Alice in Undertale Chapter 29

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 29 Prelude to Megalovania

Alice was astounded. Perhaps there had been more to the DETERMINATION figures of Wonderland than she had expected. To think that the White Rabbit had been the remnants of a child all along and that they not only accompanied her but aided her in this journey made her feel as though she should be giving Frisk a payment for his services. Also the fact that he was the seventh child Sans had interrogated her about and that he was not only dead like the skeleton suspected, but now a lingering SOUL. There was so much to ask and so much she could clear up now with him around but where to start? Frisk seemed to be waiting for her response so she hesitantly began her opening statements, breaths still heaving from all the crying,

"... S-so if you truly are Frisk a-and the seventh child… then that would mean you died… right?"

It was rightfully earned. And honestly being dead has allowed me to think a lot more clearly. It helped me find you and realize how you could finish what I started. Frisk spoke with some self-loathing being apparent. Yet the word choice he was using reflected a sense of hope. It was very odd yet somehow it made Alice trust him.

"Were… Were you always lingering in the Ruins? A-and for how long?" Alice asked, her growing curiousity helping her calm down quicker.

That's a good place to start. Truthfully I've been a SOUL for not that long… but because I was like this when the RESET happened, when you came in, it was probably about as long as it took for you to run into Toriel. I woke up in a sense and noticeably, I could feel that there was another human around. That was you. You helped my SOUL resonate more strongly.

"How were you able to take the form of the White Rabbit though? When I encountered Chara for the first time they seemed to know about Wonderland too." Alice took a look at the dagger she had dropped and put her hands into her lap.

She had to accept responsibility for this. She had almost volunteered her own life to save the lives of countless monsters. Was that the right choice? Or rather, WOULD it be the right choice? Could she have gone home and woken up, revealing this all to be a dream? That's turning a blind eye to what's happened here already, Alice thought. As reassuring as the idea of going home would be, Alice didn't want it to seem like an escape. She had been running for so long since she came in here but it had always been for her curiousity. Learning about the monsters, making new friends, ultimately coming to the aid of some of these monsters, and even learning about Asriel and what befell him made her want to honor his memory. The best way to do so was to be that person standing up to the king's blows and finding a peaceful way to break the barrier.

It seems that the SOUL reacted to yours, perhaps because of the power of a human SOUL and that it can linger. Without you realizing, I became linked with you and synchronized with your body. You are holding onto my SOUL and as long as I'm with you I'm complete. You were holding onto me deep within your heart and that way I could take on the shapes of the creative characters you came up with. It seems that your imagination is so profound that it is able to shape DETERMINATION into different forms of the images you visualize. Although I think it's my presence that enhances your SOUL to use such a power. Frisk explained.

"Chara did seem to find me right away… perhaps they are a SOUL like yours and they came to me? Why didn't they link with me though until the Papyrus encounter?"

They've been a SOUL for a much longer time than I, not nearly as fresh. In fact, it'd be safe to say they are more of a ghost than a SOUL, their strong feelings pushing them forward and almost an antithesis of DETERMINATION. In the same way, I am more of half and half, with me being separated from my body like this my SOUL remains incomplete. Despite being a SOUL, I am not able to be used to break the barrier. At Papyrus's prison, they saw an opportunity to use all their combined power to attempt to possess you, but I was able to interfere with their control and your own DETERMINATION helped to overpower his influence.

"... I'm curious then, the six human SOULS they do have… isn't one of them Chara's?" Something just occurred to Alice.

... No. Chara's SOUL is lost in a sense, it couldn't be used to break the Barrier. Asriel absorbed it after all and when he fell, the SOUL'S essence vanished. They collected six other fallen humans SOULS. I don't know any of the original humans either. Frisk gave a surprising response.

"H-hold on a moment! Then why was Sans saying I was the eighth human to fall down here? Doesn't that make me the ninth instead? And didn't you say five other children died earlier, not six?" Alice asked.

I was desperate to keep you from sacrificing yourself Alice, I may have gotten the numbers wrong but my intent of letting you know the children who've lost their lives down here would want you to keep going was true. Sans, I don't believe, ever got to know Chara personally. I also suspect he was speaking in terms of fallen children with SOULS to collect. I was supposed to be the last one and I died. But at that point I died… well there wasn't much need for the Barrier to be broken as there were hardly any monsters left to be freed. Frisk muttered darkly.

The words of a killer, Alice realized as a chill crept down her spine. He had said he had done a lot of bad and so it was clear now that he must've done what Chara had offered Alice to do, slay the monsters. Alice wasn't sure where to go from here in terms of uncovering the truth. Ultimately, recalling the words of the March Hare and Mad Hatter, starting at the beginning and then stopping at the end was the most precise and elegant way of hearing a story.

"Perhaps it would be best then Frisk to start your story from the beginning. Maybe if I hear how you came to the Underground and what you were doing there, we could find a clue to a different solution to the Underground's troubles." Alice offered sweetly, not bothered at the idea of talking to someone currently within herself.

Are you sure you want the whole story? I'll say right now that you might think less of me… and I wouldn't condemn you for it but I don't want you to feel hopeless again. Frisk gave her a clear warning but she shook her head.

"Please give me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

Alright. So I know that you came in through the rabbit hole… but I took the Mt. Ebott route, it's really the only way in here. That's where things get murky in regards to you but I'll save that for later. It probably seems like I fell here accidentally but it was my own choice. I… I don't come from the best background. I'd say I was lonely, mistreated, cold, distant, I couldn't find any friends or family who'd be willing to console me with my thoughts and sometimes I heard and saw things that just made me want to hide under the covers of my own bed. What Chara described about humanity being so much more different than your time was true… Frisk's voice sounded depressed, perhaps not having found peace from this dark history even now.

"Part of me is afraid of going to the surface and being unable to come into my own, especially without my sister and being so young. I don't blame you being frightened of some of the crueler things in the world." Alice admitted out of sympathy.

Yeah, I was resigned to running away from home and ultimately I heard about Mt Ebott. It's really a strange mountain, a landmark hovering over what's best described as a large city. The story about it was that those that climbed it were never seen again.

"Isn't it blocked off then? I mean if I were to hear such a rumor I'd imagine that it'd be worth sealing the path to dissuade anyone from climbing it." Alice inquired.

Not entirely. Even with the six children who did climb up it… and Chara too probably, word about their disappearance didn't get around or the overall legend covered it up. It's not to deceive anyone but it's better seen as a old wives tale and that it's silly to even try climbing up there. I didn't think it was so silly, I thought maybe there'd be something waiting for me, an escape from the grim reality. No one talks about the monsters anymore, no one mentions the Barrier, I just… ended up down here. Frisk said with slight remorse.

"It's alright Frisk… I too was very startled when I started realizing how different this place was from my ideal Wonderland." Alice confessed.

The way you handled it was a lot more low-key than how I handled it, especially considering you seemingly time traveled to this point. I was freaked out, anxious, paranoid… even when Toriel saved me from Flowey, I couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the Underground. I thought negatively instead of being more intrigued.

"Did Chara approach you too?" Alice asked.

Frisk remained silent for a few moments. Without an expression to see or judge, Alice couldn't really imagine why he was being silent. Perhaps he was ashamed of being approached by him or was it something else that Alice didn't imagine. Chara was an entity of manipulation, negativity, and harm in her eyes. It would seem plausible they would've sought the Underground's fall even back then. Alice also realized Frisk had described the same things that had happened to Alice when she had arrived, being saved by Toriel. Normally such an exact recurrence of the same event would seem unnerving but with what Sans said about RESETS it made some sense. If this timeline had been reset with me in Frisk's place then it would easily explain why no one recalled Frisk or why these events reoccur, Alice summarized. When Frisk finally spoke again, Alice couldn't fathom what he just said.

Chara wasn't like what they were now when I first met them. Rather I didn't even notice them, they were just narrating my journey. They informed me of the details and context of the monsters, objects, and places I encountered. They weren't in the position to inflict any harm and didn't even hold any intent to harm. They were an ally...

"... What? I mean… how is that possible? Chara's been so dreadful to me! And they openly stated an intense desire to harm and murder both humanity and monsters." Alice used hand gestures to thoroughly express her disbelief.

It'll become clearer if I continue my story. Things you might've thought as you endured the Underground are always bound to change. That was the lesson I learned. Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland… I traveled through all those places after sparing Toriel. At that point I was very familiar with the six souls and the Barrier and the monsters seeking freedom. I held the same standard as you did, I didn't want anyone to die carelessly. Even if maybe I felt like dying once or twice on the surface, something about the monsters gave me purpose. I will confirm though that some things were different from your run. Firstly. I never quite befriended Napstablook to the extent you have. Frisk kept going on with his story before sounding strangely playful.

"To the extent I have? W-what's that supposed to mean…?" Alice asked, strangely flustered.

He didn't follow me entirely through the Ruins up to Toriel's house for example. But that was just to make sure you were still paying attention. Alice was sure if she could've seen Frisk's expression it would've been winking.

"I'm a very avid listener to stories. I didn't need to be teased about my one of my most treasured friendships down here. What other differences were there Frisk?" Alice huffed slightly but still sounded eager for more information.

The MTT Resort dinner date was significantly different. Sans didn't confront me on anything more than just I would've been dead had Toriel not made that promise. Here you were confronted on causing me to disappear on the RESET and also about hiding knowledge of previously meeting someone unknown and your true motives. The fact yours was so distinct makes me sure that some special circumstances beyond you just finding another passage into the Underground exist. The difference in time is confirmation enough. Thirdly, I didn't quite possess the same powers you did, I had to endure and escape and spare with concentrated effort and evasiveness. Summoning creatures of DETERMINATION was not one of my talents. Frisk elaborated.

"..." Alice felt slightly down.

From the sounds of it, part of her interactions had been sabotaged. Surely had she been in Frisk's shoes, she would've been more trusted by Sans right? And what exactly were these 'special circumstances'? As much as she hated thinking about it, Alphys had stated 'Alice' was a fictional character in a modern-day novel with Wonderland and everything being a real concept and not just something private. Reassuringly, she had also said that Alice herself was still a real-life human girl who had expressed traits that inspired that fictional character. Was that some kind of correlation to ending up in this strange land in the future? I fear I may never find out at this rate, Alice thought glumly as she knew there were much more important objectives to solve. Frisk seemed to sense that Alice was reflecting on this idea, perhaps due to sharing Alice's mind at the moment, and kept going,

Fourth, many of our reactions and interactions were different in regards to the monsters and scenarios we encountered. Mettaton's play, this New Home, me winning and you losing to Papyrus initially, how you retaliated against Alphys, you encountering So Sorry and I not, it was bound to happen. The final difference of note was that I didn't have as many dreams as you did, I did share the dream about ASRIEL but there was no Undyne armor there. Something tells me this could be some side effect from the mixture of imagination and DETERMINATION. I do think your dreams have provided vital clues and could be the key to finding another way out of the Underground as well as warnings of what not to do.

"So those dreams weren't just nightmares then. I could gather they were important from details and the words being said within them but I wasn't fully sure of their nature. I'm prone to fantastical dreams after all." Alice put her hand to her chin and a finger to her cheek in thought.

So this path ultimately led me beyond New Home. I can't quite say I was as distraught as you were and offering to sacrifice myself, but I certainly was glum to hear what had happened. Even Chara vaguely seemed quite pained when he was explaining some of the things around the room to me-

"Forgive my interruption but I needed to ask. Were you sparing monsters like I was on this journey? And you keep supporting this idea Chara was merely a narrator originally, did you serve that role to me instead?" Alice felt the need to address this.

Y-yes… yes I did. Both to showing mercy and to being your narrator and guide. With your reasoning though, most of my narrating wasn't as needed since you figured out things quickly. The names and details were provided by me. Anyways, what happened after New Home was that I met Sans again and he praised me for being a Pacifist. He also explained something to you that Flowey attempted to twist when you first encountered him. While I can't say that'll happen exactly the same this time around for you, that part should still occur since you have been a pacifist… Frisk sounded extremely on edge and it made Alice nervous.

"D-do you think he's going to confront me…? Like… physically?" Alice asked.

Regrettably yes… he's far more paranoid here than at any point I encountered him. The mystery and fantasy surrounding you is too big of a risk and at most you would merely be attacked in revenge for what happened to me. B-but please let me finish… this is becoming harder and harder the more we stray from the topic. Frisk attempted to assert himself.

"Sorry…" Alice apologized meekly.

So at that point I made my way to King Asgore. We fought to a standstill, and I do mean fought. Asgore will not accept pacifism, rightfully so in fact. Then… things went incredibly awry… Frisk trailed off into silence.

"Awry…? Y-you didn't kill him did you?!" Alice exclaimed in panic.

No. It was out of my control… but I don't know what might happen with that this time around so please don't worry. I promise to guide you safely from here to the freedom of the Underground Alice but… there are some things in the meantime that are better off not knowing.

"... Like knowing someone has to die or else nobody becomes freed from this place…" Alice said in empathy, recalling Alphys's bombshell.

Precisely. I can safely say too that at that point, the story ended. Nobody was freed. It was not a happy ending. So I RESET the timeline. I felt I needed to find some more clues that I had missed on my first run.

Alice was stunned. So Frisk hadn't died then and there? Somehow that did give Alice some relief in regards to her own Pacifist approach but then when had he died? What had happened beyond Asgore's death that nobody was freed? Why was this the 'first' run? How many where there? And the idea that he had actually RESET the knowledge of everyone knowing him, back to the beginning, friendships reverted to acquaintances… it was very depressing. Also it seemed apparent that if Frisk had done it, she could very well do the RESET herself. But why would she do that…? Frisk answered that for her,

You don't have to necessarily RESET to the very beginning of falling into the Underground Alice. Sometimes you can RESET to the last resting point before say, you fight Asgore. That's one of the benefits to doing so as it can allow you to specifically pinpoint a place to start fixing mistakes and you don't lose any relationships.

"Oh. That's strangely convenient. I see though, surely then you were able to save Asgore on the second run right?" Alice asked with some newfound hope.

Well before Asgore there were a few loose threads I had to tie up. Ironically, both of us didn't think to go see Undyne when Papyrus made that offer to us. Frisk chuckled.

'HEY! WHAT'S UP ALICE!? I WAS JUST THINKING! YOU, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME! I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS! LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!'

"Oh… you're right. He was deathly serious about it as well but I was so far along on my journey and Undyne had been so… unfavorable about me that I didn't think it'd be a wise idea to attend." Alice admitted, rubbing her left arm insecurely.

Well you should definitely go see her on the second run. I don't want to spoil the fun but it'll get 'heated' if you know what I mean. Frisk emphasized 'heated' the same way Sans would emphasize a pun.

"I can't quite decide if that's reassuring or not." Alice said flatly.

Only an attempt to lighten the mood. Frisk sighed before continuing. After visiting Undyne she'll ask you to send a letter to Alphys and then you end up accompanying her to the junkyard to an intimate get together. After that though, something strange happens… You get a phone call from Papyrus… It goes 'HOWDY! IF IT ISN'T MY GOOD FRIEND, WHO TRUSTS ME. THIS IS PAPYRUS. YOUR ALSO MUTUAL FRIEND.' And leads into, 'I FEEL STRONGLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. YOU SHOULD ALSO GO… THERE. TO HER. LAB… HOUSE.'

"... Howdy…" Alice could instantly recognize why this call troubled Frisk and also why he felt he needed to warn her of this.

'Howdy' was not only Flowey's greeting but it had been in New Home as well in the instructions about where to find things… it was clearly something tied with the royal family and something about Papyrus using that greeting as well as the forced-sounding word choice he was using clearly implied he was being instructed to tell Frisk these directions. It even sounded just like when Papyrus was trying to gather information on Alice's appearance for Undyne during the Waterfall hunt. Papyrus was too honest and sweet, it was a positive trait, so whenever he had tried to be sneaky it obviously gave away that there was something else going on. At this point it was much more of a strength for Alice than a weakness as it allowed her to decipher the people trying to plot against her. Clearly Frisk had figured that out too.

Yes, I strongly suspect Flowey was with Papyrus at that time and told him to go see Alphys's lab. I suspected danger but when I got there it seemed fine. There was another note on the ground… it was telling me to go find out something that Alphys did by going into a new opened room in the north. It was an elevator. He said.

"Wait. I do think it was Flowey who was instructing Papyrus but how would he know about Alphys's lab? He's a flower, he can't exactly teleport to someplace with metal flooring right and hot conditions? I mean I haven't even seen him since I left the Ruins…" Alice pointed out.

Frisk assumed silence again but this time Alice could hear him breathing. It seemed he was very tense or scared. Clearly something about this lab encounter had greatly spooked him if he was warning Alice about it and hesitating to answer.

…Y-you're right… that is very strange… s-still, I went down the elevator. What I found there was…. TRAUMATIZING. Frisk spoke with clear fear and emotion.

"That bad?" Alice asked in surprise.

At that point I had understood the plight of the monsters, I understood their hopes and dreams… I could see their joys in life and each other… I could see what being imprisoned any longer would do to them… b-b-but what I found there… i-in that lab... disillusioned me and Chara. We saw a side to the monsters that was horrific, inhumane, and cruel…A-Alphys was the catalyst to something that I thought humans were only capable of… beginning with a cover-up. Frisk seemed to be trying to remain composed but it was clear he was still shocked and disgusted with what he had seen. What was even more startling was that it seemed he too had a very skewed opinion of Alphys much like she did.

"A cover-up…? Does it have anything to do with the letters perhaps…? Or her fabrication of human history?" Alice asked.

The letters y-yes… but ultimately… I just couldn't cement the idea of freeing the monsters just yet…. Not even remotely… it was the most repulsive thing I-I'd ever seen... I did a full RESET. Frisk dropped a very explosive detail that made Alice's eyes widen.

"What? B-but from the sounds of it you were on the right track to finding another way! How could you just give up like that…?!" She demanded, standing up in some quickly-growing fury.

Alice, recall that Bratty and Catty were eager for the destruction of humanity. They said that to me as well. Even though I related somewhat since I've never had a positive impression of humanity, I remained determined in the first run. I thought that these monsters were individuals too who had been trapped for far too long… even before I found out about Asriel. When I saw what was at that Lab… it occurred to me that he who fights monsters, becomes a monster. The monsters of the Underground have an INSIDIOUS side to them… and I felt that what I saw at the Lab justified that, maybe it was too hasty to free them. If they were to be released without having learned from their mistakes and atoning for their sins, they would make the same mistakes and sins… also their sins would be exposed for all to see and what would happen then…? Frisk explained.

Alice couldn't deny that she recalled feeling very furious when hearing them eagerly express excitement for something as cruel as murdering an entire species out of revenge. So Frisk was saying he had found a motive to keep that from happening and changed his mind on trying to free them. Indeed, if the monsters were still intent on doing something as ignorant and reckless as trying to exact vengeance on the humans, then Alice would have no part in it whatsoever. Perhaps this was another reason he fought so strongly for her not to sacrifice herself, she didn't know every single fact about the Monsters. While she had learned their greatest sorrow, it sounded as though Frisk had learned their greatest sin. Apparently it was a sin so bad that should humanity learn about it, there was no telling what might happen. Yet she couldn't help but wonder what could be that bad…

"I-I feel I understand you somewhat… you're saying they could've done something cruel and reckless had they been freed after what you discovered. But still, was it really right to just stop there? And if you knew Flowey directed you there, couldn't that have been a trap?" Alice offered.

Looking back on it now, perhaps you are right. You are a much more positive person than I am Alice. My time was filled with many things that could make people paranoid or rash or ignorant or depressed… and I myself had a life that was rough. I felt I was the best judge of everyone, the decider… and these monsters were also wanting with all their heart for me to decide their destiny. For a moment, back at that first flower patch, I was broken, grabbing the flowers and sobbing… Chara there, watching. I felt betrayed and trapped, realizing that while I had been given a new life, the pain was only enhanced. The Underground is… hell. Hell for me and for monsters but they are the ones who rule it. Unlike you, I wasn't curious for knowledge and nonsense, I was desperate to get away from it all.

"..." Alice winced.

She suddenly realized that while he was giving her this grim, depressing outlook on his experiences, he was also pointing out how different they were. She was positive and imaginative and curious, he hadn't been when he was the one choosing to spare. Something he encountered broke his spirits and made him feel as though he had only found a worse version of what he was trying to escape from on the surface. Yet he wasn't saying it would break her were she to have encountered it. Hearing someone who had probably been her age talking about such a terrible experience and negative perspective made her realize this journey WAS hard. Even assuming it was anything like Wonderland was terribly inaccurate to the complexities that the Underground had. Yet here Alice was, and here Frisk was urging her to find another way while warning her about what might break her just like New Home nearly did. At least that was the interpretation she was taking.

"T-thank you for warning me about all this Frisk. I… I can't say what might happen when I encounter that lab but I'll try to remain patient, even though I feel Alphys is quite despicable sometimes." Alice said in an attempt to support him.

Oh… I-I'm sorry… I think I got a bit too heated. I don't want you to worry about the future, I need you to worry about the now. Right now you need to be 100% focused or else you might fail. I should be telling you my story, not trying to get you to believe what I once was believed. Frisk apologized for going into so much detail. Perhaps in his descriptions of his story, he had started ranting and lamenting what had gone through his head at the time. It was a way to express some of the pain he had been feeling. It reminded Alice of…

'You must know that things aren't what they seem! Why is a raven like a writing desk?! Is there or is there not another way?! What will break the Barrier once and for all in the end?! You have to answer this world's ultimate riddle yourself Alice!'

The other 'Alice'. Alice suddenly felt petrified.

"Frisk… what did you do after you RESET the timeline?" Alice asked.

I killed Alphys. Frisk answered bluntly without any attempt to deceive.

"... You went through everything again just to do that?" Alice asked confused but no less shocked.

My idea was to look over everything one more time, decide what was justified and what should be done. Maybe a majority of the monsters did deserve to be freed… but not Alphys. Alphys had sinned too deeply. I waited until after the Mettaton encounter, when he was powered down and she alone, and I slew her. She dissolved into dust, I did everything else the same. I did notice that some of the monsters had a vague sense that I was acting as though I had reacted to some of their questions or appearances before. I thought that may have been some kind of hint. I also tried to warn Asgore that there may have been something out for his life. He died as well. Something shocking happened. There was a grimmer sense of despair and the monsters had lost their hope because of Alphys's absence. They were seeking a new Royal Scientist. Frisk told a story that was honestly a bit confusing.

"I don't understand though, did you really think it was right to kill someone even if it was Alphys? That's a sin in itself!" Alice exclaimed.

They wanted me to decide their fate, so I decided it was time for them to decide how I figured out that fate. I was numb and depressed, tired and scared, rattled and probably mentally unsound. I didn't think about the consequences of my actions anymore, only how I could experiment different ways of seeing how the monsters reacted and if they would expose anymore clues. What happened to Chara was… I was sharing with them all my negativity and influencing them. They were probably very stunned at what was happening and trying to make sense of it. Their last living moments in life were a sickly, slow death with a wish going unfulfilled after all. I RESET the timeline again. The fourth one.

Alice was beginning to see where the self-loathing was coming in. He was clearly reformed if he was with Alice now and helping her to survive but this past version of himself sounded positively monstrous, someone acting as though he was like Flowey. In truth, Alice probably should've been more scared of this individual and his past actions. Yet she felt what Frisk was doing now was to scare her from going down the dark path of no mercy. Even 'Alice' from her dreams seemed to have been wanting that for Alice all along. It seems to be working quite well, Alice thought. Although she had to admit in her heart this it was still disturbing to realize that several timelines had passed before she came in and that these events were real.

At this point in time, I decided to use my curiousity in a much darker way you ever did. I confronted Toriel about her position as queen, determined to get her to spill what she knew. Toriel was simply stunned by my confrontation and annoyingly didn't spill any of the beans. I knew I was right though, I figured that as the mother figure that she had always seemed to be in the Underground, she would support me. Me, the child who wanted to find a way to free her. She didn't and insisted on trying to keep me from leaving. This time, I slew her, feeling she was trying to decieve me even when I knew my intentions were honest and noble. Chara started to break at that point, having lost a mother figure in their life. I didn't realize what effect that would have on them later. Frisk admitted.

Alice clenched her skirt tightly. Something about murdering Toriel just seemed entirely unforgivable to her. Yet he did bring up something curious.

"What do you mean Chara was breaking?" She asked.

By taking such drastic actions, I was filling their head with reasons why I took such actions, misguided as they definitely were. At the time, I was implying I was murdering Toriel to display superiority, to gain power. Chara didn't know any better. They were strangely innocent from the start.

"*Sigh* I think you really had ought to have stopped once you realized murdering Alphys only made the situation worse. Instead you chose to kill Toriel, someone sweet-hearted and earnest and who saved your life three times! Who gave you a slice of delicious pie three times!" Alice lost some of her patience and attacked Frisk verbally.

You're right to be furious at me. I was on a dark path, my mind was clouded in darkness, trying to take advantage of what I knew to get any information that could lead into another way out. I over-thought it you might say. I didn't kill any regular monsters, I was only after the most important ones. I spared Sans and Papyrus but this time I told Undyne and Sans what I knew about Alphys, what she had been hiding there in her lab. Sans was stunned and Undyne was furiously in denial. Despite this, nothing changed up until the restaurant. Sans had brought Undyne and Alphys there too, it seemed he wanted to lay things out on the table regarding the discovery in the lab. Alphys was horrified and distraught as Sans demanded her next move and why she had hidden them away. Frisk almost seemed to be recounting this story as though it were some case file.

"Them?" Alice's eyes perked up at the pronoun.

Unfortunately Frisk did not go into detail on this. Alice bit her lip in frustration but had to concede with hearing what Frisk specifically wanted her to listen to.

Undyne kept defending Alphys blindly, those two are more than friends really… Ultimately I was furious and accused both of them of directly hindering the progress of freeing the monsters for selfish pride. At that point Undyne attempted to kill me but Sans suddenly showed… immense power and stopped her in her tracks. Sans said he had made a promise to keep me safe, a promise with Toriel, and that I wanted to free everyone without taking any lives. I used that opportunity… to drop the bombshell Toriel was dead and murdered Undyne while Sans and Alphys were stunned. I wanted Alphys to cooperate for once, stop Mettaton's stupid game, and possibly admit she did know of another way to break the barrier… Losing her guardian angel was bound to do that but then Sans killed me instantly much like how you were in your dream. Timeline number five began...

"I-I'm starting to sympathize more with Alphys now…" Alice put a hand to her head, falling back onto the ground to sit down.

It was truly sickening to think that prior to her arrival, Alphys's life and even morals were compromised publicly. Nobody deserved to be publicly shamed and tried like that, particularly since she recalled the Queen of Heart's trial that was blatantly unfair and degrading. It was also shocking to imagine that Sans, who clearly remembered and recognized the RESETS, had taken part in such a fiery confrontation with Undyne of all people. He had even seemed to side with Frisk against Alphys for her deceit. I wonder if that's why he's so furious at me for appearing as though I'm lying about my situation, Alice wondered. But then she remembered she HAD lied about seeing Chara to him so he was rightfully justified for being mad at her. Coming clean about that to him still seemed much too risky, especially if she was set for a confrontation with him anyway.

Fortunately for her I decided to give up on her in the fifth timeline. I figured she was clearly in a position where she couldn't help no matter what to break the Barrier within the time frame between falling into the Underground and Asgore's destined death. Even trying to fish information out of her through someone like Mettaton seemed impossible because of the game she set up to make her seem more important and cool. I had spared Toriel beforehand in this timeline, and Flowey called me out on playing God. He seemed to also have some knowledge of RESETS but based on the limited encounters I had with him it seemed useless to try to probe him for information. Instead I realized that Sans seemed to be particularly prophetic this time, he actually dropped hints in Snowdin about what happened last timeline. He warned me to not lose my way again and to 'play along' with Papyrus. Frisk spoke the last line with a particular bitterness.

"That's certainly a recurring theme of his." Alice recalled the several threats Sans had made towards her.

It irritated me that he seemed to not give a damn about what I was trying through several timelines to do and instead was concerned about me 'losing my way'. I started really losing my patience and sanity at that point, frustrated nobody seemed to care, appreciate, or even want my ideas to a better a solution. Sans knew more than he was letting on so I decided to focus on him this time timeline… the only monster I killed was Papyrus.

"K-killed… Papyrus…? But why? He's the most innocent-"

I know that now Alice! Everything I've done, I've regretted. Dying was a just punishment for all my sins and I won't be surprised if I end up in hell for what I've done. At the time though… I thought maybe if he lost his brother, Sans would cooperate with my ideas and share with me his knowledge… that was my twisted sense of curiousity. In that display of power, Chara finally started to adopt my mentality, he became corrupted. His thought process and DETERMINATION for me became the will to 'kill or be killed.' When I spared every monster and arrived at this point, the point you yourself are about to reach, Sans judged me like he had done the first and the third time. Frisk interrupted Alice to emphasize his own sense of guilt.

"Judge me…? On what exactly?" Alice asked, trying to put her mind off the tragic thought of Papyrus turning into dust.

Your sense of MERCY really. Sans was not amused by what I did, calling me a 'dirty brother killer'. At that point I snapped at him, demanding that if he wanted to avenge his brother, he should be telling me what he knows about the Underground and about SOULS and about ways of breaking the BARRIER. Sans said I wasn't showing much of a mindset to break it anymore, saying I was having too much fun toying with the monsters and the Underground. That I went so far as to only kill his brother this time around felt like a taunt to him and he said even if he did know something about breaking the Barrier, there was no way he was letting someone who would show no mercy to the most innocent and wonderful brother in the world go free. It… was a very accurate assessment at the time. I should've listened… Frisk sighed sadly.

"Before you finish your story, I must ask. How can I trust you to not turn your back on me after you've admitted to killing several monsters and repeating the events of this place for such a misguided purpose? Yes you've helped me and saved me several times but I don't know if I can feel comfortable within the presence of someone who did not show mercy." Alice critiqued Frisk.

Because seeing this Underground from your eyes and seeing how you also have experienced a scenario that some might argue was worse than mine but yet hold no bitterness or negativity about it gave me hope. I… I want to see you succeed Alice… If my efforts failed, which they did and miserably, then I want to see you excel and free the Underground without a life being taken… Frisk praised her.

In truth, had her sister been present, Alice knew that Frisk would've been turned away and subject to being arrested for Alice's safety. But in this world of several attempted murders made on her life and an excruciating amount of death and sorrow, sometimes you had to let things go. If someone was willing to change themselves, learn their lesson, and become your friend then even if they had done something harsh or violent, they could be given a second chance. Frisk in particular was someone she had just now met and was learning about and she felt that if this were a meeting in the real world, she'd want to stay by his side and make him feel better about things. It seemed wrong to entirely condemn someone who made poor decisions in the past but genuinely regretted them and wanted to change. So Alice was willing to give Frisk mercy in regards to his actions.

"I'll do my best to excel under your guidance and support. So what happened next...?" Alice took a deep breath in between her promise and her question.

...I RESET again… the sixth and most brutal timeline. This time I murdered everyone in my way. I lost it. I lost hope. I lost DETERMINATION. I was driven to show no mercy to these monsters who I believed were incapable of showing mercy themselves. It was a genocide. At that point Chara became the Chara you know today, the demon that appears when people call its name. I… was unforgivable… Frisk sounded as though he was struggling to choke out the words that held great brutality.

"..." Alice held her hands to her heart.

I confronted Sans at the chapel. He wasn't going to let me pass this time because I failed the Judgement. He told me… I was going to have a bad time… and I did… his power was insane, I died and returned countless times… I was reckless, I was suffering, and time after time I started realizing there was a sort of futility to my actions. How could I find another way if I was sealing away all possible paths? How could I even consider myself a savior after toying with time and taking away so many lives? Sans pleaded with me after I somehow managed to last… no, survive his barrage of attacks. He told me there was a glimmer of a good person in me… I always thought of myself as an ok person, just not having a very good life… and ultimately it came down to the point he was willing to SPARE me. Him… sparing me... after all I did… I choked up. I regained some sensibility and I thought… maybe this wasn't meant for me. Maybe somebody else is destined to save the Underground…

"And then you were killed correct?"

Sans told me when I agreed to spare him that he know how hard it must be. To make that decision. He was fully intent on killing me, not out of malice but out of mercy. He wanted me to RESET the timeline and start making things right. I don't think he suspected I might've just wanted to rest forever… or let someone else try. He told me to 'c'mere, pal'... I hugged him and the last I remember was being pierced by bones… I died... Next thing I know I'm in this state... But now my SOUL can't be used to break the BARRIER. When a human dies, their SOUL lingers and can be absorbed by a monster within moments of it being released. But with this RESET, it's the other way around. My SOUL is in an incomplete state from having been forcibly separated from by body and warped by 'special circumstances'. Only with you do I have some completeness and as soon as I am removed from you, iI'll go back to my original weak state.. Frisk finished his story though it was much easier for Alice to bear than the last story she heard.

"That is a very sad story." She said, shaking her head wearily.

Ah, but there is a moral to it. Frisk said, trying to share Alice's positivity.

"... Yes, yes there is a very good moral to it as well. I mean, I suppose had I listened to Chara I would've more than likely just been repeating your mistakes. It seemed easier as well than sparing monsters but Toriel reminded me so much of my sister. I felt her advice was trustworthy and her intentions pure. I wanted to listen and follow her advice most of all, that's what's gotten me here." Alice giggled slightly.

Shame we journeyed so differently then. I followed Toriel's advice initially but then lost faith in her and all of the monsters. You're still on the first journey, you have a chance. That's why I'm going to aid you to the best of my abilities Alice. I believe you are that child who can finish what I couldn't. I also believe… maybe you could do something about the others who need to be SAVED.

"... The others? Do you mean Chara?" Alice raised an eyebrow at the cryptic words.

I don't think they are incapable of change. I think if we encounter Chara again, there can be a chance to get through to them. Frisk explained.

That's a definite maybe for the moment, Alice thought. She had no desire to see that ruthless being again even if Frisk and Asriel seemed to have known them as someone much more admirable before things went south. It occurred to Alice there was one more thing she needed to ask,

"Say, do you recall anything that happened after you died? You seemed intent on not RESETTING yourself but someone did it anyway. I mean that's what Sans suspects…" Alice asked.

Frisk was quiet for a few moments, presumably thinking very hard on this. But his reply came a bit empty-handed,

I don't. I know that Sans seemed to have taken a piece of fabric from my shirt but not much else… If I had to theorize, I think it had to do with Chara. Chara was urging me to fight and slay and slaughter Sans, the weakest monster in the Underground, but when Sans words got through to me, I ignored them completely. They might have come up with some sort of plan in the sake of revenge… my soul would've been available to have the total of seven souls needed to break the Barrier after all. It's also clear the barrier wasn't broken since nobody's freed and Sans didn't mention that happening.

"Perhaps it's because you slaughtered everyone that whoever RESET the timeline wanted there to be more monsters for a more positive future?" Alice asked curiously.

That or they weren't done with seeking power… Cause Flowey was still out there. Also if the timeline had truly RESET by my hand, I would've been alive again and back within my body but for some reason I'm but an incomplete SOUL and you are here in my place. It's clear someone used the seven SOULS of the previous timeline to make this seventh timeline different from the others. Frisk theorized.

"Maybe they hid your body someplace to keep the SOUL from returning and to weaken it? Although that doesn't explain how I was brought here from a different time period altogether…"

Seven human SOULS could give a monster godlike power. Anything would be possible by then… you raise a good point on that we don't know exactly who and why you were summoned here but it was definitely possible in terms of the powers available. I think the last timeline continued for a bit longer after I died before things RESET to this current seventh timeline. Sans should know more honestly if we can ask him but… I'm afraid that because this timeline is so different and he was fully counting on me to return and redeem myself and make things right, he sees you as a wild card. Worse, he doesn't have the best impression of you through your outspoken moments and inquisitive observations.

"Would he rather me be someone as ditzy and nonsensical as the Temmies?" Alice showed sarcasm and scoffed at this.

I don't know. Ultimately we can clear things up for the better by facing his judgement. But I must warn you in advance, it might not be as welcoming or as calm and civilized as the ones I've been through. It'll probably be more akin to my last one. I should be able to help you through it and I also know that you have the means to prove your innocence to him. Please promise me you won't lose your DETERMINATION. Frisk was being supportive but also reiterating his solemn warning.

"... I will not give in to despair anymore. If this Barrier is to break, I will break it with the way that ensures everyone can live!" To emphasize this point, she took the Worn Dagger and tossed it as far as she could towards the buildings and landscape down below.

Frisk did not reply but the sense of warmth within Alice and the fact her mind felt free and focused again was enough of an answer to herself. She WAS going to break the Barrier and free the Underground. She WOULD uphold Toriel's teachings till the very end. She WAS going to survive… and her sister and Dinah would be so proud. Alice knew there was but one pathway left for her to go. The elevator would likely take her down somewhere other than to where King ASGORE was, more than likely it was the broken one at the MTT Resort. With no more doubts and regrets, with the past and the present backing her and the future in her reach, Alice entered the Last Corridor. She was stunned by its beauty, golden walls with grecian columns and a golden and tan checkered tiled floor. It was almost as though she entered some grand cathedral as gargantuan stained glass windows unveiled heavenly rays of light into the room. The Delta Rune could be visibly seen imprinted on the stained glass windows as a design. Some areas of the corridor were eclipsed in shadow and there was also a sense of familiarity to this place that made it nerve-wracking to be in. It was also daunting in the sense that it was likely the last area before she reached what would most likely be a throne room and the atmosphere held such sacredness that it made her wonder if she should've entered on her knees or crawling.

"I wonder if Asriel once was here…" Alice pondered as something about the holy atmosphere of this place made her want to pay her respects.

However the respects would have to wait. A figure in shadow was standing in the middle of the corridor and yet Alice knew from its shape that it was Sans. So approaching him and seeing his expression merely served as confirmation. Bells started to ring from outside, loudly and gloriously. It was far more than just a simple school bell this time to Alice. It was almost as though it was hailing the king's arrival himself. For a moment Alice wondered if that truly was the case despite Frisk's recounting of the judgement but it was quickly dashed. Sans began to speak,

"So you finally made it. The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together… You will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will be judged. You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you've earned. What's EXP? It's an acronym. It stands for 'execution points'. A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for 'Level of Violence'. A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."

Alice didn't dare speak back yet. A true judgement was the same as an evaluation, you waited until the authority figure finished their every word. Alice was stunned though to notice Flowey's terminology was uncovered and exposed to be an attempt to get her to murder under a misleading acronym. He had not mentioned 'EXP' but he had most certainly mentioned 'LOVE'. It was a lure to get her to believe violence was the answer. Although wouldn't his subsequent assault on me dissuade me from thinking violence was the answer? Alice wondered curiously. Maybe he was so certain of implying this world was 'kill or be killed' that Alice would take that 'LOVE' metaphor and twist it for herself. After all Sans said the more you kill and hurt, the less vulnerable and weak-willed you become. It was probably what happened to Frisk as well, even just merely killing people would cause him to think less sympathetically towards others. It was especially sad imagining he had heard all that good advice and still succumbed to despair because of something at Alphys's lab he had seen…

"... but you. you never gained any LOVE. 'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the struggles or hardships you faced… you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile. you never gained LOVE, but you gained love. … Was what you expected to hear right?" After some flowering compliments, Sans suddenly sent a large barb towards Alice's way.

"... I'm being judged Sans. I don't precisely expect anything but the truth." Alice confessed honestly.

Instantly the sense of sacredness was defiled by a dreadful tension. Something about it reminded of the howling winds of Waterfall when she was about to fight Undyne and it was not comforting. Sans was eyeing Alice with a smile but not much else. If anything he was still harboring some bitter feelings from the MTT Resort encounter and like Frisk said, much of his expression and tone betrayed a sense of paranoia.

"The truth… you can't seem to tell it yourself. It's like you're full of malice Alice. You did meet someone in those RUINS and I think it's safe to say you are holding onto them like they are a pet." Sans folded his arms.

Come to think of it, Alice realized, maybe he didn't mean Chara but rather Frisk all along in terms of who he suspected I met. It certainly made some more sense of why Sans was being so hostile. Chara was relatively mysterious… or at least there was no way of knowing about them being a spirit at any previous point in time. Sans only knew Frisk and he only knew that Alice came out of the Ruins to greet him instead of Frisk. Where did Frisk go? Who was this strange little girl? Considering Sans had a brother to protect and had seen die twice, it made sense for him to be like this in her eyes. The real question was whether she should admit the truth or not…

"I… I didn't meet anyone then. But I did meet them earlier… they told me everything they knew. About the previous six timelines…" Alice felt somewhat sick after stating that fact.

"... Ah. So you wisened up. That person you met was supposed to be the one standing here. So what did you do to get into this timeline? Murder? Espionage? Or are you seriously going to claim that you fell down the rabbit hole and didn't see anyone else even though they should still be here?" Sans taunted her rather harshly.

"... I beg your pardon?"

"I know now… you're a fairy tale character. you are some little girl who made a fantasy world and lived it out in a dream. thing is, fairy tales are fictional. yet here you are. you aren't who you say you are. you could be a dirty brother killer. you could be someone tricking us. you could be someone's pawn… and above all you could be someone who won't set us free and will make us suffer over and over again until you are satisfied with your 'curiousity'. Even though there should be seven souls for us to use now." Sans pupil's disappeared.

Frisk was right, Sans had probably anticipated Frisk to come back and make things right in this timeline. Something unexpected happened and Frisk wound up not coming back. Alice did instead. A newcomer for the first time. He had no idea if they were merciful or merciless and they already seemed to have existed in a format that made absolutely no sense. And after six timelines of a twisted mind game of seeing Frisk be on the right track from the sounds of it and then turning back, Sans was losing his patience. It was the kind of thing that couldn't really been argued at this point, in fact it was ironic. He was acting much like Toriel. Toriel who would not yield Alice's freedom until Alice strained herself and pleaded to be released from the Ruins, showing MERCY in the process. Sans was the same, he felt that Alice couldn't be trusted and that something was fishy and it'd be too risky to let her keep going. Still, Alice wanted more confirmation.

"What… do you intend to do…?" Alice was sweating despite trying to think calmly.

"... kid, no… alice. i think you're going to have to return back to your pages… i'm going to make certain that when the timeline RESETS that this'll be the last one. you won't get to manipulate us, get us thinking we'll finally be free, only for you and your puppetmaster to end this world again… i'm not letting my brother go through that… i'm not going to take that chance… you don't have the determination to save us…" Surprisingly, Sans voice broke, he sounded genuinely upset.

"Sans, I can save us… I swear I am not under any spell, I do not know myself how I came here other than I fell down the rabbit hole, and I may have made mistakes here but everyone does. I know your sad past, Asriel… Chara… this terrible spree of human's dying down here. I refuse to let any of this misery continue. I promise that I won't harm the king, I'll speak to him. We won't let another person die…" Alice stepped forward bravely and looked Sans straight in the eye.

"... are you even a person though?" Sans asked.

"I bleed and feel emotions like any other person." Alice nodded.

Sans looked down. The pain of six timelines past was riddled all over his face and body language. There was also the promise he had made to Toriel, and Alice saw how pained that made him in that dream, Papyrus's grave probably had existed at some point. He couldn't directly intervene until pushed far enough when Frisk slaughtered the entire Underground. Here, he was expecting maybe Frisk learned his lesson and instead had to endure a stranger going on this journey who made mistakes that unnerved him enough to distrust them. In truth, maybe if Alice had been able to explain why and how she came here then there'd be no doubts in his mind. But Sans was the kind of person who sensed and acted upon doubts. He hated making promises because of it. Thus, the skeleton shook his head and faced Alice.

"I'm sorry. You're not going to see the King. I don't even believe you are real. Just an illusion who took the place of a kid who could've maybe saved us all. sorry, old lady. this is the second time i'm doing this..." Sans right eye sparked blue as he gave a small apology to Toriel.

Alice gulped. There was no turning back. This was for real, she was going to have to fight him. Even though she and Frisk felt confident of her innocence, and surely others like Papyrus and Napstablook did as well, Sans couldn't take any chances. Maybe that was the smart thing to do when the last timeline involved a massacre of your home and everyone you knew and loved. So Alice decided she wasn't going to hold it against Sans. She was instead going to need to prove herself against Sans.

'"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive," Toriel spoke powerfully and turned to face Alice, her determination plain and clear on her face.'

Prove to me you will save the Underground and not destroy it, Alice made an hypothesis in her mind of what Sans would've said to motivate herself. As she did so, something gold whirled around past her head in a graceful arc, before plopping onto the ground next to her. It was an exceedingly large top hat featured a band and a large tag of sorts that said '10/6'. Suddenly a pair of short, slender legs, clothed in long pants and fairly pointy leather shoes with socks walked over and reached to pick up the hat. As soon as they put it on, the full appearance of this figure was revealed. They wore a buttoned shirt and bowtie with a long-sleeved coat over it. They were half bald with the hat covering the bald spot and they were buck-toothed with thick eyebrows, a strong nose, high cheekbones, and small round eyes. Knowing now that this figure of DETERMINATION was Frisk, it was rather strange to imagine a young boy willingly becoming Alice's fabled characters from Wonderland. The gesture was certainly very nice and Alice knew she would need his assistance more than ever against Sans. Frisk, as the Mad Hatter, made a teacup and saucer appear in his right hand and held it up before bowing elegantly. He then smirked at Sans with a devilish confidence. Sans looked on with suspicion.

"there's that power-up again. the fact you can do things like that is suspicious enough. you are dangerous with that you know…" Sans made a reasonable point.

Alice felt there was no need to attempt confirming or denying his suspicions. Actions spoke louder than words this time. Sans seemed to sense this and actually looked a bit impressed. Perhaps he felt this was the first time Alice was being honest with him. Without giving anymore delay, he spoke to her with words that Alice was sure he had said before to someone else,

"it's a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming… on days like these, kids like you… Should go back the way you came."

To Be Continued...