" 👍︎☟︎✋︎☹︎👎︎ ✡︎⚐︎🕆︎ ❄︎☼︎🕆︎☹︎✡︎ 👎︎⚐︎ ☟︎✌︎✞︎☜︎ ❄︎☟︎☜︎ 🕈︎⚐︎☼︎💧︎❄︎ ❄︎✋︎💣︎✋︎☠︎☝︎. "

The soles of his shoes clicked across the golden corridor's floor, the echoes bounding off the walls. Gaster's hands clenched tightly together as he held them behind his back. He was already becoming increasingly nervous about breaking the news of your arrival to the King and Queen. 

A part of himself wondered why he was so hesitant to tell them, as it had been himself who presented his findings to them. He really hoped you didn't meet the requirements, otherwise nothing could help you. Perhaps he didn't wish for you to be killed because you reminded him so much of Sans, but not exactly in the best way. Granted he'd only known you for a few hours, but the way you presented yourself when threatened - he remembered seeing Sans that was for the first time, and he always remembered realizing just how strong Sans could be when he grew into an adult. 

You both had that look of desperation - no, determination - when you were cornered. He'd seen it on Sans's face when he passed the children who'd pick on him. He remembered when he'd came home one day and Sans's HP had been reduced to half, but he'd been in a better state than the children he'd fought against to protect his brother. Gaster spent many hours telling him to control himself better because he was so much stronger but more fragile than the other children his age. There was no use in doing something reckless and regretting it later. 

"Dr. Gaster, it's good to see you old friend. Is there something wrong? You don't usually ask for a meeting this quickly unless it's something important." Asgore sat in the middle of the throne room beside his wife, Toriel. The two of them were having tea and butterscotch-cinnamon pie like nothing was wrong. 

Before Gaster opened his mouth, he thought about his next words extremely carefully. In all honesty, if he wished to avoid disaster for a little longer, he could simply not tell them. He could delay the information until there was no other choice but to reveal your presence. After all, they'd know no better, but the scientist found it difficult to lie straight to the innocent man's face with his wife right there. Despite that Asgore wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he was still a benevolent and respected king. Besides, it was fine. Toriel was usually the brains behind the two anyways. 

Asgore gestured to a cushioned seat in front of him, usually for guests. Gaster shifted for a moment, hesitating before he took a seat, Toriel standing from her own throne. "I'll go get an extra piece of pie and some tea." She said, exiting the room. 

"Gaster?" Asgore spoke up with worry in his voice. "Something is wrong, right? You wouldn't be so silent otherwise." 

Gaster sighed. "I'm afraid you are correct, although I'm not quite sure how you'll take this news." There was no use in hesitating now, as the King had caught on. "Another human has fallen down." 

His words caused Asgore to stiffen, the calm atmosphere turning tense. "Have they hurt anyone yet?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together. 

Gaster began to sweat, despite that he was made of bones. Did he have to ask the question that was the most complicated? "Yes, but the human is a child." He said, catching the King's attention. "They've hurt a few other children in Snowdin forest while protecting my own sons, your majesty." 

Asgore's expression turned serious. "This is quite the predicament." He muttered. "If the child is dangerous then they have to be handled immediately, but the situation they presented themselves in..." He had trailed off before bringing up the dreaded topic that the Royal Scientist wished to avoid. "You'd told us last week that it might be possible to break the barrier with a certain type of human soul." Asgore said solemnly. 

Gaster's eyes widened. Oh no, this was the worst possible outcome happening right before his eyes. "Y-yes but your majesty... That was only a theory, and they're only a child." He said, glancing to the side with a conflicted expression. 

"Wingdings... I'm sure that much alike myself, you want nothing but the best for your children." Asgore gave a sigh and looked out the window of the throne room, the light pouring in with its golden rays. "My own children have left me behind, but I'd like for the next generation to be able to see the surface someday, my friend."

The scientist almost winced. Asgore simply had to hit all his sore spots, didn't he? Gaster knew how much his boys wanted to be on the surface as well. Sans was always mesmerized by the idea of stars, and he spent a lot of time in Waterfall when he realized that the ceiling crystals looked similar to them. Papyrus had loved the car magazines that dropped into the garbage dump and wished when he got older that he'd be able to drive one. So much so, that Gaster had Blaze help him construct a bedframe in the shape of one. 

"Asgore, the human must have a very specific type of soul in order to break the barrier alone." He tried to deter the goat monster in front of him. "Determination is not a trait that is common, even amongst humans. Let alone one that has that trait in such high amounts as to break the barrier by itself." 

"Then I'd like for you to do some tests to see if they'd be able to." He said, sitting up straighter. Asgore was sure of what he wanted, and Gaster could do nothing to convince him otherwise now. "Keep the child close and report back to me on their soul type and strength. And if this child continues to hurt anyone, then I will not hesitate to do justice for my people." He said with a frown. 

He stood up and turned around, his cloak fluttering behind him as he walked away. "You are dismissed." Gaster almost missed the look of pain on the king's face as he made his decision final. 

Asgore had always been a soft-hearted individual, but leaders always had to make the hard decisions for the sake of the people they led. 

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"They should be here by now." Blaze muttered as he stared at the kitchen counter with a worried frown. "Maybe... No, no, I'd told him to avoid it." He kept muttering and pacing to himself, as you stood in front of him, holding the leather notebook and waiting for an opportunity to ask him if you could use it. 

"Mr. Blaze?" You asked aloud for the 4th time. "Mr. Blaze!" 

He finally snapped his head up, realizing he was ignoring you by accident. "Oh! Sorry, kiddo. Is there something you need?" 

"I noticed that this journal is completely blank. Could I take it as a diary or something?" You asked, showing the leather cover. 

Blaze's eyes widened. "Well, honestly I don't see why not." He said shrugging. "Just make sure to take good care of it, alright?" He received a quick nod from you before you moved onto your next question. 

"You said that Sans, Grillby, and Papyrus should be here by now. Why aren't they?" 

Gosh, you really did ask all the difficult questions. A sweat like substance formed on his flames as he avoided your eye contact. "I dunno, maybe they went to play a little more before coming around. They do that sometimes." He chuckling nervously. 

You narrowed your eyes at him. "How long do they usually stay out?" You asked. 

"Umm... Sometimes half an hour. Sometimes longer."

"I do believe that's enough, love." Flamia said at last, peering in from the front door of the kitchen. "Here, switch with me would you? I have a few questions to ask (Y/N) before they go."

Blaze gladly took his wife's place at the front as to avoid your conversation. She took a seat at the break table and patiently waited for you to take a seat beside her. You sat across from her, and she immediately began your next conversation. 

"(Y/N), would you mind if I asked about how your journey in the Underground has been so far?" 

She wasted no time with her questions. You liked that. You didn't exactly take to when people avoided the topic, only for you to have to coax it out of them later. 

"I fell down in the Ruins." You began. "I... I think a little frog monster attacked me, and then I ran because I didn't know what it was at first. Then I met Vegetoid and he helped me exit the ruins." You were starting to realize just how short your journey really was so far. "I got to Snowdin Forest, and then I heard Papyrus calling for help, so I ran to go see what was wrong. It was my first time seeing so many monsters at once, but that didn't matter because I just saw a crowd of kids around Sans and Papyrus. At first I thought they were trying to see what was wrong too -... But then I saw them attacking Papyrus and Sans, and I moved before I could even think." Flamia stared at you with wide eyes. "I ended up fighting those kids, but they hurt me pretty bad. I don't remember much after that. Only that I woke up the next morning with... Gaster looking at me."

"You mean... You only just fell down here yesterday?" She seemed nearly breathless at this new information, and she actually caught herself stop breathing for a moment when you nodded. You'd been through so much in the last day and a half - it must have been traumatic. No wonder why you were so jumpy this morning. 

She tried to change the topic. "What about your life on the surface?" She asked. "How and... Why did you fall down?" 

You shook your head with a disappointed expression. "I don't really remember." 

"You don't remember anything? Anything at all?"

You gave a contempt stare at the table in front of you. "I remember some stuff. Really unimportant stuff, like how I went to summer camp. I remember making friends with someone and their brother. That I had a camp counselor, and that I lived on the surface, but nothing else." 

"Do you remember their names?" Her eyebrows were knitted together in worry. 

"Not really, no. Sometimes I think I might, and then it's just... Gone." You closed your eyes for a moment, trying to remember their faces, maybe their names, or voices, but came up with nothing but very vague silhouettes. 

Flamia realized that you were thinking, but after a few minutes of silence, continued with her questions. "What do you think of us monsters?"

You opened your eyes again, confused by her question. "What do you mean?"

She smiled, partly glad that you were innocent enough to not immediately understand her question. It showed that you weren't as cunning as you seemed to be when speaking with Blaze earlier. "Do you think we're nice? Perhaps mean or even dangerous?" 

You only shrugged in response. "I dunno." You muttered. "I haven't talked much to anyone else other than you and Gaster." Your neutral expression turned sour. "And Sans." 

She realized your distaste when speaking about Sans, and remembered the dispute that Blaze had described to her a little earlier. "Do you not like Sans?"

"No." You spat with an annoyed look on your face. "I don't know why, but he seems to hate me just because I'm human." You crossed your arms. "Which I don't get because I just saved him and Papyrus yesterday from being pummeled by some idiots in the forest." 

Oh, it seemed like everything was coming together now. Flamia frowned when she realized that the reason you two didn't get along was because of how weary Sans was of humans, and how your first encounter was quite violent. Perhaps if you'd met on better terms, then maybe you two would have been friends. 

"And what about Papyrus?" She asked, hoping to find out if the smaller skeleton's usual purity wasn't clouded by paranoia or fear. 

"He's funny." You said, beginning to loosen up again. "He reminds me of that friend's younger brother." You leaned against the table, your elbow propped up on the table, and your face leaning on your hand. "Now can I ask you a question, Mrs. Flamia?" 

She was surprised by the sudden change. She'd never seen you so relaxed before-

"Where are Sans, Papyrus, and Grillby?" You gave her a serious stare, one she didn't expect from someone who had been so afraid just this morning. "Mr. Blaze tried to avoid my question, but I know something's wrong. I wanna know what." You had that same look that Sans did after he saw Grillby's glasses were crushed by some bullies from school outside the restaurant. It was more diluted, and obviously not directed towards her, but the idea that a child such as yourself could hold such an intense emotion in your eyes spoke volumes. Gaster was right. You were dangerous. 

The look in your eyes was a mix of emotions and intentions you couldn't quite name, but you knew from the look on her face that your stare did it's intended job. It was supposed to be similar to the one that Gaster gave you this morning when asking about you beating the other kids up. You made sure it was less threatening, as you didn't want to scare her. You just wanted her to know that you were stronger than you looked because you were filled with determination and ANGER.