Hey Everyone!

Interference in bold, puns and memories in italics, magic is underlined.

-text- indicates either texts, or mental "talking".

All Undertale stuff owned by Toby Fox, else me or a reference.

You listen intently to the opening words of the program. They make no more sense than they did last time.

Alphys

Sunlight warmed the tiles of the porch on this unexpectedly warm day. White knit interrupted the expanse of golden stone at regular intervals. The even gridwork of blankets looked like something out of a disaster zone. At least, up until you saw the blanket fort up against the fireplace.

It did not help the image that the third set of blankets was easily three times as large as the first two. It annoyed her, but there really wasn't any other way to get Asgore laid out as comfortably. A bed would have been better for all of them, but running up and down stairs trying to see to all her patients was dangerous and a waste of energy, so here they were. Sans, Chara, and Asgore, all laid out in a row. Silver had tried to fit the pattern, but Pers and Patience had persuaded her into building the fort instead.

Fatima wrung yet another wet rag out above the bowl of dirty water. An extra squeeze, then a dip into the bowl of ice, and Alphys had a fresh towel to wet down Asgore's head. Sans had shifted from silence into snoring at some point, which probably counted as an improvement, and Chara was staring up at the clouds while holding a bag of frozen peas up to their chin.

Giggles erupted from the fort as one of the blankets slid to the ground. Pers darted out and hung it back up again, then crawled back inside. A robin landed on the edge of the stairs and twittered at Alphys curiously. She gave it a sad smile, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Well, um...that should d-d-do it, I think. Thank you, Fatim-"

The sliding glass door banged open, making Alphys jerk back. Minori stood in the doorway, hair tied back and jacket billowing, "Heyla. Goat-mom wants the murder-child to come help make soup," from inside the pillow fort, a billow of sad silence puffs out, "Not you Silver, the actual murder-child."

Fatima and Alphys shared a look of confusion. Fatima made to stand and was politely, but firmly, pressed back into her seat, "No. Just the murder-child."

"Oh how splendid, I have a fan. Do you want an autograph? Photos? Exclusive information? I'm afraid I'm a little indisposed at the moment, so whatever it is will have to be done from here."

Minori clomped the remaining few feet to Chara's side, and kicked. Alphys squeaked, "Wait, d-d-don't-"

Minori smiled across the deck at Chara, who had somehow managed to dodge? Alphys didn't think it was possible to move that fast. The former Prinx scowled back.

"Really? You look fine to me," the Soul of Integrity walked over to Chara and grabbed their hand, dragging the cursing child into the house.

Several seconds of silence passed before the entire porch erupted into laughter. Alphys managed to wheeze out, "That was...that was fast! I d-d-didn't think humans could, um...move like that?"

Fatima reached for her claws and patted them reassuringly, "Of course they are fast. Chara is always jumping into action and fighting battles they never needed to fight at all."

Patience pulled herself out of the fort, straightened the doorway, brushed the dirt off her dress, and regally joined them, "That is not quite right. It is more...different than that. Chara...they waited a long time for the things that they found. Then they lost everything and had to wait an even longer time to get them back. Now they have, and they want to make sure they never have to wait again. Even if that means acting before they know what the right course of action is...at least, I believe that is it."

From within the blanket fort, Pers poked his head out of the doorway. He opened his mouth, looked between the two girls who were squaring off to fight, and hastily retreated back into the fabric walls. He was beginning to learn that, as kind and patient as his pseudo-siblings could be, when they were in the mood for a fight, speaking up was only going to get him sucked in.

"And how did you come to learn this amazing fact?" Alphys wondered where the sweet little girl had learned to so politely express, without sounding or acting in any way rude or put out, her complete disbelief in someone else's opinions. It put some of her colleagues to shame.

Patience rolled her eyes arduously, "I have been living with the creature for a week now, haven't I? Of course I know. In any case, I asked the angel, and they should know."

"Th-th-th-" Alphys' voice stuttered in the face of the girls' combined stares, "That is, how...you, how...angel? Do you mean-"

"Frisk."

The name was completely in sync, despite the sheer number of voices saying it. Fatima, Patience, and the fort. All at once.

"Um. I, um. How did you, um...hear about it? The story, I mean? I thought that...I mean, it's…"

"We have all been to the Underground, Doctor Alphys. Apart from Silver, that is, and even she has mostly been below. I spent much time with Her Majesty in the Ruins, and she passed the legend on to me. I believe most of the others read it on the wall plaques in Waterfall? I never made it that far. I think one day I might like to go see it. The Wishing Room sounds very pretty."

"It is that. The mushrooms and flowers glow such a bright blue, and the water is very dark. If Maeiz-Mama says I may, I would guide you there, Patience. I think Silver would like it, too."

Both turned to her, and Alphys could sense the intense interest of the occupants of the blanket fort. She wrung her claws, "Well, I...that, um, that should be...fine? I think so. Someday, maybe, at least. With T-t-toriel's permission, of course."

She continued fidgeting under their stares. Why did they keep looking at her? Finally, Fatima spoke, "If you want to ask us a question, Alphys-Hakeem, please do. We are nice."

"How d-d-did you all come to be in the Underground, anyway?"

Her own claws slammed over her mouth the second after the words had been blurted. The children's expressions contained more exhaustion, grief, and anguish than any child deserved to wear.

Fatima spoke calmly. Her face had the least sorrow of them all.

"My uncle was fond of his tea. I had heard of a flower on the mountain which was said to be the best tea known. I wished to bring it to him and fell down."

Patience's face was still, but her eyes were heartbroken, "Humans have gotten better since my day. My father did not have the patience to deal with a daughter under his roof who was not his. He took me to the mountain and told me to stay, so I did. I believed if I obeyed him long enough my mother would come and find me like she always did. Then he would hear I had obeyed him and be happy. I did not expect to fall down and find a new mother below."

A voice squeaked from the fort, words chopped with anger...or maybe pain?

"My older brother didn't like having a nerd for a little brother. He was always lecturing me about how 'unmanly' it was to write in a notebook all the time and wear glasses and never fight. The way I asked about other people's emotions was just icing on the cake. He b-beat me up and left me in a cave. My glasses were busted, so I didn't see the vines and fell in."

Alphys didn't know what to react to first. All of these stories sounded aweful...were humans really like that? Hateful and violent and cruel...just like the stories?

But...all this time on the surface and everyone had been so nice. Well, sometimes nice. Mostly nice. But not...never like that!

And yet...and yet she had seen some of the aftermath of what had happened to Silver and most of what had been done to Frisk.

Alphys was so caught up in her spiraling thoughts that the small hand on her forearm took her by surprise. She looked up into the grey-green eyes and gulped. Nothing but Kindness met her there.

"The world is not so bad, now. They lived a long, long time ago. Humans are not as horrible. The fact that some still exist who are is difficult to change. Even for monsters, there are always some who are not as nice. So please don't worry. We and the Angel and Silver and the Maiez-King and Queen will keep you safe. We will stand up for you, as you will for us. So smile? Please?"

Alphys' mouth ticked up at the corners. Gods, but the child sounded like Papyrus in an encouraging frame of mind. That, and a little like the way she had overheard the Queen speaking to Asriel whenever he got sad. She'd never thought anyone would speak to her that way. Not...not after everything she had done.

The child nodded, "Good. You are smiling. Please don't get sad like that again. Or if you do, let me know and I will make it better."

Alphys reached out her arms and pulled Fatima into a hug, "I, uh...I'll try."

The scientist could almost hear Fatima's warm smile, "That is all you really need to do. Thank you."