A/N: Hi there and Merry Christmas. Thank you Ninjatarose for following and favoriting. I hope you all enjoy. Please R&R.
Sans pushed his hands into his jacket pockets, steadying himself. He shut the door cutting off the cold air from entering the room. The cold was replaced by the warmth of the room. He turned and looked at his guest. The short female skeleton monster marched around the living room, her eye-lights inspecting every corner. Her hands were clasped behind her back as her skull moved slowly side to side.
Sans leaned back with his hands in his jacket pockets, watching the skeleton. The healer left a trail of grimy footprints on the carpet. Sans followed the trail to the heeled boots the other was wearing. The filth was various colors; red, blue, and dark gray. If Sans were to take a guess, he would say that the healer walked all the way from New Home. Strange given that she could have taken the river boat. He should tell her to remove her boots at the door, but that seemed like it would take too much effort.
The healer paused at the green couch, her skull tilting left to right. "This will need to be replaced," she commented. She leaned a little more forward so her nasal bridge was inches away from the back of the couch. She reached with a single phalange, poking through the worn material. "The mold would be detrimental to your health," she said, her expressionless skull unchanging. If she was disgusted with the lumpy couch, her face didn't show it. Her nose bridge didn't wrinkle nor did her teeth clenched even when she held up her gloved finger to her face and it was coated in couch filling. The healer wiped the material off on the couch.
"Eh. Its not that bad. I should know because I sleep there all the time. I'm not sick yet," Sans said with a shrug. He expect a laugh or maybe a chuckle. She blinked once taking the comment in stride.
"Perhaps mold isn't the main issue to your health," the healer mused. She straightened her spine, putting her hands behind her back. Sans chuckled slightly, the healer's words held no malice or heat.
"You know, I don't think that is good anyone's health as well," Sans commented, pointing to the carpet and its trail of grim. The healer's green eye-lights drifted down to the ground. She dug the toe of her boot into the carpet, pushing the slush further into the filthy strands of the carpet.
"This appears to need replacement as well," she responded.
"You offering to buy that, buddy?" Sans asked, putting his hands into his pocket once again. The healer didn't answer.
"SANS, WHO WAS AT THE DOOR?" Papyrus called as he appeared in the doorway. The taller skeleton caught sight of the two shorter monsters. A bowl of spaghetti was in his hands."SANS, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT WE HAD COMPANY. I HAVEN'T PROPERLY GREETED OUR GUEST." The younger brother promptly put the bowl on the dinner table. He brushed his gloves before walking to the pair. His marching footsteps reached them.
"GREETINGS, MY NAME IS PAPYRUS AND THIS IS MY LAZY BROTHER, SANS," Papyrus greeted with a wide smile and an outstretched hand. The Royal Healer looked at the offered hand but made no movement meet it. Sans's lazy grin became a bit strained. Her hands were at her side. Papyrus grabbed her right hand. She flinched slightly and the taller skeleton released her hand. The healer tucked her hand closer to her body. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" Papyrus continued ignoring the awkward handshake. He let his arm drop to his side.
"Avenir," the female skeleton responded. She shifted her shoulders so she cold examine the television set behind the taller skeleton. Sans knew it was an older model and wasn't surprised to see the healer's jaw open to comment.
"WOWIE, I HAVE NEVER MET ANTOHER SKELETON BEFORE. I THOUGHT MY BROTHER AND I WERE THE ONLY ONES," Papyrus continued, his beaming smile not faltering.
"Most of the monsters of the Underground have known only know myself as the only skeleton," Avenir responded. "Skeletons aren't numerous, but those who survived the war are underground." The healer responded with a flat face.
Sans snorted while Papyrus groaned softly. "Good one," Sans said with a dying chuckle. Papyrus shot him an unamused glare, his teeth pressed.
"It was a true statement and not intended to be funny," Avenir replied in a flat tone. Her face not changing expression. "After King Asgore declared war on the humans, skeleton monsters and ghosts disappeared from the explored portion of the Underground. They went into hiding." The female skeleton monster explained clasping both hands behind her back.
"WHY WOULD THEY? ONLY THE STRONGEST MONSTERS ARE ENLISTED INTO ASGORE'S ARMY. NOT ALL OF THEM HAD TO WORRY," Papyrus asked.
"Skeleton and Ghost monsters have the strongest magic, second only to Boss monsters," Avenir explained. "Although skeleton monsters commonly have lowered ATK, DEF and HP, the amount of magic we hold is greater than the more fleshy monsters." Sans remembered being told this as a babybones by his mother. "However, I didn't come to teach a history lesson," she said.
"YES, YOU MUST BE TIRED. HAVE A SEAT AND JOIN US FOR DINNER. I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, HAVE COOKED THE MOST DELICIOUS SPAGHETTI IN THE UNDERGROUND," the taller skeleton offered loudly, nudging the shorter skeleton toward the table. She was guided to one chair. Avenir stumbled a little but took the offered seat. Sans shuffled to his own seat while Papyrus ran to the kitchen. He plopped himself down on the hard wooden seat.
Sans looked at the female skeleton who was sitting ramrod straight. "Look buddy, just a word of advice. Eat the spaghetti. You may face his fiori." Sans grinned widely.
"I believe the word you were looking for is fury," Avenir said flatly. Sans chuckled at the inability to understand the pun.
"Just remember not to Gnocchit until you try it," Sans joked, winking his left eye.
Avenir's eye sockets narrowed as her green eye-lights darted left and right. She was thinking about something, trying to figure out what Sans was doing. The older skeleton monster laughed. It was amusing to see the almost confused look on her face, though perhaps the word was too strong for the slight shift in expression. Her head tilted slightly to the side.
"THIS WILL BE GREAT. WE HAVEN'T HAD A GUEST IN... I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN. I AM SO EXCITED TO TALK AND GET TO KNOW YOU. I AM SURE THAT WE WILL BE BECOME BEST FRIENDS," Papyrus loudly exclaimed as he walked into the room, holding a bowl of noodles. He placed it down on the table before passing out three plates. He served clumps of undercook noodles and multiple spoonfuls of sauce. Sans pulled his plate closer to himself. Avenir didn't move to get her own plate. Papyrus pushed the plate closer to her. As he went to take his seat, Sans leaned forward to lean on his elbows.
"Looks great, bro. Bone appetite," Sans said winking his left eye-socket. Papyrus groaned in frustration. He stabbed the noodles in frustration. The older brother chuckled to himself as he twirled the stiff noodles around his fork. Papyrus huffed, but also began eating. The noodles were undercooked and the sauce barely edible, but it was better than before. Sans spared a glance to their guest. Avenir stabbed at the noodles cautiously. "It's great, bro," he said giving his younger brother a smile.
"THANK YOU, SANS. IT IS TO BE EXPECTANT FROM A CHEF OF MY CALIBER," Papyrus replied gleaming at the praise. Sans smiled at the reaction; his brother seemed to need praise often, but Sans didn't mind. The taller skeleton turned slightly to eye the female skeleton, perched anxiously for a response. Sans tensed waiting for Avenir to take a bite. "IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG, AVENIR?" Papyrus asked, Sans could hear the nervousness in his voice.
"I have a very precise diet and this spaghetti doesn't fit within its parameters," Avenir replied pushing the plate away from herself. Sans narrowed his eye-sockets at the gall of the woman. He looked at this brother to see if the words hurt.
"I AM SO SORRY, AVENIR. I AM A HORRIBLE HOST NOT TO ASK ABOUT YOUR DIETARY NEEDS," Papyrus cried out obviously feeling guilt about something out of his control.
"Hey Paps, that is okay. Avie here isn't mad," Sans spoke up before the healer could utter a word. He knew he had to switch the topic before the noble said something insensitive. "So, Avie why did you visit us today? Were you feeling bonely?" he asked the female monster who was running her fingers over the wooden table.
Her eye-lights met his. "I have a proposal for you," she answered matter-of-factly.
"WHAT! YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED? CONGRATULATIONS, SANS. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE DATING," Papyrus cheered. His enthusiasm would get out of control, if the shorter didn't stop it.
"Woah, Pap. I ain't getting married. A proposal can mean anything, right, Avie?" Sans tried to pacify the excitable skeleton.
"I prefer Avenir. You are correct, Sans. A proposal can be any agreement, but in this instance, Papyrus is also correct," Avenir responded flatly. Papyrus whooped in excitement. Sans groaned.
"BROTHER, I WILL HELP PLAN THE WEDDING RIGHT AWAY. I WILL PROVIDE THE FOOD, OF COURSE. KING ASGORE SHOULD PERFORM THE CEREMON-"
"Hold your horses. I haven't even said yes. And tiba honest the answer is 'no'," Sans interrupted before the two skeletons got out of hand. Avenir didn't even seemed phased by Papyrus's exclamations or even his own reaction. Sans exhaled trying to calm his own panic. "Hey Pap, can you give us a minute?"
"OKAY," Papyrus answered winking an eye-socket as he went into the kitchen. The older brother rolled his eyes at the not so subtle hint. Sans waited before leaning over the table to get closer to the female skeleton.
"You wanna explain what this whole proposal is about?" Sans asked.
"You appear to be upset," she said, tilting her head once again. Sans exhaled softly. "That was not my intention. Perhaps, if I explain my proposal, you would see how it would benefit you."
"Sure, buddy. Let's hear it," Sans said leaning back relaxing.
Avenir nodded slightly before continuing, " I propose a deal. You will pose as my fiancé as such you and Papyrus would be promoted to the rank of nobility. You will be provided with the appropriate regalia and have all the rights that come with the rank." The skeleton paused as if to let the other think over the offer.
Sans looked away from the healer and to the kitchen. To be promoted to nobility without the violence of the games, it was an impossible fantasy or an unbelievable opportunity. Sans looked to the sash tied around Avenir's hips. It was dyed with the golden flowers from the throne room; a symbol of nobility, of the monsters who would bring justice to the humans. The golden color shining like the sunlight the nobility would see when the last human fell; the same sunlight that the rest of the common monsters would be denied. "What is the catch? Why offer this?" Sans asked meeting the other's eye-lights. It seemed too good to be true. She offered the Surface and a new life, and that couldn't come free.
The healer's eye-lights looked past Sans as if she was thinking. "You're asking what I would gain from this arrangement?"
"Yup. I doubt you want arm candy," Sans replied pulling a monster candy from his sleeve. He waited for a chuckle or anything.
The female skeleton looked confused for the briefest of seconds, "I don't eat candy." Sans snorted trying not to choke. "So you are correct; I don't want candy. I want protection. As I said, skeletons are one of the most magical beings in the Underground."
"Why not ask the Royal Guard? It is their job to protect you," Sans asked suspicion rising in the back of his mind. The Royal Guard were second only to nobility in the Underground and swore to protect those who wore the color of justice. "Unless. You need protection from them or whatever you are planning to do wouldn't be approved of," Sans deduced.
Avenir shifted in her seat, grinding her teeth slightly. "Your portion of the deal is just to be an alibi. Merely an excuse for me to wander the Underground without much scrutiny." She clearly was trying to control the conversation.
Sans shook his head. This woman must have a death wish. "You do realize that usurping Asgore is suicidal. And if you dust him, you have no right to the throne."
"I have a powerful ally. One who can secure the crown. They would prefer to remain anonymous at the moment, but I assure you that I wouldn't risk my life unless I was certain of the outcome."
Sans looked at the female skeleton. She seemed to have rest her case and was waiting for his answer. The comedian had to think through the pros and cons. On one hand Papyrus and him would be one of the first to get to the Surface. Papyrus wouldn't have to fight for his 'fragile' brother. But what if some unexpected expense came up; they would need the extra gold from the games. "What about gold? The king's taxes are enough to force anyone into the games. Everyone is scrapin' by," he questioned.
"My income is more than adequate for all of your needs. You will want for nothing," she replied. She leaned to her right while reaching to her left hip. She revealed a large leather pouch. "As a show of good faith," she said holding out the pouch to Sans. The skeleton took the offered object. The weight surprised him as he quickly unlatched it.
He tried not to look impressed at the tightly packed gold. He looked at the female skeleton in surprise. The deal seemed a little too one-sided. His end of the bargain seemed easy. Of course, if they were caught, death was guaranteed. "You may discuss this with Papyrus if you wish. Just inform me of your decision," Avenir pushed away from the table. "You may keep the gold," she added as she marched to the front door.
"Welp, I guess I will be seeing you later," Sans stated. As expected she didn't say a goodbye.
"My number is in the bag or you may visit the New Home hospital." With that single statement, she closed the door behind her.
The soft thud was Papyrus's cue to enter. "SO BROTHER, ANY EXCITING NEWS?" the taller skeleton asked. Sans looked up at his brother.
"I don't really know... Bro, what if you didn't have to fight? What would you do to never go back to the arena?"
"SANS, I DO NOT ENJOY FIGHTING, BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED THE MONEY AND YOU CAN'T DO IT. BESIDES, HOW WOULD I JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD IF UNDYNE DOESN'T KNOW WHO I AM?" Sans sighed. He wondered if being nobility would draw Undyne's attention.
"Hey bro, I am a bit tired. I am going to go to lay down for a bit. Thanks for dinner," he mumbled as he left the table. Papyrus made some complaint about him sleeping and Sans chuckled as he climbed the creaky stairs to his room.
UT~UT~UT
Toriel padded through the long basement of her home. The air was chilly, a testament of the environment beyond the basement. A large stone door loomed in the darkness like a sentinel. She paused at the door. With a deep breath, she gathered her magic. The warm energy swirled around her center as she traced the door with a single claw. White light trailed behind her hand and sunk into the purple stone. Toriel smiled proudly at the fortified spell that buzzed with energy.
A loud knock echoed through the hall causing the boss monster to jump in surprise. Her breathing quicken as her heart raced. Could that be her ex-husband coming to remove any viable threat to his rule guided by the skeleton who she had met? She could picture the healer's cold indifferent look and her former husband's furious expression. "Who is there?" the former queen asked, her voice steady in spite of the trembling of her hands.
"Avenir. I had said that I would be visiting," the female skeleton's voice called out muffled by the thick stone.
Toriel stared back in shock. How did the monster find her? Should she open the door? She stood conflicted for what seemed like an eternity. Making her decision, she laid a hand on the door. Detecting the magic of the boss monster, the door swung outward slowly.
The armored healer stood outside the swing of the door. Her armor was coated with the falling snow. Toriel flinched thinking about how long the monster had waited. "Please come in and out of the cold," Toriel said beckoning with her furry paws; her motherly instincts told her to warm the younger monster. The shorter monster marched in, her eye-lights examining the door. "I must admit I was not expecting your visit so soon. If you would follow me, we can visit in the living room."
Avenir nodded her understanding as the boss monster closed the stone door behind her. It shut with a loud bang followed by a hiss of air. Toriel turned and began walking back to her home when she was certain that the magic had reset itself. "I am impressed that you found me. Home has been abandoned for so long. I had thought it had been forgotten."
"It is unwise to forget the past," Avenir replied, stating it as a fact. Toriel thought the response was a strange one.
"Yes, of course. May I ask how you found me? I do not wish for any more uninvited guests," Toriel asked with a pinch of passive aggressiveness. She would rather avoid her ex-husband barging into her refuge.
The underlying tone was lost on the skeleton, "It was rather simple. The only area of the Underground that is relatively uninhabited is Home and the Ruins. I wouldn't concern yourself with visitors; your sealing spell is nigh unbreakable. I doubt King Asgore, himself, could enter without your permission."
Toriel could tell that the other was telling the truth and she breathed a sigh of relief. "That is reassuring to know," she replied as she climbed the stairs. "Would you like a slice of pie? It is a snail pie just fresh from the oven," the boss monster asked like the good host she was.
"I have a strict diet," Avenir answered as she stepped onto the foyer. The skeleton appeared to be taking in every little detail in the small house.
"Oh, I am sorry. I will be sure to stock appropriate food next time," Toriel said as she led the skeleton to the dining room. The motherly monster didn't expect a thank you from the cold skeleton, so she wasn't surprised when she remained silent.
Avenir marched to the table before seating herself. Though Toriel could feel her stomach growling softly she also took a seat; it would be rude for her to eat in front of her guest. "I came to answer any questions you had from our previous conversation," Avenir started abruptly.
"Thank you. It is most appreciated," Toriel said with a grateful smile. The two were silent for a brief awkward moment. "I suppose my first question is what happened after I left?"
"I can only tell you what I learned in school since it was at least a century before my birth," Avenir warned. Toriel replied that any information was good. With a nod of acknowledgment, the healer continued, "After King Asgore declared war on the humans, he made another declaration. Only the strongest monsters in the kingdom would fight in the war."
Toriel paused to digest this information. It would be good if not all their subjects were subjected to war. It would limit the loss of innocent monster lives. "This ruling was accepted by most of the monsters living at that time. The war was still fresh in their mind and some were not willing to risk their lives. But things changed, monsters realized that those who didn't fight would remain underground while the army created a foothold. Before the second child fell, monsters who wanted to enlist in the war or see the Surface attacked and dusted other monsters in the dead of night. Many figured that if the king wanted a strong army, that only the strongest should survive. Some believed that the world was 'killed or be killed'," Toriel gasped at the thought of the lawlessness. While she was safe in her home, monsters were killing each other. "Fortunately, King Asgore punished those who harmed any citizen including Moldsmalls while simultaneously creating a space for those to prove their strength."
"The games," Toriel interrupted feeling a bit sick to her stomach. She had plenty of time to imagine all sorts of evils from the word.
Avenir nodded, "Precisely. The games were meant to show King Asgore which monsters were strong enough to fight the humans without the loss of any monster lives. While the games began as a harmlessly way to get King Asgore's attention, they quickly became a way to gain LV without punishment for monsters with lower morals."
"That is horrible," Toriel lamented, losing her appetite. Her pie was completely forgotten. She looked down at her clasped paws. The room became uncomfortably silent. "But not everyone thinks like that, right? My people have not fallen that far," she asked almost pleading for good news. She found it impossible that creatures made of kindness, compassion, and love could transform to violent ones.
"I would assume so," Avenir replied. "It wouldn't be logical to assume that all monsters desire LV."
"Have you participated in the games?" Toriel asked mentally preparing herself for whatever the answer was.
"Yes, I believe every monster has at one point," the healer answered not flinching at all, "the cost of living is too high and the taxes too much, it is almost necessary to live. I was fortunate in that it was only once. My healing magic drew King Asgore's attention. I was promoted to Royal Healer after the fight."
Toriel nodded, but felt like there was something missing from the explanation; there was a strange clipping to the other's voice. She didn't know how to proceed with her questions. "What happened to the other human children?" she asked though she knew the answer, she hoped that she was wrong.
"I thought you knew the answer... The first died of hypothermia, the second was killed by a member of the Royal Guard, the third was captured and King Asgore killed them, the fourth-"
"Please, stop," Toriel interrupted feeling her SOUL breaking as tears burned at her eyes. The skeleton paused, her jaw closing slowly. "They are all dead?" the boss monster asked, knowing the answer. The healer nodded affirmative. The atmosphere became somber; as the former queen wiped unshed tears.
"Each and every one that were killed by monsters killed monsters," Avenir replied her voice chilly.
"So they deserved death?" Toriel answered snippily her hands growing warm with fire magic.
"It was just," Avenir replied green eye-lights still, meeting the mourning mother's brown eyes . "Those who kill should be prepared to face the consequences." Toriel sighed at the heart-less response.
The former queen had to retreat from this topic. She scoffed at her cowardice. She was good at that: running from confrontation. "Why do you wear armor?" she asked, not allowing herself to break eye contact. It was a simple, innocent question. A question to clear the air.
"To raise my defence. There are many monsters who would risk retaliation to dust me," she replied easily, "they are envious of my rank. Some believe that if one is to dust me, they would take my job."
"What do you mean by rank?" Toriel asked leaning forward to hear the answer. Her thoughts strayed to the few human kingdoms she remembered. They had ranks, but she never saw a reason to mimic them.
"With so many monsters vying for the Surface, King Asgore created two ranks or 'castes' to prevent disorder. The first being nobility. Monsters in this caste are those with a royal occupation and their family. These monsters are distinguished from the commoners by articles of clothing dyed from the golden flowers. The second rank are members of the military; this includes the Royal Guard, important medical personnel, and civilians with powerful magic. They are distinguished by garments dyed orange from the golden flowers and other plant material. " The skeleton paused in her explanation. "All monsters are registered in the census along side their stats. Monster in the census department keep track of the hundred strongest civilians and ensure that only the strongest have the sign of their rank."
Toriel frowned at the information given to her, "We had agreed not to discriminate against monsters because of their strength. He really isn't the man I married." She felt slightly foolish for holding onto the hope that the man that she loved was still there.
"It happens when one's LV is too high," Avenir replied not sensing the boss monster's distress.
"Thank you for informing me of all of this. I didn't realize how much things would change when I left. I should have stayed," Toriel responded her ears flopping down. Guilt seemed to weigh down her frame.
"It is the past. There isn't anything we can change about it. We can only change the future," Avenir stated, getting to her feet.
"Are you leaving?" Toriel asked as the skeleton marched to the doorway.
"I need to return to my house and rest for tomorrow," Avenir replied dipping into a curtesy.
"How should I contact you?" Toriel asked getting to her feet as well.
"You don't. I will come here. I can't risk the chance that King Asgore would find out about me," Avenir answered. "Farewell, Your Majesty," Her heeled boots clicked against the hardwood floor as she disappeared from sight. The boss monster steadied herself on the table. All the information she learned weighed down on her shoulders.
UT~UT~UT
Alphys shuffled through the final corridor. She wrung her hands together nervously. The warming light did nothing to cut through the chill in her bones. "Al, there's nothing to worry about," a gruff voice beside her. The lizard monster pushed up her glasses as the turned to face her companion. The armored fish monster had her helmet under her arm revealing her red hair.
"B-b-but he n-n-never calls me t-t-to the throne room. W-w-what if he thinks I-I- I'm not doing my job, right," the scientist asked pulling her gold-lined lab coat closer hiding the chainmail underneath.
The fish monster snarled, "I am sure you are doing fine, Al. He probably wants to give you a raise or something. You just built a way to keep armor at the perfect temperature and if the king doesn't see that you're the best than he is blinder than I am." The captain pointed to her eyepatch with a sharp-toothed grin.
Alphys chuckled a little; the fish monster always knew how to lift her spirits. "Thanks, Undyne." The two monster stopped at the entrance of the throne room. "Uh,I guess we're here."
"I'll be right here waiting. Maybe we can watch more of those human history movies afterwards," Undyne said giving the lizard monster a thumbs-up.
Alphys gave a shaky nod as she shuffled forward. She wrapped her arms around her waist as she blinked against the natural sunlight. The air in the room seemed thick and heavy. She looked up at the bits of blue that were visible through the cracks on the ceiling. Her breath was taken away at the sight. As beautiful the sight was, the heavy air didn't lift.
"Alphys. It is great to see you," Asgore's booming voice filled the room. Alphys looked down from the sky to see the large boss monster watering the golden flowers that surrounded the throne.
"Oh. T-th-thank you for inviting me," she stuttered with a bow. "H-how m-m-may I help you?"
"What is the status of your experiment?" Asgore asked putting down the watering can down to sit on his throne.
Alphys twiddled her thumbs. "Uh, I th-think I am ready for the first round of experiments. If-if successful, creating an- an artificial soul might be possible."
"I have some specimens picked out," Asgore said snapping his clawed fingers. A humanoid mantis monster skittered into the room from behind the throne. In his two pairs of hands were two trays filled with potted golden flowers. "Suda will carry them to the lab. I expect a report soon."
"Y-y-yes, y-.y-your m-m-majesty," she stuttered bowing as she backed away. The mantis monster bowed as well. The two left the throne room and immediately the heavy air lifted.
Undyne pushed off the wall she was leaning on. "Hey, you taking up gardening?" she asked, pointing to the flowers.
"They are for my experiment," Alphys replied.
"The top secret one?" the fish monster asked. The lizard nodded jerkily. The captain frowned, "I guess we can't hang out then." Her ear frills drooped slightly in disappointment.
"We-we can reschedule for tomorrow," the lizard suggested. "I should be free then." She looked up hopefully at the blue fish. The captain's smile return radiant as always. The scientist beamed.
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then," Undyne shouted as she stormed down the hall. Alphys watched her leave before waddling her way to the lab.
It was a short trip. Perhaps it was because she had a lot to think about. Nevertheless, she led the mantis monster down to her lab. After picking a suitable room, the servant placed the plants on the table and headed back to wherever he lived.
Alphys took a deep breath. It sounded so loud in the empty space. She shook off the nerves before heading to her office. She fumbled for her key card before placing it against the lock mechanism. She could hear the mechanical whirling before a happy sounding chirp sounded. The scientist placed her clawed hand onto the lock gathering her electrical magic to her fingertips. Another happy chirp and the door was open.
The office was simple with a desk and a single computer. Although it was her own, the lizard monster tiptoed carefully into the room. She reached into her pocket to grab a key ring. She unlocked the bottom drawer of the desk slowly not wanting to disturb the contents. There was the slight sound of glass settling as the contents were exposed.
A simple test tube rank stood in the deep recess of the drawer. That wasn't what caught Alphys's attention. The eight test tubes glowed eerily red. It was a sight that made the royal scientist's stomach turn.
There was something unearthly about the glowing red liquid. It had been dubbed DETERMINATION by the doctor herself. She reached one shaking yellow-scaled hand to a test tube and clasped it tightly. She could almost feel tiny vibrations coming from the liquid.
She closed the drawer cutting off the red glow from the rest of the poorly lit room. Alphys gently rocked the test tube from side to side in one hand as she gathered the tools she needed with the other. She grabbed clean test tubes, a pipette, and a graduated cylinder. She then placed the tube of DETERMINATION into a test tube rack on the singular lab table. The yellow of the flowers the only splotch of color in the room.
She shuffled to her glassware cabinet to pull out a large beaker. She filled it with distilled water and set it by the test tube of DETERMINATION. Diluting the sample was simple and quick as she already had done the calculations in her head. She label each dilution using labeling tape.
She sighed in relief, using her hands to stabilize herself against the lab table. "You shouldn't be nervous. The plants don't feel anything. Nothing will happen," the lizard tried to convince herself. She took a deep breath before filling a syringe with the remainder of distilled water. The scientist injected the full syringe into a single golden flower. She labeled it as 'control' and set it aside. Three more flowers were added to the control group.
Pushing the injected plants to the far end of the table, she filled the syringe with the most diluted DETERMINATION solution. Her claws shook slightly. There was something sinister about the pale, pale pink solution. Steeling her nerves, she injected four more plants with the diluted solution. Labeling these four with the correct concentration, she set them beside the control group.
She continued her experiment getting more anxious as the became a darker red. The last four plants sat in front of her. Her claws clutched the pure DETERMINATION with a death grip. She closed her eyes as she pushed the plunger for the first injection. She opened them slowly before staring at the innocent plant.
The leaves seemed to be shimmering with something silvery. The scientist rubbed at one leaf. She gasped at the familiar texture. "It's dust," she squeaked. Her eyes trailed to the other plants. Each one of them had some particles of the remains.
Her mind whirled through many insults to herself. "Well, they are all the same. Maybe it wouldn't matter. I'll clean up these three," she said to herself as she picked up the remaining plants to wash off the dust.
She felt a little guilty watching the remains of some monster swirl down the drain. She shook it off as she took the plants back to the lab table. She injected the plants with the differing dilutions of DETERMINATION. "Well, one isn't a good sample group, but maybe King Asgore will give me more plants if I ask," she whispered.
She grabbed her tail nervously. She didn't want to go back to ask him. He'll probably yell or dust her. She took a shaky breath. "It'll be fine. There will probably be no results," she stuttered as she pulled a grow light into place. The scientist took notes about the plants height and other notable measurements in a notebook. She snapped a couple of photos of her subjects before leaving the lab.
A/N: (update: 1/22/19): I revised a little wording since it didn't make sense.
I apologize for the boring science stuff at the end. I wanted to set up a proper experiment. Alphys is a proper scientist at least in this AU.