The Underground was a strange place, and, despite being here for almost five years, we still didn't know everything there was to know about it. The King allowed me special access to The Barrier, but all I could gather was that it would take the strength of seven human souls to open it. Monsters do not have a power so great, but I'd been trying to make one for a very long time. Unfortunately, very few monsters have the determination necessary to experiment, and I had yet to find an alternative.

Papyrus was proving to be very different from his brother. Although he had many friends as a child, Sans grew distant from most of them over time. Papyrus seemed to love making friends, and he would try hard to keep them. Sometimes to hard, which would often scare them away. However, his active personality would attract more people, which would restart the vicious cycle. 

One day, he came home very discouraged. He had begun school as well, and he'd been very excited to do it. Sans pulled me aside before dinner, attempting to explain what had happened.

"I don't really know the full story. I didn't see it happen, and he won't tell me anything, but his teacher had a vague idea. He tried to talk to one of the girls from the other class, and she shoved him over. He got upset and she tried to fight him, but he kept sparing her. Evidently, she's good." He said, glancing over his shoulder at is brother. Sans was already very protective of Papyrus, and I had a feeling he saw part of his mother in him. I'd seen it as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if his magic was similar to his mother's.

"I'll talk to him, see if I can find out more." I replied. "Thanks you for telling me Sans." He just shrugged.

"Despite being a scientist, you fail to notice thing sometimes."

"Everyone does from time to time."

Dinner was a very quiet ordeal, and so was the time after it. Sans disappeared to his room, saying he had homework. Papyrus also went to his room, closing the door behind him. I left him alone until eight o' clock, when I knocked softly on his door.

"What do you want?" I opened the door to find his curled up in his bed. He stared at me, and I could tell he was trying to look angry. He just looked sad instead. 

"I want to know what's wrong." I replied, moving forward to sit on the bed.

"Nothing's wrong." He replied, hiding under the blankets again. 

"I'm not stupid. Something is clearly wrong, and I want to know what it is. I can't help if I don't know." I replied.

"Well, its just something stupid." He said, pulling his head back out of the blankets. "I was walking home from school, and I was in Waterfall. This fish girl was talking to some kids from my class, and it looked like she was making fun of them. So I went over to help them, like the great hero I am, and she pushed me over. I tried to Spare her because fighting is bad, but she just kept beating me up." 

"Well, you did the right thing. You helped your friends without fighting anyone. As far as I'm concerned, that's a victory. Perhaps even one worthy of The Great Papyrus." I said, smiling down at him. He grinned back, before standing up in his bed, throwing the blankets off him.

"You're right! I, The Great Papyrus, may have been beaten, but it was a victory all the same!" He began to jump on the bed, and I decided to not stop him for once. 

"Looks like someone got his pep back." Sans said, walking over to the bed. 

"How did you get here?" Papyrus asked, still jumping on the bed.

"Shortcut." Sans replied, flopping on the bed.

"Sans!" Papyrus cried, moving forward to jump on Sans.

"Ouch! Jeez kiddo, watch where you're jumping." I smiled as my sons traded banter, neither of them actually mad at the other. Somehow, I felt the issue hadn't been dropped, but Papyrus seemed fine for now. That was really all I wanted.