By nothing short of a miracle, Alphys was able to evade the guards and escape the dungeon. All thanks to Sans; if he didn't mention Undyne's cooking skills, there was no way she could have made it. Her anger to Sans was just enough to draw the attention of all nearby guards into the dungeon; now came the dreadfully hard part. Just because she managed to get upstairs and around the corner didn't mean she was home free. Alphys was out of breath when she found a pillar to hide behind. As she attempted to catch her breath, she pondered what her next move should be. Maybe go straight to the queen? Undyne was correct, she was in danger. But, was that too obvious? Surely, by now they successfully separated Undyne and Sans, so they know that she is missing from her cell. Where should she go? What should she do?

She was beginning to panic, heaving her chest heavily and sweat rolling down her face. Although she was the royal scientist, she had no idea there was a dungeon; so, where was she? Down the hall, she heard loud footsteps and assumed it was the guards. Holding her breath and remaining absolutely still, the guards slowed by the pillar, snorted for a trail, but kept moving forward. Alphys thought her heart was going to explode. Her knees went weak and she slid to the floor, finally releasing her breath.

After a few moments of much needed rest, Alphys' brain turned back on. Why couldn't they sniff her out? Surely her constant sweating was enough of an indication for them? Sneaking a glance or two from behind the pillar, something black caught her eye. Her white lab coat was smudged with a thin layer of coal. Tracing the pillar with her hand, she pulled it away and her palm was covered as well. W-why i-is there so-so much coal r-r-residue? Rather than pondering this, she hastily rubbed the residue on her lab coat and body. In fact, she probably used too much, nearly covered entirely with the chalky coal, but when her timid nature, she didn't want to take any chances.

Peaking with a shaking black head around the pillar, Alphys' eyes darted side to side in order to assess her surroundings. Once she found no guards, she bolted from the pillar and further away from the dungeon and her friends. To say she got lost was an understatement; she was able to maneuver around the few guards still on the search for her, but she kept getting turned around and backtracking. The royal scientist was on the verge of simply giving up and surrendering to the nearest set of guards.

Alphys was no longer sneaking in the shadows, just hesitantly walking down the corridors. There was a branching way to her left, and when she looked down the hallway, she saw faint light; and echo flowers. The secret dungeon was by Waterfall, that meant she was close to Snowdin and could get to Papyrus faster. She immediately ran out of the dungeon and onto the soft grass that filled Waterfall.

"I-I g-g-gotta get t-to Pap-Papyrus!" she muttered as she ran past an echo flower.

"Snow?!" Corsina held out her hand in front of her. This is a scientific impossibility! How could there be snow underground? Sure enough, a few tiny flakes landed on her fingers, spending chills up her spine and down her legs. "Oh god," she muttered. Crouching down, she shoved both hands into the snow already on the ground. Without a doubt, it was definitely snow. "Woah," she gasped.

"Yo! Are you gonna gawk at the snow all day?" Monster Kid questioned, slight impatience in his tone. "First you were amazed by the ruins, and now the freakin' snow? Geez, are all humans this easily impressed?"

Corsina pushed herself up and brushed the white flurries off of her, "Sorry, I have an inquiring mind." She shrugged and crossed her arms; now her hands were cold, along with her bare legs. Why did I wear shorts? Of course, there was no way she could have known she was going to fall under the mountain and there would be snow. Shaking slightly from the drop of temperature, she caught up to MK, who was tapping his foot.

"Yo, we're never gonna meet the queen if you keep stopping! And we gotta be fast, so I can be back in time for Undyne's training!" They picked up pace a little, but for Corsina's longer legs, it didn't matter.

"That name," Corsina shuddered at the white flakes falling, "You keep mentioning her. Who is she?"

"She's only the greatest fighter ever!" His face lit up with enthusiasm, "She used to be the Captain of the Royal Guard, but since the disbandment, she helps monsters learn how to defend themselves."

"Why would monsters want to defend themselves?"

"Well, ya'know, in case of fighting and stuff."

The human deteched something different in his voice, almost as if she asked something personal. Her curiosity spiked, but she wondered if she should ask him about it. "Is there a lot of fighting down here?" Her mouth betrayed her brain and simply asked just as the thought occurred.

MK sighed and dropped his head a bit, "In the past few months, yeah."

"Any particular reason?" She blurted out. With a side glance, she finally realized that she was striking a nerve; so, in order to avoid his discomfort, she hastily added, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. We can change the subject."

From the corner of her eye, Corsina saw MK gently nod his head and remained silent. Guilt pegged at her heart as they began to walk through a snow topped forest. This underground is massive, how long was I hiking? As they ventured forth, some leaves gave out and dropped snow on their heads. Thankfully, that lightened the mood a bit. Obviously, the added snow on Corsina's skin made her tremble with chill and shiver with frost. Rubbing her hands together, she resorted to friction for warmth. MK didn't seem to mind the cold as he picked up his head and used his tail to toss up snow at Corsina. His childlike wonder was warming her heart, but her physical body was dropping in temperature.

As he began bouncing around as his normal self, Corsina smiled at him. She loved the snow and the colder months out of the year, but not when she was dressed for a brisk hike in the middle of summer. Although he was a monster and maybe even a figment of her hallucinations, watching MK frolick and kick up the snow was fun. If she had worn the right clothes, she would join him. Alas, she was ill-prepared.

They emerged from the trees to more open area of snow; the only difference was that it wasn't snowing. Corsina raised a brow at the vastness of this underground. "How much snow is there?"

"By the ruins? Quite a bit," MK answered while breaking out in a short jog. He found a patch of ice and skillfully slid across it. "Woah! Yeah!" He hopped with victory and used his tail to waved Corsina for encouragement. "Yo! C'mon!"

"This seemed dangerous, for a hallucination or real life," she muttered. After a fast look around, she knew that she would have to slid across the ice. With careful steps and steady hands, Corsina eased her way to the opposite side.

"Yo! That was way too boring! I almost fell asleep watching you!" MK mocked.

"Hey, hey, hey," Corsina quickly snapped her hands back under her arms, "Some of us aren't equipped for the winter climate." She stuck her tongue out and he responded the same.

"Pff! Excuses!" The monster child turned and led the way again.

It wasn't long before Corsina's nose began acting up. Everytime she would sniffle, MK would give her a strange look, but never actually asked what she was doing.

"MK," her breath lingered in the air before disappearing, "I-is there somewhere we can stop and warm up? Like, make a fire?"

"A fire? Yo, why not we stop at Grillby's?"

"Is it warm?"

"Duh! Of course it is!"

Corsina sneezed and shaked her head as a feeble attempt to keep her face warm, "Sounds good." Her mind immediately went to work, thinking of crazy scenarios about whoever Grillby was and what horrible monster he was. MK wasn't bad, but he was just a kid; who knows what these adult monsters were capable of? And then there was the possibility that this was still an elaborate hallucination from hitting her head; so what exactly was she afraid of? Maybe of the slight probability that monsters are real and she was journeying to meet their queen? Even if she denied MK to tag along, there didn't seem to be a way out through the hole. Logically, there was only one way to go.

The duo had to cross a few more patches of slippery ice before they reached a long wooden bridge. Corsina was hesitive, but MK was easily walking across it. She did her best to follow his steps exactly. By the time she reached the other side, tiny cuts littered her bare skin. Tiny nicks on her hands, small leizures on her exposed legs, and a couple drops of blood on her face were results of her attire. If only she could warn herself before hiking out the night before.

Her appearance was hackneyed and jaded by the time they saw the lining of the town. Wait, there's a town under here too? Corsina tried her best to withhold her gawking as they approached. A large sign reading "Snowdin" welcomed them. This is incredible! Who would have thought so much was under Mt. Ebott; or that I really have an excessive imagination? Once the two entered the town, Corsina subconsciously teased up at the sight of more monsters. Of course, they weren't as savage and terrifying as she was predispositioned to believe. There was a Christmas tree, accompanied by a handful of presents, an inn attached to a general shop, and buildings further down. Upon entering the cosy town, Corsina's internal temperature began to rise because of the added activity. She was thankful for that.

Before she had a chance to gasp at the casual monsters and structures, MK piped up, "Yo, don't go stopping and staring at anyone. They'll think you're weird."

The human quickly corrected herself in order to avoid awkward stares and to be more polite to the citizens of Snowdin. With the addition of more diverse monsters, Corsina was slowly relaxing with the natural flow. Still odd that the old fairy tale was true, but she was gradually becoming accustomed to their existence; whether in real life or in her head. However, neither of them realized that the passing monsters were staring at them. Corsina would nod and mutter a greeting as they continued on; the older monsters quickly whisper amongst themselves. Their hushed words and not so subtle actions were ultimately left unnoticed by the duo.

It wasn't long before Corsina was able to spot a short building with a neon sign on the front. She remained quiet as MK led her to the front door and used his tail to open the door. A rush of warm air smacked Corsina's face along with a delicious aroma in her nose. Her stomach immediately growled with hunger as she realized she hadn't eaten since prior to her sneaking out to hike up the mountain. Circling the bar was a lovely tune as a group of dog monsters were sitting around a table; one with shifty eyes, it looked like a larger couple with black hoods, and two different dogs with armor. Corsina felt like an idiot smiling as big as she was, but she finally accepted them and enjoyed witnessing so many diverse monsters. Even though when she walked into the bar, all of the eyes eventually landed on her.

With a huge grin, Corsina waved at them and said loudly, "Hey there!"

The bar went quiet as all the monster ceased whatever they were doing to stare at her. No one answered her. Yet still, MK and Corsina didn't piece together that the monsters never expected to see another human for the rest of their lives. And now, there was one out of the blue, standing in the doorway of their bar. Without a doubt, the monsters would be hesitant.

"Is that a human?" one monster questioned another.

"Why is a human here?"

"What are they doing here?"

Similar questions quickly arose from the relaxing monsters as Corsina glanced around. One word kept echoing back to her, "human." Finally, that's when it clicked in her head that she was the odd one here. Now she was on the receiving end of the judging; the pit in her stomach told her it wasn't pleasant. Her welcoming smile faded into pressed lips as she turned to MK.

"I think we should leave," she whispered.

"Yo! You're probably hungry too, right? Grillby has the best burgers in town!" Before Corsina could grab MK, he dashed right in and hopped on an open seat at the bar.

"Wait, don't-!" she muttered, but it was too late. Oh god, I'd rather just freeze outside of town. Fidgeting with her hands, she crossed her arms under her armpits and stepped further inside.

"A human?!" a voice towered over the others. "Where?!" From behind the larger of armored dogs, a lanky skeleton slid into view.

Corsina flinched at his loud voice and his sudden appearance, stopping completely in her tracks. A skeleton monster? Why am I so surprised by this?

"Human!" He stood tall and proud while pointing a stern finger at her. The skeleton took long steps until he was right in front of her. Oh sweet jesus, he's tall! She didn't move an inch as he tilted his head and locked eyes with her. With a more quiet voice, he asked, "Do you enjoy puzzles?"

"Um," she uttered her confusion while glancing around, silently looking for the right answer written on another monster's face; she found none, "Uh," Swallowing a portion of her fear, she gave her best response, "It depends on the type of puzzle, I suppose." A lackadaisical shrug of her shoulders to further show her indifference.

"Mh, what is your opinion of-" the skeleton was cut off by MK at the bar.

"Yo! Papyrus! She's hungry. Let her eat before-"

"You're hungry?!" a large grin appeared on his skull; Corsina couldn't help but take a defensive step backwards. "Fear not human! For I, The Great Papyrus, shall make you the most delicious meal you've ever had!"

"You'll what?" She didn't have a choice in the matter. The tall skeleton quickly grabbed her forearm and began to walk out of Grillby's. "Hold up, w-wait!" Through the open door, a gust of frozen air whipped at her face. All of the open cuts on her face and body stung again. Not the cold, not the cold! I want the warmth! Just as the door behind her was closing, she gave MK a silent plea for help. Monster Kid rolled his eyes and was about to run after them, but his ordered food arrived and his attention was momentarily diverted. You little traitor!

She was shivering already as Papyrus confidently strolled down the snow covered path. Corsina did her best to keep up with him, nothing short of jogging along side him. Unfortunately, she didn't have to keep the pace for very long. After they past the library with the incorrect sign, the new pair of monster and human were stopped by two different monsters; Corsina didn't recognize them from before entering the bar. The human held her breath as the monster on the right, a heftier size pig, took a half step forward. Corsina shifted uncomfortably just by the glare he was giving her.

Papyrus must had felt her adjust, because he glanced back at her. "What is wrong, human?"

"They don't seem to like me so much," she confessed.

"Nonsense! They are probably just jealous that you, a human, have the privilege of hanging out with me!" The skeleton released Corsina's arm and stepped towards the pig monster. I severely doubt that. "Greetings! How are you-"

"Turn the human over to us, and you won't get hurt," he snorted.

Corsina clenched her fists and shuddered at his voice; something told her that he was willing to fight. But, why? Why was everyone so strange about seeing a human? Surely other humans had fallen down in the past? Or was this just monster behavior? Now more than ever, she wished that this was just a crazy hallucination.

"What? No way; she's hanging out with me. If you would like to join us, please feel free-" again he was interrupted, but this time it wasn't the pig monster speaking.

Rather, seemingly to appear out of nowhere, a large trough spun into thin air and smacked the skeleton hard. Corsina gasped loudly as she watched Papyrus fly sideways into the trunk of a tree and slide onto the ground. Behind her, she heard scuttering of the regular monsters running away in fear. The human was shocked still.

"Yo, Corsina!" MK's voice called to her. "You gotta run! Get away!" The little kid ran in front of her and stood between her and the three monsters. "I'll hold them off!"

Of course, MK held no resistance to the large pig monster in front of him. The massive creature easily picked up the smaller one with a hand and lifted him high. Corsina had to cover her mouth with both of her hands, helpless to the scene before her.

Although she hesitated, something warped into view as well. This random object was a huge bone and it smacked the pig so hard on the back, he tossed MK into the snow. Corsina rushed to the quivering kid and did her best to check to see if he was still breathing.

"Human!" Papyrus' voice shouted at her, but her mind was not registering anything. "Human!" He called again, after rolling out of the way of another trough.

She glanced up with wide eyes at the battle; the pig monster was summoning trough after trough to bombard Papyrus into exhaustion, not caring if he hit trees or bushes. The skeleton did his best to dodge the glowing fixtures, not to much avail, but he was also able to land a few bone whacks to his opponent. This was absolute madness; whether it be in her mind or not, this was the most ridiculous thing she could ever witness.

"You need to run! Get to Queen Toriel! Hurry!" Papyrus shouted directions at Corsina, but she was baffled by his glowing eyes and hands to realize he was helping her.

"Yo," MK meekly said with a strenuous voice, "Didn't ya hear him? You have to go."

The words were sinking in her head, but for some reason, she couldn't pick herself up to run. It felt like the world around her was rapidly gaining speed while she was becoming a statue. Run! Stand up and run! Her body was weak and her heart was beating out of her chest. Just go already!

There was a noticeable lag in the fighting around her; and for a moment, time was moving as slow as she thought. Corsina looked up to examine the battlefield, but it was still going on. Blindsiding Papyrus square in the spine, the trough smacked him across the open path and into an enclosed portion of trees. His body flew with such force that it splintered a tree in half; and like that, Corsina didn't see him anymore. All that remained was a strip of his scarlet scarf. The pig monster had won.

"No," she piped up, "No!" She barely knew this monster, but he was defending her, trying to help her, and he was just beaten into a tree. What was wrong with her? Why didn't she listen to him? "Papyrus!" She called after him. It physically hurt her heart that he didn't answer back. Although they had just met, he had nothing but good intentions for her. Could she dare call him a friend?

Finally, the human was able to push herself up and rush away. But towards the gap in the trees where the skeleton had been thrown. And that was it. Something stopped her dead in her slow tracks. Her arms could move, but her torso and legs were numb. Oddly enough, she couldn't feel the cold anymore either. Looking down, there was a terrifying claw sticking out of the snow. It was able to reach all the way to her chest and had such sharp nails that pierced her body. An aura of orange lingered around the edges of the monster claw, but only where her dripping blood hadn't covered it. Her hands were shaking and the pain began to seep in as time dragged on. Before her, the second monster, a large cat with a whipping tail, was smirking at her. He must had waited for the human to stand to attack. Either that or he was really impressed with himself for hurting her so badly.

"What?" she coughed up the word, along with blood. The snow around her was staining a strawberry red from her many puncture wounds. The hand tense up and the claws dug into her sternum twisted slightly, crushing her bones and causing agonizing pain. She whelped in torment as the sword-like fingers dug in deeper. Corsina's breathing was in vain as her lungs were filling up with fluids and her vision was becoming hazy. She thought she heard MK call out, but her brain was not working properly. Her body continued to fight; however within seconds, the human had died.

"Oh my good god!" Corsina thrusted away and landed on her butt. With a heaving chest and shaking hands, she began to furiously examine her body for stab wounds. Timid finger ran over her torso and legs as she continued to look for any indication of the pain she just experienced. There were no visible markings, but her brain was still crying out in pain.

"You can't give up," a voice said to her.

Corsina held a horrified expression as she looked upward to the source; it was the child from the nearby village.

"Stay determined…" the child repeated.

The terrified girl glanced at her surroundings to find the lack of snow and monsters; instead, there were noisy market merchants, and busy people with baskets of food. On her other side, Mt. Ebott looked peaceful as the sun set behind it.

"What the hell was that?" she gasped at the child. They waited a moment before speaking again.

"What happened?"

Still panting, she explained as best she could, "I-I went to the mountain. And, and, I fell down this hole. Monsters, there were monsters living underneath, just like the tale said. Snow and a bar in a town. A-a skeleton and pig were fighting with glowing things around them. And then, I think I-I died. It felt so real."

"It was." The child said calmly.

"What? How could it've been real? I died!"

"You did." Corsina glared at the vague child. They continued when she didn't ease up her evil stare, "Determination. That's what brought you back here. This spot was the last place you felt determination. If you die in the underground, it'll bring you back here. Or to another spot where your soul was filled with determination."

"I-I dont-"

"You have to go back."

"Why?!"

"You weren't the only one who died, were you?"

She thought back and the imagine of Papyrus being violently smacked into the trees replayed in her mind. Had he died? "No," she whispered.

"Make sure they live, all of them."

"How do I do that? How do you know all of this?" But the child simply turned and began to walk away. "Wait! Who are you?" Corsina called after them, but they didn't even look back.

She wanted to chase them and ask more questions, but her body was still in torture by the claw attack. Corsina winced in agony and the child disappeared once more into the crowd of busy humans.