Y/N's POV
The frigid wind whipped harshly around my body as I ran, coating me in a layer of cold that froze me to my bones. But I had to run. I was shoved into a corner that I couldn't escape without heartbreak, it being either his or my own. Selfishly, I chose myself over Sans. Once again I wanted to go back, or at least whack my head against a nearby tree to knock some sense into me. And yet I couldn't find the strength to go back to Sans and apologize. To see the look on his face after running like a coward. I couldn't bear it. That's why I kept going. And going. And going...

I didn't notice passing Waterfall and the odd looks I would get from the few passerby. I did, however, notice when the icy cold turned to sweltering heat. Hotland. Where Alphys lived in her lab. It was also on the way to the capital, where the king lived and the barrier resided.

The barrier...

That's it. That's what I needed to do. Break the barrier with my soul. It would make everyone happy. Escape, after so many years of being down here. All I needed were directions. Luckily, I had an oblivious Alphys to ask...

Making my way through the desert that was Hotland, I made it to her lab in a few hours. I knocked on the metal door.

"Wh-who's t-t-there?" a timid voice called out from the speaker.

"Hi there, Alphys!" I replied with a fake cheerful tone. "It's me, Y/N. I just wanted to drop by and say hello to a good friend."

"Oh, Y-Y-Y/N, it's y-y-you," she said, relief lacing into her voice. "Y-yes, come i-i-in." The door creaked open, and I walked in.

The room was messy as always, but I didn't mind it. I just needed to find Alphys...

"Over here!" Her voice beckoned me over to a big screen with an anime playing on it. The orange dinosaur was sitting on a couch facing the TV and munching on lots of popcorn. I could tell that she was on another marathon. Someone was missing, however...

"Where's Undyne?" I asked. She waved her hand. "S-she was w-w-watching with m-m-me, but she s-suddenly got up and r-ran a-a-a-away, yelling about f-forgetting t-to tell Sans s-something."

Oops.

"Well, I can watch a bit with you," I suggested. "I need to get going soon, but I have some time."

Alphys nodded enthusiastically, pointing next to her. I sat obediently where she gestured.

We watched for about an hour before I said, "Hey Alphys, how do you get to the capital from here?"

Without tearing her eyes from the screen, she spat out directions like she was a GPS. "You follow the path. If you go past my lab, you'll see this rocky outline of a path. That's the trail. Follow it. It'll take you past the core and into where the capital is." She finally turned to look at me. "Why?"

I shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant. "Curiosity. Might as well learn about the Underground since Imma be here for a while."

Or not, I corrected in my head.

After another hour, I told Alphys that I needed to leave. She nodded. I left out her front door and started following the directions that she gave me.

Alphys' POV
I kept watching the anime. I thought that the surprise visit and question from Y/N were slightly odd, but I didn't question it. It wasn't in my nature to judge others like that. They stayed hovered in the back of my mind, though.

~Time Skip: An Hour Later~

I was just getting to a good part when I heard a loud banging from the front door. Judging by the intensity, I could only assume it was Undyne. Pausing the show, I got up and made my way over to the door, opening it.

I was shocked to see not only Undyne, but also Sans, Papyrus, Frisk, and even Mettaton (they met him during the time skip a few chapters ago) and former Queen Toriel.

"U-Undyne? Guys? What's g-going o-o-o-on?" I asked, my usual stutter interfering with my talking.

"Sorry, but there's no time to waste," Sans interrupted, stepping in front of me. "Did Y/N pass by and if so, what did she do?"

I frowned at the rapid fire questions but answered as best I could. "Y-yes, she d-d-did pass by. She and I s-spent an hour w-watching anime before she asked a-a-a-a weird q-question."

"WHAT WAS THIS MYSTERY QUESTION, ALPHYS?" Papyrus asked me.

I thought back and said, "She asked m-me h-h-how to get t-to the capital."

My answer let out a wave of shock and concern amongst the crowd at my door. "Oh no," I heard Sans mutter under his breath. He asked another one. "Did she do anything else?"

"N-no. We just watched m-more anime until she left an h-h-hour ago."

"Are you absolutely sure it was an hour?" Toriel asked me.

"P-positive," I replied. "W-why?"

Already half of them had disappeared, taking off down the path. Sans was actually the first and the fastest, with Papyrus with Frisk on his shoulders sprinting behind. Toriel was next, jogging as fast as she could. Mettaton waved goodbye before he took off, too.

Undyne turned to me and said gravely, "Y/N is planning to give over her soul to the king, killing her in the process."

Then she picked me up—to which I responded with a yelp—and ran after everyone else.