The Warners landed right next to the hole in the wall where they first met Mettaton.
"Oh yeah," said Yakko, "I still got it! Too bad we can't just shortcut our way through the barrier."
"Look!" said Wakko, picking up a slip of paper off the ground. "It's a note from Alphys!"
Her handwriting was hard to read, but they tried to make it out the best they could.
Hey. Thanks for your help back there. You guys...Your support really means a lot to me. But...As difficult as it is to say this...You guys alone can't magically make my own problems go away. I want to be a better person. I don't want to be afraid anymore. And for that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes. I'm going to start doing that now. I want to be clear. This isn't anyone else's problem but mine. But if you don't ever hear from me again...If you want to know 'the truth.' Enter the door to the north of this note. You all at least deserve to know what I did.
The "bathroom" magically opened as soon as they finished reading the letter.
"We have to help her," said Wakko.
They stepped inside, finding an elevator.
"That's weird…" said Dot. "I thought this was a bathroom…"
The elevator started to take them down, then froze. It dropped at a faster speed, sending the Warners flying into the ceiling and screaming as a robotic voice rang out.
"WARNING! WARNING! ELEVATOR LOSING POWER! EM TETHER STABILITY LOST! ALTITUDE DROPPING!"
The elevator crashed onto the bottom floor. Miraculously, the Warners were not hurt, only hitting the ground with a loud thud and turning to mush. After a few seconds, they popped back into their normal forms.
"Oh jeez," said Yakko, "that was worse than dropping into Hell!"
They stepped through the open gap of the elevator, finding themselves in a dimly lit area. It looked worn and old, and emitted a spooky aura. On the walls were computers with written messages from Alphys.
ENTRY NUMBER 1
This is it...Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the SOUL.
ENTRY NUMBER 2
The barrier is locked by SOUL power..Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. SOUL power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now...The SOULs of monsters.
ENTRY NUMBER 3
But extracting a SOUL from a living monster would require incredible power...Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the SOUL's host. And, unlike the persistent SOULs of humans...The SOULs of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's SOUL last…
"...I don't like where this is going," said Dot.
ENTRY NUMBER 5
I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the human SOULs. I believe this is what gives their SOULs the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living...The resolve to change fate. Let's call this power…"Determination."
Turning up the corner, they arrived in the main room of Alphys' true laboratory as eerie music started to play. They could barely make out anything, except a glowing sign reading "POWER ROOM".
"Wakko," said Yakko, "ya got a flashlight in your Gag Bag?"
Wakko dug through and pulled one out.
"Yeah, I got one!"
"Good. That should make it easier to see down here."
Wakko turned on the flashlight, shining it on a large door and a vending machine.
"Ooh, they got Popato Chisps!"
He put 25G in the machine and bought the chips, putting them under his hat. At the right, they found a note. It was hard to read because of Alphys' handwriting, but they knew it said something about the elevator and entering the door.
"This place gives me the creeps," said Yakko.
The room split into two hallways, one on the left and one on the right. The door on the right was locked, meaning left was the way to go.
ENTRY NUMBER 6
ASGORE asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had "fallen down." Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose...And soon, they'll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject "determination" into them? If their SOULS persist after they perish, then...Freedom might be closer than we all thought.
"If there's one thing movies taught me," said Dot, "it's that this isn't gonna end well."
ENTRY NUMBER 9
things aren't going well. none of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can't get the SOULs. i told the families that I would give them the dust back for the funerals. people are starting to ask me what's happening. what do i do?
That entry was found in some kind of operating room.
"Eugh," Wakko gagged, putting his hand on one of the operating tables, "it's sticky."
"There's some sinks over there," said Dot.
They all went to wash their gloves. Yakko and Wakko's sinks released water when they turned them on, but Dot's sink had a nasty surprise. Sticky white liquid oozed out of the sink.
"Diiiiiiiisgusting!"
She pulled her hands away. The sticky white liquid formed into a ball overflowing the sink and smiling at her. Then it transformed into three five-eyed monsters. The Warners screamed in horror as the creatures initiated an encounter. Their bodies glitched and spoke in ear-piercing static. Dots appeared all over the boundary box, exploding into various creepily smiling amalgams. They quickly stepped around them whenever they were close.
"This is really f'ed up!" said Yakko.
Dot pulled out her cellphone. The Warners could hear voices through the receiver.
"Come join the fun," the monsters said in unison as the attack repeated itself.
"Become one of us!"
"It's a real get together"
"Come join the fun."
"Nooooo!" they shouted, running to the back of the boundary box.
The monsters revealed themselves to be called Memoryheads.
"That's a shame."
The Memoryheads gave the Warners 8 pieces of gold after being spared. As they dissolved, Dot found a red key in the sink. She took it.
"What did Alphys do to them?!" said Wakko.
"I don't wanna know," said Dot.
They continued up to the dead end, where they found a slot and a note saying something was dropped down the drain. Dot put the key into the slot, which fit perfectly. They ran back to the other side, not wanting to get caught in another encounter.
ENTRY NUMBER 12
nothing is happening. i don't know what to do. i'll just keep injecting everything with 'determination.' i want this to work.
Yakko shook his head.
"Bad move, Al."
ENTRY NUMBER 13
one of the bodies opened its eyes.
They reached the end of the hall, finding a room filled with beds.
"After what we just fought," said Dot, "I need to get some shuteye."
"Agreed, sister sib."
Yakko climbed into the nearest bed, being one of three without the sheets neatly kept. Wakko and Dot did the same, finding the beds surprisingly comfortable. They fell asleep almost immediately. Unbeknownst to any of them, a spoon-shaped creature watched them sleep. It loomed over Yakko and slowly extended its arm out to him...only to lower it, grab the blanket, and pull it over him. It then patted his forehead and did the same to Wakko and Dot. As soon it was finished, it vanished and let the Warners sleep in peace.
The Warners found themselves in an unknown part of Waterfall.
"Hey," said Wakko, "what are we doing back here?"
They were approached by three gray monsters. The first resembled Monster Kid with nothing but a blank stare, the second appeared to be the monster Muffet scared into buying her spider donuts and the third looked like a large disembodied head.
"It makes sense why ASGORE took so long to hire a new Royal Scientist. After all, the old one...Dr. Gaster. What an act to follow! They say he created the CORE. However, his life...Was cut short. One day, he fell into his creation, and..."
"They say he shattered across time and space. Ha ha...How can I say so without fear? I'm holding a piece of him right here."
"Well, we needn't gossip. After all, it's rude to talk about someone who's listening."
They disappeared without a trace, revealing an ominous gray door wedged into the wall next to them.
"Ya in here, Gaster?" said Yakko.
They were met by a hooded skeleton with rather large and broken eyesockets, small cracks forming across his skull. He seemed to gasp as the kids saw him. He communicated through sign language, his hands turning into wingding symbols.
You're not supposed to be here...
He faded away.
"Wait come back!" said Dot.
They ran after him, but it was too late. The space around them darkened. Suddenly, a loud, earsplitting cacophony of mechanical noises filled the room. The Warners collapsed, screaming and covering their ears as wingding writing appeared.
ENTRY NUMBER SEVENTEEN
DARK
DARKER
YET DARKER
THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING
THE SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER
PHOTON
READING
NEGATIVE
THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT
SEEMS
VERY
VERY
INTERESTING
...
WHAT DO YOU THINK
"Stop it!" Dot shouted.
"Make it stop!" Yakko and Wakko yelled.
The Warners jumped out of their beds. By the time they woke up, another day passed. They panted.
"Oh man," said Yakko, "I think this place keeps messing with my brain..."
Wakko and Dot nodded in agreement.
"Let's just get this over with," said Dot.
Wakko looked around, noticing all the beds were the same except for one other, with lopsided sheets.
"What's under here?"
He pulled down the sheets and found a yellow key. He shrugged and put it under his hat. They entered the room on the side instead of moving forward.
ENTRY NUMBER 7
We'll need a vessel to wield the monster SOULs when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the SOULs of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human SOUL...So then...What about something that's neither human nor monster?
"We could've worked," said Yakko. "Good thing we came here after Alphys made a mess."
ENTRY NUMBER 10
experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they're a hassle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you, and won't let go…
"Whoa," said Dot, "TMI!"
They walked by a row of golden flowers and glass mirrors. Suddenly, their reflections changed. A creature called , drew near. , looked like an Astigmatism stuck to a bird. The Warners cringed. Wakko knelt, appearing to pray for safety. , remembered its conscience. Its overlapping voices made it hard to understand what it tried to say. It shot out butterflies from its face.
"Yikes!"
They crouched, then ran to the other side of the boundary box. Seeing it was their turn to act again, Yakko made a mysterious gesture.
"Betcha can't do this!"
He pretended to pull his finger off. , recognized it had more to learn from this world. Its head duplicated and seemed to hone in on the toons.
"No, no, no, back off!" said Dot.
They dodged flawlessly.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that!" said Wakko, picking on Reaper Bird. Reaper Bird seemed to remember something.
"Someone finally gets it."
"Courage…"
"Ribbit ribbit."
Reaper Bird seemed placated and disappeared in an instant. They reached the end of the hallway, finding a slot with a blue center and a note saying "cold".
"Guess we'll have to go the other way," said Yakko.
ENTRY NUMBER 14
Everyone that had fallen down...has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…?
"They will be," said Dot.
They walked forward, finding two more split paths. They chose to go left, since another entry was there.
ENTRY NUMBER 15
Seems like this research was a dead end...But at least we got a happy ending out of it…? I sent the SOULS and the vessel back to ASGORE. And I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow. :)
"Spoke too soon," said Wakko.
ENTRY NUMBER 16
no No NO NO NO NO NO
"And that's when everything went downhill," said Yakko.
They entered the next door. They saw a curtain and what looked like a tentacle waving behind it. They slowly approached, taking small steps. They could feel their hearts beating louder and faster. Once they reached the end, Dot pulled the curtain out. The Warners sighed with relief when they found no monsters, but a green key lying in the bathtub. Wakko took it and put it under his hat. They left the room and found a large machine; that must have been what Alphys built from her blueprints.
They entered another room in the wall, finding a television, various different tapes, and a slot for the yellow key.
"Hey," said Dot, looking at the right shelves, "there's a bunch of cartoons here!"
"These ones on the left look sticky," said Wakko.
Yakko looked at five VHS tapes picked out beside the player. They were labeled in a specific order.
"What kinda movies are these?"
He popped the first one in. It was a little too dark to see anything, but they could make out a silhouette of Asgore and hear Toriel's voice.
"Psssst. Gorey, wake up."
"Mmm? What is it, dear? ...err, and why do you have that video camera?"
"Shush! I want to get your reaction. Gorey, dearest. What is my favorite vegetable?"
"Hmmm...Carrots, right?"
"No no no! My FAVORITE vegetable is...Eda-MOM-e...get it?"
"...Go back to bed, dear."
"No no! Not yet! Hee hee hee. Now, If I were a dog, what breed would I be?"
"Hmm...I don't know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?"
"A MOMERANIAN."
"Hohoho! You sure are excited to have this chat. You know, if you keep making jokes like this...One day, you could be...a famous MOMedian."
"...Well, I am going to bed."
"Hey! Come on, Tori! That one was funny!"
"Hahaha, I know. I am just teasing you. Goodnight, dear."
"Goodnight, honey."
"So," said Dot, "I guess Toriel and Asgore were married."
"Shoulda seen it comin'," said Yakko.
"Let's watch another one!" said Wakko.
Yakko put in the second tape. The camera focused on a small human child around Dot's age. They had pale skin, rosy cheeks, brown hair reaching the neck, and they wore a green striped shirt. A little boy's voice spoke to them.
"Okay, Chara, are you ready? Do your creepy face!"
Their eyes turned red and they smiled with sharp fangs sticking out of their mouth.
"Yipe!" the Warners exclaimed, jumping back.
"Hee hee hee!" the boy giggled.
"That was creepy…" said Dot.
Third tape. The surroundings were pitch black.
"Howdy, Chara!" said the boy. "Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the lens cap on...ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for noooo reason! Hee hee hee!"
"Asriel."
"What?"
"Remember when we poisoned Dad?"
"Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for him, right?"
"Yes."
"The recipe asked for cups of butter...But we accidentally put in buttercups instead."
"Those flowers made him really sick."
"I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset."
"You should have laughed it off, like I did. Crying does nothing."
"Um, anyway, where are you going with this?"
"Turn off the camera first."
"Huh? Ok."
"Well," said Dot, "this is getting weird."
Fourth tape.
"I…" said Asriel. "I don't like this idea, Chara."
Chara looked him in the eye, dead serious.
"Asriel, are you crying again?"
"Wh...what? N-no, I'm not…big kids don't cry."
"Why so doubtful, then?"
"No! I'd never doubt you, Chara...Never!"
"You need to be strong. We HAVE to do this. For Mom, for Dad, for them. If the plan works, we can free everyone."
"You're right...I'll go get the flowers."
"Holy crap..." said Yakko. "They poisoned themself!"
"Chara's insane," said Dot.
It isn't wise to disrespect the dead, Dot. They could be listening to you.
"...are you okay, narrator?"
Just play the next tape.
"Chara…" said Toriel. "Can you hear me? We want you to wake up…"
Chara was on their bed, looking malnourished. They were poisoned.
"Chara!" said Asgore. "You have to stay determined! You can't give up...You are the future of humans and monsters…"
Toriel and Asgore walked away.
"Psst…" said Asriel. "Chara...Please...wake up...I don't like this plan anymore. I...I...I said...no, I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six...and we'll do it together, right?"
The tape ended.
"Jeez…" said Dot. "That's messed up."
The Warners left the room. Fixing Chara's mistakes filled them with determination.