounded by piles and piles of trash, some of them floating away down into a deeper, darker abyss. She heard something rustle beside her, and glanced down, seeing Sans slowly pushing himself off the ground, kneeling beside Frisk.

“ah…” He groaned, “that… wow… that hurt way more than I thought.”

Sans stretched, multiple bones making loud cracking sounds as he did so, letting out a sigh.

“well, you seem to be fine, frisk,” He chuckled, “guess not even a long fall like that can take you down, huh?”

“NYO HO HO…” Papyrus sat up, rubbing his skull, “MY HEAD’S ALL SPINNY…”

“well, we did take quite the fall.”

Papyrus’ eyes went wide, and he turned to Sans and Frisk, his jaw dropping, pure joy emanating from his expression.

“BROTHER! HUMAN! YOU’RE BOTH OKAY!”

Papyrus scooped them up before either could respond, embracing them tightly, tears rolling down his cheekbones.
“OH, I MISSED YOU BOTH SO MUCH! I WAS SO WORRIED SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT ME THERE TO PROTECT YOU TWO, BUT YOU’RE OKAY!”

“yeah, we made it through just fine, bro,” Sans replied, hugging his brother back, “but, uh…”

“LET’S NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!”

Sans and Frisk chuckled.

“gotcha.”

“Yeah, let’s not do that, heh.”
Papyrus plopped the two down, and then looked around, his eyes still wide.

“LUCKY FOR US, I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE! THE GARBAGE DUMP!”

“Does that mean you know the way forward?” Frisk asked.

Papyrus rubbed his chin, sweating a little.

“WELL… NYEH HEH… UH, I CAN GUESS! LET’S GO THAT WAY!”

Papyrus hopped off and walked in strides further into the dump, Frisk and Sans quickly rushing behind. Trash piled high around Frisk and the brothers, countless pieces of old technology, empty containers, and broken items lay floating in the water, some of them appearing even as old as one hundred years. Frisk stopped next to an orange cooler and popped it open, snagging some of the astronaut food inside and throwing it in her bag before following Sans and Papyrus, who continued ahead. She stopped in front of a training dummy, which sat soaked in the dump, cotton popping out of its torso, some of the fluff wet and damp. Frisk brought out her knife, and took a quick slash at the dummy, cutting the cloth, leaving more cotton exposed to the elements. She smiled, satisfied, and then continued on, the dummy behind her sinking into the water. Suddenly, the dummy sprang up from the water ahead of Sans and Papyrus, fury in it’s button eyes, which glared at the three.

“Foolish. Foolish! FOOLISH!” The dummy screamed, “I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy!”

Frisk, Sans and Papyrus all froze, Sans letting out a small chuckle.

“heh, this is surprisingly not the weirdest thing to happen all day.”

“My cousin lived in one too, until…” The dummy gestured towards Frisk by pointing its long snout towards her, eyes glaring down on her, “...YOU showed up! When you talked to him, he thought it was going to be a nice conversation, but the things you said…”
The dummy started shaking violently, it’s body detaching from itself, the upper half and lower half moving separately.

“Horrible. Terrible! DESPICABLE!”

Frisk looked at the dummy, utterly confused, Sans still chuckling.

“Human! I’m gonna…”

Sans kept laughing, covering his mouth with his hand.
“Hey! What do ya think is so funny, chuckles?” The dummy became red with anger, vibrating intensely.

“sorry, sorry,” Sans replied, “just… y’know…”

Papyrus froze, glaring at his brother.

“NO.”

“...looks like we’ve cotton ourselves into some trouble.”

The dummy's eyes went wide, and it shook even more violently, rage radiating from its soul.

“we must look like real dummies right now.”

The dummy hissed, shaking even more violently, cotton flinging off into the water. Sans shrugged, Papyrus looking at his brother in disgust.

“SANS…”

“we didn’t mean to be so mean spirited , didn’t think about how it might affect your egoplasm .”

The dummy let out a loud scream, it’s body pure red.

“GAH! STOP!” It screamed, suddenly calming down, its body turning back to the normal dummy color, a soft yellowish tan.

“Eh?” It blurted, suddenly smiling, seemingly overjoyed, “Eureka. Eureka! EUREKA!”

It plopped down into the water, smiling at Sans.

“Obnoxious skeleton, your incessant puns made me feel such a strong sense of anger, I’ve become corporeal! I’m one with my body now! You lot can go right ahead!”

Sans smirked, Papyrus’ eyes wide and jaw dropped, staring in sheer disbelief.

“WHAT… WHAT… HOW… HUH?” He gasped, “SANS, YOUR PUNS… HELPED SOMEONE?”

Sans shrugged.

“yup,” He said, “guess I still got that punny charm.”

“GAH!” Papyrus shrieked, grabbing his brother and Frisk, “WE’RE LEAVING!”

The three began to move towards the exit of the dump, Papyrus calling back to the dummy.

“HAVE A GOOD DAY, MR. GLAD DUMMY!”

“You too. You too! YOU TOO!”

Chapter Text

The darkness of night consumed the world, wrapping it in a veil of black, sending shivers up the spines of the group. The trio moved ahead through the dark, the only light being the bright rivers, which grew rarer and rarer the further they went, mushrooms, crystals, and lanterns filling the marshlands as they progressed. Stepping into a pitch black area, the three looked around, confused.

“EH… UM…” Papyrus sighed, scratching the back of his head, “THIS DOESN’T LOOK GOOD…”

Frisk looked around, seeing several mushrooms scattered across the ground, glowing a bright cyan in the pitch black. She walked up to one, and gave it a poke, a trail of light blue grass sticking up, a path shining in the dark.

“OH!” Papyrus exclaimed, “A PUZZLE!”

“welp, guess we better get a move on and find the exit,” Sans sighed, the two brothers hopping up with Frisk, who followed along the grass towards the next mushroom, giving that one a tap, another path springing up from the dark.

The trio continued to follow the path of glowing grass, eventually reaching a dead end, the path ending, a new path extending from another mushroom.

“OH! I GET THE PUZZLE NOW!” Papyrus said, “WELL, LET’S SKEDADDLE AND CONTINUE ONWARD!”

Frisk glanced over her shoulder, seeing a small opening in the pitch black wall, something lying just beyond the area.

“Wait,” She said, walking towards it.

“UH… FRISK? I DON’T MEAN TO BE RUDE, BUT… YOU DO KNOW THAT ISN’T THE RIGHT PATH?”

“There’s something over here, Papyrus,” Frisk replied, stepping onto the pitch black ground, walking towards the hole, the grass beneath her lighting up.

Papyrus’ eyes widened a bit in surprise, and Sans shrugged, slinking behind Frisk as she approached the break. Papyrus hopped behind them as well, the three of them approaching the hole in the wall, stepping through, finding themselves in a small little cave, the grass no longer pitch black, a stark contrast to the room with the mushrooms. Suddenly, a small creature ran up to them, leaping up and slamming its front paws onto Frisk, who staggered a moment before chuckling.

“hOi!” The little monster squealed, “i’M teMMie!”

Frisk pet the monster, chuckling.

“Hi!” She exclaimed back.

Suddenly, more of the Temmies came rushing over, leaping onto the trio, all of them squealing.

“hOi!”

“hOi! i’M teMMie!”

“hOi thEre!”

Sans laughed, he and Frisk petting the little Temmies, Papyrus standing in confusion, five of them clinging onto his torso and arm, one already laying down on his head.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” He asked in a dry, confused tone.

Sans and Frisk chuckled, several clinging onto Sans, one sleeping atop his head. He shrugged, smirking.

“well, through sheer detemmienation and luck, we found this little place,” Sans winked.

Papyrus glared at his brother, Frisk rolling her eyes, giggling. Sans pointed to her with his thumb, a grin on his face.

“see? she gets it.”

“ACK! SANS!”

Crossing his arms and looking away from his brother, Papyrus let out a grunt, trying to hold back a smile.

“ah, ah, I think I see a smile creepin’ on your face.”

Papyrus tried to hold it back more, shutting his eyes tight, the smile trying harder and harder to break through his angered expression. Sans nudged Papyrus, a smug expression on his face, Frisk quickly joining in.

“Come on, Papy,” Frisk teased.

“just one smile for us, bro?”

“GRR…” Papyrus grunted, holding back a small chuckle.

“Papyrus!” Frisk called.

“c’mon, pap!” Sans chuckled.

Eventually, Papyrus let out a loud groan, immediately followed by a chuckle, a wide smile on his face.

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus laughed, covering his mouth with his hand.

“huh, didn’t think you’d find it that funny,” Sans shrugged.

“WELL, I DON’T HATE YOUR PUNS,” Papyrus replied, “YOU JUST USE THEM TOO MUCH! AND THEY AREN’T CLEVER! YOU NEED MORE WIT, BROTHER!”

“heh, alright, guess you’ll have to out wit me, pap.”

“GAH! LET’S JUST MOVE ON!”

Papyrus shook off all the Temmies, placing them calmly on the ground, Frisk and Sans plopping the ones laying on them to rest on the ground, the three of them leaving the small village, covered in white fur.

“I WONDER HOW THEY SURVIVED FOR SO LONG…”

“probably too obscure to be found, corrupted are too stupid to do the puzzle.”

“Yeah, they probably just got good at hiding,” Frisk looked ahead, unsheathing her knife, “Let’s keep going.”

Continuing along the path, the three found themselves in another dark cave, lanterns scattered throughout, pink crystals growing across the ground, starting to glow. Their glow became stronger, and the cave became darker, until only the light of nearby lanterns were visible. The trio proceeded forward, stumbling blindly through the darkness, the groans of the corrupted seeming to surround them as they went.

“CAN ANYONE SEE ANYTHING?” Papyrus called.

“nope,” Sans replied, “can’t see a thing.”

“There’s a lantern up ahead! I’m gonna see what it does!” Frisk shouted, rushing up to the faint glow of a lantern. She ignited the dying flame with a twist of a small crank, and the cave lit up again, a horde of corrupted surrounding the three. Their eyes went wide, and Frisk held her knife tightly, Papyrus and Sans summoning bone attacks, a staff already in Papyrus’ hands.

The corrupted let out screams and began to charge at the group, growling and biting at them, ready to tear the three apart. Papyrus beat several down with his staff, launching several bones at three more before smashing the ground with the tip of his staff, several bones shooting from the soil and impaling many more, all of their bodies turning to dust. Sans launched a barrage of bones at the horde, taking down several before having to dodge out of the way, several slashing down at him. He turned many of their souls blue and launched them back, springing bones out of the wall, over a dozen corrupted impaled, their bodies turning to dust. Frisk charged at the corrupted, cutting one down with three slices, ducking and dodging around the swinging claws and the gnashing teeth, kicking off of one corrupted and slashing through three more, punching one to the ground. She spun around and cut down another, stabbing a second before kicking down a third, slashing it across the head. Dust coated her knife and her hands, determination burning in her soul like fire. She sprang up and slashed, her knife's blade turning a bright, glowing red, a magic slice shooting off and cutting through several corrupted, their bodies all collapsing. She landed to the ground, and looked up, shocked. Glancing down at her hands, she saw the knife blade slowly turn back to it’s normal metallic silver, the dust still clinging to it. She gazed around, and the room began to go dark again. Quickly leaping towards the lantern, she reignited the flame, and the room lit up again, a sigh of relief coming from her.

“ER… FRISK?” Papyrus called, “ARE YOU OKAY? YOU LOOK… SHOCKED.”

The brothers walked over, Papyrus helping Frisk to her feet, concern on their faces.

“Well, I… I don’t know what just happened,” Frisk said, looking at her knife, “I was just attacking, slashing them down, but then… a… a red magic attack shot out from it, and the blade started glowing red…”

Sans’ eye went wide, surprise in his expression.

“you can use magic?” He asked, yawning, visibly tired out.

Frisk shrugged.

“I… I guess so…” She shook her head, “We should keep moving, come on.”

The two nodded, and followed Frisk through the cave, reaching the exit and stepping through, finding themselves back in a large, marshy area. Standing right near the exit of the lantern cave, they began to walk forward, looking around at the rivers and stalactites filling the room, mushrooms, echo flowers, and water sausages spread out far and wide. Sans wiped his head, which was covered in sweat, starting to pant. Frisk and Papyrus turned to him, concern in their tone.

“Sans?” Frisk called.

“ARE YOU OKAY, BROTHER?” Papyrus asked.

Sans panted, looking ahead with a tired eye.

“yeah... just… whew, this whole day has taken a lot outta me, I won’t lie…”

“OH, I SEE! WE’LL FIND YOU SOME PLACE TO REST, DON’T WORRY, BROTHER!” The three continued through the marsh, walking across old wooden bridges and down long paths, slowly making their way through the marshlands. Coming close to a large ledge, the three continued onward, until metallic footsteps from above echoed towards them, a figure leaping off and slamming behind them, blue spears in her hands.

“NGAHHH!” Undyne shrieked, throwing her helmet away, revealing her blue scales and yellow eye, an eye patch covering her left eye, her red pony tail flowing behind her, “Alright, that’s far enough! You’ve been a pain in the ass for FAR too long, human! Now face the wrath of the Captain of the Royal Guard!”

Undyne charged forward, and stabbed at Frisk, Papyrus quickly stepping in the way, blocking the attack with his staff. The two Guardsmen glared at each other, and broke their weapon lock, Papyrus motioning ahead.

“GO! I’LL HOLD HER AT BAY!” He shouted.

“Papyrus-” Frisk started.

“GO, FRISK! THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE RIGHT NOW!”

Frisk nodded, and she and Sans began to run, Frisk having to support Sans as his body began to give out.

“Come on, stay wake for just a little longer, Sans!” She cried.

“can’t guarantee that anymore, kid…”

The two guards glared at each other, Undyne standing tall, a hardened but saddened expression on her face. She sent the spears away, staring at Papyrus with a pleading eye.

“C’mon, Papyrus,” She said, “Please, just move out of the way.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Papyrus shouted, “THE HUMAN IS UNDER MY PROTECTION! I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY HARM TO COME TO THEM!”

Undyne clenched her hands into fists, glaring at Papyrus, who once was her ally.

“Papyrus, please,” She begged, “They are the enemy! They stand in the way of everyone’s hopes and dreams! They are the reason we all suffer in the dark while they live in the light!”

“FRISK HAD NO PART IN THE WAR! AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO PUNISH HER FOR SOMETHING HER ANCESTORS DID YEARS AGO! SHE IS UNDER MY PROTECTION, SHE IS MY FRIEND! AND I WILL NOT ALLOW HER SOUL TO BE TAKEN, NOT NOW, NOT EVER!”

“They are the ENEMY!”

“SHE IS INNOCENT! WHY DO WE HAVE TO KILL SOMEONE JUST FOR BEING WHO THEY ARE? WHY DOES IT MATTER IF SHE’S HUMAN, SHE’S DONE NOTHING WRONG!”

“They trapped us down here!”

“NOT HER! NOT FRISK! I WON’T ALLOW YOU TO HARM HER, UNDYNE! I DON’T CARE IF THE LAW SAYS THAT HUMANS ARE ILLEGAL! I, LIEUTENANT PAPYRUS, COMMANDING OFFICER IN THE ROYAL GUARD, AM PROTECTING THAT HUMAN UNTIL MY FINAL BREATH! I WILL NOT LET YOU THREATEN HER ANYMORE, NOT FOR A LAW THAT I KNOW IS WRONG!”

Undyne closed her eye, her fists shaking, a desperate plea escaping her voice, the two of them feeling a sense of sorrow and betrayal.

“Papyrus, please,” She cried, “I don’t want to fight you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Papyrus felt sorrow fill his soul, and he sighed, standing his ground.

“I DON’T WANT TO EITHER,” He said, “BUT I’M NOT LETTING YOU GET TO FRISK. I PROMISED TO PROTECT HER, AND THAT IS A PROMISE I CANNOT BREAK.”

Then, Undyne summoned her spears, her tears now disappearing, a burning fire in both of their souls, one to protect, one to capture, one of love, the other of hate. The two glared at each other, and then, they made their moves.

The marsh grew silent as the night crept in, a lone corrupted shifting through the tall grass, its melted form barely keeping together, its soul on the verge of cracking. Suddenly, it collapsed to the ground, shaking violently. It began to screech and scream, ripping and tearing at its melting body, melted fur and flesh peeling off and falling to the ground, its cries of pain echoing through the marsh. The body then fell down into the dirt, slamming into the ground and shifting for a moment. A long, pitch black arm with long sharp fingers burst from the back, another following right after. Soon, a head rose from the torn back of the corrupted, large eyes glowing pure white gazing around the landscape as the rest of the creature rose from the broken form of the corrupted, the body turning to dust. Standing on tall, slender legs, the slim, pitch black creature stood still, spikes shooting up on the back of its head and shoulders, smaller spikes popping up on its arms as well. The creature looked down at its arms, curling its fingers and then stretching them out, looking back at its other arm, doing the same before turning up, a voice emanating from it, speaking one word.

“ Asriel… ”

Chapter Text

The two charged at each other, rushing at full speeds, slashing at each other with their weapons. Magic sparks and bone shards filled the air as the two weapons collided, their wielders glaring at each other before launching each other away. They swung at each other again and again, trading blow after blow, Papyrus spinning around and bashing at Undyne with his staff, Undyne slashing and stabbing at Papyrus with her spear, the weapons smashing together, magic sparks filling the air around them. Their weapons locked and they pushed each other away, Papyrus quickly rushing forward and smacking Undyne with the point of his staff, launching her into the ground, skidding through the soil.

Rising up and charging at Papyrus, Undyne glared at him and summoned more spears, launching them at him, Papyrus smacking most of them away, twirling his staff in his hand before holding it firmly, their weapons colliding again as Undyne tried to beat down Papyrus, who stood strong, his defense nearly impenetrable before he launched her back with a powerful push, rushing her and swinging his staff, missing her as she leapt up, kicking him several feet away, rolling through the soil, eventually skidding to a halt and pulling himself to his feet. Trying to rush past, Undyne ran after Sans and Frisk, but Papyrus swung out his arm, a wall of bones shooting up in her path, forcing her to halt. Dropping to her knees and sliding to a stop, Undyne put her hand to the ground, and then raised her other arm, a barrage of spears appearing in the air, Papyrus lifting his arm, a wave of bones appearing above him. The two stood still for a moment, and then, the attacks were launched, clashing into a downpour of magic sparks and broken bones.

Frisk and Sans rushed through the marsh, running through tall grass and around broken bridges, Sans barely able to stand. Panting loudly and painfully, Sans began to fall, Frisk catching him and carrying him as best as she could.

“Come on! Stay with me, Sans!” She cried.

Sans grabbed onto her, weakly, his body exhausted, craving rest.

“I can barely stay with ya, kid,” He groaned.

“I’m not leaving you here!”

The two continued to run, reaching the top of a hill, covered in tall grass, a strange, large structure just up ahead, several armored figures standing guard at the gated entrance.

The barrages faded away, and then, the two rushed at each other again, swinging and slashing at each other. Trading two blows, Papyrus summoned a wave of twelve bones and shot them at Undyne, who cut them all down, stabbing and slashing at Papyrus, launching a group of several spears towards him. Papyrus blocked several, and turned to face the final weapon, a yellow spear. The attack spun around and smashed into him from the opposite side, causing a yelp to escape his mouth as he fell to the ground. Springing up from the attack, Papyrus smacked Undyne across the face with his staff, kicking her in the stomach, sending her back, staggering. Landing and twirling his staff in his hands, Papyrus glared at Undyne, pointing his staff towards her. Undyne stood, putting her hand to the cut on her face, looking down at it before glaring at Papyrus, Spears squeezed tightly in her fists, anger building inside her. She charged at Papyrus, and they traded blows once more, launching bones and spears at each other, smacking away the attacks of the other. Papyrus spun his staff in his hand, smacking away over a dozen spears, spinning around and smashing the yellow attacks, turning and sticking out his free arm, Undyne’s soul turning blue. He launched her back, summoning a bone wall beneath her, launching her up into the air with a loud cry of pain. Summoning another wall of bones, Undyne smashed into it, and then dropped to the ground with a loud crash, leaving a large crater around her. She pulled herself from the hole, and glared ahead at Papyrus, her mouth curling into a snarl, her teeth glinting in the light of the luminescent rivers. Papyrus swung his staff, launching a wave of bones, Undyne quickly leaping up, smashing them all away before charging at Papyrus, who ducked down, punching her in the chin, making her stagger. Undyne held her jaw, and glared at Papyrus, who stood in front of her, fists held strongly in front of him, hopping slightly back and forth, confidence in his eyes.

Undyne smirked, and dropped her spears, cracking her knuckles.

“Wanna go that route, huh?” She asked, a flash of confidence in her eye, “You’re gonna regret this.”

Reaching the top of the hill, Frisk looked down at the structure below, holding Sans up with all of her strength, barely keeping him on his feet. Sans’ legs wobbled frantically, until he finally stopped trying, all of his weight collapsing onto Frisk. They tumbled down the hill, smacking into rocks and plants as they rolled, bouncing and slamming down right in front of the armored guards, who looked down at them in surprise.

“Woah!” One began.

“Hold it right there!” Another shouted in a gruff voice, “Who the hell are you?”

Frisk held onto Sans tightly, staring up at the guards, fear coursing through her veins. Sans slumped down on her, barely awake, his body begging and pleading for rest, the call for it now wearing down on him.

“Hey! That’s like, Lieutenant Papyrus’ brother!” The first guard shouted, “The guy Undyne told us to arrest!”

They drew their weapons, more guards surrounding Frisk and Sans, who sat there, helpless, tears rolling down Frisk’s cheeks as hopelessness began to take over.

Undyne punched at Papyrus, who blocked the blow, blocking a second as Undyne punched again. Papyrus ducked and leapt up, punching Undyne in the jaw before trying to kick her. Grabbing Papyrus’ leg, Undyne threw him back, charging forward and punching him across the face, and then right in the chest, his battle body cracking. Papyrus fell to the ground, his jaw dislocated, his skull cracked. Tears rolled down his cheekbones as he reset his jaw, rising slowly, Undyne looking at him with a pleading eye.

“Papyrus, this is enough,” She cried, “Stand down, damn it!”

Papyrus shook his head, punching at Undyne, who caught his attack, quickly punching him across the face again, kneeing him in the torso and hoisting him over her head, slamming his spine into her knee before she threw him away, sending him up a small hill. He came to rest at the top, and tried to push himself off the ground, silently crying in pain, every part of his body screaming in agony, aching all over. He looked up as Undyne rushed over and kicked him in the torso, sending him rocketing down the hill, smashing down beside Sans and Frisk, Frisk looking at him with wet, tearful eyes.

“Papyrus!” She cried, turning around to see Undyne, who glared at her.

A glowing spear in hand, Undyne pointed it towards the three, shouting.

“Arrest all of them! And take the human’s soul!”

She stopped, seeing Papyrus slowly rise, yelping in pain, his body and battle body cracked, but his confidence remained unbroken. He summoned his staff, and Undyne sighed, shaking her head.

“Papyrus, please just stand down,” She begged, “I am begging you right now, PLEASE stand down!”

“NO!” Papyrus shouted, all of the guards freezing, turning Papyrus, “I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY MORE HARM TO COME TO THE HUMAN OR MY BROTHER! I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OF YOU TO HURT HER JUST BECAUSE SHE’S A HUMAN!”

Papyrus erected several bone walls around him, Frisk, and Sans, looking at the other guardsmen before back to Undyne, standing tall.

“I, LIEUTENANT PAPYRUS, LEADER OF THE SNOWDIN UNITS, PROTECTOR OF SNOWDIN VILLAGE, WILL NOT BACK DOWN! THIS HUMAN IS UNDER MY PROTECTION, AND I WILL NOT LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING HURT HER! SHE IS A FRIEND, AND AN INNOCENT PERSON, AND AS A GUARDSMEN IT IS MY DUTY TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT! TO SAVE LIVES! AND NOW, I AM PROTECTING HER! SHE IS A SURVIVOR LIKE ANY ONE OF US, AND WE ARE ORDERED TO PROTECT OUR FELLOW SURVIVORS IN THIS TRYING TIME!”

Undyne looked at Papyrus, a pleading, defeated expression on her face. She began to stomp over with anger and sorrow in her eye, until it widened, the door behind Papyrus beginning to open. Light poured out from the doorway, a large figure standing inside, Undyne immediately dropping her spears, falling onto her knee. The other guards did the same, bowing their heads, Papyrus looking around in confusion. Frisk looked up at the figure, feeling a strong sense of fear course through her, Papyrus spinning around and feeling the same, seeing the tall, large figure of King Asgore, king of monster kind, frozen in the doorway.

Chapter Text

Asgore’s breaths stalled, his hands trembling. He glanced down at the small human, kneeling on the ground next to Sans, his eyes wide, shock being the only thing he felt. He took a deep breath, calming himself down, unsure of what he was about to do.

“Ah…” He muttered.

Suddenly, Papyrus knelt in front of the king, hands clasped together, a pleading look in his eyes, tears rushing down his cheekbones.

“YOUR HIGHNESS, KING ASGORE, MR. DREEMURR, PLEASE DON’T HURT FRISK!” Papyrus cried, “THEY’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG, I ASSURE YOU! THEY’RE COMPLETELY INNOCENT AND NICE! THEY HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING WRONG!”

Suddenly, Undyne stood, rage in her eye.

“Papyrus, stop!” She shouted, her anger flashing away as Asgore held up one hand.

“No, Undyne,” He calmly replied, looking down at Papyrus, “Do not fear, Papyrus, I have no intention to harm the human.”

“R-REALLY?” Papyrus begged.

Asgore smiled, putting one hand on the skeleton's head.

“Of course, my friend. I will not harm them, I just wish to speak with them.”

Papyrus nodded, and slunk away, watching as Asgore approached Frisk, kneeling in front of her. Frisk flicked out her knife and outstretched her arm, pointing her knife towards Asgore, tears rushing down her bruised, cut cheeks. Undyne and the other guardsmen summoned weapons, Asgore holding up his hands, the guards stopping in their tracks.

“No, no no,” Asgore said, looking back at the human.

He reached out, touching the knife with his large finger, and pointed it away, smiling at Frisk.

“No need to be brash,” He said, looking Frisk up and down, a frown creeping onto his face, “Human, you look terrified. You have been through a lot, haven’t you?”

Frisk began to sob, trying best to hold it back, turning down towards the ground. Asgore took a deep breath, and smiled at her, a calmness radiating from his presence.

“Why don’t you come on inside, and we can talk? Perhaps we can even have a few cups of tea… does that sound like something you’d like?”

Frisk sheathed her knife, nodding her head furiously, tears continuing to rush down her face as she cried. Asgore reached out for her, and she watched him nervously, Asgore smiling at her, calmness in his eyes.

“You have no need to worry,” He said, “You’re safe now, you are not our enemy anymore.”

Unydne’s eye widened, and she froze, watching Asgore stand to his feet, the human rising beside him, Asgore turning to Papyrus.

“Papyrus, take your brother inside and find him a place to rest. You all deserve it after what you’ve been through.”

Papyrus smiled, wiping the tears off of his face, scooping up his brother carefully in his arms.

“THANK YOU,” Papyrus choked, “TH-THANK YOU… SO MUCH…”

“you’re the best, fluffybuns,” Sans yawned.
Asgore smiled, and then turned to the guards, a sternness in his expression, his face tense, the smile he was wearing moments before now vanished.

“Now, I need you all to make sure this message reaches every Royal Guardsmen,” He shouted in a commanding tone, “Humans are no longer the enemy. The war is over, and any other humans who fall down here are to be treated like a fellow monster, and anyone who kills a human shall be treated like they killed one of our own.”

His eyes trailed back to Undyne, who stood frozen in place, her eye wide. He sighed.

“Undyne, come with us,” He said, “Why don’t you join me and…”

He suddenly smiled sheepishly, chuckling.

“Forgive me, I do not know your name, small one.”

“F-Frisk,” Frisk choked up, “I-I’m Frisk…”

Asgore nodded, putting his hand on Frisk’s shoulder, looking back at Undyne.

“Why don’t you join Frisk and I for some tea?”

Undyne stood still, and then slowly nodded, her spears vanishing away. The group all stepped back into the fortress, tension filling the air, the door behind them closing shut.

Taking a slow sip of his tea, Asgore smiled, tasting the sweet, calming taste of golden flower tea rush into his mouth. He put his cup down on his little saucer, glancing up at Undyne and Frisk, Undyne seated across the table from him, Frisk sitting at the side. Taking a sip of her tea, Undyne smacked her lips, Frisk drinking some of hers with shaky hands, tension hanging around them. Asgore looked over at Frisk, who sat covered in scrapes and bruises, tears still flowing down her face as she sipped.

“Frisk, if you do not mind me asking…” He began, “Are you enjoying your tea?”

Frisk slowly nodded, taking another sip, curled up in her chair.

“Well, that is good to hear.”

Undyne took a sip, and then, slammed her cup down, her brows furrowing in anger. Asgore and Frisk looked over to her, Frisk jumping and reaching for her knife, hyperventilating, Asgore quickly stopping her.

“Is something wrong, Undyne?” Asgore asked.

“Why?” Undyne asked, furious, “Why now of all days do you decide to stop the war? Why now when we have the last soul we need to break the barrier do you call it off and make her an exception? Why, dammit!”

Asgore let out a sigh, closing his eyes and letting his head hang in shame, sorrow in his expression.

“The war… that declaration…” He shook his head, “It… it was all a mistake, Undyne.”

Undyne’s eye went wide, confusion filling her mind.

“Wha… what? What do you mean ‘a mistake’? Those bastards trapped all of monsterkind! She’s one of them! She’s standing in the way of all our hopes and dreams!”

“I made that decision out of grief and anger, I declared war to give our people hope that we would see the sunlight again. I…”

“It’s necessary to set us free! Isn’t that what you want?”

Asgore trembled, his breaths shakey.

“Yes, I want us to be free more than anything. But…” He looked down at Frisk, before closing his eyes again, “I will not allow the blood of another child to be spilled. Not again.”

Undyne punched the table, filled with fury and anger, confusion meshing with all her emotions.

“She is the last soul we need! She is the key to our freedom!”

“You do not understand,” Asgore slunk down, sighing, “I cannot do this anymore.”

“Why? Why can’t you take the soul of one more human and set us all free?”

Asgore felt tears building in his eyes, and his mouth curved into a snarl, sorrow and anger in his expression as his chest tightened.

“Because I cannot take the life of another human, especially a child, when all they have tried to do is survive just like us. I cannot spill the blood of another human, when they have done no wrong to monsterkind. I cannot punish one who has nothing to do with what their ancestors did centuries ago, and I cannot take the guilt of this war anymore.”

Undyne calmed, her body relaxing as she looked at Asgore, sorrow in her expression. Asgore sighed, and then continued to speak, not even opening his eyes.

“Please, Undyne,” He pleaded, “Protect Frisk like you would an innocent monster, and make sure your soldiers do the same. The war is over. Humanity is not our enemy.”

Undyne was ready to reply, when nothing came out of her mouth. She froze, and then looked at Frisk, who was staring at Undyne with fearful eyes, her breathing sporadic and panicked. Undyne clenched her fist and looked away, nodding.

“Alright, fine,” She sighed, stepping out of the room, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.

Asgore opened his eyes and turned to Frisk, a smile on his face.

“I am sorry about what has happened to you, Frisk,” He said, “I hope that in your soul, one day, you can forgive her for the things she’s done.”

Frisk glanced at Asgore, and then to the door, curling back up into a ball, going silent. Asgore’s smile faded once again, and he sighed, looking down at the table.

“I once had a child like you, a little human…”

Frisk looked up at Asgore, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. Asgore let out a small chuckle smirking.

“You remind me of them… they were a kind, but quiet child. They rarely spoke to my wife or I, they were always with my son…”

Frisk watched as Asgore chuckled, reminiscing on old times.

“Oh, how they played in the garden and recorded the funniest little videos with that old camera they found...”

Asgore stopped, and then sighed.

“I… I wish they could’ve been here today, I… I’m sure if Asriel were king now, the Underground would be much, much happier… perhaps… none of this would’ve ever happened… maybe we…”

He stopped, choking up as he remembered his son, tears slowly trickling down his fluffy cheeks. Swiping them away with his massive furry hand, he looked back at Frisk, smiling.

“Forgive me for my tangent, I… I just happened to notice the striking resemblance between you and the human from long ago…”

Glancing down at the small cup Frisk held, Asgore chuckled.

“Oh, goodness me, you’re all out of tea,” He said, pushing back from the table, standing tall, “Would you like some more, perhaps? There is plenty left.”

Frisk glanced down at the cup, seeing her reflection in the little puddle of tea left. She peered at her bruised, cut up face, a bandage stuck to her left cheek, her hair a dirty mess, her cheeks wet with tears. She glanced back at Asgore with an uncertain smile, putting her cup and saucer down on the table.

“I… I’m fine for now. Thank you, your highness…”

“Please, Frisk,” Asgore chuckled, putting his large hand on Frisk’s shoulder, “Call me Asgore.”

Frisk smiled and nodded, pushing back from the table and standing up, wiping tears off of her cheeks. Asgore gave her a pat on the back, and Frisk smiled, remembering her father for a second.

“Y’know, you… you remind me of my dad,” She blurted.

“Oh?”

Frisk chuckled.

“He was the nicest person, always asking me about my day, and made me my favorite cocoa if I had a bad one, he always put me and my little brother first… he…”

Frisk wiped away her tears feeling them well up in her eyes.

“I… I miss him a lot…”

“I can’t imagine…” Asgore said softly, “Perhaps, one day… you’ll get to see them again…”

Frisk and Asgore looked at each other, and Frisk outstretched her arms to the king, Asgore smiling and kneeling down in front of her, wrapping his big, strong arms around her, the two silently embracing each other.

Flowey stared down at the Waterfall Fortress, rage coursing through his body, a loud sigh echoing from him.

“Oh come on!” He groaned, “Stupid fish lady can’t even kill that dumb gullible skeleton! And now for sure I can’t get to the human, they have smiley trashbag with them wherever they go!”

Slumping down onto the ground, Flowey groaned. Suddenly, he shot up. The sound of rustling grass echoed behind him. He spun around, hearing more grass rustling, sweat beginning to drip down his forehead.

“H-hey!” He called, “Who’s there?”

He summoned a small barrage of bullets, his eyes darting around. More rustling echoed towards him as he heard the thing get closer, fear replacing his anger.

“What… what’s this feeling…?” He questioned before glaring back around, “Who’s there?”

A long, slender arm outstretched from the grass, Flowey’s eyes going wide as a tall, pitch black, slim figure approached, it’s eyes large and glowing white, focused on Flowey. He yelped and launched his attack, missing the figure as it approached, staring at the flower.

“H-h-hey! Stay back, creep!” Flowey cried, “I-I-”

“ Asriel, ” The figure whispered.

Flowey froze, more sweat dripping off of his head, staring at the figure, fear and shock coursing through his body. He summoned more bullets, his breaths shaky and scared.

“H-how the hell do you know who I am? H-how do you know that name?”

“ Asriel… it’s me… ”

Flowey’s eyes widened, and a smile spread across his face. A soft chuckle escaped his throat, soon replaced by relieved and excited laughter, tears rushing down his cheeks.

“Chara!” He cried, “Chara, it’s you! You’re back! You’re actually back! And to think I thought that other human could’ve been you!”

“ Do you remember the plan? ”

“Y-yeah! Of course I do! I would never forget about your genius, Chara!”

“ Forget it. A new plan has been formed, and I need you. ”

Flowey’s eyes widened.

“You… you need little old me?”

The figure nodded.

“ We can make this human suffer. We can make this world suffer. Let’s destroy this wretched place and everyone in it. Let’s tear this world down to its foundation, and then destroy it all. ”

Flowey grinned, and let out a chuckle, staring up at the creature.

“Of course, of course! You understand this world better than anyone, don’t you, Chara? Let’s kill them all! Wipe out every human and monster in this world! Let’s tear everything down together! And best of all… let’s make the little human down there suffer as they watch their friends die over and over! Let’s do it, Chara! Let’s see this plan through this time!”

Chapter Text

1 day later…

Frisk leaned against the sink in the small barracks showerroom, looking deep into herself in the mirror. She stared at her own eyes, and let them stare back at her. A deep breath exited her throat, and she brought her hand up to her cheek, tearing the bandage off, the sting not even a concern as she looked at the scar left behind, a scar that the magic healing of Papyrus nor the medics in the Fortress could heal. Flashes of the day Sans lashed out flashed in her mind, and her grip on the sink tensed, tearing her eyes away from the scar. She shivered, and took one more deep breath, splashing water on her face in a desperate attempt to calm down. Looking back into the mirror, she pushed herself away from the sink, and left the showerroom, grabbing her bag and knife from beside the door before she walked down the hall, making her way towards the exit of the base.

“GOODBYE, YOUR HIGHNESS!” Papyrus called, waving to Asgore as he, Sans and Frisk began to walk towards the exit of Waterfall, a smile on their faces.

Asgore waved back with a happy, genuinely hopeful expression on his face, standing tall, calling back to them.

“Should you need to, you are all welcome to come back here, there’s always room for you!”

“thanks, kingy,” Sans replied, winking, “we’ll make sure to stop by again some time. let’s uh, just make sure it doesn’t relate to attempted murder, alright?”

“Oh, yes, I do hope we will meet again, under better circumstances! Have a safe journey, it’s a long and hard one, but… I know it must be necessary!”

Frisk waved to Asgore, and the group continued forward, Asgore calling out to her one last time.

“Goodbye, Frisk! I do hope we get to see each other again!”

Frisk turned away from Asgore, her smile fading away, her happy expression turning into one full of sorrow, a sigh escaping her face. Sans glanced over to her, and concern crept into his mind.

“hey, uh, frisk?” He called, causing her to look up at him, “you hanging in there, kid?”

Frisk thought for a moment, and then glanced back down at her knife, holding it tight in her hand, the blade reflecting her face back to her. Looking up from the blade, she stared straight ahead, taking a deep breath, trying to replace her sorrow and fear with confidence and determination, straightening her back.

“Yeah, just…” She began, “I’m okay, I am. You don’t have to worry.”

Sans looked suspiciously at Frisk, and then slowly nodded, reading her expression, seeing the true uncertainty and fear in her eyes, peering right past the facade of confidence and strength, but yet, seeing genuine determination. A confused expression spread across his face, but then he glanced ahead, he, Papyrus, and Frisk stopping, seeing the old Lab, dust and corruption spread around the old buildings, the lights making up the sign flickering on and off, the automatic door stuck open, revealing the dark, abandoned interior. Chills ran up their spines, and Frisk looked around, spotting another path leading to a strange door, labelled “L1”.

“Why don’t we try that way instead?” Frisk asked, pointing towards the door.

Sans and Papyrus glanced to the door, and then back to Frisk.

“SOUNDS LIKE A  GOOD IDEA TO ME,” Papyrus said, “THE LAB… IT GIVES ME A SPOOKY FEELING… I KNOW ALPHYS USED TO LIVE THERE, BUT… GUESS IT ISN’T TOO MUCH OF A HOME ANYMORE…”

“I agree with the kid,” Sans replied, “let’s take the elevator.”

The three rushed over and hopped into the elevator, pressing the only working button, leading them to a long path, a dark, tall metallic structure standing far in the distance, lava covering its base.

“THERE IT IS,” Papyrus began, “THE CORE…”

“the one and only power source for the entire underground…” Sans added, turning to face Frisk, “this might be the hardest part of this whole journey, kid. before, there were plenty of outposts, sentry stations, whatever… but this place? practically ground zero. we’re really on our own until we reach the CORE… so… you sure you wanna keep going? ‘cause I wouldn’t blame ya if you wanted to turn back now. I know I would’ve thrown in the towel by now.”

Frisk remained silent, thinking for a moment, glaring at the CORE. She looked down at the lava river flowing below, and took a deep breath.

“We’ve already come this far,” She said, “Nowhere to go but forward.”

Papyrus smirked and nodded, Sans nodding as well, the three of them proceeding forward deeper into Hotland, weapons already in their hands. Sans chuckled, glancing at Frisk.

“guess you never got this far by giving up, did you?”

Chapter Text

Pipes hissed as they ejected columns of hot steam, disappearing into the scorching air. Lava bubbled all around the rocky terrain, bubbles soaring out, splashing back into the molten rock below. The hot air seeped deep into Frisk’s skin, making her feel as if she was about to cook from the inside out, beads of sweat dripping down her head. Wiping her forehead with her sleeve, she continued ahead, her determination burning hotter than the lava and fire around her, her knife in hand. Sans and Papyrus followed, the group seeing a horde of six corrupted approaching, their bodies melted even moreso, the heat eating away at what little physicality they had left. Charging forward, Frisk slashed one with her knife, spinning around and kicking another off of the side, watching it fall into the lava, sizzling away as its dust was consumed by the flames. Turning back, she cut the third down with three more slices, Sans and Papyrus rushing in and taking down the rest, Sans flinging one off of the edge, Papyrus beating the final two down with his staff, dust floating away into the air. The three continued forward, and stopped as a column of steam shot into the air with a violent hiss before fading away.

Taking a step forward, they found a vent, an arrow on it pointing across a river of lava, where another section of land was cut off, a similar vent pointing to their side on the other end. Papyrus immediately perked up, excitedly turning back to his brother and Frisk.

“LOOK! LOOK! A STEAM VENT!” He cheered, “THEY USED THESE TO COOL DOWN THE CORE, BUT THEY ALSO ARE A FUN WAY TO TRAVEL! WATCH!”

Frisk and Sans watching, Papyrus happily ran onto the vent, the steam shooting him over the gap, somersaulting and springing up, smiling back at his brother and the human. Frisk looked at him with a shocked expression, Sans simply chuckling.

“yeah, kinda cool, right?”

“IT IS VERY COOL! A WONDER OF MODERN ENGINEERING!” Papyrus waved to them, motioning for them to follow, “COME ON NOW! JUST STEP ON THE VENT AND IT’LL SEND YOU RIGHT OVER!”

Sans shrugged, closing his eye.

“welp, nowhere to go but forward.”

Sans stepped on the vent, immediately being launched into the air, soaring elegantly, majestically, before slamming into the rocky terrain face first, sliding for a second before coming to a stop. Pulling his head up, he turned to Frisk with a grin, nodding and giving her a thumbs up. Frisk looked ahead skeptically, and then down at the steam vent, taking one deep breath. Clutching her hands into fists, she ran ahead and onto the vent, being propelled through the air as the vent hissed out more steam, sending her flying over the gap effortlessly, quickly kneeling down as she landed, a shocked and relieved expression on her face.

“SEE?” Papyrus chuckled, “AH, WHAT A BEAUTY OF INGENUITY!”

Frisk chuckled, hopping to her feet.

“Yeah, heh, that was really fun!” She laughed.

Sans pushed himself off of the ground, and nodded, the three continuing ahead across the rocky landscape, the hissing of pipes and bubbling of lava being the only sounds besides their footsteps. Eventually reaching a rocky three way split in the path, the sounds of groaning and screeching echoed across the area, sending chills up their spines. Clutching her knife tight, Frisk spun around, eyes darting around, looking for danger as Sans and Papyrus did the same, summoning bone staffs and magic attacks.

A moment of silence passed, and then a massive horde of corrupted sprang from behind boulders and up the sides of the path, clawing their way away from the lava below them. Frisk rushed ahead and cut one down with three slashes of her knife, ducking and dodging as the corrupted slashed back, quickly slicing down another before punching one down. Feeling a red hot fire in her soul, her knife began to glow red again as she launched another crimson slash down at the corrupted, the magic attack cutting through them like a hot knife through butter, several of the bodies turning to dust as the wind carried it away. Her eyes went wide again, and she glanced down at the knife in her hands, the blade fading back to its dusty chrome color. Not a moment later a corrupted tackled her, scratching and biting, screeching at her as it attacked, Frisk fighting back against the sheer strength on top of her. Clutching her knife tightly, she bashed it into the corrupteds neck twice, kneeing it in the stomach before shoving it off, watching it tumble off the edge with a cry. Pulling herself off the ground, she turned, watching as Papyrus beat down one corrupted with two swift strikes, twirling around gracefully as he smacked three others off the edge, the melted bodies falling into the lava below. Kicking a corrupted down, Papyrus ducked under, a scratch from another, a loud crack coming from his back, a yelp of pain escaping his skull. Frisk’s eyes went wide and she rushed ahead, cutting down the corrupted preparing to bite down on the skeleton, Frisk grabbing onto Papyrus’ shoulder.

“Papyrus!”

“OWIE… OW… THAT HURT…”

Sans turned to look at the two, holding back a final corrupted with blue magic, quickly throwing it off the edge, rushing over to his brother's side.

“woah, bro, you okay?”

“MY BACK STILL HURTS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I’M OKAY! UNDYNE… MAY HAVE BEATEN ME A LITTLE HARDER THAN I THOUGHT YESTERDAY…”

“If you need to rest, we can stop, Papyrus,” Frisk said with a smile, “You don’t have to push yourself.”

Papyrus smirked, and pushed himself up, green magic emanating off of his hand as he used healing magic on his spine.

“NYEH HEH HEH! THERE’S NO NEED TO STOP NOW! JUST A TOUCH OF HEALING MAGIC AND I’LL BE GOOD AS NEW!”

Sans looked at his brother skeptically, eventually nodding, Papyrus standing up straight again, confidence in his posture.

“NOW, LET US CONTINUE! THERE’S MORE HOTLAND AHEAD OF US YET!”

Marching onward, the three continued ahead, the only sounds echoing around them being the pipes and the bubbling lava all around them, distant screams and cries being interrupted by the constant hissing as steam columns burst into the air. Finding another vent with three platforms ahead, Papyrus rushed ahead, bouncing from one vent to the next, eventually rolling to a stop on the final platform, Frisk and Sans rushing right behind, Frisk soaring through the air, somersaulting to a stop, Sans smacking into the ground beside her face first once again, quickly hopping up from the ground as Frisk pushed herself to her feet, the smaller skeleton letting out a soft chuckle. Continuing ahead, the two stopped behind Papyrus, who was staring off down a darker path, a somber expression on his face Sans turned to look down the path as well, and his eye went pitch black, his smile faltering. Glancing down the path and back up at the skeletons, Frisk wore a confused expression, concern in her eyes.

“Are you guys alright?” She asked, “Is… something wrong?”

Sans blinked and his pupil returned, glancing back to Frisk. He smiled, and plopped his hand on her shoulder, sighing.

“nah, everythings good,” He replied with a wink, “just… bad memories… bad, bad memories about that place down there…”

Papyrus nodded in agreement, rubbing his arm with his hand, visibly uncomfortable as he shifted, turning away from the path.

“WELL, ENOUGH DWELLING ON THAT AWFUL DAY,” Papyrus chuckled, “WE MUST CONTINUE FORWARD!”

Frisk looked to Sans, and he said nothing, hurrying after Papyrus, Frisk rushing to catch up.

A massive lavafall poured down beside them into a deeper abyss below, the light almost blinding to look at as they continued deeper into Hotland. Hearing loud groans and screeches, the three stopped, Frisk unsheathing her knife as Papyrus and Sans summoned their weapons, the screeches and groans seeming to echo from all around them as they heard a horde approaching. Twirling his staff in his hands, Papyrus’ head and eyes darted all around, eventually going wide as he turned back to the lavafall, corrupted pyropes and flame monsters shooting from the lava, screaming and groaning as they rushed the group.

“oh yeah, kinda forgot to mention grillby isn’t the only fire monster around,” Sans shouted at Frisk, who stared at the corrupted with her jaw dropped, an expression of horror and fear in her eyes as the flaming corrupted approached.

Snapping back to reality, Frisk ducked and dodged around several scratches and bites from the corrupted, one grabbing her with its flaming hand, scorching through the jacket, leaving a dark burn on the fabric. Frisk screamed, slashing the corrupted and kicking it back, cutting down another with three slices of her knife, ducking to the side and punching another into the ground, crushing its neck with her foot. Papyrus swiped his staff through three of the corrupted, summoning a bone barrage and launching it at his enemies, the bones cutting and piercing the incoming corrupted, several collapsing as a handful made it through. Ducking, hopping, and dodging away from the incoming attacks, Papyrus beat down three corrupted with his staff, turning and launching a bone through two more and bashing his staff through another, the bodies all collapsing into dust. The two turned over to Sans, watching in horror as one of the corrupted fire monsters scratched at him, tearing through his hoodie before it attempted to tackle him, taking him and itself over the edge.

Sans felt himself fall off the edge of the rocky terrain, his eye wide as he and the corrupted fell, the corrupted letting out a screech as it splashed into the lava. Sans felt the heat get closer, knowing he was close to hitting the lava, fear coursing through his soul, panic rushing through him as he fell, his breathing quickening by the second. Suddenly, a mittened hand reached to him and grabbed his arm, dangling him over the lava. Glancing up at Papyrus, who held him by his sleeve, Sans let out a sigh of relief, Papyrus quickly hoisting him into the air, he and Sans collapsing onto the ground, panting. Frisk rushed over, embracing Sans, tears rushing down her wet cheeks, Sans hugging her back, patting her on the shoulder.

“hey, hey hey, don’t worry, kiddo,” Sans said, “I’m right here, I’m fine.”

“THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE!” Papyrus screamed, rushing and embracing Sans as well, “SANS, YOU WERE SO CLOSE TO THE LAVA! YOU NEED TO BE MORE CAUTIOUS, YOU NEED TO BE MORE VIGILANT! YOU… YOU COULD’VE…”

Papyrus choked up, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, Sans looking up at his brother with worried eyes.

“b-bro, hey, look at me,” He begged, “I’m okay, really, I am. you’re right, I need to be a little more cautious now, I’ll be as cautious as I can…”

Papyrus buried his face into his brother's shoulder, sobbing hard into the hoodie, his confidence completely gone.

“SANS… THAT WAS THE CLOSEST… THE CLOSEST… SINCE…”

Sans’ eye went wide as he glanced down at his brother, hugging him tight as Frisk stepped away.

“hey, pap, it’s okay now, I’m right here, you saved me.”

“BUT YOU WERE ALMOST IN THERE, SANS! I… I COULD’VE… I ALMOST LOST YOU AGAIN!”

“papy, I’m okay, you saved me, again. I’m not dead, I’m right here, bro.”

“I… I KNOW… I…”

Papyrus stood tall, wiping the tears away, looking down at Sans.

“I… I…” Papyrus took a deep breath, looking down at his brother with a smile, “YOU’RE RIGHT, YOU’RE OKAY NOW, AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS… BUT… PLEASE… LET’S EXERCISE MORE CAUTION, OKAY?”

“don’t worry,” Sans winked, “I promise you I will.”

Papyrus knelt down and embraced his brother once more, choking up.

“THANK YOU, SANS.”

Sans closed his eye, hugging his brother back.

“hey, anytime, pap.”

Landing back on the ground as the steam hissed behind them, the three continued forward, finding themselves on a broken, cracking path, a sudden sense of dread shooting through them as they looked down at the broken rocks they stood on.

“OH NO…”

“this does not look good at all…”

Frisk turned ahead, seeing a steam vent aiming towards a more stable looking path, leading them towards another elevator. She pointed ahead, turning back to the skeletons.

“Look! Right there!”
“ANOTHER ELEVATOR!” Papyrus cheered.

“let’s hurry up, looks like this path ain’t gonna be stable for too much longer.”

Papyrus and Frisk nodded, and the three began to run towards the steam vent, the ground beneath them making loud cracking and breaking sounds, putting them all on edge. The ground began to crack and break even further, shaking, making the three stumble as they began to lose their footing. Frisk glanced down and her eyes went wide, the ground beneath her beginning to split off from the rest, loud breaking sounds echoing through the area as it cracked off, falling away from the edge. Frisk screamed as she fell on the small rocky chunk, splashing into the lava, falling onto her knees as the lava current began to drag her away.

“FRISK!” Papyrus screeched in fear, he and Sans rushing to the air vent, launching themselves over, trying to catch up.

“kid!” Sans shouted.

Frisk glanced around at the cliff edges around her, her eyes going wide as she saw how steep they had become, impossible to climb, floating even further away, she called to Sans and Papyrus, who shouted back, watching helplessly as she drifted away, fear in her eyes, eventually fading from sight as the hot lava took her further and further into the distance.

Chapter Text

Interesting.

Truly, truly interesting…

Never before have I witnessed this change of paths in a timeline before.

It is always the same path, for each and every variation, but this?

…

So interesting.

This timeline…

Even the most minute details being changed makes it even more peculiar…

Such an…

Interesting timeline.

A true anomaly.

...

Now, the three have been separated from one another.

Two, on land.

One, alone, floating through rivers of molten rock towards an unknown destination.

All the while, Chara is still scheming…

…

Yes, I am most certainly pleased I did not forcefully reset this one.

Aren’t you?

Chapter Text

Hot molten bubbles spewed up from the lava all around Frisk, some barely missing the floating chunk she was kneeling on, desperately trying to keep her balance as the current dragged her further and further away from her friends, a sense of dread filling her soul. Eyes darting from side to side, seeing only molten rock and the steep cliff edge, Frisk felt her heart beating out of her chest, the heat next to unbearable as she kneeled on the rock, breathing in fast, panic coursing through her veins. She turned to her right and her eyes widened, seeing a cliff that was slanted away from her, still steep, but able to be climbed. Standing on the unstable chunk of rock, she felt determination burn in her soul as hot as the bubbling lava around her, and she charged, leaping off the rock with all of her strength, knife in hand. Stabbing into the rock, the knife began to cut through and bring her down before it stopped, leaving her mere inches away from the lava. She grabbed onto a cliff and dragged herself up, kicking and crawling away from the edge, knife in hand, panicking. The adrenaline slowly began to fade, and Frisk collapsed on her back, tired, letting out a loud sigh, rubbing her face with her hands. Sitting up, she glanced all around her, feeling her heart sink.

She was all alone.

Her footsteps echoed in the deafening silence as she walked down the rocky path, the CORE in her view again. She turned her head to look at the massive structure, standing tall above the lava, imposing, intimidating, fear rushing through her before she looked back ahead. Continuing along the path, she let out a sigh, glancing behind her, seeing only the path she followed. A loud hiss echoed ahead, and she looked toward the sound, seeing another pipe extending high above the lava, plenty more beyond that, all hissing and ejecting steam in perfect sync. She sheathed her knife, and put her hands in her jacket pockets, letting her head hang as she continued down the rocky path ahead, eventually finding herself at an intersection. She peeked down the other path, and then back forward, her eyes going wide as she saw a figure standing in the distance, its dark grey and black form contrasting heavily with the bright oranges, reds, and yellows of Hotland. She reached for her knife and whipped it out, holding it in front of her as she approached the figure, blade pointed towards it. The figure stood tall, holding something in its hand, a small, egg shaped thing, with a face on it, a smile ever present. Approaching slowly, Frisk glanced at the figure with confusion and interest, fear shooting through her as it turned to face her, its face covered in darkness. It beckoned her forward, and she hesitated, eventually stepping towards it, afraid and unsure of what it intended to do.

“Alphys might’ve worked faster, but the old Royal Scientist, Dr. W.D. Gaster?” It spoke, its quiet, whispery voice putting Frisk on edge, “One day, he vanished without a trace. They say he shattered across time and space…”

It chuckled.

“Ha ha… how can I say so without fear?”

The thing in the hand of the figure turned to face Frisk, and her eyes went wide, realizing it was the one speaking to her.

“ I’m holding a piece of him right here. ”

And with the last word uttered, the figure vanished without a trace, sending a chill up Frisk’s spine, alone once again. She felt her chest tighten, her breathing quickening, everything around her causing panic to course through her like blood. She stepped away from the edge, staring at where the figure once was, fear creeping through her mind. She turned and began to run down the path in a panic, clutching her knife tightly, feeling like someone, somewhere, was watching her.

Chapter Text

Frisk quickly turned a corner, rushing as fast as she could down the path, panting heavily as she heard the groans and screams of the corrupted behind her. Not turning to face them, she charged ahead, eyes widening as she skidded to a halt, falling to the ground and desperately scraping at the ground to stop herself. Climbing up to her knees, she looked up at the horde approaching, rushing towards her, teeth gnashing, screams echoing. She found herself at a dead end, the only path being the one the corrupted were rushing down towards her. She turned around and saw another massive pipe shooting out of the lava, hissing as it ejected steam and flames into the air, quieting as it prepared to repeat the action once again. Frisk glanced back to the corrupted, and then to the steam pipe, not even having a moment to breath as she sheathed her knife and leapt towards it, wrapping her arms and legs around it, clasping onto the scolding metal with her hands.

“AH!” She screamed, pulling her hands away from the metal, seeing deep burns on her palms. Feeling tears rushing down her cheeks, the pain almost unbearable, she popped her hands into her sleeves and climbed up to the near top of the pipe, desperately clinging on, her body feeling like it was on fire. She turned her head to watch as the corrupted stood at the edge of the cliff, some having fallen into the lava, all screaming and groaning at her, their melted, dead eyes glaring at her, eyeing her with murderous intent. Suddenly, corrupted sprang from the lava, and began to climb up the pipe, Frisk letting out a scream as she kicked down at the corrupted, watching some of them tumble. A fire corrupted grabbed her leg, the flames burning her leg, charring her skin. She screamed and kicked the corrupted back into the lava, her grip on the pipe loosening. Hopelessness washed over her, and she turned to face the pipe, closing her eyes, sobbing, tears rushing down her cheeks like streams.

She cried loudly, slipping down the pipe, her face wet, and then screamed, calling out for help, desperately begging for anyone to save her. Only the groans and screams of the corrupted answered her cries, and she choked up, screaming out for help once again, her voice cracking and shaky, the corrupted continuing to groan and screech in reply. Suddenly, she heard a new sound, a sharp slash, and she opened her eyes. The corrupted were facing a new figure, who stood nearby, holding a glowing red scythe, perked ears on top of their furry head, a long snout pointing towards the corrupted, bandages wrapped around their hands. The corrupted screeched and charged at the monster, who quickly began cutting through them with his scythe, cutting several in half, impaling one before slicing through several more, kicking two off into the lava. He approached Frisk, and stuck out his hand, reaching to her.

“You gotta jump, kid!” He shouted, “I can’t reach you!”

Frisk glanced down, seeing more corrupted approaching up from the lava below, and took a deep breath, pushing herself off of the pipe, reaching out and grabbing onto the hand of the stranger, who threw her back onto the path, slashing the last corrupted down with his scythe. Leaning over onto his knees, the stranger took several deep breaths, eventually pushing himself up and turning to face Frisk, who still lay on the ground, staring at her burnt hands, tears in her eyes. Sighing, the monster walked over, looking down at Frisk, his scythe fading out of his hands as he stuck them into his pants pockets.

“You alright there, kid?” He asked in a gruff voice, “They didn’t get you, did they?”

Frisk shook her head, and the monster relaxed, still on guard.

“Good.”

Frisk slowly rose from the ground, wincing as she felt pain shoot through her leg and hands, biting down on her lip. The monster looked down at her, concern on his face when he noticed the burns, a small huff escaping his snout.

“Got burnt pretty badly, huh?”

Frisk didn’t nod, letting more tears roll down her cheeks as she watched her hands, which were beginning to shake. The wolf monster knelt down to her height, and stuck out his hands, glancing at Frisk’s burns, thinking for a moment. Gazing up at her face, he sighed, and reached into a small bag he had with him, grabbing bandages.

“Alright human,” He said with a sigh, “I’m gonna wrap up your hands in these for now. Won’t do much, but they’ll help at least.”

Slowly wrapping the bandages around Frisk’s hands and leg, Frisk winced in pain, the tough material of the bandage uncomfortable against her burnt flesh. Rising back to his feet, the wolf looked down at Frisk, hesitating before speaking.

“Alright kid,” He began, “I know you aren’t here on your own, there’s no way in hell you could’ve survived this long alone. So, you got any friends? Or did you just recently fall down around here?”

Frisk took in a deep breath, glancing up at the wolf monster, trying to push the pain in her hands and leg away, biting her lip.

“I… I-I came here with t-two monsters,” She choked up, feeling like she was about to burst into tears again, “We got seperated… I… I got lost… I don’t know where I am…”

The wolf snorted, taking a deep breath.

“Alright, well, do you know which direction you came from, at least?”

Frisk nodded, and pointed to her left, down the path she came.

“A chunk of ground broke off a path,” She said, swallowing in her throat, the adrenaline slowly fading away, “There was an elevator, we were gonna go through…”

The wolf monster nodded, his ears perking as he spun around, eyeing the area.

“There’s more coming,” He growled, “We need to get out of here.”

Frisk looked up at him, and watched as the wolf monster spun and grabbed her arm, the two rushing away from the area, heading deeper into the unknown territories of Hotland.

Chapter Text

Several minutes later...

The lava rivers flowed, steam pipes hissed, and vents hissed as the two trudged through the scorching wasteland. Frisk glanced down at her hands, wrapped in the bloodied bandages. Wincing, she shoved them into her jacket pockets, the pain mostly gone, her leg still aching as she walked along the rocky path. The wolf stepped in strides ahead, his body tense, his ears perked up high, magic surrounding his hands. Frisk turned to him for a moment, and contemplated asking him about himself, but refused, instead glancing to her left, a chill running up her spine. There, once again, was the CORE, closer now. Pipes and machinery extended all the way to the cavern ceiling, lava flowing all around it, crashing into the large mechanical marvel, the metal that anchored the device into the molten rock bright, glowing orange as the lava continued to crash against it. She stared at the device as she followed the monster, a sense of dread filling her. Glancing back down at her hands, she stared at them for a moment, thinking of her father and brother, up on the surface, waiting for her. Her soul began to burn, and her thoughts shifted to Sans and Papyrus, who she knew were looking for her, hoping to find her, hoping she was still alive. Her mind began to be filled by the thoughts of her friends and family, and she clenched her hands into tight fists, her knuckles going white, pain shooting through her arms. She glanced back ahead, and took a deep breath, ignoring the pain, feeling the burning fire of determination rise through her body again.

The two approached an old elevator, and came to a stop, the wolf and Frisk simply staring at it for a moment, the wolf scratching his chin.

“Think your friends went up a level?” He asked, “You said you found an elevator, right?”

“Yeah,” Frisk replied, “They’re probably looking for me right now, and the only way they could’ve gone is through the elevator.”

The wolf thought for a moment, and then stepped up, the elevator doors opening wide, revealing a dusty interior. Frisk shivered, and she and the wolf stepped in, the elevator doors closing as they slowly began to ascend, the soft sound of the elevator rising echoing in the small room. Waiting in silence, the two stood together, the wolf leaning against a wall while Frisk slumped down, unsheathing her knife. She held it tight in her hands, looking at her reflection in the blade. She stared down at the bruised, burnt, scarred person in the metal blade, and let out a sigh.

It’s still me, She thought, Somehow… through all of this… it’s still me…

She sheathed her knife back in her pocket, and took a deep breath, wiping sweat off of her head with her sleeve. Eventually, the elevator came to a stop, and the two stepped out, walking back along the path, Frisk’s eyes darting all around as she glanced around the area, looking for Sans and Papyrus. The two turned a corner, and the wolf stopped, Frisk bumping into him. Glancing up at his face, she saw the wolf's eyes had gone wide, his breathing quickening, his body tensed. She turned away from him and gazed back along the path, and her eyes went wide, there, further away, were Sans and Papyrus.

“WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?” Papyrus cried, tears rushing down his cheekbones, “WE LOST HER, SANS! AND WE DON’T HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE SHE COULD BE! OH, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?”

Sans glanced at his brother, leaning up against a boulder.

“she’ll be fine, bro,” He replied, “deep breaths, ‘kay?”

“B-B-BUT WHAT IF SHE FELL OFF? WHAT IF SHE GOT CAPTURED BY ROGUE MONSTERS, OR CORRUPTED, OR GOT HURT, OR WORSE! SANS, WHAT IF WE NEVER SEE HER AGAIN?”

Sans sighed, closing his eye.

“I don’t know,” He replied, his voice somber and silent, almost a whisper.

Papyrus continued to pace, rubbing his hands on his arms, staring at his feet as he cried to himself. Pacing for another minute, Papyrus came to a stop and turned to Sans.

“WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE CAN’T WAIT HERE! WE NEED TO FIND HER!” He shrieked, “COME, BROTHER! WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE NOW!”

Sans pushed himself from the rock, and put his hands in his pockets, a tired, sulken expression on his face as he and his brother turned, a loud gasp escaping Papyrus’ mouth as they both stared ahead, seeing Frisk. Sans’ eye went wide, and Papyrus covered his mouth, more tears starting to drip down his face. Frisk stared back at them, a smile coming to her face. She rushed ahead, running to the two, Sans charging ahead as well. Reaching to hug him with a smile on her face, Frisk ran to Sans, who shoved her aside, summoning a bone staff, a confused and worried expression spreading across Frisk's face as she watched Sans charge at the wolf monster, bone in hand.

Sans swung his staff at the monster, his attack being blocked as the wolf summoned his scythe. Sans dashed around and launched a barrage of bones at the monster, and right as the monster slashed the barrage with his scythe, Sans rushed behind him, bashing him down with his staff. Grabbing the wolf's soul with blue magic, Sans launched him away, sending him rolling across the rocky ground. Strolling up to the monster, summoning bones all around, Sans glared down at the wolf monster, who wore an expression of fear and shock on his face.

“heya, pal,” Sans said, his voice a low growl, “nice seeing you again, it’s been a hot minute.”

Sans twirled his bone staff, and stabbed it into the wolf's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Yelping, the wolf stared up at Sans as he leaned in, eye pitch black, his smile wide and sadistic, anger emanating from his soul.

“y’know, I got the feelin’ last time we didn’t exactly see eye to eye, heh,” Sans summoned a bone, letting it hang over the wolf’s eye, quickly flicking another over the other eye, glaring down at the wolf with a malicious grin, “ Why don’t we even the score a little bit? ”

“Sans! Wait!” Frisk screamed, “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

Sans glanced up at Frisk, and she paused, seeing the rage in his eye, the pure hatred he had for the wolf coming from him like the heat from the lava. Frisk stepped closer, and Papyrus rushed ahead, stepping beside her.

“BROTHER, STOP!” He screamed.

Sans turned to Papyrus, confusion on his face, his head tilted to the side.

“what?” Sans asked, “pap, this is the same guy who kidnapped us. he tried to kill us. he’s the reason I don’t have my eye anymore. why do you want to spare him after everything he’s done?”

“SANS, PLEASE, DON’T HURT HIM, BROTHER!” Papyrus begged, “HE MAY HAVE DONE HORRIBLE THINGS BEFORE, BUT PEOPLE CAN CHANGE! LET’S GIVE HIM A CHANCE, JUST ONE CHANCE, BROTHER!”

Sans blinked, and slowly glared back down at the wolf monster, sending a chill up his spine. The wolf looked into Sans’ right eye, and then to the bandages wrapped around the left side of his skull, fear still coursing through his soul as Sans pierced his soul with the pitch black void in his eye. Eventually Sans shut his eye and stepped away, his staff and the bones disappearing, his sadistic grin back to his casual smile as he shrugged.

“welp, guess I gotta,” He said, “didn’t really feel like doing it anyway.”

Papyrus and Frisk sighed with relief, and the wolf monster stood to run, Papyrus erecting a bone wall behind him. The wolf spun around seeing Papyrus with his arm outstretched, anger in his eyes.

“I MAY HAVE GOTTEN SANS TO SPARE YOU, BUT I DON’T TRUST YOU,” He said, “I HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I NEED YOU TO ANSWER THEM. IF YOU CAN DO THAT, I’LL LET YOU GO.”

The wolf stared back at Papyrus, and then to Sans, whose eye remained closed for a moment, until it opened up wide, his smile turning back into the sadistic grin. The wolf felt a chill run down his spine, and he turned back to Papyrus, sighing, and nodding. Papyrus smiled, and nodded back, letting his arm drop to his side, the bone wall behind the wolf still standing tall.

“ALRIGHT, I’M GLAD WE’RE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE,” Papyrus sighed, “OKAY, FIRST QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”

The wolf growled, but stopped, hearing a soft tapping. He felt a sense of dread wash over him like a tidal wave, and the tapping continued, becoming the only sound he heard. He glanced back to Sans, who was still glaring at him, tapping his fingers on a boulder, the wide, deep, sadistic grin stretched across his face.

“UM… HELLO?” Papyrus called, snapping the wolf back to attention, “PERHAPS I’LL HAVE TO ASK AGAIN, WHAT IS-”

“Fang!” The wolf shouted before Papyrus could finish his question, “My name. Fang. My name is Fang.”

Papyrus smiled.

“ALRIGHT! NOW, FOR MY NEXT QUESTION, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

“I’m just trying to survive out here, just like every other goddamn soul trapped in this mountain, and this would be a hell of a lot easier if you and-”

The tapping got louder, and Fang stopped, taking a deep breath.

“OKAY…” Papyrus said, scratching his chin, “ALRIGHT, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION…”

Papyrus turned to face Frisk, and then glanced back at Fang, his expression shifting to one of concern and confusion.

“DID YOU SAVE FRISK?”

Fang stared back in bewilderment.

“Who?”

“Me,” Frisk blurted, “And, yes, Papyrus, he… he saved me.”

Papyrus looked down at Frisk, seeing the bloodied bandages wrapped around her hands. His eyes went wide, and he covered his mouth dramatically with one hand.

“OH MY GOD!” He screamed, “FRISK, I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE YOU WERE HURT! IS IT BAD? PLEASE DON’T TELL ME IT’S BAD!”

Frisk chuckled, glancing up at Papyrus with a smile.

“I’m fine, Papyrus, don’t worry too much, heh.”

Papyrus knelt down, grabbing Frisk’s hand, his hands glowing green as he used his healing magic on her scorched flesh, the bone wall sinking back into the ground.

“OH NO! NYO HO HO! LET ME HEAL THIS AS BEST AS I CAN! IT LOOKS REALLY BAD!”

Frisk rolled her eyes, chuckling.

“I’m okay, Papyrus. My hands just got burnt, trust me, I’m okay.”

Fang stepped back, and glanced back at Sans, who was looking down at Papyrus and Frisk, not even paying attention to him. Taking a deep breath, Fang rushed off, running down the winding path of stone, eventually reaching a sentry post, leaning against the counter top. Panting, he calmed himself and turned around, jumping and shrieking as he saw Sans standing behind him, eye pitch black, sadistic grin spread across his skull. Fang looked around for escape, but found none, everything around him seeming like a dead end as Sans slowly approached.

“listen here, pal,” Sans said coldly, “you got real lucky today, real lucky. you got a chance to run off, live alone and isolated, like you should’ve done. heh.”

“What do you-”

Sans shushed Fang, pressing a finger against the wolf's snout, slowly putting his hand back into his pocket.

“no interrupting,” Sans chuckled, “I’m the one talking now, I’m the one standing over you this time ‘round. what a twist, amirite? heh heh.”

Fang simply stared back at the skeleton, his heart racing, fear coursing through his body.

“so listen, fangy,” Sans continued, “I’m gonna listen to my bro and give you a pass this time. things have changed a lot in four years, maybe you have too, hell, maybe you’re the most charitable monster in the whole underground… heh, scratch that, you’re probably still a filthy criminal who deserves to rot, but… anyway… let’s just get to the point.”

Sans leaned in close, glaring into Fang’s eyes, his grin slowly curling into a hateful smile.

“ If I see you again, regardless of when and where, I won’t show you the same mercy as my bro and Frisk. You will be dead where you stand. Capiche? ”

Fang gasped, and after a moment, simply nodded, Sans stepping back, his hatred and anger being masked with a casual smile, his face relaxing, his eye closed.

“glad we’re on the same page,” Sans said, turning and walking away, “now go drop dead somewhere else, freak.”

Fang blinked, and Sans was gone, sending a chill up his spine. Rising on his feet, Fang felt his heart pounding against his chest, and glanced around, taking a deep breath before running off, trying to run as far away from Sans as possible, fear being the only thing filling his mind.

Sans stepped around the corner, Papyrus and Frisk looking up at him with concerned smiles on their faces.

“AH, THERE YOU ARE, BROTHER!” Papyrus called, “WHERE DID YOU GO?”

“just went to chat up fang a little bit more, and also to make sure he, uh… wasn’t up to anything.”

Papyrus’ smile faltered, and he looked at Sans, worried.

“SANS, DID YOU…?”

“nah, I gave him a pass,” Sans replied, “I didn’t kill him or hurt him or anything, I just told him to get lost.”

Papyrus sighed with relief, and then gazed past Sans at the path Fang ran down, Sans turning around and glancing back at Papyrus.

“what?”

“MAYBE WE SHOULD’VE BROUGHT HIM WITH US,” Papyrus replied, “MAYBE HE’S A GOOD PERSON NOW… HE SAVED FRISK…”

Sans shook his head, confused.

“really? you think he could’ve changed? after what he did to us?” Sans sighed, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets, “why do you wanna give someone like him a second chance after what he did, pap?”

Papyrus looked down, hesitated, and then sighed before speaking again.

“THERE’S ALWAYS A CHANCE SOMEONE CAN CHANGE, BROTHER,” Papyrus replied, “ALWAYS. I BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES A CHANCE TO CHANGE, AND, I FEEL AS THOUGH WHEN WE NEED HELP THE MOST, HE’LL BE THERE. I… I KNOW IT.”

Sans walked past Frisk and Papyrus, eye pitch black, half closed.

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Chapter Text

1 hour later...

“ELEVATOR, JUST AHEAD!” Papyrus screamed, “DON’T STOP RUNNING! THEY’RE RIGHT ON US!”

Frisk and Sans hustled ahead, sweat dripping down their faces as they rushed for the elevator doors, wide open, revealing the dusty room inside. Running and leaping in, Sans and Frisk glanced back at Papyrus, who was coming right behind them. Spinning and summoning his staff, Papyrus bashed away several corrupted, some of them falling and screaming into the lava below, the rest stumbling and staggering as Papyrus turned and broke into a full sprint, leaping ahead and somersaulting through the elevator doors. Frisk rushed to the button and slammed one with her fist, the elevator doors creaking as they slowly closed, a corrupted bursting its head through the opening, causing Frisk to scream. Sans rushed forward and smashed the corrupted with a staff of his own, kicking the monster out of the opening as the doors closed fully, the sounds of screeching and bubbling lava replaced by the low humming of the elevator as it ascended to the next level.

Panting, the three let out sighs of relief, Frisk leaning on her knees while Sans sat down, Papyrus standing back against one of the walls, taking deep breaths. Wiping sweat off of her forehead, Frisk looked down at her drenched bandages, taking a deep breath, the pain long since gone from her mind.

“you wanna say how that happened?” Sans asked, Frisk glancing back at him, “never did exactly tell us.”

“I HAVE WONDERED THAT…” Papyrus added, “I WAS JUST THINKING MAYBE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.”

Frisk glanced between the two for a moment, and then back to her bandages, sighing.

“So, after the ground broke and I… floated away, I jumped and climbed back to land. I… got jumped by a horde, and leapt onto one of those steam pipes, and… well…”

“jeez,” Sans sighed, “talk about a bad time.”

“THAT SOUNDS HORRIBLY SCARY,” Papyrus said, “BUT FANG SAVED YOU, RIGHT?”

Frisk nodded.

“Killed the corrupted, and then we found you guys.”

Sans leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath.

“quite a story...” He chuckled, hesitating for a moment, “...it’s good to have you back.”

Frisk smiled at him, and the three felt happiness in their souls, abruptly ending as the hum of the elevator stopped, the doors opening wide, revealing a long, purple path. Sans stood to his feet, summoning his staff.

“welp,” He sighed, “guess we better get moving.”

The other two nodded, and began to walk along the purple pathway, eventually coming across an old pastry shop, a moldy croissant and other pastries littered about the area, several spiders crawling away from the food and out of sight, a chill running up Frisk’s spine. The three continued forward and stepped through a door, finding themselves in a long, dark, web filled room, the floor ahead of them covered in spider’s webbing. Frisk shivered, reaching for her knife.

“Do we have to go this way?” She asked, her voice shaky.

“guess so,” Sans replied, “the elevators are all weird now, they don’t go to every floor anymore like they used to, so this is our only way ahead… unless you want to go back down?”

Frisk shook her head and whipped out her knife, the blades shine dulled by the dust, and the three continued forward, stepping through the webs. The silky strings collapsed under their feet, some folding over and attaching to their bodies, slowly weighing them down. Frisk felt her heart race as she walked through, seeing spiders hanging above crawl away, occasionally seeing several scurry away beneath her.

“Ahu hu hu…” A distant, manipulative voice laughed, “Oh my, what guests.”

Sans and Papyrus continued forward, the webs slowing them down even more as they wrapped around the skeleton’s feet.

“A skeleton duo,” The voice cackled, “And a human too? Ahu hu hu…”

Frisk let out a yelp, and the brothers turned around, eyes wide as they found nothing behind them but the path back.

“FRISK?” Papyrus called, “FRISK?”

“this is not right,” Sans sighed, shaking his head.

“What a pleasant surprise…”

Suddenly, hundreds of spiders came crawling from all around the two, wrapping their feet with webbing, crawling up their bodies, wrapping more around their legs and torsos, eventually encasing all but their heads.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” Papyrus shrieked, “BEGONE! GO AWAY!”

“this is very uncomfortable,” Sans groaned, spiders crawling all over his skull, the little taps of their feet filling his head, “didn’t think I’d be an arachnid doormat…”

“Ahu hu hu…” The voice chuckled again.

A figure slowly descended from above, dark purple hair with two pigtails, six arms and five eyes, a wide grin on her face. Two of her slender arms held onto a swing made of webbing, the others hanging by her side. Her pale purple skin and her raggedy red puffy dress stuck out from the darkness and the pure white of the webs, the skeletons eyes locked onto her. Frisk fell beside her, wrapped in webbing, her mouth covered up, the only sounds she made being muffled grunts as she struggled against the webs.

“Ahu hu hu!” The monster cackled, “What a pleasant surprise! A human and two skeletons coming through my domain? Oh, this is too exciting!”

“UNHAND US NOW, SPIDER-LADY!” Papyrus shouted in a booming, commanding tone, “I AM LIEUTENANT PAPYRUS OF THE ROYAL GUARD! AND I COMMAND YOU TO LET US GO!”

The monster merely snickered, covering her mouth with her hand. Papyrus glanced at her, then at Sans, and then back to her, confusion and worry on his face.

“...PLEASE?”

The monster cackled again, glaring down at the skeletons.

“Oh no, no no, the Royal Guard has no power over me. Asgore may have said no harm must come to them, but I am oh so low on new ingredients for my pastries… I have never made anything with human before, nor have I done so with skeleton, so these next treats will be extra special!”

The monster snickered again, eventually letting out a loud, maniacal laugh, sending a chill up the group's spine, the sounds of thousands of spiders approaching the skeletons putting them on edge. Papyrus summoned a bone and tore through the webbing, flicking his hand and summoning another, freeing his brother. Summoning a staff of his own, Sans and Papyrus turned back to back, facing down the swarms of spiders crawling towards them.

Twirling his staff, Papyrus stood his ground, swiping his weapon through the oncoming swarms, summoning a barrage and launching it at the spiders, many of them falling off into the darkness or turning to dust, the rest still marching onwards. Sans began to do the same, swiping and beating down many more spiders with his staff and bone attacks, the dust of the arachnids covering his hands and jacket. Stomping a spider, crushing it beneath his slipper, he glanced back at Frisk, seeing her hanging in the air, a terrified expression as spiders began to crawl all over her, muffled screaming barely making it to Sans. His eye widened, and he swiped away another swarm, turning to his brother.

“bro, frisk is in trouble,” He shouted, “throw me over there.”

“WHAT?” Papyrus smacked down another wave, turning to face his brother, “ARE YOU SURE? WHAT IF WE MISS?”

“we don’t have time, pap, just do it!”

Papyrus hesitated, and then nodded, grabbing Sans by the back. Spinning around, Papyrus held his brother tight, and spun back around to throw, his back making a loud cracking as he yelped, tossing Sans deep into the abyss below. Falling to his knees, Papyrus stared down at the darkness in horror as his brother fell.

“SANS!” He screamed.

A moment passed, and suddenly, Sans swung up, clutching onto a web, flinging himself and grabbing onto another, swinging closer to Frisk. Quickly healing his spine, Papyrus stood, and summoned a second staff, glaring at the incoming swarms of spiders, prepared, continuing to bash many of them away.

Sans threw his bone at the monster, summoning a barrage of bones and launching it at her as well, swooping in and slashing through the webbing wrapped around Frisk with his staff, winking at her as he wrapped an arm around her, sarcastically saluting to the monster as he swung away, leaping and landing on a platform higher above Papyrus, the two smirked and glanced at each other, Frisk whipping out her knife, the two rushing to edge, looking down at Papyrus, watching him bash away the hordes of arachnids. The monster swiped away the last of the bones, glaring down at the two, a smirk curling up on her face.

“Oh ahu hu hu, you’ve made a poor choice landing there,” She cackled, “Oh my pet, it’s dinner time! Ahu hu hu!”

The ground began to shake, and the two spun around eyes wide as they watched a massive monster approach from the darkness, shaped like a muffin, large spider legs protruding from its base, a set of eyes peering down at them. It let out a loud roar, and Frisk and Sans turned, rushing away as the monster charged, its footsteps shaking the ground beneath them. Running and leaping off of the edge, Frisk grabbed onto another web and grabbed Sans by the jacket, the two of them swinging and leaping off, slamming back down by Papyrus. The pet charged and leapt down to their level, letting out another roar as its master hopped down onto its back, a wild smirk on her face.

“Get them!” She shrieked, her pet charging ahead, Sans, Frisk, and Papyrus glaring back at it, weapons in hand. Thrusting his staff forward, Papyrus launched a barrage of bones, Sans doing the same, Frisk rushing ahead at the pet, twirling her knife in her hands. The bones smacked and slashed at the pet, many bouncing off, some stabbing deep into its body. It shrieked as Frisk charged at it, ducking and dodging as it tried to crush her beneath its feet, making the ground shake violently. Slashing with her knife, Frisk cut one of the legs and followed it up with a second slice, cutting deep into its body. The pet roared in agony and smacked Frisk far from the edge. Grabbing onto a web, Frisk swung up and grabbed onto another, swinging back around and watching as the pet charged at Sans and Papyrus, the two launching another wave of bones, leaping out of the way as it bit down at them. Feeling her determination flare up inside her soul, she swung towards the pet and leaped off, her knifes blade once again glowing a bright red.

“Hyaaaaaah!” She shouted, slashing at the pet, a red slice flinging off of her blade and crashing into the pet, a long, deep gash going through its body. It cried in pain, stomping around as it tried to gain its footing before tumbling over the edge, the monster leaping off with a look of horror on her face, a loud crash echoing up to them as the pet slammed into the ground moments later. The monster stared down at the darkness before glaring at the two skeletons, suddenly punched across the side of the face as Frisk returned, rolling and leaping up, punching the monster more and more, beating her down before slashing with her knife. The monster stumbled back, and Frisk rushed forward, her blade still glowing bright, and punched the monster over the edge, watching as she fell deep into the darkness, the red blade turning back to its dull crimson.

“FRISK!” Papyrus shrieked, rushing over and embracing her, swinging around and hugging her tight, “OH MY GOD, THANK EVERYTHING YOU’RE OKAY!”

Frisk embraced Papyrus, a smile on her face. After a moment, the two let go, and Frisk looked over at Sans, who was staring at the abyss, motionless. Frisk’s smile faded, and she stepped towards Sans, reaching out to him.

“Sans?”

“that’s quite a long way down,” Sans replied, his voice shaky, “glad we didn’t have to see what’s at the bottom.”

Frisk gazed over the edge as well, feeling a shiver run up her spine.

“C’MON! WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING!” Papyrus shouted, “WE’RE SO CLOSE TO THE CORE NOW! MTT RESORT IS JUST UP AHEAD!”

The two looked over, and Sans sighed, hustling to catch up with Papyrus as he left the room. Frisk stayed still, and glanced back down into the pure darkness beneath her, and then rushed to catch up with the brothers, knife held tightly in her hand.

Chapter Text

The three walked on through a dark, abandoned purple set, a broken light above constantly flashing, trying to make it appear as though a shooting star was crossing the night sky, but to no avail. Rotten pink and purple posters were hung up on a wall, advertising a performance that never happened, a performance scheduled for days after the outbreak began. Continuing through the dark room, they stepped through a door, finding themselves back in the warm, orange and yellow colors of Hotland. Papyrus thought for a moment, one hand on his hip, the other balled into a fist touching his chin.

“ALRIGHT, MTT HOTEL IS JUST UP AHEAD,” He said, “AND ASGORE GOT THE MESSAGE OUT THAT FRISK IS TO BE PROTECTED! WE’LL BE A-O-”

A loud series of screeches and magical attacks made them jump as corrupted climbed up the edge ahead and rushed up a flight of rocky stairs, the sounds of metal clashing and dust scattering echoing down to the three as they stood still. Papyrus summoned his staff, a twinkle of heroism in his eye.

“C’MON, BROTHER AND HUMAN FRISK!” He shouted, “LET’S GO HELP THOSE MONSTERS NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk and Sans followed Papyrus as they rushed up the stairs, seeing the entrance to the hotel, a squad of four Royal Guardsmen fighting back a horde of corrupted, two larger guardsmen and two Royal Guardsmen Mages, all fighting together against the incoming waves. Papyrus summoned a barrage of bones and launched it at a cluster of corrupted, quickly rushing ahead and beating two with his staff, flicking around and impaling a third before spinning around and bashing several more away. Multiple bodies turned to dust as Papyrus spun around, kicking another down before turning back and taking several more down with a sweeping blow from his staff, more corrupted bodies collapsing. Sans launched wave after wave of bones, impaling more and more corrupted, loud cracks and splitting bodies echoing as the corrupted waves fell, one getting past and rushing up to Sans, who stopped it in place with blue magic. With a flick of his wrist, he launched the corrupted over the edge, summoning his staff, beating down one corrupted before launching a small barrage of bones, taking down two more, dust covering the ground around him.

Frisk, her knife held tightly in hand, rushed a group of corrupted. Slashing through them with her knife, she sliced one down with three hits, turning and elbowing another before stabbing it in the head, tearing her knife from the body and cutting through another, kicking it down and crushing its head with her foot. Dodging a slash from another corrupted, she pounced it, quickly killing it with a blow from her knife before glancing up, eyes wide as several corrupted charged her and the rest, the Guardsmen and the brothers too focused on their own battles to help Frisk as the corrupted leapt at her, tackling her to the ground. Frisk let out a yelp, and pushed back against the monster on top of her, which gnashed its teeth, trying desperately to bite down at her as it let out a piercing screech, Frisk wincing in pain as her ears began to ring. As the corrupted pushed down harder on Frisk, a pink heeled metallic boot swung and kicked the corrupted away, crushing its head underneath.

“Have no fear, darling,” A suave, showy robotic voice said, “You’ll be safe in the righteous, glorious hands of me, superstar extraordinaire, Mettaton!”

Frisk looked up at her savior, and her eyes went wide, seeing a slender, flashy metal body, jet black hair hanging over one eye of the chrome metallic face, a pink and armored chest with a heart shaped, shining sealed socket in his lower torso, paired with the pink boots attached to the black legs making the bot contrast with everything around him, chrome arms with gloved hands attached to the body by long, sharp shoulders completing the tall, athletic, show person form.

“Now stay back,” Mettaton said, flicking his hair, “And let me show you what a star can do.”

Mettaton rushed ahead and in the blink of an eye, beat down three corrupted, quickly bouncing from one to the next with elegance and grace, kicking and punching his way through the oncoming corrupted. Kicking two up in the air, he leapt into a handstand and kicked through their torsos as they fell back to the ground, their bodies shattering to dust as Mettaton spun and launched into the air, crushing a corrupted beneath his feet. Turning around, he smirked, and grabbed one corrupted with one arm, grabbing another, swinging them around and beating another wave down with them, discarding them by crushing their heads in his robotic hands, their dust falling into a pile on the ground. Mettaton ran a hand through his hair, ducking and dodging as corrupted slashed and pounced at him, stepping to the side and letting two smash into each other before crushing them with his feet. Slowly, the corrupted horde crumbled apart, Mettaton beating the final corrupted down with swift and elegant strikes. As the final corrupted bodies collapsed into dust, Mettaton stood up straight, lifted one hand into the air, and then bowed, sweeping his raised arm back down in front of his chest.

Frisk stared at Mettaton in awe, unable to tear her eyes off the robotic figure as it stood up straight, striding back towards the entrance to the hotel, turning back to her, Sans, and Papyrus. Papyrus and Frisk stared at Mettaton, jaws dropped, sparkles in their eyes, Sans merely glancing at the robot with a neutral face.

“That was amazing!” Frisk cheered.

“NEVER BEFORE HAS COMBAT LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL!” Papyrus cried, tears streaming down his face.

“think maybe that was a bit flashy?” Sans replied uncaringly, “seemed a bit much for me.”

Mettaton scoffed, turning to look at Sans.

“There’s no such thing as too flashy in the show business, darling.”

Turning to look at Frisk, Mettaton smirked.

“You must be that human Asgore called ahead about, hmm?”

Frisk scrambled to her feet, smiling wide.
“Yeah, yeah that’s me!”

Mettaton stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Well, hello there, darling,” Mettaton said soothingly, “You must have had a long trek here. Perhaps you and the good Lieutenant would like to have a luxurious stay at our wonderful little resort? How does that sound?”

Frisk shook her head, the awe fading away as she chuckled.

“That’d be really nice, but we need to get into the CORE.”

Papyrus stepped forward, confidence in his stride.

“YES! OF COURSE! WE MUST KEEP GOING AHEAD ON OUR ADVENTURE! IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, YOU SEE, OH GREAT GLORIOUS METTATON!”

Mettaton’s smirk curled down a little as he analyzed Frisk, Frisk feeling a sense of harsh judgement wash over her, feeling his eye pierce deep into her with his analytical gaze. He clapped his hands together and closed his eye, smirking once again.

“Why of course!” He replied, “You three must have an awfully important journey ahead if you came all the way from Snowdin to here! Come now, I will guide you to the CORE myself, and from there, you may proceed forward as you wish! Or, if you want, that stay I offered can be yours at no additional fee!”

“y’know, it’s been a little while since we had a sit down dinner,” Sans said, hands in his pockets, “why not just stay to calm things down a bit, eh?”

Frisk looked at Sans confused, seeing suspicion on his face when Papyrus piped up once again, thrilled.

“YES! GREAT IDEA, BROTHER! LET’S STAY HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE! AND WHEN WE WANT TO WE CAN HEAD OUT AGAIN! OH, THIS’LL BE FUN!”

Chapter Text

Peeling back the bandages with a grimacing expression on her face, Frisk peered down at her burnt hands, the skin red and smooth, a stinging pain shooting through her arms as she took off the bloodied bandages, letting out a sigh.

“how’re hands, kid?” Sans asked, “looking any better?”

Frisk shrugged, still staring down at her burnt flesh. Sans let out a sigh, scratching at the back of his head, and gazed at Frisk with a genuine smile, Frisk glancing up at him with a confused expression.

“Sans, I… I need to ask you something,” Frisk said.

“sure, ask away kiddo.”

“Why did you want to stay here? We need to keep moving, right?”

Sans leaned back in his chair, picking at his teeth with his finger.

“well, yeah, but I figured we should probably get a good meal or two in,” Sans stopped, slipping his hands into his pockets, “and…”

Sans looked around, peering at everyone else in the dining room, and then back at Frisk.

“I can’t get a reading on mettaton,” He admitted, “guy makes me uncomfortable. that odd expression he had when he looked at you didn’t exactly give me good vibes.”

Frisk smiled, waving it off, concern still in her mind as she began to wrap her hands and leg with fresh bandages.

“I’m sure it was nothing,” She replied, “There’s no need to worry.”

Sans remained unconvinced, glancing back at Frisk.

“wouldn’t count on that with that guy,” He said, making Frisk’s smirk fade, “the moment he saw you something… changed, I saw it, don’t know if anyone else did. just... keep your eyes peeled around him, alright? not saying he’s one hundred percent bad, just saying we can’t trust him that well.”

Frisk looked back down at the table, thinking for a moment. She shivered as she remembered the glare Mettaton gave her, his robotic, analyzing eyes boring deep into her soul, looking at everything she was, the forming scowl on his face making her uncomfortable. After a minute of silence, Frisk nodded.

“I’ll… keep it in mind,” She said.

Sans nodded, and slid over a menu, picking up one of his own.

“welp, glad we could have this kind of talk,” He said, “now, what’re you craving, kid? I don’t have much of an appetite, but I could go for a good drink.”

Frisk glanced down at the menu for a moment, thinking to herself, none of the words written down on the paper even mattering to her. She closed the menu, laying it down on the table, putting her hands in her pockets.

“I’ll just get a drink too,” She replied, “I’m not hungry either.”

Glancing at Frisk, Sans sighed, and stood up, pushing away from the table.

“welp, if all we’re gonna do is get a drink,” He began, winking at Frisk, “why not just grab it from the emporium? no sense taking up a perfectly fine table in a well maintained dining establishment.”

Frisk nodded and hopped up to Sans’ side as the two left the purple and blue dining room back into the gold main lobby, a fountain resting in the center with a statue of Mettaton spitting out water standing proudly at the top. Walking over to the emporium entrance, Sans opened it and stepped inside, seeing a cat wearing a red shirt and a small yellow hat, the letter “M” written in red in the center. The cat wore a fake smile, his eyes dark, bags resting under them, his fake smile drooping low.

“Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day, (TM),” The cat sighed, his voice low and exhausted.

Sans smirked, turning around, sticking up his hands.

“welp, nevermind,” He said, “I’m gonna check on papyrus, you can stay here if you want, kid. you know the room number.”

Sans strode away, and Frisk looked back, and then glanced at the tired cat monster behind the counter, a sense of hopelessness in his eyes as he slouched on the counter, letting out a sigh as he pulled out a cigarette.

“Ah, nevermind, no use reciting the same lines anymore,” He groaned, “What do you want, kid?”

Frisk stepped up to the counter, concern on her face.

“Are… are you okay?” She asked.

The cat’s eyes went wide, and then he snickered, planting his face into the countertop and beating it with his fist before he stared back at Frisk, his eyes tired, pupils small and dilated.

“Okay? Never better, little buddy!” He cheered in an exhausted, cynical tone, “God, would you just look around you? Cramped rooms, crowding, people still having to pay for food even though no one has any JOBS? It’s PARADISE!”

Laughing for another moment, the cat slammed his hands on the counter, glaring at Frisk.

“This place is hell! Why haven’t you and your friends left yet? There’s nothing for you here! This hotel is run like a nightmare, and the only reason people haven’t left is because this is the only Royal Guard post in all of Hotland that hasn’t fallen! And the CORE can’t hold people, it’s a goddamn power station! And good luck getting through the Capital! Hoo boy, if you somehow end up in that HELLHOLE, you’d be BEGGING for Hotland back!”

Frisk took a step back, her expression of concern changing to one of worry as she stared at the cat with wide eyes. The cat’s smile faltered, and he slouched back over the counter, wrapping his arms around his face.

“Sorry about that, little buddy,” He sighed, “I… dammit… I’m not gonna lie, it’s insanely stressful here… I’ve been stuck in this hotel for four years, working at this stupid job in this awful burger joint, did you know the burgers here are made of SEQUINS and GLUE? Ha ha! This stuff may taste good and look sparkly and nice and trashy, but it’s barely edible! Any more chemicals and it’d practically be POISON!”

Frisk stepped toward the cat, worry shining in her eyes. She slowly reached out to him.

“Oh, and there’s no hope left for me! None of us can get up to the surface anymore, and since Asgore has called off the war, we’re never gonna see the sunlight! I was waiting so damn long for that stupid lovable high and mighty king of ours to just get one more soul and set us free, but now look where we are! We’re stuck in hell! HELL!”

Frisk continued to approach, and the cat monster sniffled, his lip quivering, tears welling up in his eyes before he slammed his face into the countertop, crying hard, covering his head with his hands.

“We’re so done, little buddy! We’re through! Gone! Practically dead already! One day one of those hordes is gonna bust down those trash glass doors and everyone in this damned hotel is gonna die, and that’ll happen everywhere else! Everyone’s gonna die! I’m gonna die, you’re gonna die, that skeleton is gonna die, we’re all gonna die in here! It’s not a matter of how any more, it’s just how long will it take before we’re done?”

Frisk reached out, touching his arm, the cat monster looking up at her with sorrowful, hopeless, tear filled eyes.

“Might as well just walk outside…” The cat monster said, burying his face back into the countertop, “Let them get me… be better than being stuck in this hell…”

Frisk glanced down, and turned back as the door opened, seeing Sans standing there, a smirk on his face.

“hey, kid,” He said, looking past Frisk at the cat, letting out a sigh, “you think you wanna head out? paps and I are ready to go, and mr. superstar is getting kinda pushy about bringing us through the CORE.”

Frisk looked back at the cat, and then to Sans, nodding. Sans stepped out of the room, and Frisk moved to follow, the cat monster shooting out his hand and grabbing her arm, forcing Frisk to look back at him, fear in his eyes.

“Don’t trust him,” He whispered, “Do NOT trust him, little buddy. I may have wasted my life but you have your future ahead of you! Don’t trust that freak, he will tear it all away from you!”

Frisk simply stared back at the cat monster as he let go, taking a long puff of his cigarette, trying to compose himself as Frisk ran from the room, stepping beyond the doors and slamming them shut, Sans staring at the ground with a pitch black eye. Frisk glanced at him, and felt a chill run down her spine.

“heh, guess my feeling was right,” Sans said, “let’s go, kid. stick close to me, if that superstar tries anything, well… he’ll know exactly what a bad time feels like .”

Chapter Text

“And now, beauties and gentlebeauties, welcome to the CORE!” Mettaton announced, twirling dramatically into the bright blue mechanical hall, “Our trip here will be short, we just need to step through the elevator ahead of us, and…”

Mettaton stepped up and pressed the button with confidence, which faded as the elevator doors remained closed. Looking at the button and pressing it more and more, eventually punching it, shattering it completely as he turned back and clasped his hands together, a wide smile on his face.

“Ah, perhaps the elevator is down! Ho ho ho, well, we must traverse the long maze like halls together! Try not to get lost!”

“OF COURSE! WE MUST STICK TOGETHER!” Papyrus cheered, turning to Frisk and Sans, “COME NOW, YOU TWO! WE MUST GET MOVING! FOLLOW THE SUPERSTAR, OR YOUR AMAZING FRIEND SLASH BROTHER PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Papyrus hopped up behind Mettaton as the two strolled through the hall to the left, Frisk and Sans looking at each other before glancing at the elevator door. Sans skulked over, and kneeled in front of it. He analyzed it for a second before he took off the panel, his eye going wide. Staring at the wiring, he tore something out and walked back to Frisk, holding wiring in his hands.

“he sabotaged it,” Sans growled in a low, aggressive voice, holding out his hand, MTT brand wires in his hands, “these wires are faulty, they have nowhere near the right components or metals, and they’re his brand, he wasn’t even around when the CORE was being constructed, hell it’s been finished for years before he showed up. he wants us to take the long way around.”

“Then why’d he destroy the panel?” Frisk asked.

Sans glanced back to it, and then back to Frisk, shrugging.

“guess he figured no one would check,” He replied, “and I can tell you’re about to ask how he did it, and, well… word travels fast when it comes from the king, if you get what I’m saying.”

“SANS? FRISK? ARE YOU TWO BONEDOOGLING? WE HAVE TO KEEP MOVING!”

“Yes, darlings! We don’t have a moment to waste!”

Frisk and Sans glanced at each other one more time and nodded, Sans pocketing the wires. Heading into the next room, they found Papyrus and Mettaton waiting for them, Papyrus wearing an irritated expression.

“THERE YOU TWO ARE! WHAT WERE YOU EVEN DOING?”

Sans put on a casual face, shrugging and smirking.

“just makin’ sure we had everything, didn’t want lack of equipment to be the core of our problems.”

Papyrus let out a loud groan, and crossed his arms, turning away from his brother. Frisk looked at Mettaton, and saw the analyzing scowl once more, Frisk and Sans glaring back at him together, knowing anger in their eyes. Mettaton suddenly smiled and closed his eyes, turning and pointing a gloved hand ahead, striding forward.

“Ah, no time for joking! Now is the time to move! Keep your eyes on me, darlings! We’ve got a long way to go!”

Papyrus rushed up after Mettaton, Frisk and Sans brandishing weapons, nodding at each other before cautiously following, hustling to keep up with the others. Strolling through the CORE, Mettaton gestured dramatically around them, more pipes and other devices shooting from the walls and the glowing magical energy beyond the railings along the paths. Blue magic flames shot from the tips of the pipes, glowing white magical bubbles rising from the powerful magic and disappearing into nothing, the cycle continuing as they made their way through the power plant. Coming into another room, Mettaton gestured to their left, and Frisk and Sans glanced over, seeing large blocks of ice slide down a conveyor belt and fall into the core, quickly evaporating as the ice made contact with the energy, steam soaring into the air. Sans chuckled.

“guess that’s where all ice wolfs ice goes.”

“Right you are, right you are!” Mettaton replied in a loud, booming voice, “That Snowdin resident is one of Asgore’s royal employees! Specifically hired for his brawn, he supplies all the ice we need to cool down the CORE!”

“huh, good to snow, ” Sans replied, winking at Frisk, who giggled.

Mettaton growled as Papyrus let out another groan, the group continuing to march forward. Stepping out of a room, they found themselves on a long path with railings on either side, the pure white energy just beyond, deeper down in the CORE. Vents hung above the path, and the group continued forward, the only sounds being their footsteps and the hissing from pipes which continued to spew blue flames into the air, which disappeared in seconds. Loud metal bangs echoed through the vent grates and to the group, Papyrus summoning his weapon while Sans and Frisk readied theirs, Mettaton simply stopping. Vent grates popped from off the vents and crashed to the ground, a group of five corrupted falling down to the ground, wearing bright yellow construction gear and helmets, which were fused to their melted bodies. Mettaton sighed.

“Oh yes, the poor old maintenance crew. I will take care of them, stay back, darlings.”

As Sans and Frisk were about to protest, Mettaton rushed forward and leaped up, sweeping a kick through two of the corrupted, sending them flying over the railings and falling into the energy, screaming and sizzling as they disintegrated into dust, and then nothing. Mettaton looked back at the rest and flicked his hair, rushing forward and beating down one before impaling another with the heel of his foot, quickly jumping on his hands and springing himself into the air, crashing down on the final one, the bodies crumpling to piles of dust on the ground. Mettaton twirled back around and smirked at the group, Papyrus staring at the star in awe, his jaw dropped, Frisk and Sans glancing at Mettaton with mild, unimpressed expressions.

“still seems a bit showy to me,” Sans shrugged.

“Please, darling, no need to repeat yourself, especially when you’re dead wrong.”

Papyrus hopped up and rushed to Mettaton's side, still gushing over Mettaton's acrobatics and elegance, pestering the star with questions. Mettaton chuckled, answering the questions of the skeleton while Frisk and Sans trailed behind, suspicion still in their gaze as they glared at Mettaton, who shot a glare back at them.

Several minutes passed as the group made their way through the CORE, the only sounds being their footsteps and the hissing of the flame pipes, the occasional beeps and boops of electronic devices adding to the noise. Climbing up flights of stairs and continuing through long blue hallways, eventually coming to a long path with a door at the end, the group continued forward, approaching the door and stepping into the next room, another door to the left, framed in red lights, a spherical red light just above the door with two wing like protrusions coming from the sides, creating the shape of the Delta Rune. Mettaton stopped and turned to face the group, clasping his hands together.

“And now, here we are, at the exit of the CORE!” He cheered, “I do hope you had a pleasant trip through, despite the attack of the old workers, poor souls didn’t make it out when everything came crashing down, before I picked it all up, of course.”

Sans and Frisk glared at Mettaton, Papyrus wearing a big smile on his face

“OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, METTATON! YOU’RE A TRUE STAR!”

Mettaton chuckled, holding a hand in front of his mouth.

“Why thank you, darling Papyrus, I’m so glad to have met you as well, you were also quite a star.”

Papyrus’ eyes went wide and he slapped his hands to his cheekbones, gasping.

“I’M A STAR?” He cheered.

Mettaton nodded.

“Yes! Yes you are, darling. Now, I’m sure you all must run along now, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go one at a time.”

“why’s that?” Sans asked skeptically.

“Protocol,” Mettaton lied coldly, immediately going back to his warm, showperson attitude, “Why not have little Frisk go first? This is her journey after all, she should be the star of the show!”

Frisk looked at Sans, who shook his head, but before he could make a move, Frisk was thrown through the doorway as it slammed shut, locking the brothers out. Papyrus snapped out of his awe, running up to the door and banging it with his fists.

“FRISK! FRISK!” He cried.

Sans rushed up, glancing the door up and down.

“hang in there, kid, we’re gonna find a way in.”

Sans turned and watched as Mettaton leapt up and flung himself through an air vent, disappearing as he crawled into the room with Frisk.

“kid!” Sans screamed, “mettaton is heading in there right now, you hear me? mettaton is heading in there right now!”

Frisk pounded back on the door, barely able to hear Sans and Papyrus as their voices were muffled by the metal barrier between them, the pop of an air vent catching her attention as Mettaton dropped into the room, standing tall, the analyzing scowl on his face. He glared at Frisk sending a chill up her spine as she held her knife tight, staring back at the machine. Mettaton rolled his head and cracked his knuckles, still glaring at the small human, taking a deep breath.

“Darling, I won’t lie to you,” He said, “I am so very happy we finally have a moment alone, now with that obnoxious skeleton out of the way, I can finally tell you why this is happening.”

“Yeah? Is that so?” Frisk replied sarcastically.

“Yes.”

Frisk stepped back, feeling fear in her soul.

“You’re a human, as I’m sure you’re very well aware, and that means you’re our ticket out,” Mettaton began to pace the room, continuing his speech, “However, I suppose our old king Asgore had a… change of heart. He spared you. He let you pass, and, to top it off, he granted you protection. Hmph. What a waste, darling. You see, I would love to go to the surface. Down here, I am a star, yes, but up there, I can be a real star, an icon… hundreds, thousands… maybe even millions of humans will watch my shows, my performances! The sun will be my spotlight! But here you are, still in my way.”

Frisk glared at Mettaton, her hatred rising for the machine.

“You’re a freak!” Frisk screamed, “You want to kill me just so you can go live your selfish dreams up there and leave everyone else to die?”

“Oh, and is it not selfish to want to travel up there and leave us all down here to our fate? Is that not what you want to do?”

Frisk froze, thinking for a moment before growling, pointing her knife towards Mettaton. He chuckled, letting a smirk cross his face.

“Of course, you think you are some righteous person, right? You think because you’re a human down here among monsters, you are some hero, or just a victim that needs protection, because you can do nothing wrong. Hmph.”

Mettaton paused, glaring down at Frisk.

“I can read you like a book, darling… and your story is nearing its end.”

Suddenly, spotlights and red lights began to shine bright all around the room as Mettaton raised his arms, a wide smile on his face.

“And my story on the surface is about to begin!”

The lights began to flash and strobe as Mettaton began to shout, his voice loud and booming, as if coming from speakers all around Frisk.

“Drama! Twists! Real bloodshed! That’s how this will all go down on my final, private show…”

Small Mettaton drones popped from the wall, soaring through the air, bombs, hearts, and various other weapons in their hands.

“Attack of the Killer Robot!”

Chapter Text

Mettaton posed dramatically, twirling on the tips of his fingers, springing himself up, shooting down towards Frisk. Ducking to the side, Frisk stepped and dodged around Mettaton's attacks, being kicked in the back, flying and slamming into the ground. She pushed herself to her feet, her eyes widening as a bomb dropped in front of her, exploding and sending her soaring through the air, crashing and rolling across the ground, slamming into a wall. Pushing herself off of the ground, her face bruised, her jacket scorched and torn, her body already aching again, she glared at Mettaton, the robot posing and dancing before rushing forward, kicking down at Frisk. Ducking away, Frisk slashed at Mettaton, the robot swiftly dodgding as Frisk slashed again and again, Mettaton quickly slipping behind and kicking Frisk again, rushing up and punching her away, watching as she slammed face first into a wall, crumpling to the ground. Frisk felt blood begin to trickle down her face, and she glared up, seeing smaller robots approaching, carrying hearts and bombs, prepared to attack. Clutching her knife, Frisk stood, and charged at the robots, slashing one down before cutting another in half, grabbing the last approaching bot and throwing it to the ground, stomping its body into the floor. Spinning and grabbing a bomb one of the robots carried, she turned and launched it at Mettaton, who gracefully leapt out of the way, cartwheeling before launching himself into the air, pointing dramatically at Frisk as he let out a booming laugh, more robots rushing at her.

“Hope you don’t mind the rush, darling!” Mettaton shouted, “My crew is just ecstatic to meet you!”

Frisk took a deep breath, wiping the blood off of her face with her sleeve, and twirled her knife in her hands, rushing forward and slashing through several robots, punching several others down and ducking as more flew past. Turning to face the returning bots, she rushed them and sliced several more with her knife, grabbing one of the bots bombs and throwing it into the group, sparks and metal scraps flying through the air as the bomb detonated, Frisk ducking to the ground as the shrapnel barely grazed her back. She pushed herself up, rushing and grabbing another bomb, dropping and kicking it at Mettaton, who narrowly dodged the explosion, immediately hit by another bomb as Frisk threw it at his head, sending him flying into a wall. Mettaton groaned, and pushed himself from the ground, glaring at Frisk, who was glaring right back at him. Smirking, Mettaton stood tall, impressed.

“Well darling, you’ve lasted longer than I thought,” He said, “Maybe I underestimated you… but not by much.”

Dramatically thrusting his arm forward, Mettaton let out a chuckle, waving his arms towards Frisk, a swarm of robots rushing towards her. Grasping her knife tightly, her knuckles going white, Frisk charged the incoming horde, slashing several down before the robots suddenly swerved away, shooting back into the walls. Confused, Frisk glanced up, her eyes shooting wide as a spotlight hung above her, glowing pure white. Ducking out of the way as the spotlight fired a magic laser, Frisk leapt up, glaring at Mettaton as he danced, music playing from speakers protruding from the corners of the ceiling.

“You’ve got some excellent moves, darling,” Mettaton laughed, “But how are your moves on the dance floor?”

Suddenly, more spotlights popped from the ceiling, firing more magic lights down at Frisk, who barely escaped the attack, scrambling to stop herself as she slid right by a robot with a bomb. Ducking and dodging around more explosions and hearts, Frisk somersaulted and vaulted all around the room, slashing down more robots and sidestepping past more magic lasers. Charging Mettaton, Frisk raised her knife to slash, being stopped as Mettaton hopped forward, kicking Frisk in the stomach before kneeing her in the chin, being launched back by a powerful punch from the star. More blood trickled down Frisk’s face as she pushed herself off of the ground, arm wrapped around her stomach, crimson blood rushing from her nose and mouth. She glared at Mettaton, who simply grinned back, cracking his knuckles, winking at the injured human. Rushing gracefully ahead, Mettaton leapt around Frisk’s slashes and slices, ducking around one before hopping away from another, quickly kicking Frisk in the arm before he grabbed her, slamming her into the ground before bashing her against a wall. Mettaton’s smirk turned into a scowl, and he curled his free hand into a fist, winding his arm back, preparing to deal the final blow. His arm lunged forward right as Frisk, with all her strength, kicked at the heart in Mettaton’s torso, a gasp escaping his robotic throat as his grip on Frisk loosened. Mettaton staggered, leaning over and clutching at his torso, and Frisk quickly rushed ahead, punching him across the side of the face before kicking him in the heart once again, Mettaton dashing away as Frisk attempted to slash at it, her strength and determination renewed.

Mettaton looked down at the heart, his breaths hollow and short, his eyes wide with shock and fear. His head shot up and his eyes locked onto Frisk, watching as she stood on the other side of the dance floor, knife in hand, blood rushing down her face. Closing his eyes, Mettaton let his head drop for a moment, before he looked back up at Frisk with a malicious grin, a newfound shine of confidence in his eye.

“You really are quite the problem, aren’t you?” Mettaton chuckled, coughing, “Well, like all good shows, the star always has a trick up their sleeves!”

Mettaton snapped his fingers, and a spotlight activated, shining bright blue light onto Frisk. She attempted to move, ready to charge at the weakened robot before her, letting out a yelp as she felt her body burn, the blue light being the same magic that Papyrus uses to freeze others. Collapsing to her knees, Frisk glared up at the robot superstar, panting. Mettaton smirked at Frisk, rising and strolling over to her, kneeling down to her height.

“You really tried to put on a good show, darling, but it’s time you exit stage right.”

Frisk let out a scream as she slashed up at the spotlight, a bright red slice shooting off the knife's blade, crashing into the spotlight, glass shards and metal pieces scattering across the floor. Mettaton’s eyes went wide as Frisk rushed him, punching him across the face before slashing him with her knife, several alarms going off in Mettaton’s systems. He punched Frisk across the room and staggered to his feet, his legs shaking, threatening to pop off. He glanced down at his broken body and then up at Frisk, a scowl forming on his face. Pointing forward sharply, a swarm of bots popped from the walls and ceiling, rushing towards Frisk, bombs, hearts, and a variety of weapons in their small hands.

Frisk felt her determination burning in her soul, her blade still bright red. Swiping the blood off of her face with the back of her hand, she charged forward, slashing through dozens of bots with a  red magic slice, somersaulting and leaping up, the robots surrounding her. She twirled her knife and slashed through countless more, ducking and dodging around the explosions and projectiles as she cut and sliced through their metallic, rectangular bodies, glass shards and metal scattering across the ground. Glaring at Mettaton, she rushed ahead, punching away one bot and grabbing another, ripping a bomb from its hands. She wound up her arm and launched the bomb at him, watching as it exploded right in front of him. Stopping, she glared ahead, ducking as Mettaton rushed from the smoke and kicked at Frisk, forcing her to roll out of the way. Kicking and punching at the small human, Frisk hopped and ducked out of the way of the strikes, her blade glowing bright as Mettaton’s eyes went wide. She slashed at Mettaton, his legs shooting off as his body began to take heavy damage, a deep cut now present on his metal body. He watched in horror as Frisk slashed again, slicing deeper into his robotic core, his arms popping off and slamming to the ground with loud clangs. Now a torso laying on the ground, Mettaton felt his power begin to drain as his body began to break down. He glanced up at Frisk, who now stood over him, knife in hand. Mettaton’s mouth curled into a smirk, and he gazed up at Frisk, surprised, the music going silent as the speakers shut down.

“Such strength, passion, determination…” He winked, “I didn’t think you had it in you, darling.”

Frisk simply glared down at him, barely able to contain her rage.

“What is wrong with you?” She shouted, “How can you think this is all just one big show, huh? Is that all this is to you? Just a show?”

Mettaton sighed.

“You wouldn’t understand darling, and you certainly wouldn’t understand why I need to be up there.”

“Why do you want to leave your entire race behind? They need you!”

“The Underground is dead!” Mettaton shouted, “Most of the population has become mindless, wandering creatures that feed on others! Everyone else are just poor survivors trying to somehow make any of this worth it in the end, when there’s no point to any of this! I am tired of all of this melodrama, I need to escape to somewhere brighter, somewhere my talents can shine!”

“How can you say that? They need you down here! They idolize you, you’re their only star!”

Mettaton sighed, his expression going somber.

“What good is a star if they have no one to perform to?” Mettaton asked, “My shows won’t ever air again, I won’t ever be able to entertain the masses again, I won’t be the star in the spotlight once everything breaks down. I’ll just be… just… hmph, why do you need to go up there so bad anyway? You have friends here, you have a reason to stay, so why do you want to leave so badly?”

Frisk let her body relax, and her anger began to fade as she began to think, taking a deep breath.

“Because I have family up there,” She began, “My dad, my baby brother, all the friends I left behind, I lost it all when I fell down this mountain, and I’m doing everything I can to get it back. A friend told me I should accept what I have down here and live with it, but I can’t give up. Even if there is no way back, I have to try, I have to know if I can see them again… because I know they want to see me again, and I know, if I can make it up there, all the pain will be worth it, and once I’m there… everything will be right.”

Mettaton looked at Frisk, his eyes wide, an expression of awe on his face.

“Darling…” Mettaton choked up, “That… that was beautiful…”

Frisk glanced back down at the broken body, sighing.

“They need you down here, Mettaton,” She said, “You matter to people, from what I’ve seen you are their star! You had shows, you entertained, you made their lives better by giving them something to help drown out the pain, and they need that more than ever. Those groups out there, those monsters, those people, they need the hope you gave them before now more than ever! They need a star to help keep them moving forward, they… they need you.”

Mettaton choked up, a smile creeping onto his face.

“You’re… you’re right, darling,” He coughed, “What was I thinking? Humanity has plenty of stars, but monsterkind… they only have me, and now… now they truly need a star to brighten up the night sky! Now they need me to give them the hope they are so close to losing… they need the shows, the laughs, the fun, they need it all… because if they all lose hope, and the Underground truly dies… I… I won’t be able to live with myself… that kind of failure… is the kind that never leaves...”

Mettaton smiled, and glanced at Frisk.

“Frisk, I…” Taking a deep breath, Mettaton continued, “I don’t have much time. This body’s power supply is… inefficient, in a few moments, I’ll shut down… it… it could be days before I’ll be back online again… oh, Alphys… Blooky, I…”

Frisk gasped, thinking of the ghost she met in the Ruins years ago, the ghost who was lost and alone, constantly full of sorrow, one of the first monsters she had ever encountered. She looked down at the heart, and a realization came to her: that heart was his soul.

Mettaton chuckled, and turned up to Frisk with a confident smirk.

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” He said, “Knock ‘em dead, darling!”

And with his final words muttered, Mettaton shut down, his eyes closing and going dark, the pink heart in his torso growing dim, a soft whir echoing out as his power ran low. Frisk sighed and let her head hang low, hearing the door on the other end of the room open, footsteps echoing to her as Sans and Papyrus rushed in, Papyrus embracing her.

“OH, FRISK!” He cried, “YOU’RE OKAY! I WAS SO WORRIED! THE DOOR SLAMMED SHUT, AND YOU WERE SHOVED THROUGH, THERE WERE LOUD BANGS AND THUDS, AND, AND…”

Papyrus and Sans looked down at the broken body of Mettaton, eyes wide. Papyrus gasped, covering his mouth with his hands, Sans staring down in shock, glancing at Frisk.

“you really messed him up, didn’t you, kid?”

Frisk said nothing, glancing down at the robot. She sighed, kneeling down, putting her hand on his busted shoulder, taking a deep breath before she stood up, turning and looking at the other end of the room. Sighing, she looked back at Papyrus, tears in her eyes, Papyrus shaking in fear and worry.

“Papy,” She began, “ He’ll be alright, he’s just out of power…”

“HE’S MISSING HIS ARMS AND LEGS!” Papyrus screamed, “THIS IS NOT FINE!”

Frisk walked up to Papyrus, grabbing one of his hands, smiling at the skeleton.

“It’ll be okay, we just need to get him back to the resort, he can be fixed up and powered up again.”

Papyrus hesitated a moment, glancing at Frisk and then at Mettaton, nodding, his confidence returning.

“YES, YES! YOU’RE RIGHT! I WILL BRING HIM BACK THERE AT ONCE! YOU TWO CONTINUE AHEAD, I’LL BE BACK AS FAST AS I CAN!”

Papyrus scooped up the torso, arms, and legs of Mettaton, turning and rushing out of the room, disappearing off down the hall. Sans tapped Frisk’s shoulder, and she turned to face him, a confused expression on his face.

“why would you want him powered back up?” Sans asked, “he tried to kill you, intentionally. why would you forgive him of all people?”

Frisk sighed, looking down.

“I’m not forgiving him,” She replied, “I’m giving him a second chance. He’s not a bad person, he… he just did a really bad thing, he acted selfish out of fear. I want… I want him to change.”

She turned and looked back to the doorway, taking a deep breath, wiping her face with her sleeve as more blood trickled from her nose.

“I want to see him be better.”

Chapter Text

And with that final act, the journey is now reaching…

A turning point.

One which could change everything.

Will the barrier accept her passage?

Or will she be forced to remain in this undead world, fighting day after day against an endless horde?

…

Hmmm…

That is the one question weighing on my consciousness now, whether or not she’ll be able to go.

In the timeline before, one soul would not be powerful enough, but now, in this new world?

…

…

…

Truly anything is possible.

Wouldn’t you say?

…

…

I am going to continue keeping tabs on her.

She already knows I’m watching her.

Chapter Text

The elevator doors creaked open, revealing the grey stone brick walls of the Capital, a smooth path leading away from the elevator and down a hall. The three stepped from the metal box, and walked down the hall, a soft silence surrounding them, being interrupted by the sound of their feet pattering against the stone as they walked. Continuing ahead, they found themselves on a long balcony, overlooking a portion of the massive city, the sounds of corrupted screeches and magic attacks echoing all the way up to them, Papyrus and Sans feeling shivers run up their spines, Frisk not even flinching. Turning and heading down the balcony, the three came to another path, and stepped towards the door on the other end, towers standing tall on either side of the walkway, hollow and dark. Stepping through a doorway, the three found themselves in a small yard, an old, empty house laying before them on the other end, dead grass crunching beneath their feet. Frisk felt her heart race as she looked the house up and down, looking like a grey monotone copy of the house Toriel lived in in the Ruins. Her eyes widened as she walked up to the house, staring at it, surprised. They stepped through the doorway, and Frisk felt a wave of memories wash over her as she remembered her first days in the Underground, living with Toriel, and although she knew now the chaos and destruction that was happening all around, and how Toriel tried to keep her in the Ruins, away from it all, stuck in the purple hallways and catacombs with an overprotective, overbearing outlook on the world, Frisk couldn’t help but miss the times of safety.

But that was then, and she knew what she had to do now. Heading towards the stairs to the basement, she walked down, Sans and Papyrus following right behind. Walking through long, grey halls, reminding Frisk even more of Toriel's house, they came to a large doorway, similar to the door leading out of the Ruins. Light shined beyond, and the three stepped out, finding themselves overlooking the city again, the castle, Asgore’s Castle, was now in sight, far off, but not too far. The three took deep breaths and looked at each other, knowing what they were about to do. Frisk turned ahead and began to walk down the path, the skeleton brothers following right behind her, Papyrus holding a staff tightly in his hands, glancing around, alert. Sans merely followed Frisk, staring at the ground, thinking to himself. He thought of all the four years he had spent trying to lie, the day he lost his eye, the many times he almost lost Frisk or his brother, the countless times his life was in danger, and everything else this outbreak had put him through. His eye went pitch black as he remembered the wolf, Fang, who had caused him pain and agony, Undyne, who although was once a friend, had become an enemy for days because of an old war caused by guilt, the Royal Guardsmen who pointed weapons and threatened Frisk and himself, wishing to kill her and take her soul, Papyrus’ defiance, the king saving them all… and then he remembered the flashes, the visions, and his heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath, looking out at the city, tearing himself from his thoughts.

Frisk marched on ahead, her knife held tightly in her hands, a stone cold expression on her face. She only thought about returning home, seeing her family again, returning to the life she lost two years ago. She glanced down at her scarred, burnt hands, her expression softening as her lip quivered, she thought of the scar on her cheek, the burn on her leg, and the beating Mettaton had given to her during their fight. She remembered the fear when Sans suddenly went hostile, the panic when Undyne and the guardsmen were hunting her down, the relief and sorrow when Asgore spared her, and the biting nothing she felt as they walked through the grey corridors of the Capital. She took a deep breath, looked ahead, and kept moving, her friends following right behind.

The group approached a large, golden doorway, pillars standing tall along the walls of the hall on the other side, dark shadows casted along the floor as large windows with the Delta Rune emblem shined brightly, light pouring in through them. The group stepped into the hall, and Sans’ eye went pitch black, stopping in his tracks. His vision changed, Frisk and Papyrus vanished, and he saw himself on the other end, the way he was before all of this. Time seemed to stop around them, and Sans walked towards his copy, confusion and apprehension in his mind as he headed towards the other, who had his eyes closed. The copy opened his eyes, and glanced out the window, sighing.

“so, here you are,” The copy said, “heh, a little worse for wear, but eh, what can you do?”

“who are you?” Sans asked.

The copy sighed.

“long story, but to make a longer story a little less long, I’ll just say this: I’m you, or, well, who you could’ve become.”

Sans stopped in his tracks, staring the copy up and down, still confused. He looked at the more vibrant blue of his jacket, noticing how unworn and untorn his clothes were, and how the bandages that covered Sans’ own eye were nowhere on the copy. Sans put a hand to his head, feeling the bandages. Shaking his head, he stared at the copy, blinking.

“yeah, I know, this is all pretty weird,” The copy said, “believe me, I didn’t think I’d be talking with my present self either, but here we are.”

“present... self?” Sans asked.

The copy nodded.

“yeah, you,” He replied, pointing at Sans, “look, I don’t really have much time to talk, so why don’t we get to the point?”

Sans nodded, putting his hands in his pocket, listening closely for what the copy had to say.

“you and our bro have come a long way from who we once were. he finally became a guardsman, you stopped being as lazy as you were before, hell, you two got captured and had a pretty not so pleasant experience with a spear… things have really changed.”

The copy looked out the window for a second, sighed, and then turned back.

“good on you for making sure the kid made it through all this alive, it’s… really commendable. not sure I’d be able to do it, but you’ve shown you can take things into your own hands. you’re not just a bag of bones in a hoodie anymore, are you?”

Sans smirked, and the copy chuckled, taking a deep breath.

“welp,” He said, “that’s all I got for ya.”

“alright,” Sans replied, “good to know, also… you wanna at least explain to me why all these moments happen?”

The copy shrugged.

“I forgot, but hey, they can’t last forever.”

Sans snickered, and nodded.

“go get that kid home,” The copy said, slowly fading away, “they deserve it.”

Sans blinked, and was back in reality, Papyrus standing in front of him, hands on his shoulders, a worried look in his eyes.

“SANS! SANS ARE YOU OKAY?” Papyrus shouted.

Sans chuckled.

“yeah, I’m fine, bro.”

“YOU HAD ANOTHER MOMENT! WHAT HAPPENED?”

“eh, not much, just… talked to myself… although…”

Sans glanced around the hall again, feeling a chill run up his spine.

“this is definitely a place I’ve seen before.”

Papyrus turned around, thinking for a moment.

“GOLDEN HALL…”

Sudden realization washed over Papyrus as he glanced back at his brother, worried.

“OH NO! THIS IS THE PLACE YOU SAW THE FIGURE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT! ARE YOU GOING TO BE OKAY? I CAN CARRY YOU AND COVER YOUR EYE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE!”

Sans chuckled, pushing away the concern.
“don’t worry about me, papy, those don’t really get to me anymore,” He replied, putting his hands into his hoodie pockets, “let’s just go meet up with frisk, seems like she’s already gone ahead.”

“OH! RIGHT!” Papyrus swooped down and picked up his brother, rushing down the hall, “FRISK! HOLD ON! WE’RE COMING!”

The three stood at the Barrier, staring down the bright magic seal trapping them all underground, which stood for millennia. Frisk took a deep breath, and looked at Sans and Papyrus, smiling, tears in her eyes.

“I… I guess this is goodbye,” She choked up.

Sans and Papyrus put their hands on her shoulders, smiling back at her, tears in their eyes.

“hey, don’t you worry too much about it, kid,” Sans winked, “we’ll find another way up there.”

“AND WHEN WE DO, WE’LL ALL GET TO HANG OUT AGAIN!” Papyrus cried, tears pouring down his face, “WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER WITHOUT THREAT OF BEING KILLED ANYMORE! IT’LL BE SO MUCH FUN!”

Frisk hugged Sans, the two embracing for a moment before Papyrus scooped them up, sobbing hard.

“I’LL MISS YOU, HUMAN FRISK!” Papyrus cried loudly, “I’LL TRULY MISS YOU!”

Frisk sobbed, hugging the two skeletons tight, shaking, her breaths quick.

“I-I’ll miss you too, I’ll miss you guys a lot…”

They held each other for a moment, and then Papyrus put her down. The skeletons stepped back, and Frisk approached the Barrier, joy and sorrow filling her soul as she approached. Taking a deep breath, she reached out a hand and pushed it against the Barrier, ready to return back to the world she left… but nothing happened. She opened her eyes in confusion, and pushed against the Barrier. Nothing happened. She was still trapped under Mt. Ebott, with no way of going home. She pushed again and again, harder and harder on the Barrier, her eyes going wide as she slowly realized she could not leave, her soul wasn’t strong enough, and it never would be. A single soul could not pass the Barrier, neither human, nor monster.

Sans’ eye went wide and pitch black, and Papyrus gasped, the two of them feeling their hopes for Frisk be crushed under the weight of the Barrier, and Frisk eventually stopped trying, falling to her knees in front of it, dead silent, barely moving.

“oh shit…” Sans cursed under his breath.

“OH NO…” Papyrus choked up.

A soft clink echoed in the room as Frisk dropped her knife, her expression shocked and scared, her eyes wide and locked onto the barrier. Her mind was racing, all the hopes and dreams of returning home to her family crushed in an instant, the old life she once had now seemingly gone forever, locked behind a door, the key for which did not exist. Her heart sank and began to slow down, everything began to slow down, and she glanced down at her torn clothes, her burnt and bruised skin, the scars and wounds all over her body, and all over her mind. She stared back up at the Barrier, and her brain shut down, her head feeling heavy and full, the weight of the truth crashing down on her harder than anything before. She was trapped, and she would never see the surface again.

Sans hesitantly walked up to Frisk, putting his hand on her shoulder, a worried expression on his face.

“kid…?” He said.

Frisk slowly turned to face him, and stared at Sans with wide, confused eyes, her mind barely comprehending what he was saying, but at the same time understanding completely. Sans sighed, and then spoke again.

“I… I don’t really know what to say, but… I’m sorry.”

Frisk looked away from Sans, the pain in her body slowly returning. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she felt her strength and determination erode away, replaced by sorrow and anger. She held back most of the tears, but many more still slipped out of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Sans reached out a hand, and Frisk glanced down at it, looking back up to Sans with pleading eyes.

“c’mon, kid,” Sans sighed, “let’s… let’s go back.”

Frisk thought for a moment, and nodded, reaching out a shaky hand and grabbing onto Sans, practically, falling on him for support, her whole body weak and shaking, feeling like it was about to collapse from under her as the three slowly left the room and walked back down the hallway, eventually taking the elevator back down to the CORE, dread and defeat lingering around them as they slowly made their way back through the Underground, not stopping until they reached the Waterfall Fortress, bringing the dread and despair to Asgore and the soldiers at the base, defeat hanging over them.

Chapter Text

It appears that the journey has reached…

An end.

She is still trapped down there.

The rule remains.

Only a powerful soul, one of human and monster combined can get through.

The Barrier remains impassable.

This…

Could prove interesting.

Never before have I seen a timeline play out like this.

It…

It truly is an interesting turn of events.

Chara is still scheming, Frisk is now trapped, and…

Almost completely broken.

…

I wonder…

What do you think would happen if someone in such a state was pushed to their limit?

…

Perhaps we will find out soon enough.

Chapter Text

Hours later…

Sans knocked once again on the bedroom door, letting out a sigh.

“hey, frisk,” He called in a defeated, helpless tone, “it’s me, kiddo. will... will you just open the door, please? I… I need to make sure you’re okay…”

Knocking again, Sans leaned against the door, plopping down on the floor, sitting against the door, glancing down.

“I… I really am sorry, frisk,” Sans began, “I really did hope that we would get you back up there, I know I said in waterfall you should just take what you get and roll with it, but… you deserved a chance to try and get back up there. out of all of us, I won’t lie, you were the one who needed to get back there the most…”

No response came from the other side, and Sans took a deep breath, raising his head and closing his eye.

“I understand how hard on you all this is, frisk. you’re... well, I won’t lie, you’re still a kid, you should be playing outside, laughing, being… well… a kid… but that’s not how things really went down, and now…”

Sans hesitated, and then took a deep breath, letting out a defeated sigh, pushing himself off the ground.

“I… I’ll be around for you, okay? I’m right here for you, whenever you’re ready.”

Putting his hands into his hoodie pockets, he slowly walked away from the door, heading towards the main gate, where Papyrus was standing, giving orders to a squadron of Royal Guardsmen. Papyrus turned, a tired gaze in his eyes, a smile appearing on his face when he saw his brother.

“AH, SANS!” He called, “IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU, BROTHER! HOW… HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP? YOU LOOK AWFULLY DOWN…”

Sans remained silent, his eye pitch black, almost fully closed, tiredness in his expression. Sans glanced up at his brother, his smile faltering. Papyrus took a deep breath, looking down to the ground, realization in his expression. His smile faded away, a sorrowful, knowing frown in his place.

“when are you coming back?” Sans asked.

Papyrus scratched the back of his head, glancing away.

“I… I DON’T REALLY KNOW FOR SURE, A LOT HAS HAPPENED THESE PAST FEW DAYS, EVERYTHING IS… A LITTLE BIT MESSY, THAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT, BUT THINGS WILL GET BETTER! DON’T FORGOT THAT, BROTHER!”

Sans chuckled, and then let out a sigh.

“don’t worry about me, bro,” He replied, “you already drilled that sentiment into my head, but…”

Sans looked back at the entrance to the base, his pupil returning.

“there’s one person who I really wish had that sentiment right now, and… I don’t know if I can pass that on to her…”

Suddenly, Papyrus rushed to his brother, embracing him tightly, Sans caught off guard for a moment before hugging Papyrus back, the two brothers holding each other close.

“SHE’LL BE OKAY, BROTHER,” Papyrus said soothingly.

The brothers pulled back and looked into each other's eyes, Papyrus’ shining with hope and confidence, the shine burning through the exhaustion, Sans’ being filled with hopelessness and tiredness, only a spark of hope remaining.

“SHE’S JUST IN A LITTLE BIT OF SHOCK RIGHT NOW, BUT SHE’LL BE A-OKAY, I MEAN… SHE HAS YOU, AFTER ALL, AND, WELL, DESPITE NOT BEING AS GREAT AS ME… YOU ARE STILL GREAT, BROTHER. JUST… GIVE HER A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND SPACE, EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT OKAY! YOU JUST NEED TO BE BY HER SIDE!”

Sans smiled at his brother, and Papyrus stood tall, turning back and walking away with his troops, heading back out into the Underground before he stopped, turning to face his brother again.

“BUT, IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL, I’M… I’M HONESTLY AS WORRIED ABOUT HER AS YOU ARE, I… I’VE NEVER SEEN HER LIKE THIS…”

Sans nodded, whipping out his cell phone.

“gotcha,” He replied, “see you in a while, bro.”

“I’LL SEE YOU LATER, BROTHER,” Papyrus said, smiling, “STAY SAFE, AND… KEEP HER SAFE, TOO.”

Papyrus spun around, pointing forward with a commanding tone coming to his voice.

“ALRIGHT, TROOPERS! OFF TO SNOWDIN, LET’S GO! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!”

He and his soldiers then rushed off into the marsh, disappearing into the foliage, leaving Sans alone at the gate, staring aimlessly into Waterfall. Taking a deep breath, he stood still, simply staring off into the distance as several minutes rolled by, his eye pitch black, a small sigh escaping his mouth.

“Er, I do hope I’m not interrupting something,” A familiar voice called.

Sans turned around, seeing the large fluffy form of Asgore standing in the doorframe, a concerned look on his face. Sans snickered, shaking his head.

“nah, you’re not interrupting anything, fluffybuns,” Sans replied, “just had to say bye to pap before he left, might not see him for a while, y’know?”

“Ah, I understand,” Asgore walked over to Sans, putting a large fluffy hand on the small skeleton's shoulder, “You two seem to care very much for each other.”

“you could say that.”

Asgore chuckled, glancing in the direction Sans was staring, thinking for a moment. His smile faded, and he sighed.

“I… I am truly sorry things did not go as planned,” Asgore said, “I had hoped she would be able to find her way home, somehow, but…”

“things don’t always go as planned,” Sans added, shrugging, “hey, that’s just how it is now. I didn’t plan on being a cyclops, but here we are.”

“I suppose that is true, but… still… things are… awfully cruel right now, especially to that girl. She… she has had to deal with our worst, and now she is stuck with that for however long we’re trapped down here.”

“well, when putting it that way, that is awfully depressing.”

Asgore chuckled, patting Sans on the shoulder.

“Yes, you are right about that, my friend, it is terribly saddening.”

Sans sighed, slouching, helplessness in his soul. He turned to face the ground, hesitating before he spoke.

“how am I gonna do this?” He blurted.

“Hmm?”

“how am I supposed to help her recover from this? all of this has to be the most traumatic thing that’s happened to her, and she’s still a kid. her mind is probably in a thousand places at once and I can’t even hope to really understand all of it, how… how do I do this? how do I help her?”

Asgore thought for a moment, looking away from the small skeleton and taking a deep breath, glancing back at him with a smile spread across his face. He pat Sans on the shoulder, and the skeleton looked up at him with a tired eye, barely able to stay open.

“I won’t lie to you, Sans,” Asgore began, “What you’re going to have to deal with… it won’t be pretty. She is a child, she… she doesn’t have any idea how to cope with any of this, and things are only going to become harder for you and Papyrus for a while, and especially for her, but… you need to be able to listen to her. I know that sounds like not the greatest advice, but in reality, just listening to someone, letting them know their struggle is valid, and that you are there to help… it can help them in ways you can’t even think of right now.”

The two looked at each other, smiling.

“Do not be afraid, Sans. You all will pull through this, it will take time and effort, but you will all come through this stronger and happier, I promise you that.”

Sans chuckled, putting his hand on Asgore’s.

“yeah, I really hope you’re right, kingy,” He said, glancing back at the entrance to the base, “I really hope you’re right.”

Chapter Text

Staring down at her hands rested on her knees, Frisk sat on the edge of the bed, her body tense, her face pale. Clouded with thoughts, her mind raced, countless voices all screaming at once in her head, barely understandable, almost all of them collapsing into one loud screech. Her arms began to shake, and her hands began to clench up, her nails digging into her pants. Fast, panicked breaths escaped her throat as she tore her hands from her legs, clasping onto the sides of her head, shaking even more as the screaming continued. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth, begging for the screaming to stop, to no avail. Spiralling out of control, her thoughts continued to scream and cry, anguish, anger, and fear all rushing around her conflicted mind, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her hands clenched into fists, and pain rushed to her head as she felt like she was pulling her own hair out, her hands shaking more violently, making it worse.

She felt tears begin to rush down her cheeks, and she fought to hold them back, trying to keep it all in, holding back her emotions which began to overwhelm. The world around her felt as if it were collapsing…

“hey, kiddo?” Sans voice called, snapping her back to reality as she heard a soft knock on the door, “you, uh, you doin’ alright in there? you’ve been cooped up in there for a good while.”

Frisk felt her breaths slow down and become steady again, her thoughts temporarily shoved away, still clawing at the back of her subconscious. Pushing herself off the bed, she slunk over to the door, slowly pulling it open, peering out at the bandaged face of Sans in the lit up hall, a worried yet relieved expression on his face as he looked Frisk up and down.

“hey, kid,” Sans said.

“Hey,” Frisk replied.

The two went silent again for a moment, Sans scratching the back of his head, Frisk glancing away, not sure what to say next. Sans sighed, breaking the silence as he began to speak.

“so, uh… you doing alright, kid?” He asked, “you’ve been locked up in that room for… well… hours. you holding up okay?”

Frisk stared back at Sans, wiping off her cheeks with her sleeve, rage suddenly shooting through her mind, thoughts of anger and lashing out at the skeleton springing up like a flame, only to be quickly thrown away as Frisk nodded.

“Y-yeah, I… I’m fine,” She said, stepping out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sans glanced at her skeptically, eventually taking a deep breath.

“alright, if you say so, kid… but, y’know, if all of this is bothering you… I’m right here, frisk. you can talk to me.”

Frisk smiled, slouching against the door, glancing back at Sans with tired, dry eyes.

“Thanks, Sans,” She replied.

Sans nodded.

“anytime, kid. now why don’t you come down to the mess with me, get some grub? I’d imagine you’d be pretty hungry after a good while without some good food.”

Frisk glanced away for a second, the internal conflict raging in her mind slowly clawing forward. She shoved it back, smiling weakly at Sans.

“Okay, let’s go,” She replied, her voice soft and shaky, her sorrow conflicted with the rage she felt deep in her soul. The two walked down the halls together, making their way to the mess hall, which while crowded before, now lay practically empty, only a few soldiers remaining, finishing their meals. Frisk sat and slumped down on the table,resting her head on her crossed arms, the endless stream of thoughts making her head feel like a bag of bricks, too heavy to keep up without becoming exhausted. Sans walked off towards the bar, leaving Frisk alone at the table, watching the skeleton as he made his order, took two trays, and began to walk back over to their table, his smile slightly faltering. Frisk glanced over to another end of the mess hall, and her eyes locked on to a yellow reptilian monster wearing rectangular glasses and a lab coat heating up instant noodles in a microwave, who glanced back at her with wide, surprised eyes. The monster quickly turned away, silently taking her noodles out of the microwave and hustling out of the mess hall, confusion rushing through Frisk’s mind as Sans returned.

“alright, frisk, here you go.”

Sans slid over a tray to Frisk, who glanced over at the food, which consisted of two hot dogs and fries. Frisk smiled at Sans as he sat down across from her, his tray consisting of the same, plus two bottles of ketchup.

“Thanks, Sans,” Frisk said, grabbing the first dog and taking a bite, the soft bread bun and the still hot meat a welcome taste, a smile widening on Frisk’s face.

“figured you’d like it,” Sans replied, shrugging, taking a long sip of his ketchup.

Frisk continued to eat, glancing back over at the door leading out of the mess hall, a confused look on her face.

“Hey, Sans?” She said, “Can I ask you something?”

“sure thing, kid,” Sans replied, slamming his ketchup bottle back down on the table, “whaddya need?”

“Do you know a yellow scaly monster?”

Sans chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

“sure do. her name’s alphys, she’s a bit of a big deal around here, being the royal scientist and all.”

“So that’s who Alphys is?” Frisk replied, glancing back at Sans, “Heh… you and Papyrus mentioned her a couple of times, I just didn’t imagine she’d look like that.”

“welp, what can you say? guess you didn’t dino see it coming.”

Frisk chuckled, finishing off the first hotdog and taking a handful of fries, slowly eating them while Sans moved on to his second bottle, the two silently enjoying the meal and each others company, Frisk momentarily free from her thoughts, the rage, sorrow, and anguish still lingering in her soul.

Darkness crept over the marshlands of Waterfall, shadows consuming the region as the night began to settle in. Through the tall grass, a slender, towering figure roamed, spikes protruding from it’s back, head and arms, it’s eyes a pure glowing white. It skulked through the marsh, searching, corrupted scattered all around, their souls sensed by the creature, but none being corrupted enough. It continued to wander through the area, and eventually, a corrupted came to its senses, one whose soul was completely gone, encased entirely by corruption. The figure wandered off towards the corrupted, and found it mindlessly shambling through the tall grass. As the figure approached, the corrupted turned, freezing in place as the figure reached one of it’s long spiked arms towards the it, the soul of the corrupted appearing in front of it’s chest, almost a pure pitch black, pulsating softly and infrequently, unstable. The figure touched the soul with one of it’s long fingers, and immediately the corrupted screeched and howled, collapsing onto it’s back and shaking violently and uncontrollably, it’s body deteriorating as it melted, chunks of melted flesh splashing to the ground and turning to dust as the corrupted split open, another slender, pure black, glowing white eyed creature rising from the dust, shorter than the first, no spikes protruding along its body. It went still, and turned to face the first, following it as it walked back into the tall grass, the two disappearing among it, vanishing into the marsh once more, only a pile of dust left behind, which was soon taken up by a breeze.

Chapter Text

Their power.

I can feel it seeping into me.

Coursing through me...

They really are like me.

...

Determination.

That is what these things have in their souls.

That is what I must use to my advantage.

Our common feature, our undying determination...

That feeling.

That’s me.

...

I need to find the rest.

The originals.

The corrupted monsters from the lab.

I need to find them all, and once I do...

...

This world will bend to my will, my power.

That scientist thought he could stop me?

Idiot.

He just forced me to get more creative.

And now, I have felt a power I have never truly felt before:

Complete control.

These beings do everything I order them too.

They follow through every command without even hesitation.

I know what I have to do now.

I have to find them all.

And maybe...

Just maybe...

When I find them all...

I can truly overwhelm the Underground.

An army of monsters...

An army of the dead.

=)

Chapter Text

Papyrus and his troops trudged through the snow, staring ahead at the gate just on the horizon, hustling as fast as they could to reach, Papyrus running ahead of his squad. Dogamy and Dogaressa peered down from the watchtower, waving down to the Lieutenant as he came running towards the gate.

“Lieutenant Papyrus!” Dogamy called, “You’re back!”

“You’re okay!” Dogaressa shouted, “It’s good to see you alive!”

“NYEH HEH! GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO!” Papyrus replied, skidding to a halt in front of the gate, his troops just catching up with him, most out of breath, some shivering, “AND LOOK! I BROUGHT BACK REINFORCEMENTS!”

“Outstanding work, sir!” Dogamy shouted, saluting Papyrus.

“Er, sir,” Dogaressa said, concerned, “Where’s the human and your brother? They’re okay, right?”

“DON’T WORRY, DOGARESSA, THEY’RE IN WATERFALL AT THE FORTRESS! THEY’LL BE A O-ALRIGHT!”

The two dogs smiled.

“Good to hear, sir!”

“Yes, now let’s get the gate open!”

The gate slowly opened, and Papyrus stepped inside, turning to face his new troops.

“WELCOME TO SNOWDIN VILLAGE, TROOPERS! HOME OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” He shouted with a booming, commanding, yet energetic voice, “SINCE YOU’RE ALL GOING TO BE STATIONED HERE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, I, YOUR WONDERFUL, OUTSTANDING, AND GREAT COMMANDING OFFICER PAPYRUS WILL HAPPILY SHOW YOU AROUND AND GUIDE YOU TO THE BARRACKS! PLEASE, FOLLOW ME!”

Papyrus strolled through the village, pointing out various buildings and important sites throughout, leading them through to the barracks on the other end of the village.

“AND HERE IS WHERE YOU’LL BE STAYING! THE OWNER OF THIS HOTEL WAS KIND ENOUGH TO CONVERT THIS WHOLE BUILDING INTO A MILITARY BARRACKS! AND, AS AN ADDED BONUS, TROOPS CAN SHOP AT THE STORE FOR A DISCOUNT OF ONE GOLD OFF OF EVERY PURCHASE!”

Papyrus took a deep breath.

“AH, THE PRIVILEGES OF MILITARY LIFE!”

Footsteps echoed over to the group, and Papyrus spun around seeing Doggo rushing up to him, a smoking dog treat in his mouth, his eyes bright.

“Sir! Sir!”

“OH, HELLO DOGGO! HAVE YOU COME TO MEET OUR NEW ADDITIONS TO THE RANKS?”

“No, sir! There’s someone at the bridge gate! They want to come through the village, and I told them to stay put until I got word from you they could come in!”

Papyrus nodded, scratching his chin.

“ALRIGHTY THEN! TROOPERS, MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME! I HAVE A NEW GUEST TO MEET! TAKE ME TO THEM, DOGGO!”

“Yes sir!”

The two rushed towards the western side of the village, Doggo rushing back up into the watchtower while Papyrus opened the gate, a cheerful smile on his face as he glanced out at the new monster. He looked up to meet the eyes of the stranger who stood slightly taller than him. Her purple robe stood out sharply from the snow all over, and her white fur stood out from even that, almost blending in with the environment around them. Her soft red eyes looked back at Papyrus, and he stared at her, shocked.

“WOAH! HELLO, THERE!” He said, “FORGIVE ME IF THIS IS AN ODD OBSERVATION, BUT YOU LOOK AN AWFUL LOT LIKE KING ASGORE!”

The monster chuckled, and Papyrus glanced away, scratching his chin.

“PERHAPS HE HAS UNLOCKED THE SECRETS OF CLONING...”

“Oh, no no,” The goat monster replied, waving off the statement, “I am Toriel, and I need passage through this village.”

“WELL, IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, MS. TORIEL! AND OF COURSE YOU CAN PASS THROUGH! JUST FOLLOW ME, I’LL LEAD YOU RIGHT TO THE OTHER GATE, THEN YOU CAN BE ON YOUR WAY!”

Papyrus slammed the gate shut and the two turned to head down the village, curiosity in Papyrus’ expression.

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING, ANYWAY?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Toriel replied, “Someone very important to me. Perhaps you have seen them? A child with brown hair, shorter than you, was wearing a jacket?”

Papyrus’ eyes lit up, and he glanced at Toriel with a knowing expression.

“OH! YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FRISK?”

“Frisk...?” Toriel replied, “I... I did not know that was their name...”

“YOU ARE LOOKING FOR FRISK! NORMALLY I’D TAKE YOU RIGHT TO HER, BUT, UH... SHE’S NOT HERE AT THE MOMENT. SHE’S STAYING WITH MY BROTHER AT THE WATERFALL FORTRESS.”

“Waterfall... Fortress...?”

“YES, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION AND CURRENT CAPITAL OF THE UNDERGROUND! IT ISN’T THE GREAT BIG CITY, I KNOW, BUT IT’S ONLY TEMPORARY! ONCE THIS CORRUPTED OUTBREAK IS QUELLED WE WILL TAKE BACK OUR CAPITAL AND EVERYTHING CAN GO BACK TO... RELATIVELY HOW IT WAS BEFORE!”

“The capital fell?” Toriel asked, shocked, “How... how did that happen?”

Papyrus glanced at her with a confused expression.

“YOU DON’T KNOW? I THOUGHT JUST ABOUT EVERYONE KNEW ABOUT THAT BY NOW! IT WAS ON ALL OF THE TV STATIONS AND ALL OVER THE RADIO, THE CAPITAL WAS OVERRUN, AND THE KING WAS FORCED TO EVACUATE! AND BECAUSE OF THAT NOW HE HAS TO LIVE AT THE FORTRESS, TOO!”

Toriel went silent for a moment, trying to process everything she was hearing, glancing down at the ground in front of her, shock and confusion all rushing through her mind.

“UH, MS. TORIEL?” Papyrus’ concerned voice brought her back, “ARE YOU FEELING OKAY? IF YOU NEED TO REST, I’M SURE WE CAN-”

“No, do not worry about me, Papyrus. I was just... processing. This is a lot to take in.”

“YOU REALLY ARE OUT OF THE LOOP, AREN’T YOU?”

“Yes, but... let us not worry about that now. Frisk, I must find Frisk.”

“AH YES, FRISK! LIKE I SAID BEFORE, SHE IS STAYING AT THE WATERFALL FORTRESS WITH MY BROTHER! MAYBE-”

“She is staying in the same place as Asgore?” Toriel shouted.

“Y-YES, BUT DON’T WORRY! THE WAR WITH HUMANS ENDED A FEW DAYS AGO! SHE’S SAFE!”

“I must leave now, thank you for letting me through but I must go.”

Toriel rushed for the other gate, Papyrus hot on her tail, hustling to keep up.

“WAIT! LADY TORIEL!” He shouted, “HOLD ON!”

“I must go!”

“IT’S TOO DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! IF YOU GO ALONE OUT THERE YOU MIGHT GET ATTACKED BY THE CORRUPTED! LET ME COME WITH YOU!”

Toriel stopped, turning back to face Papyrus, who skidded to a halt in the snow behind her.

“What?”

Papyrus’ eyes went wide, and he stared at Toriel with shock on his expression.

“YOU... REALLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT, EITHER?”

“What do you mean corrupted?”

“THEY’RE... WELL, THEY WERE MONSTERS BEFORE, BUT THEY GOT... CORRUPTED BY SOMETHING, AND NOW THEY... THEY ARE EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS OTHERS. THEY’LL ATTACK AND HARM ANY OTHER MONSTER OR HUMAN THEY COME ACROSS, I’VE HAD TO FIGHT A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM IN THE FEW YEARS SINCE ALL THIS BEGAN, THEY ARE RATHER STRONG.”

Toriel’s eyes went wide as memories came flashing through her mind, memories of the monsters eating other monsters, and of Frisk narrowly saving her life as two monsters came crashing down on top of them. She remembered their pale, lifeless eyes, their melted, deadlike flesh and fur, and their ear piercing, spine chilling screams. She felt a chill run up her own spine, and looked back at Papyrus.

“NOTHING THE GREAT LIEUTENANT PAPYRUS CAN’T HANDLE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!”

Papyrus strode forward, throwing open the gate leading out towards the Waterfall cavern, turning back to toriel.

“C’MON, LADY TORIEL! I’LL GUIDE YOU RIGHT THROUGH TO THE FORTRESS! JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP CLOSE, IT GETS VERY DANGEROUS OUT THERE!”

Toriel glanced back at Papyrus, still shocked. She couldn’t believe what she had heard, the castle had fallen, the Underground was in a crisis, and she had let Frisk out into it all hoping it was only an isolated case, that only this one snowy zone was dealing with the problem, hoping she would be truly safe on the other end. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she turned and followed Papyrus out towards the cavern that lay ahead of them, Waterfall waiting beyond.

Chapter Text

The next day…

Groaning, Frisk stirred awake, turning over onto her other side, exhaustion weighing her down underneath the covers. Laying still on the bed for a moment, she wished she could go back to sleep, return to the calm quiet of rest before she would have to face the day that lay before her. After another moment, thinking to herself, she sighed, and slowly tore herself from under the covers, rising and stretching, various sounds coming from her back and arms. She took a deep breath and threw on her jacket, stepping towards the door leading to the hall, slowly pulling it open. Her eyes closed at the piercing pain of the bright light in the hall, and she recoiled back into the dark room, covering her face with one hand as she slowly pulled the door open with the other. As her eyes adjusted to the light, her vision becoming clearer, she glanced around the hall, seeing Sans strolling down, eye closed, hands in his hoodie pockets. He opened his eye, and smiled at Frisk, giving her a wave, which Frisk returned.

“mornin’, kid,” He called.

“Morning, Sans,” Frisk replied in a tired, sleepless voice.

Sans stepped beside Frisk, taking a deep breath.

“you get any sleep last night, kid?” He asked, “not gonna lie, you look kinda like a mess.”

Frisk patted at her messy, tangled hair, dark bags under her eyes, her posture slouched and her voice soft and tired.

“Yeah, I did… what time is it?”

Sans thought for a moment, leaning against a wall.

“it’s, uh, well, noon. around lunch hour.”

Frisk’s eyes widened, and she stared at Sans with a confused expression.

“I was asleep for that long?”

“probably. wouldn’t really blame you, though, everything going on down here? hard to not feel overwhelmed and tired.”

Frisk rubbed her eyes, letting out a small yawn, stretching again.

“so, frisk,” Sans said, catching her attention, “why don’t you come with me to the mess, get something to eat? y’know, brunch or something to really wake you up, maybe you’ll feel just a little bit better.”

Frisk smiled, the thoughts of rage, anger, and sorrow attempting to scream their way back into her mind, her mental barrier slowly beginning to erode under the pressure, making her smile falter for a second.

“Sure, let’s go.”

Waiting at a table once again, Frisk lay her head down on her arms, letting out a deep sigh, her head feeling heavy, her mind disoriented. She slowly opened her eyes, and glanced around the room, seeing Alphys once again at the microwave, wearing the same lab coat scientist get up she had on the night before. Frisk watched the small monster for a moment, and then smiled, pushing herself from the table, walking over to greet her. Frisk stepped closer as Alphys punched in the time to heat up the noodles, letting out a sigh and turning around, eyes quickly widening when she saw Frisk.

“Hello,” Frisk said softly, waving.

“Oh! H-hey, y-you must be the human, F-Frisk, right?” Alphys replied, clasping her hands together.

Frisk nodded, chuckling.

“W-well, it’s great to meet you! I-I’m Alphys, I… uh… I do all the s-science work around here!”

Frisk put her hands in her pockets, smiling at the shy monster who was visibly unsure of what to do, even as she took a breath to calm herself.

“So, uh, w-what’s up? Eh…?”

“Heh, I just got up.”

“Oh, wow, r-really? I… I can relate to that, in all h-honesty…”

The two went silent for a moment Alphys visibly sweating, Frisk, chuckling to herself, neither sure how to continue the conversation. Frisk thought for a moment, and then snapped her fingers, Alphys’ eyes darting over to her.

“So, what kind of work do you do around here? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“W-well, heh, I um, I do m-most of the research on the things outside, you know, uh… testing for weaknesses or v-vulnerabilites, just… trying to learn more about them! Heh heh…”

“Is that all the science work you do? Not to be rude, just wondering.”

“Oh! W-well, no, not really, I-I also do magical research, s-soul studies, s-stuff like that… mostly to try and f-find a way out of the Underground. I-I don’t think I need to tell you why everyone wants to leave, heh heh.”

“you two havin’ a little fun?” Sans called, the two glancing over at him as he walked towards them, stepping up to them and handing Frisk a tray and a drink, Frisk smiling and thanking him.

“hey, don’t worry about it kiddo,” He replied with a wink, looking between the two, “so, guess you two finally met, huh?”

“H-hey, Sans,” Alphys replied, Frisk snickering.

“Well, since Alphys was here, I thought I’d just introduce myself, since now I'm stuck down here with all of you…”

An awkward silence hung in the air, and Frisk sighed, slipping her hands back into her pockets.

“yeah,” Sans replied, nodding and shrugging, “hey, alph, why don’t you join the kid and I for brunch? haven’t really seen you in a good while.”

“O-oh! S-sure! Uh, w-where’s the table?” Alphys asked, tapping the tips her pointer fingers together nervously.

“follow me,” Sans said, “it’s just over there.”

The two followed the skeleton and settled down at their table, Frisk sitting across from Sans and Alphys, who sat next to each other, Sans popping open his ketchup battle as Alphys stirred up her noodles. Frisk took a sip of her drink, resting her head back on her arms, smiling for a moment.

“so, alph, how’s your research going?” Sans asked, “any breakthroughs? discoveries? whaddya got?”

Alphys tensed up, nervously tapping her hands on the table, letting out a deep breath.

“Uh, w-well, not really…” She said, “I-I mean, without any sort of baseline o-or knowledge of what really is affecting the corrupted, I-I don’t really know… what to do?”

She quickly ate a fork full of noodles, swallowing it down and taking a sip of her drink very quickly, nervously.

“I… I could probably do more i-if I understood w-what was really affecting them, b-but I… I can’t figure it out… it… it’s like h… h-human determination, but it’s so corrupted I… I don’t really know how to understand it?”

“Human… determination?” Frisk piped up.

“Y-yeah, from the other souls King Asgore collected that now… we can’t get…”

Sans glanced at her, confused, cocking his head to the side.

“wait, but the castle is clear. frisk, pap and I went there just a day or two ago, and it was empty.”

“W-well, maybe it was that day, b-b-but the corrupted move about so often that whenever we can move on it it’s infested a-and whenever we can’t it’s clear! A-and we can’t really predict what they’ll do, s-so…”

“gotcha,” Sans replied, sipping his ketchup.

Frisk thought for a moment, looking deep into her own soul, glancing back up at Alphys.

“Why not study my soul?”

The two glanced at her, interested.

“I have a soul of pure determination, maybe… maybe it can help you if you look at it?”

Alphys stared at Frisk and adjusted her glasses, thinking for a moment.

“I-I mean, that’d be great! B-but, only if you’re…”

“might as well,” Sans replied with a shrug, “who knows, maybe this idea could really give us the upper hand on these things.”

Frisk smiled, and Alphys smiled back, shyly.

“A-alright! O-once we’re done here, you two should c-come with me to my lab! I’ll do some quick tests, a-and…”

Alphys stopped, her eyes locked onto someone entering the room. Sans and Frisk peered back curiously, Sans’ eye going pitch black, Frisk’s expression barely changing as they saw Undyne entering the room, wearing a tank top and jeans, her sole eye looking ahead at the three. She hesitated for a moment, glancing at Frisk, tensing up for a moment, feeling the burning rage piercing her from Frisk’s glare. She took a deep breath, and paced over to the three, finding a seat beside Frisk, an uncomfortable, tense silence hanging in the air between them. Undyne scratched the back of her head, glancing at Sans, whose eye went back to it’s usual relaxed glance, while Frisk continued to glare, clenching her hand into a fist before she tore her gaze away, slowly putting her head back on her arms with a sigh.

“heya,” Sans said, breaking the silence, taking a sip of his ketchup, “what brings you to our little table, captain?”

Undyne rolled her eye, leaning over the table.

“Nothin’,” She replied, “Just saw you and Alph and figured I’d come over and say hi.”

“H-Hi… Undyne…” Alphys replied, blushing heavily, Undyne glancing back at her and blushing as well, chuckling. Frisk glanced up at the two, glaring at Undyne for a second before looking away again, her anger slowly seeping into her mind.

“So, uh, what’re you two doing?” Undyne asked.

“well the kid and I came to get some grub,” Sans replied, taking another sip, “alph was here doin’ the same so we invited her over.”

“Y-yeah! We were just talking about how we don’t know much about the corrupted, b-but we thought we might have a chance because of…”

Undyne peered at Alphys curiously as Alphys chuckled and fell silent, and then Undyne came to a realization, glancing at Frisk, who was still sitting beside her, her hands clenched tightly into fists, her knuckles going white. Undyne took a deep breath, scratching the back of her head. Sans and Alphys sat back, watching as Undyne and Frisk glanced at each other, Undyne feeling sorrow and slight anger, Frisk feeling only bottled up rage.

“So, uh… Frisk, that’s your name?” Undyne asked.

No response.

“Look, I… this probably doesn’t really fix anything but, sorry for trying to impale you with a spear, I guess… uh, why don’t we-”

Frisk punched the table, glaring at Undyne with rage full eyes.

“What? You think just because you apologize you’re suddenly forgiven?”

“W-what? No! I was-”

“You honestly think I’m about to forgive you after what you did to me? After what you did to Papyrus? You think I’m just the perfect little goody two shoes who will forgive anything because you say you’re sorry?”

“frisk, you might wanna…”

“You tried to kill me! Do you get that? You tried to KILL me only because I’m a human, nothing else! You didn't know a single thing about me and you STILL TRIED TO KILL ME! HOW THE HELL DO YOU EVEN BEGIN TO THINK I’M JUST GOING TO FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT? ARE YOU SO DENSE YOU ACTUALLY THINK YOU WERE JUSTIFIED ?”

“Kid I was-”

“I DON’T CARE!”

Frisk’s breaths came out quick and rage full, her fists, still clenched, were shaking, anger raced through her mind, rushing all around, reminding her of what Undyne had done, what she had tried to do. Sans quickly shot up, stepping beside Frisk and helping her up, leading her to the exit.

“why don’t we just go wait in the lab for alphys, alright, kid?”

Frisk took a deep, shaky breath, coming back from her near blackout rage.

“Okay…”

Undyne and Alphys remained silent, everyone else in the mess hall staring over at where the two were shocked and surprised faces all around them. Alphys pushed herself up, swiping up her food, nervously chuckling.

“W-well, uh, i-it was nice talking to you, Undyne but I’ve g-got to go! Bye!”

“Alphy, wait!”

But before a moment could pass, Alphys rushed out of the mess hall, leaving Undyne alone at the table, a sorrowful, hurt expression on her face as her friends and the human rushed away.

Alphys quickly shut the door to her lab, eyes wide, sweat dripping down her forehead, Frisk and Sans glancing over at her, watching her as she took a deep breath and walked towards them, rubbing her temples with her hand.

“O-okay… okay… uh… so…”

“let’s just get to the tests, alph,” Sans replied.

“R-right! The t-tests, heh heh…” Awkwardly rubbing her hands together, Alphys stepped towards Frisk, taking a long, deep breath, sweat trickling down the side of her head, “L-let’s get to that… n-now, uh, Frisk? Can… c-can I see your soul, please?”

Frisk nodded, summoning her soul in a physical from, shining bright red in front of her chest, Alphys’ eyes widening. Confused, Frisk glanced up at the scientist, who was taken aback by the red glow.

“Is… something wrong?” Frisk asked.

“N-no, I… I-I just haven’t seen a human soul with such a… bright glow… b-but anyway, onto the analysis part!”

Stepping away, Alphys walked over to her desk on the other side of the lab and picked up a small scanning device among the clutter and trash covering her desk, quickly cleaning it off before returning to Frisk.

“Alright, l-let’s see what we’re dealing with here…”

The device began to beep as Alphys turned it on, aiming it at Frisk’s soul and pressing the power button. Pushing down another button, the device suddenly started beeping wildly, catching the three off guard. Alphys stared at the small display on the device with wide, surprised eyes, and Sans glanced at her with a confused look, cocking his head.

“is that good or bad?” He asked.

Alphys took a moment, staring down at the results in disbelief, taking a quick breath before glancing up at the two.

“I-I’ve never- this is- how- I-”

“slow down, alph. just tell us what it said.”

“Th-that’s the thing! The result… Frisk, y-your soul is an endless source of determination! I-it is pure determination! Th-this has never been documented before! Th-this is… this is a breakthrough!”

Frisk and Sans glanced at each other, eyes wide, and Alphys cheered.

“Y-yes! Yes! I mean, we’ll have to run more tests to figure out if I can safely extract some, b-but this is it! This could turn everything around! Not to jump the g-gun, b-but, hypothetically speaking, this could lead to something that could save us all!”

Alphys and Sans both smiled, genuinely hopeful, while Frisk felt a looming sense of dread, the reveal sparking a fear within her, the fear of failing them, the fear of losing hope. All of that was quickly thrown away as the doors slammed open, and in the doorway, stood a tall, energetic skeleton, wearing his armored battle body proudly.

“BROTHER! FRISK!” Papyrus exclaimed, “THERE YOU ARE!”

“heya, pap,” Sans replied calmly, “didn’t think you’d be back so fast, how’re things on the snome front?”

“WELL THINGS BACK HOME ARE…”

Sans let out a small chuckle.

“IGNORING THAT…” Papyrus sighed, “THINGS ARE DOING A-OKAY BACK HOME! THE NEW GUARDSMEN FIT RIGHT IN WITH THE REST OF THE UNIT, AND EVERYONE IS STILL HAPPY AND CHEERFUL! OH HOW GOOD LEADERSHIP TRULY PAYS OFF…”

Papyrus’ eyes went wide, and he glanced at Frisk, a smile on his face.

“OH! AND SOMEONE ARRIVED AT THE VILLAGE WHEN I RETURNED! SOMEONE NEW, SOMEONE I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN MY LIFE!”

“oh, who’s that?” Sans asked.

“WELL, SHE’S A TALL FURRY MONSTER THAT’S LOOKING FOR FRISK! HER NAME IS TORIEL!”

Frisk’s eyes widened, and she pushed herself up, staring ahead as Papyrus stepped aside, there standing behind him was one of the first monsters she had ever met, and the first one to truly try to take care of her. Frisk stood up, and rushed to Toriel, who kneeled down and embraced her, the two holding each other for a moment, surprised and relieved to see the other again.

Chapter Text

“My child, oh my child,” Toriel cried, “It is so good to see you again, safe and sound.”

Sans’ eye widened for a second, and he smirked.

“hey, I know that voice,” He chuckled, “so you’re the lady behind the door?”

Glancing up at the skeleton curiously, Toriel smiled, the two finally knowing who the other behind the door was.

“You kept your promise,” Toriel said, letting go of Frisk and standing tall, “Thank you.”

“well, to be honest, lady, even though I’m not one for promises… I’d go through everything I’ve been through again to keep it. I’m sans, by the way.”

“I am Toriel, it is such a pleasure to finally see you in person.”

“same to you.”

Frisk glanced up at the two, smiling silently, feeling a tear roll down her cheek, wiping it away as Papyrus noticed, who quickly hopped over and leaned down to her level embracing her in a tight hug.

“DON’T CRY, FRISK!” He cried, “OR THAT’LL MAKE ME CRY!”

Toriel and Sans turned, chuckling, Alphys awkwardly snickering and slinking away and out of her lab, leaving the four to have their moment together. After a moment, Papyrus let go and stood back up, glancing over at the goat monster and his brother, curious.

“SO, YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER?” Papyrus asked.

“yup.”

“HOW? I’VE NEVER SEEN HER BEFORE, AND I WOULD DEFINITELY REMEMBER IF YOU WERE TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO SUSPICIOUSLY LOOKS LIKE A CLONE OF ASGORE!”

“well, uh… you know that door in the forest?”

“YES! THE RUINS DOOR! WHAT ABOUT IT?”

“I used it to practice knock knock jokes, and one day…”

“I decided to ask ‘who’s there’?” Toriel piped up, “And since then we would make jokes through the door, it… was pleasant.”

“that it was, tori, that it was.”

“HUH. THAT… IS HONESTLY A VERY LIKELY STORY. I MEAN, NOT EVEN THE MIGHT OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND HIS MASTERFUL DOOR OPENING TECHNIQUE COULD OPEN THAT DOOR.”

“Well, it is only an exit from the Ruins,” Toriel said, scratching the back of her head, “There is no real way to open it from the outside.”

Papyrus scratched his chin, thinking for a moment. He then sighed, crossing his arms.

“I SUPPOSE THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS, LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL GUARD, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE SNOWDIN UNIT, WAS DEFEATED BY A DOOR…”

Sans and Toriel snickered, Papyrus shaking his head, rolling his eyes. Frisk glanced at the three, her eyes darting from Papyrus, then to Sans, and then finally stopped at Toriel, a question brewing in her mind, begging to be asked.

“So, uh… if you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave the Ruins? I thought you said we shouldn’t see each other again.”

Toriel froze, and took a long, deep breath, clasping her hands together and glancing down at Frisk, her eyes full of sorrow and regret, a frown forming on her face, tightening up.

“I… I just grew too worried for your safety. I thought I would be able to let you go out into the world, I knew you could handle yourself, but… my fears, my worries, they got the best of me, so… I left to find you, to see you again, just so I could know you truly were safe, despite all that has happened.”

Toriel paused for a moment, thinking to herself before she spoke again.

“My child, Frisk, I… maybe this is… too much to ask right now, but-”

Suddenly, the doors to the lab were thrown open with a thundering bang, making the four jump and turn to face the door. In the light stood the form of Asgore, tears streaming down his cheeks, his mouth slowly curling up into a smile.

“T… Tori?” He cried.

Sans and Papyrus glanced at the king with confused expressions, Frisk turning to face Toriel, shock on her face as she saw Toriel’s once soft smile turn into a hateful scowl, anger shooting from her eyes right at the old king, her arms crossed.

“Tori! It’s really you!”

“Don’t you call me ‘Tori’, Dreemurr,” Toriel growled, Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk turning to her with shocked faces, “You miserable, terrible creature.”

Asgore stepped into the room, hands trembling, his smile slipping away, his hope and happiness being crushed with every word she spoke, crumbling away into a void of despair.

“I know what I have done has been horrible,” Asgore replied desperately, tears still rushing down his face, “I am a miserable creature, but… things have changed, the war is over! We can be family again!”

“That does not excuse your murder of children!” Toriel snapped, making Asgore flinch, “And the thought of going back to you, after the words you said? That declaration you made? How dare you. How DARE you!”

Frisk watched in silence as the two bickered back and forth, and inside her soul, her love and happiness gained from Toriel’s return were being burned away by a sea of anger rushing into her mind, her hands clenched into fists, her arms shaking. Glaring up at the two as Toriel berated Asgore, Frisk felt an oncoming urge to scream, shout, lash out at the monster before her who was berating the king, the king who although had made mistakes in his past, attempted to mend by sparing Frisk and renouncing his declaration of war, and took her in, giving her a place to stay, and letting her go when she needed, the things Toriel had not done. The anger continued to swell, until Sans quickly appeared beside her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and looked over at him as he shook his head. Glancing down at the floor, she sighed as the fight between the two stopped, Asgore slinking away, his head hanging low, sorrow and hurt emanating from his very soul, anger and hate blasting out of Toriel’s.

Tearing herself away from Sans, Frisk sulked towards the door, throwing the doors open, frustration consuming her thoughts.

“Oh, my child, wait!” Toriel called as Frisk walked away from the lab, not even turning back to face her.

“WAIT, FRISK-” Papyrus stepped to rush to her, but Sans put his arm on his shoulder, stopping Papyrus in his tracks. Glancing at his brother, Papyrus watched as Sans shook his head silently and slowly, Papyrus sighing and standing upright, crossing his arms, Toriel clasping her hands, peering down at the ground with a sorrowful expression on her face as Frisk continued to walk away, her silent fury building deep within her soul.

Chapter Text

30 minutes later...

Alone, Frisk once again found herself sitting on the edge of her bed, the door to her room closed, sealing her off from the rest of the base, and the rest of the world. Facing the floor, her eyes unfocused and feeling heavy, she felt her mind racing, thoughts of every kind rushing through her head, the weight of it all holding her down. Closing her eyes, she sighed, and fell back onto the bed, sinking into the mattress as she opened her eyes and gazed up at the ceiling. Resting her hands on her chest, she took a deep breath, her fury and anger fading away into the far reaches of her mind, leaving her with an unbearable yet unavoidable numbness. Her eyes slowly closed, and she took one more deep breath, laying on the bed, motionless. After minutes of nothing, she felt her stomach rumble, and she tossed onto her side, wrapping one arm around herself while the other lay in front of her, becoming motionless again.

Another rumble. A feeling of hunger following directly after.

Letting out a soft sigh, she slowly rose from the bed and walked groggily towards the door, pulling it open and stepping out into the hall, heading into the mess. Sitting down at the table once again, she rested her tired head on her arms, letting out a deep sigh, her head feeling like it weighed a ton. Footsteps echoed up to her ears, approaching her, and she turned to look, seeing the blue hoodie and bandaged skull of Sans as he approached, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“heya, kid,” He said, calmly, “guess you’re hungry?”

Frisk nodded slowly, her movements looking like they were in slow motion, a small huff escaping her mouth. Sans patted her on the shoulder and walked away towards the bar, ordering and coming back with food minutes later, sliding her tray across to her. Glancing down at the food, she smiled, and grabbed one fry as Sans began to gulp down his bottle of ketchup. She popped the fry into her mouth, and after a moment, ate another, the two sitting in silence, slowly eating their meals. Frisk picked up another fry, and stared at it for a second, thoughts and images flashing into her mind as her eyes remained locked onto it, her expression remaining tired and blank, the feeling of numbness remaining in her soul, making her feel weighed down, as if her body would collapse and she would never be able to move. Her thoughts continued to spiral down the trail, and slowly, her mind began to be consumed by thoughts of anger, fury, sadness, and melancholy, unable to stop the tidal wave of thoughts as it came. One of her fingers twitched, and then suddenly, her hand clenched tightly into a fist, the fry crushed under the pressure, Frisk simply watching as what remained slumped down on her hand. After a moment she popped the fry into her mouth, the soft crunch of the ones before gone.

“havin’ fun with your fries, kiddo?”

Frisk glanced up at Sans, who was looking at her with a smirk, a soft chuckle escaping his skull. She stared back down at her fries, and Sans sighed, putting his ketchup bottle down and glancing at Frisk.

“hey, frisk,” He called, Frisk quickly turning up to him, “look… not sure if this is obvious, but… I can tell something is really bugging you, and I don’t think it’s just what happened at the barrier.”

Frisk winced, her eyes slowly trailing down towards her food before Sans spoke again.

“I don’t mean to pry, but, y’know… I’m a little concerned, kid, I won’t lie. something is bugging you really badly, and if there’s anything I or anyone else can do for you, well… you can just tell us.”

Frisk remained silent, simply eating another fry. A moment passed, and Sans sighed, Frisk flinching as she heard it.

“what’s wrong, frisk?” He asked.

Frisk hesitated, her thoughts racing quickly as they began to debate how to respond. Her mind was filled with voices and points all arguing over each other, almost unbearable and overpowering her main self, a sense of overwhelming uncertainty filling her head. Taking a deep breath, she peeked up at Sans, who sat there across from her, patiently, his eye looking at her with a comforting, friendly gaze. She smiled, and then closed her eyes, her smile fading.

“I… I don’t want to talk about it…” She sighed, her voice little more than a whisper.

Sans reached out to her, plopping his hand on her shoulder, downing the last of his ketchup.

“hey, I get that kid. you must have a lot going through your head, I can understand how that feels. I won’t force you to talk if you don’t want to right now, but, y’know… I’ll just remind you, you know where to find me if you want to.”

Patting her on the shoulder, Sans leaned back in his seat, popping open his second bottle, taking a quick sip.

“Okay, I’ll… keep that in mind,” Frisk sighed, “Thanks, Sans. Really.”

“hey, no problem, kiddo.”

Hours later, Sans stepped out into the center courtyard, the star like crystals hanging above lighting up the dark cavern ceiling. He sighed, and his eye surveyed the garden, seeing the form of Asgore kneeling down by a small bed of flowers by the side of a glowing river, a smile on his face as he tended to his plants. Sans took a deep breath and began to stroll over to the king, hands resting in his pockets, a tired, uncertain look on his face. He heard Asgore humming to himself as he approached, the king seeming more jolly and jovial than when he had encountered Toriel again, his sorrow and pain seeming to have faded away for the time being. Asgore stopped and turned to face Sans, a smile on his face.

“Ah, Sans,” He said softly, rising from the soil, “Howdy, friend.”

“hey.”

Asgore’s expression quickly changed from one of calm to one of concern, his smile curling down.

“Sans, is everything alright? You look troubled.”

Sans went still for a moment, and then plopped down on the ground, Asgore sitting down across from him, who listened to Sans as he began to speak.

“alright, so, you know that argument you and tori had?” He asked.

Asgore winced and nodded.

“so, uh, that kinda made frisk feel, well… way worse. I can tell, something’s really bothering them, and that whole little, uh, ‘argument’ did not really help. I’m not here to blame you for it, it’s not your fault. I… I just need your help, kingy. how do I help her? I know she’s being bugged by something, the whole thing with you and tori isn’t the only thing on her mind, but… I can’t really help if I can’t figure out what’s really bugging her. yeah, it probably has to do with the barrier and how she’s stuck down here, but… I feel like maybe it’s more than that, too.”

Sans sighed, stopping for a second before glancing up at Asgore with a pleading, uncertain expression on his face.

“what do I do?”

Asgore did not respond for a moment, and instead sighed, thinking for a moment before he looked back at Sans.

“Sans, I… I will not pretend to know Frisk more than you, you have been with her for two years, I have been with her for less than a week. If anyone would be able to help her, it would be you, but… that does not mean I am not willing to help you. Your heart is in the right place, wanting to help her with her troubles is noble, it… it truly shows how much you care for her that you’re this concerned, but… perhaps she needs someone else to talk to, perhaps… someone who does not know everything but can still be helpful to her and allow her to truly speak her mind without fear of judgement.”

“like a therapist?”

“In a sense, yes. Although…”

Asgore scratched his chin.

“Hmmm… perhaps I can talk to her, we’ll have a nice chat over a cup of tea. Maybe then she’ll feel comfortable talking about what bothers her.”

Sans leaned back, sighing.

“hey, if that can really help her, I’d be down for it, but just don’t try to push her to open up or anything.”

“I would not, Sans, do not worry.”

Sans stuck out his hand, and the two shook, nodding.

“deal, I’ll talk to the kid about it tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

Slowly awakening, Frisk reluctantly sat up in her bed, letting out a sigh as she stretched her arms and legs, slipping out from under the covers and standing upright. Grabbing her jacket, which lay on the floor beside her bed, she slid it on and shoved her hands into the pockets, heading to the door and throwing it open, unconcerned with the time. Stepping into the brighter hall, she took a moment, taking in one long, deep breath.

“heya, frisk,” Sans called.

Frisk turned to face Sans, who was leaned up against the wall, giving her a warm smile.

“sleep well?” He asked.

Frisk snickered, nodding.

“well, good to hear, considering, y’know… it’s one in the afternoon. might want to give us a heads up when you decide to sleep in kid, tori and pap were worried sick, heh heh.”

Chuckling, Frisk remained silent, Sans taking the moment to think before speaking again, his conversation with Asgore still fresh in his mind. Shrugging, he began to speak again.

“so, kid. I know something is really bothering you, like, really bothering you, and I know you always say you’re fine, and I’m not saying you’re not, I’m just… concerned. so... uh… I talked to kingy, and we both kinda agreed it’d be for the best if you maybe talked this out with him, neutral party? no judgement? that kinda thing?”

A confused look on her face, Frisk thought for a moment.

“So… he’d be my therapist?”

Sans shrugged.

“something like that.”

Another moment of silence passed between them, and then Sans sighed, closing his eye.

“look, you don’t have to take up the offer, just figured I’d tell you he was open to it.”

Turning, Sans began to walk away until he felt Frisk grab his sleeve, forcing him to face her.

“Tell him I’ll do it,” She replied.

Surprised, Sans smiled, patting Frisk on the shoulder.

“alright, I’ll do that right now.”

Letting go, Frisk watched as Sans walked down the hall, stopping for a moment and glancing back at her, the same warm smile on his face as he turned to walk away. Taking a deep breath, Frisk’s smirk faded, and she shoved her hands back into her pockets, heading down the lab to meet with Alphys, another test needing to be done.

Hours later...

“Is this going to hurt?” Frisk asked.

“W-well, no, not really,” Alphys replied, attaching more devices to Frisk’s chest, “All this will do is get readings on the magic in your soul. We know that it’s an endless source of human determination, b-but I need to know how powerful your soul really is. S-Sans already told me about your magic attacks, but what I need to know is magic defense, that way I’ll know if when we get to the extraction part your soul will be… harder to convince?”

Frisk glanced up at Alphys in confusion, and she sighed.

“I’ve never really done this before, s-so, if it does hurt, th-then…”

“It’ll be fine,” Frisk replied with a smile, “Let’s just do it.”

“Oh, a-alright… but, just in case, u-uh… the safe word is ‘M...Mew Mew’.”

Chuckling, Frisk nodded, and Alphys stepped up to a small computer, giving it power. The devices on Frisk’s chest lit up, glowing a bright red, the same color as her soul. Analyzing, the machine stopped after a moment, and Alphys took a look, surprised. Frisk turned to face her, curious.

“What does it say?” Frisk murmured.

“W-well, it’s all very good, your soul is really strong, but… well… eh… defense magic apparently isn’t strong in your soul… so it’ll be easier when we do the extraction, b-but…”

A soft knock on the door interrupted her, and it slowly opened, Sans standing in the doorway.

“heya,” He said, glancing at Frisk, “your meeting with asgore is in a few minutes, kid. just thought I’d stop by and let you know.”

Nodding, Frisk gave Sans a thumbs up. Shutting the door, Sans walked away, disappearing down the hall. As he left Alphys walked over to Frisk, removing the devices and placing them down.

“Okay, w-well, this was good, we know a little more,” Alphys said with an awkward smile, “H-hey, maybe this’ll bring something really good?”

Frisk smirked, and hopped down from the table, slipping her hands into her jacket pockets.

“Y… you better get going,” Alphys said, “D-don’t want to be late for Asgore! Heh heh…”

Nodding, Frisk turned and left the lab, making her way down the hall towards Asgore’s office, slipping past wandering Guardsmen and heading deeper and deeper into the base, eventually coming to a stop at the door. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door, peering inside and seeing Asgore sitting at a table, a small tea cup in his hand, kettle on the table in front of him. He glanced over, a big smile on his face.

“Ah, Frisk,” He called, waving at her, “Come in, come in.”

Stepping inside and shutting the door, Frisk turned to face Asgore, who smiled at her, motioning to a seat across from him.

“Take a seat, I’ll prepare you a cup of tea.”

Taking a seat across from Asgore, Frisk sat down, uncertainty and nervousness filling her mind. Broken from her thoughts for a moment as Asgore slid her a cup of tea, Frisk glanced up at the king, who wore a big, warm, friendly smile.

“Frisk, I… I’m sure you must have a lot of things going on in your head at once, I would not expect all of this to be easy on anyone, especially someone who never even grew up here. However, I also understand if you wish to keep it all to yourself at the moment, but.. If you do wish to talk, then… you may talk whenever you like. Or we can just sit here together and enjoy some nice golden flower tea.”

Taking a sip, Asgore took a deep breath, looking back over at Frisk.

“Is there anything you need to say right now?”

Frisk thought for a moment, leaning back in her chair. Placing her cup down on the small table, her expression tightened as she went through her mind, thinking, wondering what she should say. Minutes passed, and the two sat in silence, Asgore drinking his tea, Frisk continuing to think. After a short time, Frisk finally sighed, leaning over and clenching her hands into fists, trying to come up with the best way to phrase her thoughts.

“I… I-I just… I…” Struggling, Frisk sighed again, trying to think.

“It is alright,” Asgore replied, “Take all of the time you need, I am not going anywhere.”

Frisk nodded, barely processing what he said as her mind sped up, trying to determine what to say. Taking a deep breath in a way to semi compose herself, she began to speak again.

“I… I just feel… I don’t know, I just feel so many things at the same time, like, all of my feelings are just crashing into each other, I guess? That’s the best way I can put it, I don’t really know how to describe it… but, you understand, right?”

Asgore let out a soft chuckle, leaning forward and putting his large, furry hand on Frisk’s shoulder.

“Frisk… if I were to count the number of times I have felt that way, I would begin to lose count,” He replied, “You should not fear feeling this way, it is perfectly natural, especially after all you’ve been through. Your mind will be scattered and unsure, perhaps you’ll still feel pain from all of the trauma you have endured here, but… give it time, and things will begin to improve, believe me. They won’t become better magically overnight, sadly, not all problems can be solved that way. But… I assure you that if you work on it, or if you want to, we can work on it together, then I am sure that, in no time at all, you will be feeling much better.”

Frisk glanced up at the king, uncertainty on her expression. She tore her eyes off of him, and Asgore took a deep breath.

“I am glad you have told me how you are feeling, Frisk. That is one of the most important steps.”

He sipped his tea again.

“I hope that through these little sessions, perhaps we could discuss more. I may not be a professional therapist, but I have dealt with plenty of youth in my time, even having children myself at one point. I will do whatever I can to help you, even if that just means listening.”

Frisk took a deep breath, peering back up at Asgore, who was smiling down at her, genuine care in his soft eyes. Feeling something new, a sense of calmness, Frisk felt the weight in her head begin to lift, and she took another, deeper breath.

Glancing at a clock on the wall, Asgore sighed, turning his attention back to Frisk.

“I do not wish to cut our meeting short, Frisk, but… I have an important meeting to attend to regarding matters of the kingdom. However, I will have some time tomorrow, if you…”

“Yes,” Frisk immediately blurted, surprising Asgore, his surprise replaced with a smile.

“Then I shall schedule something and tell Sans, he will bring you here at that time.”

Frisk stood, heading towards the door, turning to face Asgore again.

“Thank you for the tea,” She said.

Asgore nodded, picking up all the plates and such off of the table, heading over to a small sink in the back of the room.

“Have a good day, Frisk,” Asgore replied, “And you are very welcome. Stop by anytime if you would like some more!”

Heading out of the door, Frisk’s smile faded, and she sighed, the weight immediately piling back on her mind once again. Turning and heading down the hall, walking back to her room, she noticed Toriel by the door, waiting for her. A sudden sense of surprise and anger began to fuel in Frisk as she approached her door, Toriel attempting to get her attention.
“Oh, my child,” She called, “It is so good to see you again. How was your day? What did you do today?”

Frisk remained silent, preparing to enter the room and close the door when Toriel stopped, her soft expression going stern, and she entered the room as well, closing the door and turning to Frisk.
“My child, we need to talk.”

Chapter Text

Shocked, Frisk glared up at Toriel in confusion, which suddenly turned to anger boiling up inside her as she began to speak.

“My child, I know that I let you out of the Ruins and sent you on your way before, but being out of here myself, I… I have come to realize you would be safer in the Ruins than here. I thought before you would be safe in the small snowy town, that Sans could take care of you… I was wrong.”

At a loss for words, Frisk felt her hands clenched into fists as all her thoughts began to turn into boiling rage, getting closer and closer to bursting over.

“Come now, my child,” Toriel said, grabbing Frisk by the hand, “We must go back, you will be safe, I can give you a better life.”

Tearing her arm from Toriel’s grasp, Frisk glared at her, the knuckles on her hands going white, her fists clenched tightly.

“Don’t touch me!” Frisk shouted, “You think I’m gonna go back there? I’m not going anywhere with you!”

Taken aback, Toriel shook her head, her expression becoming more stern.

“My child, it is not safe out here, especially for you. Dreemurr may have ordered all the Royal Guard to protect you, but what about the other monsters? They will kill you for your soul, and the corrupted do not care, they kill everything regardless.”

“And the monsters in the Ruins didn’t try? You really think none of them would try to kill me? Because they did! The Ruins isn’t much safer than here!”

“This is not up for debate! We have to go back to the Ruins, it is safer there, you will never have to deal with any of this again.”

Grabbing Frisk’s arm tightly, Toriel turned to the door, stopping as Frisk resisted.

“My child, please…”

Frisk continued to resist, and Toriel held on tightly, trying to move to the door.

“We will be safer when we get back, we can live a good life together, just the two of us. We can live happily there.”

Frisk felt her rage beginning to spill over, her anger suddenly bursting through the roof as Toriel finished her thoughts, muttering to herself.

“This time, I’ll destroy the exit, so nothing can come to hurt us, and no one will have to leave and suffer.”

Frisk’s free arm reached down to her pocket and unsheathed her knife.

“Get. Your hand.”

The blade glowed a bright red as Frisk quickly slashed at Toriel’s hand, making her scream in pain as Frisk’s rage shot through the bright red weapon.

“OFF OF ME!”

Toriel let go and clenched her hand, glancing at Frisk in pure shock, a deep, painful gash running along the back of her hand. Frisk glared at her with piercing, anger filled eyes, beginning to shout and berate Toriel.

“Why don’t you get that I don’t want to go back? Why? What makes you so dense that you can’t understand I want to stay here? Oh wait, I know, it’s because you always blame OTHERS when YOU’RE the problem! You treat Asgore like trash when it’s your fault too! You ABANDONED the kingdom! You left EVERYTHING behind and ran away like a COWARD! You HID from your problems when he and your people needed you the MOST!”

Toriel stepped back, her mind racing, and she tried to speak, quickly interrupted by Frisk.

“No! You don’t GET to speak! You’ve said enough, and I don’t care anymore! You act as if you haven’t done anything wrong, but you could’ve prevented all those deaths! You could’ve changed EVERYTHING if you stayed, but you DIDN’T! I don’t care if Asgore killed other humans, he can actually recognize that what he did was messed up, he actually wants to make amends and FIX things, but you want to HIDE! You act as if you’re somehow better than him when you’re WORSE THAN HIM!”

The words struck deep into Toriel’s core, and tears began to roll down her cheeks as Frisk shoved past her, throwing the door open and rushing down the hallway, blowing past Papyrus and Undyne, who watched with concern as she ran.

“FRISK?” Papyrus called.

The two turned and their eyes widened as they saw Toriel, a deep, harsh wound on her hand, tears rushing down her face, her expression lost and crushed.

“MS. TORIEL?” Papyrus rushed over, Undyne following.

“What happened?” Undyne asked, looking down at the cut with a wide eye, “Did… did the kid do that?”

Toriel remained silent, her breaths shaky and hurt. She eventually slowly nodded, clutching her hand and slamming her eyes shut, crying hard. Undyne summoned magic spears, turning to rush down the hall, when Toriel stopped her.

“Don’t… don’t hurt her…” She cried, “This… this…”

Speaking through tears and a hoarse voice, Toriel glanced up at the two, and then back down at her hand, clenching it tightly.

“This was my fault…”

“so,” Sans began, “how did the first meeting go, kingy?”

Asgore smiled, walking with Sans down the halls.

“It went alright, Sans,” He said, “She has a long way to go, but… I’m confident she can work through this.”

Sans let out a sigh, his smile widening.

“that’s really really good to hear,” He replied, “it’d be really nice to see her be really happy again.”

Asgore chuckled, plopping his hand on Sans’ shoulder, a warm, genuine smile on his face.

“I am proud of both of you, Sans,” He said, Sans glancing up at him, “You truly have shown, not just through your words, but through your actions, that you care about her, and she has shown she wants to improve, and will work towards it. Time will be needed to truly amend, but… I feel that if things continue to go the way they are now, then…”

Their conversation was cut short as Papyrus, Undyne, and Toriel all appeared around the corner, tears streaming down Toriel’s face, Papyrus wearing an expression of worry, a tight, concerned look spread across Undyne.

“SANS! KING ASGORE!” Papyrus shrieked, “HAVE EITHER OF YOU SEEN FRISK ANYWHERE?”

Glancing at each other for a moment, the two glanced back towards the trio, their confident and grateful expressions turning to ones of concern and worry.

“No, not since I spoke with them,” Asgore answered.

Sans looked Toriel up and down, noticing the long gash on her hand, eye going wide.

“what happened?” He asked.

“Can we talk about it later?” Undyne growled, “We’ve gotta find the kid before-”

“No, no no,” Toriel choked up, “It is alright.”

Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at the skeleton with regretful, hurt eyes. After a moment to think, she sighed, and spoke again.

“I… I tried to convince Frisk to return with me to the Ruins.”

The rest all turned to face her with shocked expressions, Sans’ fading into one of anger, his eye going pitch black.

“You what?” His voice deepened, and his smile faltered, the closest to becoming a snarl it could be.

“I… once I had known the full extent of what had happened here, I… I thought it would be for the best if they came back with me to the Ruins, somewhere safe… somewhere… away from all of this… but she… she resisted… I… I tried to convince her and take her, but… she…”

Toriel went silent, clutching her wounded hand tightly, Sans figuring the rest out, letting out a deep, long sigh.
“so, you tried to pressure the kid into doing something she very clearly didn’t want to do, and even after she told you no you still pestered and got yourself hurt.”

Toriel let her head hang low, taking a deep, shaky breath.

“I… I do not know what came over me… perhaps it was my fear, or my expectations, or… something, but… I pushed to hard, I… I…”

“I don’t need to hear anything else,” Sans growled, “paps, which direction did she head in?”

“SHE WENT DOWN THE HALL TOWARDS THE CAFETERIA, BUT SHE WASN’T THERE EITHER! WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE SHE COULD BE!”

Turning, Sans glanced down the hall, hands in his hoodie pockets.

“I do.”

He turned back to his brother, his eye returning to normal as he gave Papyrus a stern yet caring look.

“make sure she’s okay,” He said, pointing to Toriel, “I’ll go find frisk. I may not know exactly where she is, but… I have a pretty good idea.”

Heading down the hall, Papyrus, Undyne and Asgore turned their attention to Toriel, who glanced up at Asgore, sorrowful, regretful eyes peering up at his concerned, worried eyes, the two locked in themselves.

“Papyrus, Undyne…” Asgore spoke up, “Would you… give us some space?”

“BUT HER HAND! IT’S BADLY WOUNDED! FRISK MUST’VE-”

“It will be alright, Papyrus,” Toriel put her hand on his shoulder, “Please, just give us a moment…”

She turned to Asgore, and the others left, heading back the way they came, uncertainty and tension in the air. The once strong lovers stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. The strong feelings of hate from Toriel had all but faded, leaving her with only guilt and sorrow, Asgore left with confusion and worry. Clearing his throat, Asgore spoke again.

“Would you… like to take this conversation somewhere else?” He asked.

Toriel nodded.

“Yes…” She sighed, “Yes, that would be nice.”

Chapter Text

A haze of fury and rage continued to swell around Frisk as she bashed open the doors to the courtyard, slamming them shut and leaning against them, her body tense and shaking, her head feeling like it was on fire, her vision blurred. She slowly slumped down, feeling tears begin to rush down her face, the reality of what she had done finally coming to her, her anger beginning to quickly fade as she saw the image of her slashing at Toriel in her head, her knife glowing a bright red, her rage fueled determination striking a deadly blow, that if it had been aimed elsewhere… would’ve reduced Toriel to dust. Quickly shoving her knife into her pocket, Frisk covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide, fear and shock rushing through her veins as she stood and ran towards the center of the courtyard, kneeling by the small glowing river that passed through and splashing her face with water, the heat in her head finally fading away.

Taking a long, hard, deep breath, Frisk let her arms fall to her side as she sat on her knees, staring blankly into her reflection in the water. Her reflection stared back, and she saw for the first time in a long time that things had well and truly changed. Running a finger along her cheek scar, she noticed her hair, messy and longer, reaching past her shoulders. Her face was riddled with tension and stress, a stark contrast to before her long journey through the Underground. For a moment, she saw her younger self in the water, carefree, less stressed, with a bright smile on her face, feeling ready for what the world would throw at her. Lips quivering, Frisk felt tears drip down her cheeks and off her chin, her reflection distorted as they hit the water, ripples consuming the image. Feeling her emotions consuming her, she covered her face with her hands, crying into her palms, her face and hands damp with tears, her whole body shaking as her emotions exploded out, unable to be contained anymore. The world around her felt like nothing as she became lost in her endless sea of regret, guilt, and rage, regretful about how she hurt Toriel, guilty about how she put Sans and Papyrus so much, and rage towards herself for feeling such strong hatred, and for putting everyone around her through so much.

Through the sea of emotions, she found the strength to make a sound, something that shook her to her very core as she did it. Taking in shaky, shallow breaths, she screamed, her hands clenching at her scalp, threatening to tear out her hair, her body shaking violently as she cried. The darkest regions of her mind began to rush through her, and she felt herself getting weaker, collapse coming at any moment. For a second, she considered just falling, giving in, and giving up, the thought sending an endless fear shooting through her, making her let out another, quieter cry, tears rushing down her soaked cheeks.

Something familiar shook her from her thoughts, and she turned her head to peer over her shoulder, seeing the all too familiar and comforting form of Sans, who was standing several feet away.

“heya, kiddo,” He said softly.

Frisk didn’t reply, choking up, streams of tears still wet on her face, even as she wiped some away. Sans sighed, glancing at her with worry and concern, his smile curved ever so slightly down, as far as it could, Frisk feeling even more sorrow as she saw this, feeling an uncontrollable stream of emotions begin to consume her again. Stepping over, Sans took a seat beside her, and before he could speak again, he felt a tight grip wrap around him as Frisk embraced him into a tight hug, catching him off guard. After a moment of stillness, Sans hugged her back, and Frisk broke down in his arms, crying hard into his shoulder, Sans simply patting her back, taking a deep breath. Not saying a word, he held her close, letting her cry in his arms, closing his eye and holding her tight, as if one slip and she would disappear. Frisk embraced him tight, burying her face into his shoulder, her emotions exploding out of her in an uncontrollable burst, loud cries escaping her mouth while tears rolled down her face, soaking Sans’ hoodie, neither of them caring or noticing it. Minutes passed, and Frisk felt her feelings slowly calm, a sense of control coming to her as she felt herself take in long, deep breaths, still hugging tightly onto Sans. Her tight hug loosened for a second, causing her to immediately tighten up, holding him tight, the skeleton in her arms not moving. Glancing down at the wet marks on his hoodie, she sighed.

“I… I’m sorry, Sans,” She choked up.

“hey, don’t worry about it, frisk,” He replied, “I can always dry it later.”

The two simply held each other for a moment, before Frisk sighed.

“I… not just… not just about the hoodie…”

An expression of confusion spread across Sans’ face, fading quickly as she began to speak.

“I… I put you and Papyrus through so much, I hurt Toriel, I lashed out at Undyne, I… I…”

“kid…”

“I shouldn’t have done any of it, I’m so sorry, Sans… I never meant to hurt any of you, I never wanted to… I… I just… I had to… I…”

Patting her softly on the back, Sans took a deep breath.

“kiddo, believe me, everything is okay now,” He replied, “none of that was your fault, pap and i knew the risk going on that whole thing anyway, but we did it, because… well… even if we never get to see the sunlight, you still deserve the chance to get the life you lost back. you still deserve to be happy, frisk. and... if it came down to going through hell and back to make sure that would happen… I would be there with you every step of the way, both of us would. I promise you that. and even with the stuff about undyne and tori, you don’t have to worry, kid. we all knew this wouldn’t be easy for you, and being pressured like that would make anyone lash out, especially after… the barrier… she gets it, we all do, and she’ll be fine. it’ll hurt for a bit, for sure, but hey… all wounds heal eventually, and even if it’s a scar, it’ll fade all the same.”

Choking up, Frisk hugged Sans even more tightly, the skeleton embracing her as well.

“Sans…?”

“what’s up, kid?”

Frisk swallowed the lump in her throat, speaking up.

“Thank you… really, thank you… you’re the greatest person I’ve ever met, you’re my best friend…”

Starting to cry again, she buried her face into his shoulder, tears soaking the fabric.

“Thank you…”

Sans held her for a moment, before taking another long, deep sigh, closing his eye, and embracing her tightly.

“you’re welcome, frisk.”

Stepping into his office, Asgore slowly closed and locked the door behind him and Toriel, the two taking their seats across the table from one another, a sense of strong tension hanging over them. Their thoughts raced as both tried to find the words to begin the conversation years in the making, one that neither thought they would ever have. Taking a deep breath, Asgore closed his eyes and tapped his fingers against his leg, formulating the words in his head, Toriel peering up at him.

“I…” She began, “I… I am sorry, Asgore.”

Asgore glanced up at her, surprised.

“What for?”

Toriel took a moment, and then choked up, feeling tears return to her dry, bloodshot eyes, her cheeks damp.

“For everything. I abandoned the kingdom and our people when they all needed me the most… when you needed me the most… I let those children go into a world so hostile towards them… I… all of this… if I had stayed, and we coped together, perhaps none of this would’ve happened… maybe… maybe things could be so much different…”

Asgore took a moment of silence, processing what he had heard before he sighed, speaking up himself.

“This was not solely your own fault, Tori.”

Toriel glanced up at him, confusion in her eyes.