Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 31 Of Cabbages and Mountain Kings

Immediately apparent upon stepping into the aristocratic Throne Room was a feeling of ancient times, of a place that had been lingering around for so long that mother nature had overgrown and flourished within. The entire floor of the Throne Room was covered in delicate plants with purple buds and then the middle of the room contained a circlet of golden blossoms. Alice quickly deduced these flowers were the kind used in the fabled Golden Flower tea that she had been served at Sans and Papyrus's house. The floor itself could only be seen around the throne itself, an orange and brown checkered print, while the throne looked to be a fairly fancy purple and gold chair. The entire scene was already extremely beautiful but what stole her attention was the figure standing among the flowers, their back towards her and Napstablook. They were noticeably big and tall, with a wideness to their silhouette that was emphasized by pauldrons they were wearing. Their cape appeared of pure velvet and they had long golden hair, white ears, and white horns of impressive stature with a golden crown. Even without seeing their face, the presence this figure had was unmistakable and the crown epitomized their identity. KING ASGORE DREEMURR. Alice had deduced that Toriel was related to Asgore as his queen but seeing the goat ears and the horns only confirmed this to her. At the same time though, Alice felt she couldn't yet speak out with the King not facing her. Napstablook though whispered,

"that's him… i think he's watering the flowers…"

"True… Monster Kid mentioned he had grown flowers." Alice whispered back.

"Dum dee dum…" The king hummed merrily to himself as he underwent the watering of the flowers.

His voice sounded much more friendly than Alice had envisioned. It wasn't wisened or angry but rather fatherly and sincere. There was a slight melancholy to Asgore's voice as well, perhaps hinting at the many trials and tribulations he had gone through as a ruler. Alice could tell he did match up to the jovial, friendly descriptions she'd heard about regarding his bad taste in names and even Bratty and Catty's words. However, he was also the one Toriel had lost all faith in and the one threatening humanity with a massacre should the monsters be freed. I have to tread very carefully, Alice thought. The best way for her to do this in her mind was to remain silent and Napstablook also believed this. Granted Alice had the benefit of previous experience dealing with somewhat temperamental rulers through the Queen of Hearts in her daydreams so she was bracing for any sort of aggression by the king. Sure enough, Asgore seemed to sense their presence and spoke out to them without turning around,

"Oh? Is someone there? Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers."

Alice and Napstablook continued to keep quiet as Asgore appeared to swerve slightly to the left and right, watering the flowers with great care.

"...Here we are!" Asgore remarked happily.

Then Asgore turned to his right, surveying the flower garden of his own creation. Alice could make out more details about his appearance and was fairly astounded. Their hair spread onto his face in a very elegant and neatly trimmed beard and mane and the pauldrons formed a clasp at the cape to hold it together. His expression though was so gentle and sincere that Alice couldn't imagine what Toriel had said about him was true. It also seemed rather frail at the same time, perhaps because the King was alone to himself and displaying his natural state. After everything I've heard regarding the royal family, I'd be rather depressed too. Alice looked to Napstablook briefly to see how he was reacting and in truth, he appeared to be fine with the King's appearance. Napstablook didn't seem the type of person to have met the King before, even if his friend had became a project of the appointed Royal Scientist. Here in front of the majesty of the Underground himself, Napstablook seemed to clearly have met him at some point which seemed to show a level of interest or at least comfort with him. When Asgore finally turned to face Alice, Alice couldn't help but gasp.

"Howdy! How can I…" Asgore had begun to introduce himself but upon hearing Alice's gasp and seeing her, cowered back almost as if he feared she was about to attack him.

His bulk from the front and bare feet added to his mythical nature as a monster and the entire face and style he wore truly captured the essence of a king. Yet the sheer stature of Asgore left Alice speechless as well as the fact she would now be fully facing the fabled King Asgore himself. She was slightly worried at his almost distraught expression, shocked that she was here before him. Although maybe it's Napstablook's appearance that's also left him like this, Alice considered with a little hope. Napstablook looked away, slightly meek and startled by both Alice and Asgore's reactions to seeing one another. He was now beginning to feel a bit of dread as to what might transpire before him. After a few seconds of serene silence, Asgore gave a simple response,

"Oh."

He turned to his right again, looked even more pained but less stupefied. Alice couldn't help but wonder if he had prepared himself for an encounter such as this. Sans had mentioned Asgore did not seem to know about the RESETS or timelines of the past so this was very much like the first time he was seeing the seventh, necessary human. He didn't appear hostile like the rumors said as he was not instantly striking down Alice and instead looking almost regretful by seeing her. It made it clear to Alice that perhaps he had previously thought about whether it was right what he and the kingdom were doing with the fallen humans. Asgore once again turned to face Alice. This time he was giving a small, sad smile that Alice imagined his subjects had witnessed many times before.

"... I so badly want to say, 'would you like a cup of tea?' But… You know how it is…" Asgore addressed Alice with even more present regret than what Alice theorized.

"It is an honor to finally meet you your majesty." Alice tried to break the ice with an elegant and courteous curtsy.

"...yes… i never dreamt of seeing you in your throne room…" Napstablook matched Asgore with a small bow of his own.

Asgore gave a small chuckle and seemed a bit charmed by the actions. But it quickly reverted back to a sad stare and smile, doll-like even.

"To think the human came with a monster escort… that's really something. I'm happy that… well… we've finally met." Asgore confessed.

"As am I…" Alice responded as she set her hands onto her apron.

Asgore went quiet once more and walked over to the left side of the room, almost gliding across the flowers without damaging their blooms. It occurred to Alice the lighting of the room had spots of shadow and of light, that mirrored the Hall of Judgement in some ways. Perhaps it was a metaphor of twilight, of good and bad, of hope and despair. Yet it also made Alice restless as did King Asgore's next words,

"Nice day today, huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… Perfect weather for a game of catch."

'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.'

"i agree your majesty." Napstablook responded in Alice's place who promptly shivered.

It was just like Sans words before he had began to assault her as part of the Judgement. Yet Asgore's word choice and tone was much less threatening and intense than what Sans had said. The similarity between both their speeches left Alice in a state of concern. It almost implied their true importance and potential power and even if Asgore was clearly trying to lighten the somber mood, he was going to always hold a sense of superiority and intimidation over the little girl. She watched as Asgore looked away only to look at her again, this time exposing his glumness with a frown.

"... You know what we must do. When you are ready, come into the next room." Asgore stated before turning towards the exit.

"Excuse me your majesty but there is more to do than you may imagine. Please hear me out!" Alice interjected, perhaps a bit more emotionally than what was appropriate.

Asgore didn't appear to heed her words though and soon went into the next room. He's just as resolute in this as Sans was with his judgement, Alice realized. Alice would've stomped her foot in frustration but she felt as though killing one of the flowers or plants would be incredibly rude. Napstablook tried to ease her frustration,

"maybe you can get him to listen in the next room… it sounds like he might want to show you something alice…"

"But if this is the first impression then I can hardly imagine him listening to any of my ideas! He's a monarch of an entire species and I am just a little girl. If he doesn't even care to listen to my voice then the idea of convincing him to find another solution beyond using human SOULS won't work!" Alice claimed with exasperation.

"... he seems to be dreading this… I am starting to too… but we have to try… Sans trusts us… and we also can't let him follow his solution when he means to harm people like you…" Napstablook reminded her of the stakes.

"Napsta… I-I'd like to think I have a lot of confidence in my speaking skills and being proper from my life before the Underground and it has helped extremely in conjunction with what Toriel has taught me. Yet how can I possibly speak to a king as if I have any influence when that said king needs me to die to free his people?"

"... anything is better than an innocent person dying… it's worth a shot… um… and I'll try to speak up too…"

"That'd be greatly appreciated. I suppose it's too early to assume the worst after all. Still it does pain me to see him being so sad…" Alice admitted.

She noticed that in a corner of the Throne Room was another, matching chair to the king's but it was covered by a white sheet. It was no doubt the former queen's throne and perhaps in an attempt to safeguard it's glory, Asgore had put a sheet over it. The loneliness King Asgore must've been feeling with a lost and in hiding queen was unimaginably painful in Alice's mind. She herself didn't consider herself lonely previously in life through the sense she made friends of her own imagination and had Dinah around with her nearly everywhere. Yet she was young and had many opportunities to make new real-life friends, such as now. What opportunities did an old and regretful King with a clear path of death behind him have for friendships and companionships? It gave Alice an angle of understanding and potential conversation approaches to use and it made her sympathize greatly with the king. I wonder if Toriel would ever return to him should things turn out right, Alice wondered. Granted the loss of a child and being with the man who carried all the memories of that former family would probably be too much for Toriel to take again.

"sadness is prevalent in the underground… I am feeling happy… again… but we should help everyone be happier as well…" Napstablook replied.

Alice nodded in agreement and treading carefully over the gorgeous garden, went after Asgore. He stood in a room eerily similar to one of the passageways at the beginning of the Ruins. He seemed to be very uncomfortable yet hopeful.

"How tense… Just think of it like… A visit to the dentist." He offered.

"I believe that is truly an understatement your majesty. There's much more important matters here to compare it to something like that." Alice, slightly put off by Asgore's downplaying demeanor, put her hands on her hips.

"I suppose that's not fair to baby you like that… I'm sorry. Truly I'm not ready for what is about to happen. I can only try to help you feel sure that you are ready." Asgore explained.

"There is no need for me to be ready for what is starting to sound like a duel Asgore! I plead you to stop this crusade against the humans and to seek another way! Did you not hire Alphys as your Royal Scientist to seek a way other than bloodshed to find the way to freedom?!" Alice stated her side of the issue.

Asgore looked taken aback by Alice's aggressiveness as well as the sudden mention of his Royal Scientist. Not only his words but his reactions implied hesitation, fear, and even regret. The best way to describe it was a sort of resignation to his responsibility as the king of the Underground. He attempted to answer Alice carefully,

"Nothing has yet come from Alphys's work… in truth a lot of things have been quiet regarding her progress on the research of things that may come to use for the Barrier's fall… There is too much demand for me to take action now to consider any further wait. Also, there is something I need to show you. The Barrier itself."

Alice suddenly gasped. She hadn't taken into account potentially finally seeing the dreaded Barrier herself. In fact it sounded rather scary now. What if it was some sort of monster? Or a wall with spikes and dangerous things on it? A barrier that harmed anyone who touched it? Perhaps it was best to wait and see what the Barrier actually looked like before trying to challenge Asgore with other alternatives. Napstablook however, spoke up,

"your highness… if we do break the barrier… will you… really kill more humans…?"

Asgore seemed very hurt by Napstablook's words. Do you not want to avenge my fallen son, was what Alice theorized to be the message Asgore's expression was saying. Furthermore being questioned by a monster he ruled over that sounded worried about the possibility of letting the people who trapped them down here go unscathed, clearly did not sit well with the king. I'm sure I would rather be anywhere else while having this conversation than right by the reminder of what's happened to these monsters, Alice realized. The king took a deep breath to likely regain some composure and patience.

"I… I'm not going to make any promises nor any excuses… what happens after the barrier breaks will be a cumulation of everyone's decision-making. Follow me…" Asgore seemed to be condoning his position before going through another pathway at the end of the hall.

Alice was still rather shaken by Asgore's demeanor and attitude towards her ideas and the fate of humanity. Regardless she was also eager to further debate with the ruler of the Underground and also curious about the appearance of the Barrier. She followed after Asgore quickly, Napstablook floating at her side with a noticeably more down energy. What Alice did see was unlike anything she could've possibly fathomed. It was strangely and eerily reminiscent of some of the unusual hallways in Wonderland when she first chased after the White Rabbit. It looked like a hallway that would lead to a place of complete darkness, the walls and border firmly established. A mysterious yet enchanting white light cascaded down the 'hallway' in certain time spans as though it were from a lighthouse. It created a dizzying, alarming mix of hues from stark white and gray to the darkness at the very end. It even appeared to howl like furious winds within a valley or a cave. As beautiful and holy as it seemed, it was also extremely disturbing and unsettling. It clearly symbolized the agony of the monster's imprisonment with the intensity and agony of bearing the lights and the length of the 'hallway'. For it to not even be wide like a wall but rather long and endless also created a sense of impossibility and that it would never break.

"...T-this is…" Alice couldn't help but cover her mouth in complete shock.

Napstablook winced and looked away. No matter how many times he had recollected the last time he saw the Barrier, it still frightened and hurt him to no end. Right now it was a visual punishment, a cruel cage, and something that absolutely needed to break if he or Mettaton were ever to be truly happy. He happened to look towards Asgore, who wore an expression of resignation but also defiance. He despised this barrier more than any other monster in the Underground and would never stop fighting to break down it's lingering lightshow. Alas, with how many years had he spent trying to do so and it was all too clear that this war against the barrier had yet to yield a meaningful victory. Asgore only needed one more soul to gain the ability to topple it down. With this in mind, Napstablook was nervous for Alice's chances of persuading him and waited for someone to speak in the frantic calm.

"This is the barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground." Asgore explained to the shaken Alice.

"... Then this is the final destination of the Underground… I've seen everything there is." Alice gathered her bearings somewhat.

"You sound as though you are satisfied." Asgore raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well yes… I mean, even my Wonderland had an end to it. I'm glad that I've found all that there is to this place. It assures me of what I need to do to free it… and I must say I'm truly sympathetic to all that has happened to the monsters and the children." Alice admitted, turning to Asgore.

Alice suspected her words may have affected Asgore despite him still looking practically the same after hearing them. Seizing her chance, she kept speaking.

"But it is for that reason alone that no more lives should be lost nor should there be any talk of war. Any amount of time spent waiting for freedom is difficult yes, but many civilizations throughout history were able to make do with that and find the freedom they desired with all of their hearts. Yet with your magic and research and DETERMINATION, I find that you have unique opportunities that those civilizations didn't have. I can easily see this Barrier falling in a different-"

"You don't understand child. A human soul and a monster soul, or a monster with enough human souls scavenged, are the only ways to break the Barrier. Magic in this world is not infinite in potential or in power. It is true there could be more nuances to using it but after so much time trying to find those nuances-"

"Stop being so impatient! People have died for your silly solution to work in the first place! People who weren't even ready to understand things that I've ended up learning through my journey. People who didn't even get to live a full life! People who were murdered in cold blood. Besides, I'm willing to offer my help but not as a sacrifice!" Alice interrupted Asgore's repetitive words with short-tempered words.

Asgore looked rather coldly at Alice for this. As unready as he was, he suddenly felt that he was getting more ready to do something like this. She was speaking out of line for her position and it was reminding him of someone very dear to him. That unbearable pain of being reminded of the person who had lambasted him and left him for his methods was not something he needed to experience right now. Not when he was so close to finally doing something right for his kingdom. Napstablook could only look on startled and worried as the fight continued.

"Child I'm sorry. But I cannot show mercy. You are the very last soul needed to break this barrier. I can't hold back if if we are to finally to be free from this terrible place. This place is a grave. A prison. I'd give up my life to free everyone if I were a human myself! How can you understand that responsibility? What responsibility YOU have! What have you given up in your life compared to the monsters?!" Asgore lashed out angrily.

"My dignity! My family! My time period! My home! I'm a homeless little girl and I've been toyed with and hurt and attacked. It's no thanks to you and your crusade that I'm having to do my best to protect my own race from your aggression and skewed vengeance!" Alice held her heart tightly as she continued to argue.

"..." Asgore stayed quiet.

"And you… you refuse to consider the needs of your own subjects that have outgrown their hatred and perhaps even grown to admire humans! In fact you've permitted misleading information and ideas be spread amongst the Underground. Permitted two shopkeepers to believe it is right for humanity to be destroyed. Your Royal Scientist is going around claiming fiction as human history! Your Royal Guard captain has told me to my face that it is a crime to LIVE! And you expect to go up to the surface with blood on your hands and attempt to spill more of it? You are no fair ruler Asgore… The monsters deserve someone better than you."

Alice realized she had probably sabotaged her argument to try to convince the King to seek another way but what good was it when Asgore was trying to make her seem less than something to be used? She'd been through too much to be something used. Napstablook being with her in particular and others like Muffet, Papyrus, and now Sans knew she was much more than something to be used. It was what was now pushing her to do something much more drastic than negotiation. It was to depose Asgore as the king, to undermine his authority, to force him to yield and not break the Barrier with her SOUL. Though to her surprise, Asgore suddenly looked much less angry and much more… reflective? Crushed? He was frowning deeply, looking hurt and in pain, perhaps having not realized what sort of behavior had resulted from his actions. Or perhaps his lack of actions, Alice realized. Indeed, as determined he sounded to finish her off and use her soul, he had not made any attempt thus far. It was like he was trying to delay the inevitable. It almost suggested that, in her haste, Alice hadn't fully thought out what Asgore's past actions suggested. It was Undyne who was aggressively hunting her down. It was Alphys doing a majority of the research and hired by Asgore. It was Mettaton who took matters into his own hands to spare humanity and seemed ignited to do so once Alice was here. Asgore had… hesitated all this time.

"... If… If by any chance you have any unfinished business… Please do what you must. Once this begins, I won't hold back…" As though now wishing to end the conversation, Asgore gave Alice an ultimatum.

Such an ultimatum did not sit well with Napstablook however who begged,

"your majesty… are you sure you have to do this…? Alice is my friend… and she has other friends… friends who would want to see her live… w-we should spare her and try to research the Barrier further… right?"

"This Barrier… it has consumed the life of my dearest son.. It trivializes our lives in this Underground, trivializes our struggles, trivializes our future… why should it continue to stand any longer Napstablook? Why should it continue to stand in the presence of the key to freeing it? We could go the surface, take the place in life humanity stole from us, live in peace… Our hopes and dreams lie in my hands… I refuse to abandon my people in this time of need, this opportunity." Asgore clenched his fist, staring at it as he voiced his position.

Alice had to admit that Asgore raised a fair point and perhaps his insistence on killing her was due to the heavy majority of the Underground desperate, eager, and hopeful to finally be free. He couldn't think selfishly or so quickly listen to the ideas of an outsider, no less the human needed to break the Barrier, lest losing his people's trust and breaking promises. If anything, his hesitance and offer to properly face her in a duel like Undyne was the only selfish thing he could so as anyone else would've wanted him to kill Alice instantly upon sight. He may not have wanted this as much as he implied but it was certainly still a desire and it combined with the Underground's desire to form a resolution to claim the final SOUL necessary to break the Barrier. As vocal and stubborn Alice could be in conversation, this was one argument she was not winning. Regardless, she appreciated Napstablook and the 'minority' of the Underground more than ever. She realized that were the circumstances different, perhaps Asgore would listen to her idea. Deciding that it was important to ensure her and Napstablook were on the same page, she guided him off to the side as part of her 'unfinished business'.

"I'm afraid we are going to have to face him Napstablook. If all goes well we won't need to harm him severely and we can spare him the same way I did for Undyne." Alice explained.

"... but he's going to go for your blood… with no mercy… i don't know how you could handle or accept that so easily… and he's our king too… i don't want to have to attack our king…" Napstablook whimpered.

"... I feel your pain Napsta. Yet if we want anyone to be freed without any more deaths, we have to at least be able to prove ourselves to him. If we can earn the king's respect, surely he could endure just a little longer…" Alice said with a tone not as convincing as she would've liked.

To some degree, she sensed that perhaps this was inevitable and that Sans probably knew something like this would happen regardless of what she tried. Bringing Napstablook along was to likely give her some comfort, an ally, and one last chance to maybe change the inevitable. It appeared as though it hadn't so did that mean Asgore's will was so strong that he wouldn't listen to reason? Or was this truly not the final destination if Alice had to keep surviving? It was all very troublesome if not a bit depressing. Still, Alice was attempting to remain optimistic for her friend's sake and for the sake that she still believed that she could free the monsters pacifistically. She waited for Napstablook to say something, watching him look between Asgore (Who was staring at the Barrier with his fist still clenched) and Alice. She wondered if he was trying to decide for himself if he could aid Alice or not. Thankfully, Napstablook's answer was a bright one,

"i'll do anything to keep anyone from dying… i don't think I can harm Asgore but… i'll keep you safe from his attacks at least…i-is that ok alice?"

"More than you may realize Napstablook." Alice replied happily, or at least as happily as a young girl squaring off against a king could be.

Napstablook offered a small smile, though it quickly faded as the choice had been made. Alice slowly walked over to King Asgore and spoke to him with as much humility as she could,

"Your majesty… I suppose I am ready to accept your challenge. Nonetheless, I wish that you would be more open to reason."

Asgore barely tilted his head back to regard her after hearing her words. At this point he had probably been resigned to not being given respect or any forgiveness for his decision-making. He seemed slightly unnerved by how patient Alice was and felt she should've been righteously more upset. Perhaps her friendship with Napstablook was what was keeping her so calm? Maybe she really did have other ideas to break the Barrier and was confident in her method? Or was she simply offering to give him a chance even if he seemed to anger her earlier. It's all too much, Asgore thought with a heavy expression.

"... … I see… This is it, then. Freedom for all monsters… will finally come." The king spoke solemnly.

He then turned slowly to face Alice and Napstablook. Napstablook looked incredibly uncomfortable but Alice's expression was resolute and slightly proud. It only served to confirm that Alice was sure that there was another way to break this Barrier even if she didn't necessarily have it with her yet. Too much time for all that had become of the monsters in the Underground. Ultimately, this was what he and his people wanted. They wanted the final seventh human SOUL and be free from this hell. Asgore asked Alice again.

"Ready?"

To Alice's surprise, seven slots seemed to open up from the ground beside her and seven clear glass tubes emerged slowly up on some sort of stand. Four of them to her left and three of them to her right. They each contained a colored heart… a SOUL. Green, yellow, orange, empty, purple, blue, and teal. The empty one needed no explaining in her mind as it was sitting there, waiting for Alice's SOUL to be clutched out of her dead lifeless body and to be used. What was even more startling was how it was an even crueler echo than the coffins she had seen on the way over to the throne room. Without seeing the bodies, she could still see the last bits of life that had already been taken from six young human children down in the Underground. The fact they were in these tubes like some exhibit in a museum also felt crude and disgraceful. Alice was slightly horrified and quickly lost some of her hopefulness towards being a Pacifist. Napstablook also looked a bit spooked. Were Asgore to succeed at killing Alice, her SOUL would be joining these other six in some sort of ritual to break the Barrier. As great and promising the desire to be free was, it had been recently eclipsed by his desire to have Alice around with him to find freedom.

"That really is scary…" He admitted to her quietly.

"It just shows how far their hopes and dreams will go." Alice responded rather poetically.

A strange light fills the room. Twilight is shining through the barrier. It seems your journey is finally over. You're filled with DETERMINATION. Or at least Alice thought that she was being filled with the DETERMINATION. At the moment she was slightly questioning what approach to take as Asgore was very clearly laying out all his cards on the table. He simply stood nobly and natural without any sign of being prepared to initiate a confrontation. She was worried he was waiting for her to make the first move which would definitely have been a disservice-

"Human… It was nice to meet you. Goodbye." In her daydreams, Alice barely heard the somber yet courteous words of the King.

In her daydreams, Alice barely noticed Asgore moving slightly to her left at a speed and fluidity that was parallel to Napstablook's. His head was now titled down, creating a look that was intense and showed no immediate sense of what he was feeling. It took the sight of what Asgore did next for Alice to have her focus directed to how quickly he was acting and that the situation turned incredibly dire. He pulled out a magnificent red lance with a flower decal and spiky end, with his cape flying in dramatic fashion. The sheer size of it was as big as Alice herself if only much longer to suit the weapon's design. Alice gasped and Napstablook, who had also been just as lost in his thoughts, looked as though he were to plead in her name. But then time seemed to freeze with white light encompassing the room and only the black silhouette of the king and the red lance could be witnessed. Alice noticed amidst the shocking yet stunning sight was that Asgore's lance was aimed somewhere to her right as opposed to directly towards her. Napstablook was to her left and was of a ghostly nature so surely he wasn't the target…

*Krstchch!*

Alice flinched backwards, arms close to her chest in frantic fashion, and looked on in horror as something appeared to be smashed to bits as the lance struck it's target. She was confused to see what appeared to be black lines and letters flying by her face. What on earth was that? She asked herself. She was about to question what exactly Asgore had done when she realized she was not hearing herself and felt as though her throat had tightened up on her. The following words she wanted to express were not coming out, as though her very ability to talk had been stolen from her. She clutched at her throat as though she was choking on something and tried to ask Asgore what he had done but nothing was happening. Napstablook sensed Alice's panicked state and the sudden danger of the situation, prompting him to float close behind her.

"... Alice! What's wrong…?!" He asked.

"...! …" It was no use for Alice, her words simply were silenced by a sensation of not being allowed to communicate.

ASGORE attacks! ASGORE with his 80 ATK and 80 DEF made Alice feel much more frantic about her situation than it already was. It was an attack on her life and his first move of the duel was to silence the victim and keep them from calling out for help and pleading for mercy was a brilliant strategy to ensure it would go smoothly. As the king took her silence to mean she had made her move, he began his assault. He made graceful arm motions that sent streams of flame at her in a reverse figure eight formation. If his outright denial of being given mercy wasn't an antithesis of Toriel already, this aggressive use of fire as opposed to Toriel's cautioned control was even more of a sign. Yet the type of magic and even the formation of the flames mirrored his former queen's in a tragically sweet way. Alice threw herself to the floor and rolled out of the way of the flames just in the nick of time to dodge them. She was irritated and concerned about the loss of her voice but at the same time her own DETERMINATION to get the king to stand down was rising steadily. If it would take having to be a bit more forceful with him than any of the other before her, so be it.

"... y-your majesty please… Alice never wanted this… she never anyone to get hurt. p-please stop... " Napstablook wasn't about to accept this coming clash easily.

Asgore's hands trembled slightly, clearly thrown off by one of the monsters he strived to free demanding he stop. How would standing down reflect in the eyes of the monsters of the Underground? Nothing admirable, nothing noble, just more entrapment in this devastated domain. Yet Napstablook seemed different in his ultimate wish and that made Asgore have to push it down in the depths of his mind to focus on what was truly important. In the shape and spiral of a DNA helix, came more flames from Asgore's very being. The little girl was able to maneuver carefully between the flames to avoid being hit. It's a wonder how agile I've become since beginning this curious journey, Alice thought to herself. A much less anticipated change that happened to her was this reflexive ability to react and dodge a variety of attacks. It was perhaps equivalent to the training of a soldier in an army which was unnerving on first thought but also held some value in terms of physical health and being able to survive long enough to get her point across in the Underground.

"STOP! p-please…!" Napstablook cried out more loudly.

"H-hah…" Asgore appeared to breathe funny as he had to endure more of Napstablook's emotional plea.

Yet the King continued his assault, this time narrowing the room Alice had to navigate with carefully placed streams of flames, followed by a sudden burst of fire that had a trap-like function. Alice found slightly greater difficulty in dodging these flames but with graceful movements she was able to. She knew she was hesitating to start her offensive but in her heart she was hoping Napstablook would be able to talk Asgore into standing down.

"...mettaton… sans… there are so many creatures here who want more than just to kill more humans your majesty… a-and even if we get to the surface your way… w-would we even have a future…? wouldn't we just be seen as true monsters…?" Napstablook continued to ask very pressing and significant questions.

Asgore stepped backwards in shock, his eyes briefly widening in disbelief. What neither Alice or Napstablook could tell was that recollections were flashing in his eyes. Memories of spending a great deal of time with his son Asriel. Memories of the arrival of the first fallen child. Memories of both of their untimely deaths. Memories of announcing to the Underground a fearsome plot for revenge. Memories of Toriel and him arguing in heated debate how he was tainting Asriel's memory with a violent vendetta and how she should be wanting to be free from the hell that the humans put them through by trapping them down here. Memories of Toriel leaving him to parts of the Underground he could not go investigate for himself. Memories of six children being killed by his own hand… His ATTACK and DEFENSE dropped at the despair of these memories and that a monster was standing against what he felt was necessary for the Underground so firmly. Yet he continued his pursuit aggressively, this time his eyes seemed to spark in a certain pattern as his body adopted a black silhouette with a white outline. The distinctive blue color was unmistakable and Alice found herself standing still, surprised when the lance not only turned blue but when it swung right through her despite Asgore's strong thrusts.

"Asgore-"

"SILENCE!" Asgore, in a heated moment of desperation, silenced Napstablook by slamming his lance onto the ground to make a powerful echo.

"...!" Napstablook's confidence faltered slightly at Asgore's rage.

"You think such a decision was made easily?! I had to accept the majority's opinion for centuries as King. You are in no position to order me to abandon the hopes and dreams of the Underground, not after everything that has been lost! I've stripped away any hope of mercy upon you so I would best expect you to go at me without any mercy. For the sake of the monsters I cannot fall here and I will take Alice's SOUL!" Asgore spoke with an imposed aggressiveness and defiance that seemed carefully pinpointed to lower Napstablook's and Alice's will to resist.

"..." Alice winced uncomfortably.

She was starting to get a picture that Asgore was behaving exactly like Sans just for different motivations from the skeleton. He refused to accept the mercy of Alice and Napstablook for one reason. That there was too much at stake to risk another solution than to simply finalize the one solution that would break the Barrier. He is the one who had ordered the deaths of the humans who had fallen down here after all, Alice concluded, that takes a DETERMINATION that won't be easily swayed. It was also likely that Asgore was shutting out Napstablook's sincere pleas because of not knowing the ghost very well and to make certain Asgore would have his way. It was selfish and rather infuriating to deal with on Alice's part but she suspected that Frisk and Sans had some knowledge of Asgore's sheer defiance. Which is why when Napstablook's face fell, Alice realized that was what upset her most about this. He was sincerely trying to protect her once more but Asgore could never allow that. Without the means to communicate effectively, Alice knew there was only one way to give to Napstablook what she considered reassurance. It was to meet Asgore's aggressive declaration of a duel head-on. Alice held her arms out in front of her in a graceful 'X' as she focused on summoning the Wonderland characters she felt would best match Asgore's girth, raw power, and fearsomeness. The golden light emanating from her form caught both Asgore's and Napstablook's attention.

"DETERMINATION… so then you are going to fight…" Asgore remarked calmly, not betraying any relief or nervousness in his tone.

"...Ngh…" Napstablook had a tougher time coming to terms with this decision.

Granted if it was for Alice's sake and survival, he was resolute in going to hell and back. She changed him and was changing the Underground for the better. Perhaps Asgore had been too resolute in what needed to be done for too long and thus he was not open to change. Even the minority had some wisdom that could help lead to a better solution in the long run. Thus, Napstablook slowly looked over to the mountain king and regarded him with slight pity but mostly determination to face him. King Asgore had already decided what was to be his biggest priority and so his attention was solely focused on what Alice was summoning. Two unusual beings, one notably human but the other was far too beastly to be a human. Upon closer inspection of the features of these two creatures and he noticed that one was a walrus wielding a cane and the other a carpenter based on the hammer they wielded. Both were dressed in rather old-fashioned attire but their expressions had a slightly unnerving intensity. This must be her speciality of magic, Asgore deduced, I'll have to take them out first.

Truthfully Alice had only recalled the Walrus and the Carpenter from the tale Tweedledee and Tweedledum had told her in Wonderland in which the duo were an allegory about work and naivete when you were a little oyster. The Walrus, obese with a thick mustache, dressed himself in a vest, bowtie, coat, top hat, pants, and shows. The Carpenter, had slender hair, brown eyes, a cap, shirt, apron, pants, and shoes. The Walrus epitomized manipulation, sloth, exploitation, and self-conceited qualities while the Carpenter had a more sympathetic heart though was much less intelligent and had a hidden rage. The duo were at odds with one another in their pursuit of "cabbages and kings" but both of them possessed enough cunning and physical strength out of all of the Wonderland characters to face off against King Asgore. The fact Frisk had adopted two characters at once before gave Alice the security that these constructs would not be so easily worn out or beaten either. It was time to give Asgore the duel he so greatly desired.

"...!" Alice, still inaudible from the lost MERCY, pointed out her commands.

To start with, the Walrus pressed the cane up to his mouth and seemed to play a tune of regal affair, dancing about as floor around the barrier suddenly shone with a golden hue. As in the tale she was told, the Walrus had used this memorizing solo performance to lure the oysters to what would be the dining area they'd be served in. Now though, it was more than likely going to be used for a much more positive purpose. The golden hue soon adopted the watery texture of an ocean yet Asgore did not feel the floor get wet, merely that the temperature of the floor got cooler. Suddenly golden oysters flew at him and hit him with persistence and surprising hardness like baseballs. King Asgore's stupefied expression betrayed how suddenly flustered and hurt he was by this attack. He quickly began to shake off the oysters with skillful and graceful lancing that would rival that of Undyne's spearmanship. Yet he soon spotted the Carpenter coming towards him with the hammer with the full intent of flanking him while he was occupied. However Asgore was not one to fall for such a predictable tactics and he also had a hunch that because Alice was a little girl that didn't have the same combat experience he did, she would resort to this sort of basic maneuvers. With a swift and precise sweep, he caught the Carpenter at the end of his lance before spinning him around and sending him flying with elegant execution. The Carpenter crashed beside Alice, dropping his hammer in the process. Based on the way he was quickly getting to his feet iit wasn't enough to break his will. She also gained valuable distance thanks to the Walrus's abilities to figure out her next movements.

"I'm sorry it had to come down to this…" Napstablook floated up to her and apologized sadly.

Alice merely closed her eyes grimly, hoping that her expression conveyed that this was the most likely outcome in the first place. Napstablook did not need to feel any guilt or shame about this duel taking place. After all, if he hadn't stepped in before in the Hall of Judgement, her SOUL most likely would've already been used for the Barrier. As the fight continued, Asgore took a few more shots from the oysters of DETERMINATION before he started swirling his lance in front of him like a propellor. It served to guard him as he stalked towards Alice through the 'waters' and Oysters. The Walrus gave a stubborn and irate gaze as he saw the King march forward but then all on Alice's side noticed the King make an elegant gesture with his other arm upward. A spiral of flames swirled towards the little girl with a intimidating speed. Alice was well-equipped and bracing herself for dodging them but it was her friend Napstablook who took the first move. Shedding ghostly tears, Napstablook sent them at the fireballs, in which they collided and dispersed some of the flames. It made it noticeably easier for Alice to weave her way through the following flames. She turned to Napstablook and smiled at him to show him her thanks.

"... I-it's the least I could do…" He remarked somewhat shyly.

"So you are going to go against me… this really is a burdensome battle. Wouldn't you rather make it easier for the Underground Alice?" Asgore, the one most hurt by this display, questioned Alice in a softer tone than his earlier defiance.

"..." Alice simply shook her head. The damage had been done in her mind and finishing this final clash on her terms would be what Toriel would've wanted from both him and her.

Asgore, glaring at Alice, clutched his spear as he seemed ready to make another attempt at Alice's life. His eyes blinked thrice but this time, he found himself stopped from making the swings with his lance when the Walrus rammed into him and slammed him to the ground. Noticeably the golden sheen on the ground had disappeared, evidence that the Walrus ceased his earlier magical attack to instead go for hand-to-hand combat. Asgore quickly made an effort to rise to his feet when he suddenly noticed the Carpenter leaping off of the Walrus's shoulders to fly up to the sky. With impressive, if unrealistic aerial momentum, the Carpenter slowed his ascent to be right above Asgore before he started building what looked to be a shack of sorts with his hammer and other tools that he had summoned out of thin air. The golden shack then plummeted down towards Asgore with the Carpenter standing on the roof with complete balance and control. Asgore didn't have enough time with his girth and the accounting of his cape to get out of the way so instead he took a defensive action. The King made a powerful thrust with his lance skywards towards the shack. The lance pierced through the shack rather easily and sent bits of golden wood and furnishings everywhere before they faded away into nothingness. Asgore was not injured in the slightest and it was the Carpenter instead, left lying on the ground from the failed impact, who was vulnerable. Asgore picked up the Carpenter with impressive strength and hurled him towards the Walrus, the makeshift projectile working to knock the two of them out for a few moments. In that time frame, Asgore sent forth another mighty and helix-shaped wave of flames at Alice. Napstablook's best efforts failed to keep all the flames from colliding with Alice and the little girl clutched her shoulder in some pain.

He seems to be much more prepared to some of my attacks than the other monsters were, Alice thought. The combination of many years of experience, being Undyne's superior, wielding a long-ranged weapon, and having impressive strength that matched his size meant he was a behemoth of power that Alice would need a great deal of effort to match. With the Carpenter and Walrus struggling to get to their feet, Alice conjured the next set of attacks with her best imagination. She recalled the ocean that had swept her up outside of Wonderland when she had fallen into the 'Drink Me' bottle and entered through the Doorknob's mouth. The powerful waves that prevented anyone running a Cacus Race in the area from getting dry. With the waters conjured by the Walrus fresh in her mind, she summoned crashing waves of golden water that surged forth at Asgore. Asgore looked antsy at the coming waves and instead of attempting to strike through them, wrapped his cape around his form like a shield and took the watery strike head on. To his credit, he stayed standing and unmoved as the water collapsed rather harmlessly around him and against the Barrier but it did look like he had taken some damage. Somewhat satisfied with her attack, Alice suddenly found that rings of flames had appeared around her and were closing in. They were narrow and circular like that of a planet's ring and there were small gaps in between the rings for Alice to escape from being pinned into the flame. Before she could think of dodging them though, Napstablook took initiative and instead used his tears to form a wall of water around Alice's form that kept the flames from reaching their mark.

Napstablook's defensive magic was a fair compromise in his mind in terms of handling the battle, given he had limited combat experience and felt he had only gotten the drop of Sans by having time to see the skeleton's weakness and how to exploit it. It appeared to be working well but it ignited Asgore's fury judging by how the king charged towards Alice and Napstablook. The King successfully began to deduce that long-ranged flames would be risky to do against Napstablook's water-based defenses despite the successful strike he had gotten in earlier. As cruel as it might be to pierce a human's frame with his lance, it was the only shot he had if he wanted to keep Alice on the defensive. The little girl leapt back nervously and fortunately the Walrus and Carpenter stood in between her and the charging Asgore with hammer and cane brandished. The fact that the King didn't stop gave the impression he was taking a chance to plow through the both of them to get to Alice. However the Carpenter leapt towards and slid across the ground in the same fashion as a baseball star. As the golden construct slid by Asgore, they gave a firm strike to Asgore's bare feet with his hammer.

"Ggh…!" Asgore winced and his pained foot causing his charge to downgrade into a clumsy slip and crash.

By now Asgore was at half his peak condition, noticeably alarmed by how strong the strikes from the DETERMINATION constructs were. Truly if he had to guess the power of Alice's own magic as a human, it'd rival that of those who were hired to construct the accursed Barrier in the first place. Asgore knew the Walrus was straight in front of him so to retaliate, he summoned a barrage of fast fireballs with a raise of his lance. The Walrus took the brunt of these attacks and remained standing but he looked very pained and even appeared to be fading in and out of existence. Alice frowned, knowing that she had lost the Mad Hatter to Sans sheer power as well. If her opponents were truly becoming strong enough to potentially 'defeat' the Wonderland characters then losing the Walrus and the Carpenter would have much more dire consequences for Alice's security. The Carpenter was stealthily approaching Asgore from behind as Asgore started to slowly move his hands in the manner of a meistro. Waves of flames appeared in front of the little girl and seemed to collide with one another in sneaky ways as they moved towards her. The surprise factor of the close proximity of the flames kept Alice from dodging one of the waves and she took yet another burning hit.

"...!" Alice couldn't really groan to better express and get her pain out so she could only crouch on the ground as she started to feel as though her back had been singed.

Asgore concluded in his mind it would be wise to strike down Alice as she was down and vulnerable and continued the onslaught by lunging forward with his lance. However he felt a sharp, heavy pain on the back of his head that stopped his advance. A golden hammer landed over by the ground next to him and then he felt someone climb up onto his back and start wholloping on him with a barrage of punches. It was the Carpenter, having flung his hammer with pinpoint accuracy from afar and was now damaging Asgore as hard as he could. Given the time that was bought through Asgore's dazed state and the King barely mustered up enough of an immediate reaction to grab the Carpenter off of him and slam him to the ground. To finish the job, Asgore pierced the Carpenter with his lance, instinctively rather than as a calculated strike. The Carpenter grimaced and disappeared into nothingness from the potent strike as did his hammer but the damage had been done. Any head injury would prove to be very efficient at slowing down if not outright defeating an adversary in battle and the effects were quickly felt. King Asgore used his lance to get himself steady before clumsily sending another surge of fireballs at Alice. The trajectory of the fireballs was noticeably off as a result of the King's dazed state. Alice and Napstablook were able to easily dodge and dispel the attack as a result and by now the Walrus had recovered enough to continue the fight. The Walrus engaged with his cane, using it like a baton to strike from a long range though it was quickly parried by Asgore's lance.

"Huff… huff…" King Asgore showed signs of exhaustion before thrusting his weapon once again.

The Walrus was able to parry the lance with impressive skill though it knew in spirit Asgore would soon recover from the aftereffects of the hammer attack, at which point he'd probably do something much more fearsome. So the Walrus took a bold risk and swung his cane towards Asgore's head. The King was forced to block the sudden and quick swing before attempting to knock the cane and the Walrus down with a propelled push. However, the Walrus instead dropped the cane and rolled along the ground, managing to get to the left side of Asgore as the King attempted to push forward. This left Asgore in a vulnerable position and the Walrus had seconds to take an advantageous position by scrambling to its feet and hoisting its arms under the King's shoulders from behind. King Asgore was seized by a sudden panic, realizing that this next strike was to be very strong and that he couldn't cast any magic with his arms restrained. The Walrus then proceed to lift Asgore up with a surge of strength from behind, clearly intent on doing an advanced wrestling-style technique. Asgore had fought so hard and for so long for the Underground's sake and should he fall here… then all would be for naught. Maybe there was such a thing as fate. That the moment he lost his son, the fate of the monsters of the Underground was an unhappy imprisonment. Yet he could at least try one last time to be defiant, crying out in desperate fury not at Alice but rather at the Barrier he so desperately desired to break,

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A mighty slam echoed afterward in the room of the Barrier, the Walrus having suplexed Asgore's form upon the ground. The sheer strength and magnitude displayed by the Walrus was overwhelming enough to leave a small hole and crack on where Asgore's upper body had been smashed upon the ground. A metallic clang followed this, Asgore's lance having slipped from his fingers and signified the loss of the duel. Then the Walrus's form and cane disappeared, having done it's part to finish the duel successfully so that Alice could live. Finally, Asgore's body flopped onto the ground weakly, the King on a slither of health. Alice and Napstablook watched this chorus of sounds with mixed feelings of relief, pity, hope, sadness, and ultimately triumph. No longer would Alice need to be hunted for her SOUL as she had won the duel against King Asgore for her life. Then that also meant her SOUL would be unable to be used to break the Barrier, sealing the easy way out forevermore. Or would it really be forever if another way towards freedom was found before eternity was confirmed? Ultimately that was for Alice to dedicate her time in the Underground towards finding and without her voice, she was worried she'd be unable to communicate that to Asgore. A minute passed before King Asgore struggled up to one knee, clutching his heart weakly and setting a hand upon the ground to stay steady. Even in defeat he didn't lose his dignified posture and regal air. He sighed,

"... So that is how it is. …"

"... i'm so sorry your majesty…" Napstablook apologized sadly.

"There's no need to regret your actions Napstablook, so don't fear the future. Rather… I was truly hoping to finally open up the future. I remember the day after my son died. The entire underground was devoid of hope. The future had once again been taken from us by the humans. In a fit of anger, I declared war. I said that I would destroy any human that came here. I would use their souls to become godlike… and free us from this terrible prison." Asgore began to recount his history with sorrowful eloquence.

"i don't think that kind of power is healthy though… i mean, what if you let it go to your head…?"

Napstablook in truth was trying to speak for Alice and how she might've approached Asgore's words since she could not speak. At the same time, he didn't really understand that level of ambition, of wanting to use the SOULS to become powerful. Yes it was in order to break the Barrier but what'd happen afterward? Would the SOULS be released and freed? Or what if that godlike monster simply decided to stay a god? He didn't think humanity would be so welcoming of such a powerful being and perhaps they'd want to monitor it, restrain it, or kill it before it got to be a threat to them. It wouldn't help either that a being used the lives of human children to become stronger would come to the surface and had freed the Underground. It really did occur to him after all his time spent with Alice and hearing both Sans and Asgore's sides of the stories that it was crucial to find a more pacifistic way.

"I won't deny that… I intended afterward to use this power to destroy humanity, And let monsters rule the surface, in peace. Perhaps that would've been just as you say… letting it go to my head. But the people's hopes returned after that declaration. My wife, however, became disgusted with my actions. She left this place, never to be seen again. Truthfully… I do not want power. I do not want to hurt anyone. I just wanted everyone to have hope and be free… To live a life that my son could not… I cannot take this any longer. I just want to see my wife. I just want to see my son. Alice… This war has gone on long enough. You have the power. Take my soul, and and leave this cursed place." To Alice's surprise, Asgore was abandoning everything she had been told about him.

It seemed he had been suffering just as much as his pained expression at the throne room implied. The burdens between what his people were practically manipulated into thinking was best and his own personal desires that were impossible to act upon had broken his spirit. Toriel's departure to the Ruins in particular had broken him most after losing his son, leaving him no more orphaned than Alice at the moment. He also never wanted to slay humanity to begin with, or perhaps he had once and his feelings had died down to a perspective that was neutral at least. Bloodshed was not going to help the situation after all and perhaps he had developed this epiphany between Alice first falling in the Underground and Alice arriving at the castle. She so wished to say something to him though, about all her ideas and her belief in the existence of another way, when she noticed something magical happen before her. Broken shards seemed to materialize out of thin air, hovering and floating together to combine into a sign. It said 'MERCY'.

"Mercy… Oh! I can speak again…! Thank goodness!" Alice had replied out of instinctive surprise but it became even more pleasant when she heard her voice once more.

"...Alice?" Asgore looked to Alice in slight surprise at her unusual reaction.

It appeared he nor Napstablook noticed the 'MERCY' sign, nor when it disappeared before Alice's eyes. If anything Asgore had wanted Alice to take initiative in the aggressive manner that he had been just now in the duel. Yet she held herself composed and with optimism, like a delicate maid or a benevolent mother… Or like his beloved wife. Alice's clearing of her throat further raised his small bud of hope. The little girl was thankful she could speak again and she certainly wasn't going to go about it half-heartedly.

"Your majesty, this is truthfully not my first encounter with royalty. In fact, the last time I faced royalty, they too wanted my life and also believed there was but one way to get things done. I think the trouble lies in that once you believed there was but one way to free yourselves, your position inspired and implied to all the monsters to stop thinking and rest on the laurels of some 'promised seventh human SOUL'. Even hiring the Royal Scientist to perform research on the magic and properties of this world was done half-heartedly I imagine. You offer to me to abandon this fascinating, curious, and wonderful world for a world that I have no idea what lies ahead. I may not fit in, I may not have a purpose, I certainly won't have a start there. Here though, I've found friends, company, knowledge, and joys that have made me feel welcome and not entirely alone. I can't imagine leaving the Underground just yet… not without Napstablook. Not without Sans, or Papyrus. Not without Muffet, So Sorry, Monster Kid, Mettaton, Burgerpants… Toriel. All the others... " Alice reminisced with a sudden feeling of overjoyment.

"Y-you met her…? You've seen her?" Asgore asked, unable to help himself.

"I can't say she'll be particularly happy to see you again should the day come but I want to help you two find common ground again. After all, you two lost a son and I think that is truly heartbreaking and working together to honor his memory would be the best thing. The Underground does need hope Asgore and I think the best way for me to help with that is to dedicate my life, my being, into helping you find A way to free the Underground. No more lives being sacrificed, no more hunting of humans, but rather a practical solution to toppling the Barrier that I imagine exists here but just need to be discovered. Are you satisfied with that?" Alice curtsied politely as she finished her proposal.

Spoken with true grace, Napstablook thought as he watched Alice proudly. In Alice's heart she knew she herself wasn't a scientist but she had curiosity and a will to learn. If it would help in any way, shape or form to proactively research and experiment in the Underground, she'd do it. It seemed this argument won over Asgore as he stared at her with equal amount of pride but also hopeful shock.

"... After everything I have done to hurt you… You would rather stay down here and suffer… Helping us to find a way to break the Barrier as opposed to finally reaching the surface again… Alice… I promise you… For as long as you remain here… My wife and I will take care of you as best we can, helping you research alongside Alphys. We can sit in the living room, telling stories… Eating butterscotch pie… We could be like… Like a family…" Asgore's vow was set in stone.

A slight feeling of discomfort came from his words though. Alice wondered if this was what Chara had been told when Asriel brought them to the family so long ago. Granted the 'research' part was probably uniquely for Alice as well as the beginning lines, the rest of what Asgore said almost felt repeated in some shape or form. The sincerity was still true now as it was back then when the first human child had fallen down in the Underground. At the same time though, Alice felt as though she had won a great victory. No longer would she be hunted down by Undyne or someone else, she had kept her promise to Sans, no lives had been taken and Toriel's advice lived on. It felt much happier than the abrupt end to Wonderland, her pinned against the Doorknob after being chased by all of the Wonderland inhabitants. This one had so much hope and DETERMINATION behind it that Alice felt secure and happy. That feeling caused Alice to foolishly lower her guard.

"I'm afraid Toriel might not be so ready to move in with you just yet your majesty. Otherwise I gladly-"

"h-huh…?" Napstablook was the first one to notice the strange thing happening.

The King was the second to notice. Then by the time Alice's smile faded once she noticed what was transpiring, it was too late.

'Five white things emerged from Flowey as though magically conjured and twirled in the air. They were small but there was a strange glint to them in the light of the room that suggested them being of a… metallic nature. Alice gave a surprised glance as Flowey talked some more,

"Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white… 'friendliness pellets.' Are you ready?"'

This time there were too many of them to count. All of them appeared and surrounded King Asgore's chilled form in a cruel circlet. One of them stayed still above Asgore as the circlet closed in and pierced Asgore's chest. The King gave a groan of significant pain before, and most traumatizing of the following event, his body completely dissolved into dust.

"... As… gore…?" Alice's question was more of a whimper.

A small, upside down white SOUL then appeared, struggling and trembling to stay alive. It was obvious even in Alice's suddenly frozen mind process that it belonged to Asgore. But one last 'friendliness pellet', one last bullet, hovered over the SOUL and flew straight towards it at a speed that not even Napstablook could react to. It pierced the SOUL, breaking it into two, and then that too faded away into ashes. Alice instinctively clutched her chest and fell to her knees in complete shock at what just occurred. She stared so heavily towards the spot that the murder had happened in that she didn't miss the entrance of someone she hadn't seen or heard from since she left the Ruins in that same spot on the ground. Although her voice had returned, her mind's couldn't properly function as it struggled to deal with the fact Alice just now saw a living being KILLED in front of her for the first time in her life. She simply couldn't speak in response to the sight of the ghastly creature in front of her like she normally would. So it was left to the culprit Flowey to speak first to her and Napstablook who was equally startled and quiet,

"You IDIOT. You haven't learned a thing. In this world…"

Six SOULS of different colors started to swirl around Flowey but only Napstablook noticed and made sense of this. Alice was still staring straight at the area of Barrier where Asgore's size would've filled in the frame. She couldn't even think about where to begin and how to react to all of this horror. Napstablook, though extremely shaken, had dealt with enough loss of his own to be able to react and think quicker than her.

"T-the six humans...! y-you are-?"

"It's KILL or BE killed." Flowey offered no reassurance in the slightest as his face seemed to dissolve into a menacing, hideous smirk.

It was the sound of the following cackling that managed to get Alice to somewhat start thinking again as she noticed what was going on. The six human SOULS Asgore had in storage had been taken at some point while she and Asgore fought or perhaps right after it was over. Flowey murdered Asgore in cold blood so that he'd be able to take advantage of the situation… That was all Alice's mind could reach as she was still spooked over what happened to Asgore. The six SOULS seemed to unite with Flowey as the horrible creature cackled from what Alice could see. Despite not being able to think harder about what this all meant, her mouth found the capacity to plead in horror,

"S-STOP!"

Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS. One day, the

One day, they all disappeared without a trace.

"...Asgore…?"

FLOWEY. LEVEL 9999 9999:99 My World.

"...Naps...ta...?"

"...alice i'm here…"

Continue.