Alice in Undertale

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 34 That Original Timeline

The brothers ventured into the forest, tracing the source of the screams to a sight that was unlike anything they had seen in the Underground. Two figures, both of whom were clearly monsters when they drew closer, were engaged in what could be deduced as an emotional encounter. The shape of one of those figures was extremely startling, to say the least. The base shape of the monster was that of a tree and a snowflake, somewhat beautiful in that regard but what marred it was that the lower half of her body appeared to be nothing but a melting liquid. It was amorphous as a result and there were other details such as a bird's leg, two faces with oddly cheerful expressions, 'leaves' for hair that was dripping an unknown substance and a bizarre voodoo-doll mark on its face that also compromised the snowflake shape. Even by monster standards, it looked very unnatural and both brothers felt a strange chill crawling up their backs. Sans was more severe though as he seriously contemplated summoning a Gaster Blaster as a precaution. What stopped him was that the other monster that was with this stranger was a familiar face. It was Snowdrake, a comedian-in-training of sorts in Snowdin Forest who the Dog Guard and Papyrus had seen several times during their patrols. In some regards, Papyrus considered Snowdrake's ice puns superior to his skeleton puns but Sans was more impressed as someone giving respect and consideration to the art of pun-making. Snowdrake was clearly crying but it seemed that he was enthused with happiness and relief.

"Mom… Mommmmm. It's really you…! H-how…? D-Did Alphys really bring you back…?"

"...What the hell is going on?" Sans, unable to keep his emotions in check, questioned more to himself than towards what Snowdrake was saying.

"SANS! LANGUAGE. BUT HRMM… THIS IS QUITE THE PREDICAMENT. HE BELIEVES THAT THING TO BE HIS MOTHER. HOW DOES HE KNOW FOR SURE?" Papyrus approached this mystery from a more practical standpoint.

"... And what did he mean by Alphys…? Wait…"

He recalled vaguely that there had been an uproar a long while ago about experiments at Alphys's lab and volunteers disappearing after going over there. It was a cause for concern but most monsters simply forgot about it or didn't discuss it. Some of those volunteers were on the verge of death after all and the nature of the experiment suggested longevity and seeing if DETERMINATION had healing qualities. What Snowdrake said suggested that the last time he had seen his mother was when she went to participate in the experiment. Though he also said 'bring you back' which may have meant his mother was one of the dead ones that Alphys brought into the experiment through a donation by the father and son. This is all too insane though, why is she here all of a sudden and look so bizarre? Sans clenched his teeth in frustration as he realized the absurdity and uncanniness of this whole scenario. This obviously had never happened before, not even in the Genocide runs of the past seventh human. Did Alice release her without telling him or anyone else? Had Alphys… who had disappeared...

"I hear her voice loud and clear! *Sob* It's her…!" Snowdrake took offense to the brother's words of doubt.

"Sn...o...wy… you've… gro...wn…" In a haunting yet serene voice, the 'mother' finally spoke.

"GOODNESS GRACIOUS! IT'S TRUE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS… FEELING CONFLICTED." Papyrus scratched his head once more while Sans lurched back in shock.

"S-see…? Mommmm….!" Snowdrake cuddled against her, a bizarre and unsettling squishing noise made in the process.

"... This is insane… ah well, maybe now he can get some new 'momterial'." Sans' response sounded much too forced.

"SNOWDRAKE, DID YOU JUST REUNITE WITH HER NOW?" Papyrus asked dutifully.

"... Y-yeah… a minute ago I did… I s-saw her approaching and I recognized her… *Sniff* After calling out to her to make sure… She said my name. The name she and dad would always call me. It's her alright… and apparently others." Snowdrake pulled away with only a small bit of liquid seeping out between where he had made contact with 'her' body.

"OTHERS?"

"Well… for one thing my mother didn't look like this… and there's some strange body parts and features that don't appear to be natural. We donated her to the experiments when she passed on tragically, hoping she'd be healed by what Alphys was doing but she never came back. We never even heard from Alphys again."

"...I… remem… ber… It... was… cold…" The mother seemed to tremble slightly, more liquid spilling out.

"... Then that means it failed…?" Sans was once again on edge.

"OH NO! THAT'S AWFUL! I FEEL SO BAD FOR HER… BUT I AM FEELING GLAD YOU ARE REUNITED WITH YOUR FAMILY SNOWY. CAN I CALL YOU SNOWY?" Papyrus asked, able to balance any unease with his usual optimism and empathy.

"Uh… yeah, I guess. Oh! That reminds me! We need to go find dad! I mean… I ran away here because he was acting messed up about my jokes and driving me insane but, now that you're here, things can get better. Oh but… how will we get you to Hotland like this? You could melt if you are like this…" Snowdrake seemed very worried all of a sudden.

"NEVER FEAR! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE! I AND MY BROTHER SANS WILL GO FETCH HIM! RIGHT SANS?" Papyrus looked to have the best idea in mind.

Sans put his hands in his pockets, eyes insecure and feeling very uncertain about all of this. If Alphys's experiment failed then she had not only hidden it from the king, but she deliberately lied about the status of the experiment this whole time. Perhaps the fear of being confronted directly or trying to hide it from Toriel should the queen start investigating what had happened made her confess at long last? Has she really been willing to let Snowdrake's Mother go in this bizarre and honestly sad state she was in? And even then, where had she gone to? He hated this. He hated the fact that even when the Neutral state of the Underground had been reached that there was so much to question. Sans felt so sure of what was going on up until Alice first appeared in the Underground and even then he felt like he finally got things back on course. Even more baffling was the fact it was clear Alice had little to do with whatever spurred Alphys on to release Snowdrake's mother. Unless she's been up to something, Sans thought negatively. At this point, Papyrus looked a little cross at Sans and started to march off towards Hotland.

"FINE. I'LL VENTURE FORTH ALONE." The taller skeleton sounded put out.

"h-hey, paps. i'll do it. i can just warp on over there. lickety-split." The frankly unnerving sight of his big brother going off to do something serious alone got Sans to finally respond.

Papyrus sighed heavily. At this point, the atmosphere had lost its warmth and now seemed very serious. Snowdrake and Snowdrake's Mother could only witness in mere confusion as Papyrus refused to turn to look at his brother. Sans was trying very hard to keep it together and not panic but somehow Papyrus's tone and the fact Papyrus seemed upset was threatening tears from him. Sans recalled the times Papyrus went off to 'greet' the human, the last human, only to have his scarf be the only thing remaining of him. Each time was more painful than the first and by now Sans had wanted to keep Papyrus away from this. Away from this forbidden knowledge. Away from having to kill or be killed. Sans wasn't sure what his brother was upset about but he understood unconsciously it was related to this. That or perhaps Alice. He got his answer shortly as Papyrus started to speak again.

"SANS. JUST GIVE ME THIS CHANCE PLEASE AND LET ME PARTICIPATE. I CANNOT SIT IDLE AT HOME MAKING SPAGHETTI AND PATROLLING AIMLESSLY WHILE YOU DO THE MOST VALUABLE THINGS WITHOUT ME. IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I AM OF LITTLE HELP OR BENEFIT TO ALICE OR EVEN TO THE UNDERGROUND. I MEAN WE'VE LOST ASGORE AND ALICE'S DEAR FRIEND AND YOU INSIST ON TAKING UP ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY WHEN I'VE LOST MY OWN RESPONSIBILITIES." Papyrus spoke much more frankly and even maturely than Sans had heard from him in a long while.

"paps you've helped alice a lot. you helped pacify undyne long enough for alice to get a handle on how to survive. besides, the queen is counting on both of us to help mandate her policy." Sans tried to ignore how on target Papyrus was and praised his brother on things he wasn't giving himself credit for.

"IT'S NOT ENOUGH IF ALICE ISN'T HAPPY OR SMILING ANYMORE. SHE'S GOTTEN SO PALE… I FEAR IF WE LEAVE HER ALONE FOR TOO LONG SHE WILL BLAME HERSELF FOR EVERYTHING. WE SHOULD SHOW HER TOGETHER THAT GOOD CAN HAPPEN EVEN IF WE ARE TO BE TRAPPED HERE… CONDITIONALLY I GUESS? I'M PART OF THIS TOO SANS SO I AM GOING TO STEP UP. SO I'M GOING TO REUNITE SNOWDRAKE'S FAMILY TO START US OFF." Papyrus stood his ground.

Sans had to concede at long last that maybe he had underestimated his brother. In the last Neutral Route, Papyrus had seemed content and nothing out of the ordinary had occurred (At least by what would you expect from Toriel inheriting the throne and no additional deaths or faces) so Sans hadn't really thought much of it. In fact, Papyrus did take initiative to help the previous human in regards to Undyne and Alphys and checked up on them when Sans could not. It wasn't until the RESET and the downward spiral that led to Papyrus's death every single time where Sans felt a stronger and stronger desire to keep his brother out of harm's way. Alice's unusual appearance had only tripled that and even now, where she had finally earned his trust and proved to be pure-hearted, he felt it was just the safest move to keep Papyrus in the dark. Right now though, Papyrus was expressing that he seemed to have recognized this and was determined to do something. The most shameful thing for Sans was how he had made Papyrus feel idle and useless and it took Papyrus's plea to release some of the deep pain and regret he had for this.

"P-Pap… *Sniff* I-I'm sorry brother… I just want you to *Sob* know… you are the best brother in the whole world… uhhhh… a-and you could never be useless to anyone. You're great after all…" Sans wiped his eyes and spoke purely from the heart.

"SANS! O-OH NO… I'M SORRY BROTHER. CRYING WAS THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SEE FROM YOU. I-I'VE JUST REALLY WANTED TO HELP… I'M SORRY IF I CAME OFF TOO BRASH OR RUDE. I APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS SINCERELY…" Papyrus instinctively turned around, ran to, and hugged his brother tightly.

"Y-you're right about a lot of things that I haven't given you credit for… *Sniff* I've hidden a lot from you as well…" Sans felt himself becoming calmer within Papyrus's embrace.

"LIKE SOCKS I PRESUME?"

"No… serious things. But… *Sigh* I cannot just pretend you aren't important here anymore. Not to my own brother. Not when you want Alice to succeed just as much as I do. Even if something funny is going on, we both might have the possibility to change things for the better… In a way that doesn't sacrifice any more lives… monster, ghost, or human. "

It's scary to let anyone in, let them into things only I had known about all this time. But maybe this is another part of why Alice is so different. She gave us the space to find our own DETERMINATION. If my brother is determined to step in and do whatever he can to free us from the Underground and make sure nobody has to die, I cannot deny him anymore. Sans was making a risky bet in his mind. If it failed then Alice's fate would be once again put into jeopardy and the Underground would be in a state of being stuck, of never finding freedom. But if they could effectively make sure to watch over Alice carefully and truly be there for her like Papyrus desired, then she'd never neglect her light or that optimistic imagination of hers.

"Papyrus, let's go together to find Snowdrake's father… and bring him here. On the way, I have something very important to tell you. It's really heavy and kind of messed up but I think it'd give me peace of mind to share with you and can help us effectively aid Alice." Sans didn't even bother with the poker face puns and went straight into what he wanted to express.

"HEAVY YOU SAY? I HOPE IT WON'T CRUSH US. CRUSHED SKELETONS WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP ALICE AFTER ALL! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus joked jubilantly, thrilled of the prospect of helping Alice alongside his brother.

"Nothing can crush us bro." Sans agreed in increased cheerfulness.

"So you two are going to go reunite our family? That's really cool… I mean really good. Thank you so much!" Snowdrake corrected his pun instinctively.

He and his mother had watched the scene unfold with uncertainty, concerned about whether or not the brothers were on good terms or bad. Whereas the mother was incapable of showing as in depth of a reaction as her son, Snowdrake was perfectly delighted to see they were very close and had made amends for this stirring secret. Or at least it seemed like a stirring secret based on how emotional Sans had gotten when revealing it. Papyrus relented on his hug and replied with vigor,

"PRECISELY! NOW, WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE IN MIND TO HELP ALICE AFTER WE HELP SNOWDRAKE?"

"well... for starters we are going to have to stay close from here on out. also, no matter what might happen, always remember that we've got to help alice in any way we can. also, we need to check out the lab." Sans started heading down the path that led towards Snowdin, speaking more quietly as they got further from the son and mother.

"AH I SEE. ALWAYS WITH THE PUZZLES BROTHER. NEVERTHELESS, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL SOLVE THESE PUZZLES NO MATTER THE ODDS! STAY SAFE YOU TWO IN THE MEANTIME AND BE PATIENT AS WE MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE!" In mid-sentence, Papyrus spun around on his heel and gave a formal wave goodbye.

"I-I really appreciate it…! Man I feel like crying again mom…" Snowdrake said with tears in his eyes.

"... see… ing... that… sight… is… worth a… ll the... strug...gles…" Snowdrake's mother spoke positively despite the grave tone her voice carried.

The two brothers set off, satisfied with their results and began discussing in great detail what Sans had in mind and how Papyrus could help. It was indeed very heavy on his conscience but the sensation of released feelings and secrets brought a sense of euphoria to Sans. He had only ridden it behind a mask of smiles and puns in order to keep that same pain and self-doubt from consuming those he cared about. It took this startling sight, this miraculous revelation of Snowdrake's family being fully reunited, for hope to be brought back to the Underground yet again. Nonetheless, they had done all they could do. All that could be done right now was to try to remember to carry out this errand until the opportunity to help Alice again arose. Alas, there was still the matter of Alphys's strange disappearance and neither of the brothers could fully answer what caused that and where she went off to. Snowdrake's mother knew, and that was why she continued to stare after where they had gone to, towards the unfortunate scene. Alphys was…

"...How did this happen…?" Undyne, uncharacteristically shaken, was the one to find out what became of Alphys at that very moment.

Part of the reason people believed Alphys to have disappeared was due to her absence at the lab being noticed by Queen Toriel when she had come to speak with her. Since then, no one had been able to catch wind of Alphys anywhere in the Underground. To add to the complexity of the situation, the lab had been sealed up shut after the investigation made by Toriel personally by someone. So it was left to Undyne to pry her way into the Lab with sheer strength and her handy spear. What she found though was the absolute worst case scenario. Alphys was nowhere to be seen but there was an abnormal amount of dust on the floor right by where she would normally be working at her desk. The state that monsters dissolved into when they died… Lastly, there was a note taped upon the computer that looked suspicious. There was no sort of tool or weapon near this pile of dust, leaving how this dust was made ambiguous and unknown. Wordlessly and desperately fighting feelings of great grief and sorrow that she was not proud of as a warrior, she took the note and read it carefully.

'I can't bear the weight of my sins any further. I've done so much more harm than good to all of the Underground. Leading on Alice, manipulating the scenario, allowing Asgore to die… I'm so ashamed. Were Queen Toriel to investigate my Lab fully like I know she would… I'd probably be rightfully tried for my sins. I'm aware I'm taking the coward's way out but that is exactly how I feel. A coward who didn't fulfill her duties. I hurt Alice too deeply and I am ashamed of how I've deceived everyone. But there is one way I can make it up to everyone beyond the grave. I'm releasing the truth of my sins to the Underground, those affected by it can now return to their families. It might startle them to see what's become of their former relatives but I feel that Toriel's new laws will protect them and it's the least I can do to give some hope back to the Underground. Undyne… if you happen to read and find this as I know you'd go to the ends of the earth for me, I apologize for deceiving you. I wasn't the benevolent, nerdy Dr. Alphys you knew. Please don't hurt Alice and listen to Queen Toriel. See if the two of you combined can carry on my research in a safer, more humane fashion. I've done as much as I could do and unfortunately, it was all for naught. Goodbye… Dr. Alphys.'

Undyne was silent. A mixture of fury, heartbreak, determination, and betrayed trust fueling her mind and heart. She wanted to hurt Alice bad in some regard but also knew the human had nothing to do with what drove Alphys to this breaking point. Whatever these 'sins' were, they had to have been taking a brutal toll on the Royal Scientist's mind. All she could do now was figure out what Alphys meant by 'return to their families' and fulfill her last request. A single tear did fall, but it was quickly wiped away as Undyne always pushed down her feelings of pain and sorrow down to avoid others thinking her as weak and helpless. The former Royal Guard captain now needed to do what she could for the Underground and for Alphys. But, as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't sure if there even was anything she could do...

"It's been an awfully long time but I wanted you to have this above all else." Alice's opening statement was complemented by carefully placing the piece of snow onto the Snowman.

"Oh, I'm so blessed! This is the greatest thing to ever happen to me in a long time. I can feel every temperature, memory, scent, and quality of the Underground in this small piece of snow…" The Snowman embraced his old piece.

Alice had considered this a very fair final duty to do in the Underground. The reaction of the Snowman, despite its immobility, perfectly conveyed feelings of enthrallment and joy within him. It was unclear how this Snowman felt in terms of a connection to that piece of snow but if it had some sort of link of sensations, then it was plausible they really did feel things like Hotland's climate and Waterfall's rain. The Snowman had fulfilled its dream where other monsters had yet to. The sad part was how futile it was for any of those dreams to arise and come true with how the Barrier continued to stand and would seemingly linger on endlessly. Alice felt hopeless, standing as a pariah in the Underground and partly responsible for its unbroken state. Losing Napstablook and Asgore along with the stress of the fight and enduring the blame of the Underground for keeping them trapped was too much for her. She wanted to just leave after making this Snowman really happy. It seemed an acceptable, humble thing to ask for right?

"I'm pleased for you." She said mournfully.

"I have to say though you seem a bit different from how I last saw you…" The Snowman, as though spurred on by Alice's sudden shift in tone, pointed it out.

"... I'm fairly tired from recent events. I take it that piece of snow doesn't provide specific recollections of events to you does it?" Alice sighed.

"Snow is not that magical. *Chuckles* The memories come more from where it went and what it experienced. Although it does beg the question as to what kind of dark atmosphere it encountered when I come across a sense of dread."

It was very apparent what experience and what scenery Snowman was referring to. It was also the last straw for Alice who was hoping that if by somehow she could just… end it all, it'd help her forget about this. Or rather, end this dream, she thought as she tried desperately not to envision it as a suicide attempt. But yet if that is what I was going for, it seems incredibly disrespectful to go for it now and is what I should've done for the Underground earlier. Napstablook hadn't died yet though and the possibility of alternative ways of freedom was still open to us. Now with Alphys vanishing and the main way lost for good, what can be done still? Alice felt her feet carrying her right past the Snowman, towards the edge of the cliff. The Snowman didn't think much of it at first but then felt the need to wonder why she hadn't just walked away if she was seemingly done with the conversation. So Snowman felt prompted to step in.

"Um Alice, I think you are going the wrong way. That leads to a dead end." He asked.

"I was going to take a shortcut." Alice replied, sounding as though she was fighting back tears.

"H-hold on a moment… what are you suggesting there? Are you alright? You sound very sad and I don't like the idea of you going that way!" Snowman's protective instincts arose and he called out to warn her.

"Please don't try to plead with me Mr. Snowman. I'm through with this pain and misery. I thought I could bear the scrutiny but I've lost my best friend here… my family up there… everything that inspired me to keep surviving is all for naught. Besides, you have Queen Toriel now… surely she'd be of more usefulness in the future than I." Alice lamented as her psyche felt broken.

She did believe she had become stronger, and she still was… just the pressure and the situation was beyond anything she could deal with. Not to mention that even with the presence of Sans, Papyrus, and Toriel… two lives had been lost indirectly through her actions, the freedom of an entire race had been sealed away yet again, and she had made many enemies. It was like being chased after by the Queen of Hearts and her army at the final climax of her daydreams. She never did understand what happened afterward when they seemed to have caught up to her but right now she had a sinking feeling of what'd eventually happen to her here. As she reached the edge of the cliff, she was rewarded with another breathtaking view of Snowdin Forest. In retrospect, the Underground was both quite big and quite small, it just depended on which areas had more space to explore. Snowdin Forest seemed to be among the bigger ones were one to go beyond the path and trees. As comforting as these random thoughts were, Alice still felt she had to end this.

"No! I disagree, there is no reason for you to just throw yourself off there! As long as you have good friends and people who care about you, you can't just quit! I never quit on hoping to see the world and you made it possible for me… so don't... just turn around on that…" The Snowman's pleading got suspiciously baffled near the end of that but Alice didn't notice.

"I do have a few good friends but I feel too guilty over what I did to them. I couldn't even make due on my promise to Sans. Papyrus will probably never get to drive down the highway with the wind blowing past. Toriel has lost her husband by my hand… I-it's too much… ahh…" Alice's tears started to fall despite her best intentions.

"H-hold on a moment… you shouldn't… there is no way they'd be fine with that! Stop… Please...:" Snowman sounded very frantic.

"... I-I suppose I could ask myself what Napstablook would do… *Sniff* But what's the use…? I-"

"Please no….! DONNNNNNNNNNN'TTTT-"

"*Pow!*"

It was that second 'please' from the Snowman that first got Alice to consider that something was odd about what tone the Snowman was using. He seemed to be letting his emotions be getting the best of him despite his earlier composed pleas to Alice moments before. Then came a genuinely horrified shriek that cut off her brief epiphany that maybe if she thought more of what her friends wanted, dead ones or alive, it would be for the best. Alice turned around much too slowly as she came face to face with another 'dead' individual. Their cruel intentions and great desire to perhaps see her commit the deed she wanted to do was visible in their stance. A clenched fist. Outstretched. That had plowed through the Snowman's mid-section and caused a grim mess of snow and accessories to appear onto the ground. Alice wasn't sure if this was considered a direct murder but the Snowman did not utter anything else afterward which confirmed this individual had done silenced him. The individual pulled back before crudely stomping their foot onto the remains of the Snowman before finally speaking,

"Hello again… Alice."

"Chara…" Alice wiped her tears at once, hardening herself to whatever the monster wanted.

"Heard you failed… heard you're through with the Underground." Chara sounded very cross and pulled out a knife with their other hand from the pockets of their pants.

"I'm not through with it. I'm through with myself and what I've done to it." Alice objected.

There was no point in trying to make a getaway when Chara had the distance and speed advantage. Leaping off the cliff now was the only secure way out but the height and the snowy ground below would spell her demise. There was the possibility of using her DETERMINATION but the spark to use that power faded after she regained consciousness from the fight with Flowey. When one wasn't feeling determined themselves, why should the power always work for them?

"Pitiful. You wanted to create this world and not only did you squander it, you just want to take the easy way out. I wanted you because you were easy to bend but strong-willed enough to make this world your oyster. You couldn't even manage that." Chara scoffed at her.

"... Wanted me…?" Alice looked perplexed and a bit disgusted by the way he had phrased it.

"Wanted you to unlock the power of this world and use it to consume this and the other meaningless world! I no longer have the means to do so nor you the motivation. But there is one other opportunity for me to do so… RESET." Chara suddenly seemed to have a suspicious smirk on their face.

Alice couldn't help but think he had a deeper meaning behind 'wanting her'. The foreboding mention of a RESET was not helping either. Was he aiming to go back in time? Perhaps back to when he had possessed Alice against Papyrus? Ultimately the RESET option was another thing she had promised Sans not to use and it wasn't something she had ever asked how it was done. It felt so immoral to just reverse a situation and pretend like everything was ok after all. As Alice didn't offer a response, Chara simply took it as permission to continue.

"I'm going to offer you a deal Alice. You seem keen on wanting to go back home… to your original timeline. I'll grant that wish. You can accept the sting of my blade and only experience a short duration of death before you'll find yourself back home to where you and your 'Dinah' dwelled. You won't ever come back to the Underground again because I'll RESET to the time before you saw me. I won't bring you over. You will be back in the timeline you admired most." Chara spoke haughtily.

"If… h-how dare you… you had that power all along and now you are pompously dangling it in front of me just as I am in my most vulnerable state!" Alice lashed out.

"What do you have to lose in this state…? The Underground is on the cusp of turning on you and you are running out of allies. Unless you want to plunge this world into a civil war over your fate, you should see the merit into going back home. Didn't you say it yourself? m…" Chara's eyes seemed to grow demonic, unnervingly similar to how they had done in the most recent dream Alice had.

"Wake up... from this dream…" Alice rolled the concept along her tongue and through her slowly sharpening mind.

She could see it now, her sister urging her to come to her senses. Alice waking up in relief and joy, sharing all she had experienced. Finding relief in returning to her own time period and with her family again. Returning home for a spot of tea. Acknowledging that everything that happened here… never mattered. That's much too cruel to do though, isn't it? Alice realized. Abandoning them after all the responsibility I willingly accepted for their cause. The realization that going home was leaving the monsters to their own devices in a state that was far from happy interjected her thoughts in a way that was a sincere relief more than a guilty conscience. Even if this was an elaborate dream, she had to end it on the note that all would be well here. That the monsters would not only learn their lessons from the past and forego their revenge on the humans, but finally find their long-lost freedom on the surface. Queen Toriel's ascension to the throne had influenced the monsters positively into sparing human lives again and showed that benevolence that was clearly possible for them. Thinking of the situation along that way was much more hopeful… and exactly like what Napstablook would think. Perhaps even Asgore, despite his grim stubbornness, probably would've seen the light had his wife returned to the throne in the honorable fashion she had done so. But the question remained as to how to begin to repair this?

"Well…?" Chara made another step forward to pressure Alice for her answer.

"... Even if I were to accept that offer… I'd rather end this dream myself. I won't let you lay a single finger on me ever again!" Finally regained a sense of DETERMINATION within herself, Alice denied Chara what they wanted most.

Chara lurched back furiously, but also seemingly startled by her defiance. Looking back on it, Alice probably had become much more powerful than them a while ago and they only felt keen on approaching her now because of her weak state. But now she had found another reason for herself to keep at it, despite the pain of the deaths she had witnessed being fresh on her mind. This was a part of growing up she realized. To acknowledge the darker, more serious things about life you had yet to experience and find your own perspective on the world as well as inner strength. Chara didn't even bother to reply, clenching the knife so tightly that it seemed fit to break soon. They growled in an animalistic fashion at Alice before displaying that horrifying expression and dashing towards her. The expression it had made in its futile but no less frightening last stand against 'Alice'. Alice gasped as she realized she would have to be forced to jump but then something else happened that made her gasp again. Something grasping around her waist, arms, and legs with immense security. Something green and thick. Something familiar...

"...V-vine… ahhhh…!" Alice was then pulled against her will off the cliff.

Being pulled far and fast away from Chara's location on the cliffside and speeding past woods and snowy trails alike, Alice's thoughts were dominated by several unusual ideas. One, she did briefly see Chara's figure step to the edge of the cliff and face the direction she was going but couldn't read their expression as the distance between them rose significantly. Two, there was only one being that had vines that could do this… Third, she was being taken towards the direction of Snowdin. Fourthly, somehow she had to acknowledge that this was more of a rescue than a kidnapping attempt. Finally… she ignored the scary sensation of basically flying through the air against her will in favor of the wonder of the experience. So many conflicting ideas only served to further bring Alice's mind back to focus and realize that somehow… FLOWEY was coming to her aid. It was more of a shock than something to be scared about, considering their last conversation. Could he have turned over a new leaf so soon? Has he finally understood the feelings I expressed to him? Alice thought. After about a minute of this elaborate flight, Alice found herself landing roughly on the snow and the vines releasing their surefire grip over her body. The momentum of the whole drop-off caused Alice to roll a few times, painfully over her arm cast, before finally stopping on her stomach. She also heard the sound of the vines retreating into the ground, breaking through layers of snow and presumably ice.

"..." Alice said nothing as she picking up her head and sought the seeded savior.

Much to her own surprise, she appeared to be right by the hut where the wolf continued to toss ice blocks into the river that flowed all the way through Waterfall. Even with the recent events, it seemed this was very much a necessary duty for the Underground that wouldn't change. He didn't seem at all different from when Alice last witnessed him and didn't even try glancing over to her either. Not that the continuous ice blocks on the conveyer belt would've let him have that relief anyway. Alice turned her attention away from this after coming to terms that she was within Snowdin and now feeling very safe. And when she looked to her right, there Flowey was. The cold didn't seem to bother him as he looked at her with a shockingly relaxed expression. Or was it more of an expression showcasing sincere pity for her? It also fully confirmed that he could teleport anywhere he wanted to in the Underground if he so willed it and saw it necessary. Although maybe Hotland wouldn't work for him due to being so hot, Alice considered. Flowey immediately interrupted her thoughts with a startingly softer tone than usual,

"Why…? Why did you let me go? Don't you realize that being nice… just makes you get hurt?"

The first emotion to come to Alice's mind was the pure surprise at his generous and empathetic statement. Clearly, he had done a lot of thinking when he ran away from Alice after she resolutely spared him. But why had he come to question her now and not earlier? Was he watching her in order to see what actions she'd take in regards to her victory against him? And… had he intervened against someone he clearly had known once upon a time to save her despite her defeatist attitude? She only just now had found the will to carry on prior to the vines wrapping around her (Which also made her realize that he had immense control over his vines even without the SOULS power) but had foolishly put herself in harm's way. She had almost forfeited her life. In fact, she had nearly broken her own words to him.

'If I can find a way to perhaps free you from what truly is on your mind as well as break the Barrier as I have promised… then you can be free to say I have been nice to you." Alice clarified with powerful aplomb.'

"I can agree with that notion in this situation Flowey… all my niceness has failed to free the Underground." Alice's voice was filled with shame.

"Look at yourself. You made all these great friends… But with how you are now, you'll probably never see them again. Not to mention how much they've been set back by you. Hurts, doesn't it?" Some of Flowey's more arrogant tone came back.

Alice flinched. He was absolutely right. She had DETERMINATION again but it felt misplaced. What was she DETERMINED about? Not giving up on her life? It would not yield her the answers she needed, not without Alphys around. But what was more painful to her beyond Napstablook and Asgore's losses was feeling as though she had lost the right to be treated so kindly by her remaining friends. Yet Alice was tired of crying and tired of feeling sorry for herself. Flowey's familiar scathing tone didn't match the words of deeper understanding and motivation he was saying now. He was urging her to step up to the plate once more. And if what she believed about Flowey was true… this was the lost prince's plea to her to not end up like him.

"It hurts badly… it's so much more painful than much of what I faced. Yet if I overcame even you…" Alice looked to match his challenging gaze with one of her own.

"Funny though. If you had just gone through without caring about anyone… You wouldn't have to feel bad now. So I don't get it. If you really did everything the right way.. Why did things end up like this? Napstablook wasn't with you all those times after all. You made choices that resulted in many spared monsters because you cared about them. So why? Is life really that unfair? Was there no other way as you so often described?" Flowey suddenly seemed to dive deep into something philosophical.

"I'd… I'd like to think some other way to free everyone does still exist. But all my efforts to find it have been fruitless. If… you are willing to help me Flowey, I imagine we can finally find it and put it to action. Although it won't reverse what has already been lost..." Alice admitted.

"... Say. What if I told you… I knew some way to get you a better ending."

Alice froze. She stared. She pondered. She felt… completely inspired. Yet also completely afraid. She had no idea what this 'way' entailed. The way he had phrased it like some sort of fairy tale narrative was also very out of the ordinary. Was this really a dream after all? How else could a story's ending be altered by some foreign way? Wonderland didn't have the luxury of being changed from its original course but perhaps the Underground did… Or at least, it was these almost taboo possibilities that were being suggested by Flowey. It scared Alice because of how excited it was making her feel. It was that pure hope and curiosity that had backfired on her several times before. But the thrill of knowing with nothing left to lose and that this way could be taken was something she had been longing for. At last, I am getting somewhere meaningful to my hypothesis! Alice thought.

"Another way…?"

"You'll have to load your SAVE file, and-"

"SAVE file…? Do you mean RESET the timeline? Sans did tell me about that but… I felt such a power was too terrifying and Sans had been so tormented by all these RESETS. I vowed not to do it and so I do not know how to myself." Alice admitted as excitement built in her tone despite the seriousness of her words.

Flowey looked at her with an incredulous, even insulted look. Alice was sure he thought of her as an idiot for not knowing this apparently crucial technique. But she had purposefully emphasized this not out of embarrassment but so that he could fully teach her to use it now. Sans would most definitely like me to use it now I imagine after all of this waiting, Alice giggled as she took in Flowey's visage.

"Of course! No wonder it was taking an eternity in this timeline! Sans is such an idiot for bringing it up like it's common law and not telling you how it works! Not that he could do it himself but still! No matter, I guess little old me will have to teach you." Flowey cheekily harkened back to their first encounter with his last statement.

"Yes please." Alice nodded.

It was definitely unusual for her to be so perfectly comfortable with Flowey now from an outsider's perspective. He had taken two lives after all. But the clear assistance he was giving, saving her from Chara, and the revelations of his identity she had made over time all contributed to a more positive impression of him. She was willing to give him a chance in this time and place even if nobody else would. It was her last chance, after all, to truly bring hope back to the Underground.

"Well, luckily your ghost friend provided a pretty perfect demonstration of how to do it. In fact, he's the first monster I've seen do it besides a human or myself! Not that it did me any good but I guess you are happy to be alive thanks to his RESET." Flowey hinted at some lingering bitterness over his loss.

"... I most certainly am." Alice smiled proudly.

"Basically you gather your deepest essence of the human SOULS within you and think back to a previous moment in the Underground that you most want to go back to. You can go as far back so to the Ruins but that's not where you need to go at the moment if you want a better ending. Then you declare your 'RESET' and the SAVE file will be loaded of that respective time."

"Seems relatively simple to do then… I suppose that's what also contributes to the dangerousness of the power. Why I myself would have probably recklessly RESET multiple times had I assumed I made a mistake. I'm relieved to know the method now when I've developed greater responsibility for my magic." Alice reasoned aloud, much to Flowey's confusion.

There was an awkward silence. Flowey's expression had a weird mixture of guilt, frustration, and doubt. As though he was wondering if he had said too much or debating over his next series of words. Finally, he spoke again,

"Well, in the meantime, why don't you go see Undyne?"

"Undyne?!" Now it was Alice's turn to be confused.

Undyne had antagonized her so deeply and scared her quite frankly. With the way things were now, Undyne's mood most definitely would not have improved. Losing a neighbor, her mentor/liege, and the unusual disappearance of one of her closest friends did not suggest anything good for her mental state. If anything, Undyne would treat Alice with even greater hostility and make it risky to even try conversing with her one on one. If she was to RESET now then such a visit would also be fruitless if it was forgotten. Unless…

"It seems like you could have been better friends. Who knows… maybe she's got the key to your happiness…?" Flowey confirmed the second theory that Alice had just now devised.

"You mean when I do RESET, I should go straight to meet her… Oh dear, Papyrus had told me to go see her. I really didn't think it would be prudent or safe at the time but perhaps this careless mistake did lead to further trouble down the road." Alice vocalized her self-realization.

On face value, it didn't really seem significant to go see someone after they spared her from a frightening chase. But hadn't she essentially done the same with Papyrus who had defeated her and Mettaton who had pursued her aggressively? Perhaps had she made a bigger effort to befriend her or at least pacify her properly then there wouldn't have been this animosity between her and Undyne now. The Royal Guard captain having the key to Alice's happiness was a bit far-fetched but nonetheless, it was a distinct possibility. With Undyne's strength and noticeable DETERMINATION perhaps there was something the warrior could do to help break the Barrier even if she didn't know it herself. The question now remained, what point in time would she RESET to? It had to be sometime before Asgore and Napstablook died and thus before the Nightmare Flowey fight. A period of time where there was a reprieve before the Asgore encounter and preferably after the exhausting fight and pacification of Sans. Somewhere that felt very important…

"See you soon Alice." Flowey's voice broke through her thoughts surprisingly as he seemed to regard her with an oddly fond smile.

"W-wait Flowey. I want to ask something of you…" Alice quickly spoke out before he sunk into the ground.

"As usual… well, what is it then?" Flowey huffed.

"If I RESET… you won't remember this conversation will you?"

"Not without a SOUL I will. I wouldn't be surprised if we are still enemies. Odd how Sans never seems to forget but I'll give it to him that he's probably had more personal trauma to recall. You'll have to try not to be killed by me…" Flowey smirked.

At least he seems self-aware that he might not recall this rather than trying to deny it, Alice thought with appreciation. So no doubt if she didn't do things differently in the RESET, Nightmare Flowey and Asgore's death were bound to happen once more. There was the off-chance she could convince Asgore to stay in the throne room or urge him not to fight her but he seemed much too proud and resolute in what the monsters wanted out of him to do so. The reason Flowey could speak so surely about befriending Undyne this time around being the key to a happier ending was that it was clearly something that could happen. Perhaps even Frisk had once done the exact same thing that Alice was now being instructed to do. There was then a great potential that if Alice followed in his footsteps, there'd be no need for anymore RESETS.

"Quite right. If I did so once, I will do so again. Ok… I think I'm ready." Alice stood up and began to focus on channeling her DETERMINATION.

The feeling of power, golden radiance surrounding her very being, lifted a great weight off of her shoulders and felt very renewing. To her surprise though, Flowey kept speaking to her,

"One more thing. I'm sure if you look hard enough at places you haven't investigated before… you will find what has been hidden."

"Ah…!" Suddenly Alice realized she knew exactly what he was referring to and where to RESET to.

"Hopefully that helps." Flowey sounded somewhat meek.

Alice could now see her destination in her mind. The period of time in the Underground in which would best provide the circumstances for her to go see Undyne and revive Asgore and Napstablook. All that would be undone was for the better if it meant the Barrier would be broken and through a method that cost no lives. The feeling was supernatural and powerful as Alice suddenly felt as though she was lifting slightly off the ground. In this momentum, Alice knew she had one last thing to tell Flowey. Or rather, she had one last thing to tell the being trapped within Flowey. Something that was a bit useful on Alice's end for him to forget after saying it but was also a promise to him that maybe deep down inside would be remembered vaguely as a positive feeling.

"Thank you… Asriel. Now… RESET!" The last thing Alice saw of this Neutral Route was Flowey's expression of awe.

"... these are where the bodies of the fallen children are… i never imagined it'd be right outside the throne room… i figured… Alice?" Alice vaguely heard this as she found herself falling flat on the floor of the castle halls.

Alice briefly felt a strange sense of death, as in completely being dead and unable to move or breathe but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. She found herself flung onto the ground by a strange momentum and landed on her back. She immediately and creepily felt all the wounds and scars she had sustained from the Nightmare Flowey fight disappear. Her cape, bandages, and cast that she had been wearing in Snowdin were also gone. Her clothes that had dirt, blood, and rips within them were all patched up and good as new. But most importantly, she didn't feel particularly different mentally or even stamina-wise, vividly recalling that she had just spoken to Flowey. If this is what time travel is then I can see why it's not really something to play around with, Alice bit her lip as she felt just a bit uncomfortable from the sensation. But then the most wonderful thing came into her vision, the face of a very familiar friend. No longer ascended into the mysterious beyond but once again a whole and very welcome presence. Napstablook, just as he had been there for her as Sans instructed, was at her side. More than just a time-traveling spell, it was as if reality itself had reverted for Alice alone. Right now though, it was the most wonderful miracle that could've possibly occurred.

"Napstablook!" Alice felt so overcome with joy that she rushed to her feet and 'hugged' her ghostly friend.

"i'm back… you're back too… did you discover how to RESET?" Napstablook, to her shock, seemed to understand exactly what just went down.

"Y-you mean you remember all that happened…?"

"I… remember the fight and saving you… but then being overcome with DETERMINATION and 'passing on'. i don't remember anything of what happened after that though… kind of surprised i'm back like this… but i'm just so happy to be here again…" Napstablook admitted, shedding tears of authenticity rather than simply for magic's sake.

Alice was most surprised. It appeared as though only Sans recalled memories from past a RESET but here Napstablook distinctly remembered events that happened after this point in time Alice had returned to. Perhaps it's his unique state of ghostly existence that keeps his mind from being as affected by the RESETS or the fact he came into contact with human SOULS before he dissolved? Alice pondered. It was very curious but given the immense relief at Napstablook's return and the RESET being successful, she knew it wasn't as important in the long run. Right now there was still so much to do.

"Do you need me to tell you any further details of what happened after you… were gone?" Alice winced as it still hurt to phrase what happened to him like that.

"well... you did survive it seems and returned back to this time… so that's all i really need to know… do you have a plan on what to do?"

Napstablook sounded so sure and so confident, eager to assist her. It truly was just like how he had been in his final moments. It was incredibly noble and his growth had truly been immense. It made Alice so grateful to have such a steadfast ally. Yet Alice knew in her heart it was now risky to allow him to accompany her on this unknown journey. If they weren't going to see Asgore yet, like Alice was now intent on following through with, then he didn't also need to accompany her to see Undyne. She had to be able to stand alone and befriend Undyne through her own merits much as she had done with all the other monsters. The best part of this was that it would ensure Napstablook's safety if anything went awry. That part could be told to him later though. Right now something more important could be shared with him if Alice was truly right in her interpretation of Flowey's hint. A key reason she had chosen this particular time to return to in her RESET was that there was something within the vicinity that could match up with what the hint described.

"If you look hard enough at places you haven't investigated before you will find what has been hidden." Alice's eyes fixated on the six coffins of the previous fallen human children.

Out of respect, she had not even thought about breaking a coffin open to see what was inside. There was always the likelihood of there being an actual skeleton within them after all. What occurred to Alice was that Chara possessed a coffin with his name on it. These coffins in question were likely to be never touched again as the SOULS were already taken from their corpses and housed in those canisters. Somehow Chara's SOUL had been the exception and was clearly still on the loose in the form of a malevolent spirit that haunted the Ruins. So what exactly lied within THIS coffin? Not minding Napstablooks puzzled expression, Alice summoned the Vorpal Blade and slipped it in between the lid and the base of Chara's coffin. She was determined to pry this coffin open and unveil its contents at long last with strong tugs placed on it.

"alice are you… trying to open the coffin…? why…?" Napstablook asked, more out of confusion than concern.

"There may be something very important in here. Something that no one else… nghh… has been able to find…! Haaaaah!" With one potent jerk, Alice finally was able to wrestle the coffin lid open.

Like opening a treasure chest, there seemed to be a brief heavenly glow as the light in the room started to fill the opened coffin. What was inside… was a body. They had somewhat tanned skin that was noticeably pale in this state of 'death', a long-sleeved striped shirt of blue and purple, blue pants, brown shoes, medium-length short brown hair, short bangs, and a sleeping expression that was neither sad or happy. Just a face that signified an eternal sleep. Noticeably, they had a tear on the bottom of their shirt, likely of which where Sans had ripped off a piece of their clothing to hold onto as a momentum of them. It was odd how beautifully preserved the body still was, perhaps because their SOUL still lingered on in the Underground or the coffin has some sort of magic of its own. But there was no mistaking it…

It was here the whole time… It was natural for Frisk to not be able to withhold a comment out of the pure shock of the discovery. Napstablook sounded just as frazzled,

"It's another human…? but how…? wait... Sans did mention someone named Frisk… is this…?"

"Yes. I, the eighth child, have finally found the seventh child's location at last." Alice declared somewhat poetically.

"but... what should we do with it…?"

Napstablook's question was valid and at the moment, the confirmation of Frisk's body wouldn't help much in regards to the specific instructions Flowey gave her to do. This was something to keep in mind for later at the very least. She felt that the knowledge of Frisk's body being hidden in Chara's coffin this whole time carried some truth about what happened that brought Alice here instead of simply repeating all the other timelines all over again. I wonder if I should've asked Flowey in that timeframe about how I was brought here specifically, Alice questioned herself. This reminded her of when she and Frisk had first discussed the strangeness of Alice being present instead of him.

'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.'

So the perpetrator had to have had access to this room to hide Frisk's body away while leaving the SOUL separated so they could not unite. While also being able to bring me in here through the rabbit hole once the timeline started anew. Alice reasoned deeply.

"...alice?" Napstablook asked again as he noticed Alice had gone silent.

Alice stopped and faced her resurrected friend. She realized she was taking his return for granted by ignoring his question just to hypothesize the circumstances surrounding her arrival. She decided to abandon this train of thought for what mattered most. She had a good idea of who RESET the timeline and why they brought Alice here at the very least. Only the how and when it happened were mysterious to her. Right now she had RESET the events of the Underground to this moment, the eighth timeline in total. It was her timeline to shape without any outside interference for the most part. With her closest ally here with her, Alice cleared her throat and faced Napstablook.

"There's no need to worry about this body for now Napsta. We can leave it here for the most part until the time arises to make use of it. We have to start working to fix up all the mistakes I've made and seek to prevent your loss or Asgore's while also freeing the Underground at long last…" Alice explained as she made to close the coffin lid.

Napstablook seemed very relieved and inspired by that answer. Perhaps before he met Alice he would've cowered and been frightened at being reminded of his loss but now he felt like he had all the willpower in the world. He wouldn't let a depressing memory affect him as harshly if things were bound to get better. So he nodded and smiled at her, tears completely gone.

"so what do we need to do…?" He asked.

"First and foremost... I'm going to need to properly acquaint myself with your neighbor Napstablook." Alice grinned nervously yet excitedly.

To Be Continued…

P.S. I've found out Alice in Undertale has been recommended on TV Tropes under Undertale Fanfic Recs in the Crossover section! I'd like to personally thank Luxray1000 for the recommendation and I really appreciate it. I will eventually finish this story and I hope you and all of my readers will be satisfied with the entire work and conclusion.