A short time later found everyone eating beneath a large mess hall tent with the human archaeological team. Toriel and the rest of her family were sitting at the head table with Burgundy, eating a dinner of ribs, mashed potatoes and mixed greens on paper plates. Not a fancy meal by any means, but certainly tasty and filling for a group of hungry monsters.

Their food had been treated with a spell from Toriel to make it edible for the skeleton brothers, and more convenient for herself and Flowey to eat as well. She had had raw human food before, and she could quite plainly say she was none too fond of the side effects that came with it.

All the while, Toriel had been signing off on the various bits of paperwork needed to give Burgundy and her team permission to start work on restoring the castle. It was a monotonous task and she had to be careful not to get any stains on the paper, but listening to Burgundy's chipper chatter did help at least keep things from getting too boring.

Early on in the meal though, she did notice that Sans and Papyrus had notably not touched any of the ribs on their plates. And it seemed to be more than just a matter of food preference from what she could see. They looked a bit… green in the skull so to speak, and kept staring at and poking the ribs with their forks like they expected them to start moving or something.

At first Toriel had been confused, especially in Sans' case since he usually scarfed down just about anything that was placed in front of him. But then she realized that… perhaps skeletons would not take to eating meat off the bone all that well, especially such large, obvious bones like ribs. It could be that it felt a bit too… well… personal. Much like how she sometimes felt upon seeing goat meat in the grocery stores, especially the heads… Even now it brought a shiver down her spine thinking about it.

So before the two potentially made themselves ill trying not to disrespect their human hosts, Toriel quietly passed on a message to Burgundy that led to them getting simple chicken sandwiches instead. She and Frisk had theirs swapped as well, if only to be respectable of their feelings. Flowey was stubborn and held onto his, even making a mean spirited show of chomping on it in front of Sans before Toriel told him off and had him moved to the other side of her.

In the end though, the meal went well and they all had their fill. Both of food and of pleasant conversation with some of the other humans. Frisk had even made friends with a large bulldog the group had apparently taken in as a stray called Dozer, and had gone to play fetch with him in the shady area just behind the mess hall tent.

And after learning that Papyrus was interested in the castle's old puzzles, one of the more senior members of the archaeological team offered to show him what information and plans they had on that over on the other side of the tent where a wall of schematics was hanging. Flowey stayed on the table beside her, but had curled up for a nap in a nice patch of sunlight filtering in through the seams in the top of the tent.

That left just Toriel and Sans with Burgundy as they finished up the last of the paperwork. It vaguely reminded her of her old days as Queen, where'd she'd done much of the grunt work of signing off on hundreds of royal documents. She looked them over with the same critical eye that she had then, ensuring she didn't overlook or misconstrued any important details or conditions. Sans looked them over too once she finished, just to offer a second opinion. It wasn't that Toriel distrusted Burgundy at all, but for something as personal as this, she wanted to ensure everything was in order.

As Sans was looking over the last few documents though, the conversation between them and Burgundy quite took a surprising turn.

"You… are related to Samar?" She asked, her tone causing Sans to look up from the document on the table as well.

"Yup, sure am! Though… distantly." She admitted, with a somewhat weaker smile. "He would have been my cousin had he lived until I was born, I do have the same soul color as he did though, bright purple! I say it suits me well."

Toriel blinked, slowly, trying to take all this in. Samar had been the fifth child to fall into the underground, the one before Dante. He'd been a shy, bookish boy with a copperish skin tone, messy black hair and soft hazel eyes. He had also notably worn large round glasses and carried around a small purple notebook wherever he went. He had been kind but always a little more distant from her than the others. The poor child had been so scared… and even more upsetting… so unhappy to even be alive when she found him.

Despite all that, he had stayed a rather long time, almost a month if she remembered correctly. It had taken much of that first week to get him to even seem comfortable in the same room as her, but eventually they had been able to bond over a love for books. She had spent much of her time with him reading all she could from her meager library in the Ruins, trying to satiate his seemingly endless thirst for knowledge.

She remembered that last night she had tucked him into bed, it had been the one and only time he'd ever called her "Mom." It had made her… so very happy. The fact that he had then left that very night, snuck out while she was sleeping to head out towards his doom without so much as a note, it had all but destroyed her. It was hard to say for sure but… losing him may have been what set her over the edge, made her grow so desperate in her efforts to keep the children in the Ruins… where'd they be safe. Trapped… but safe. Thinking about it even now made her soul ache to its core.

And now, decades later, she was sitting right next to one of his relatives. Her soul did anxious, confused flip flops in her chest as she tried to find her voice again. She felt Sans' hand rest atop her paw, and his touch helped her focus again. She turned her paw over to lightly hold his hand properly as she spoke.

"I…" She managed after a few moments. "I... do not remember seeing you at the trial."

Burgundy smiled ruefully at that and leaned back in her chair a bit, seeming to fight through a hesitance of her own before speaking again.

"Was damn sick that day I'm afraid, been fighting with cancer on and off for the past few years." Burgundy said, a new sort of weariness making itself known in her eyes. "My sister was there though, Lina, i'll bet you remember her. She was the real tall gal with all the gaudy jewelry. She actually did know Samar when she was a little tyke."

Toriel forced herself to not focus on the terrible revelation she'd just heard for too long. Monsters by their nature didn't get cancer, but they knew of the disease's reputation well. To think it afflicted this upbeat, energetic woman was a shock to say the least. But she pushed those thoughts aside for the moment in order to think back and see if she could recall Burgundy's mentioned sister.

Indeed, she did recall the woman, a nearly comedic opposite to her sister. Thin and tall enough to stand a head over the others. She hadn't said much during the trial, mostly just stared at her and Asgore with an unreadable expression. She had cast her vote to see Asgore's punishment delayed in the end with all the others.

"Yes… I do remember her." She said, once the face became clear in her mind. "She was... so incredibly selfless in her decision to allow monsterkind to continue to rely on Asgore while we adjust to life up here. I cannot for certain say I would be able to do the same in her situation."

After the words had left her, it felt as though the full terrible weight of the situation fell onto her shoulders, just like the day she'd testified. But while she was able to remain far more composed then, she all but crumpled before Burgundy, hanging her head and feeling her soul ache to its core.

"I am sorry…" She croaked, voice trembling slightly. "I am so sorry I did not do more to save him…"

Sans tightened his grip on her paw and she felt him move a little closer. She could tell he wished to speak, but knew not what to say in such a heavy situation so distant from him. She was deeply grateful for his presence though, feeling that it kept the great waves of pain in her soul from rolling over her entirely. Burgundy, to her surprise, seemed equally invested in wanting to rid her of that pain, rather than really dwell on the weight of the apology itself.

"Hey hey c'mon. You can't blame yourself for that." She insisted, setting a hand on Toriel's shoulder and prompting her to look at the human woman again. "I can tell you personally, that everyone who did go to the trial said they loved you and were so grateful for what you tried to do."

Burgundy sat back again, still with that sad weariness in her eyes, but not as much as Toriel had been expecting. The aging human let out a soft sigh before continuing on, drumming her bony fingers against the tabletop.

"You also gotta understand, Samar was going through some really hard times. We don't know why exactly he ran away like he did, but it probably had something to do with the fact that he was a pretty sick kid too."

That took Toriel a bit off guard. Sick? She didn't remember Samar seeming sick. Perhaps he was a bit "sickly" in nature with how tired and worn down he seemed, but he never seemed notably ill during her time with her.

"I don't know how much you noticed, but Samar wasn't well." Burgundy went on, thankfully going to offer her clarification. "His family was involved in a car accident and it left him hospitalized for a long time. They had to operate on him to prevent some sort of swelling with his brain. It was labeled a success but… even once he finally got out, he was constantly having to be taken back for all kinds of stuff."

Burgundy hesitated again, one of her lightly wrinkled hands curling into a fist against the table. Toriel felt icy dread pool within her soul, worse than before.

"The doc thinks he may have had some early signs of some serious permanent damage from what happened." Burgundy said in a quieter tone, staring down at her clenched hand. "But… they didn't get to figure that out for sure. I don't want to make too many assumptions… but the general consensus seemed to be that he ran away because he felt like a burden on his family. And yeah, they really were struggling finding the means to pay for their son's care. I won't bore you with details, but lots of BS with their insurance and all that."

The implications of that hit hard, briefly leaving Toriel's thoughts flying by in a rush. Like all the children, it seemed Samar had come to the mountain for quite the unhappy reason indeed… She remembered more clearly now how distant he'd been even once the initial fear of her had passed, how long the child had spent lost in his troubled thoughts. How he sometimes refused food and other things unless he did some sort of task on her behalf first. How he sometimes muttered things so full of self-hatred over the smallest incidents. How he actively avoided any and all talk about his future, or the future in general.

All of it was coming into a clearer context, a context that clawed cruelly at her soul.

"He… did seem rather weary and quiet…" Toriel recalled, the words coming nearly unbidden. "But I never once thought…"

She trailed off and fell silent again, unsure what she could say. Just as she had failed to be able to properly address Chara's great inner turmoil, she had failed Samar in a similar fashion. She had only glimpsed the true suffering they both were enduring beneath the surface during their time with her. One might say she couldn't have known, that in the end they would have had to be the ones to share such things on their own terms, but that did not stop the fiery guilt from blazing forth regardless.

"Yeah…" Was all Burgundy said for a moment, gaze drifting over to the castle for a few moments before she abruptly turned back to Toriel and straightened up confidently again. "Anyway, I say all that to say this. You probably wouldn't have been able to save him even in the long run. He was sick, and even if he had been in the best hospital in the world with mountains and mountains of money towards his care, he probably would not have had all that much longer left if the doctor's suspicions were correct."

The aging woman worked up a weak smile then, a new, slightly warmer kind of heaviness visible in her eyes behind her large glasses. The kind that made the wrinkled edges of her eyes crinkle.

"So don't get so wrapped up in guilt." She insisted again, gently nudging Toriel with her elbow. "Trust me, If he called you "Mom" that last night like you mentioned at the trial, then you must of gotten through to him. Because from what I heard, he was not usually the most affectionate kid. It seems like he wanted to go off and die alone, but you took him in and made him feel loved during those last few weeks of his life, I know all of us who are connected to him are grateful for that."

Her words settled hard on Toriel's soul, like weight attempted to be taken off it only doubled in defiance. Even if that was the case, she could of done more. Should have done more. There was no question about it. Even now she could think of a thousand different ways she would have handled things differently had she known he was sick. The thoughts mixed with those regarding Chara and their own illness as well. How powerless she had been to save either of them.

And yet, she still even dared to wonder if she could have saved him, despite what Burgundy had said. Maybe the key to banishing or at least managing his illness could have been found in magic. Maybe…

Her thoughts could have continued on like that for hours, but another gentle squeeze of her paw from Sans brought her out of it, his magic warming her own with a mix of love and concerned emotions. She turned briefly to look at him then, and was able to find more strength from seeing those lovely lights of his eyes. He remained silent, but his support was more than enough.

"Alright… I… I am glad to know that you all feel what I did was worthwhile in the end." She said earnestly and only with a slight shake to her voice as she faced Burgundy again. "I know… how truly horrible it is to lose a child to illness..."

She had to pause a moment to let the pain of those words pass before continuing, eyes being drawn over to Frisk by some sort of instinct.

"I hope his family can continue to find peace…"

Burgundy offered a stronger smile at that, which Toriel caught out of the corner of her eye. It took her a moment to look away from Frisk to face the woman again, caught up in seeing her child, happy and alive, joyfully playing in the sunshine with the dog. The only one of her children who had ever gotten to see the surface again.

After another moment or so, she did look back at her, and Burgundy seemed fine with being patient in offering her reply.

"They are doing okay. It's been a long time and they've all moved on from the worst pain of it all. And now we all at least know for sure what happened to him." She said, before her usual warmth and energy slowly began to return.

"Heck, if it's alright with you, maybe we could plant a tree here and set up a plaque in his honor and for all the others!" She suggested, making a sweeping gesture with her stubby arm towards the overgrown castle grounds. "I don't know if I'll live to see this place fully restored. But I sure as hell will try, even if they've got to wheel me out here on my damn hospital bed!"

She puffed up at that and laughed a hearty laugh, as though the idea truly were invigorating to her, rather than terribly sad. It left Toriel unsure how much pity to feel for the woman's situation, but a healthy amount of it still did arise within her soul and she shared in the hope that Burgundy would indeed get to see this place in its full glory one day. The woman's apparent strength and infectious spirit made Toriel want to believe she would.

Sans seemed to share in those feelings, speaking up for the first time in a while when Toriel didn't offer a timely reply.

"that's all real cool burgundy, i'm rooting for ya…" He said, pausing momentarily as he too was clearly caught up in conflicting thoughts. "but uh… i hope you don't… take offense to this or anything… but i can't help but ask, was it hard to… y'know… talk to asgore about this whole thing? knowing he's the one who…"

He trailed off, not able to bring himself to say it. The question made it feel as though another layer of weight settled over all three of them, and it brought a few beats of silence in its wake. Sans must of known the question would do such a thing, but she couldn't blame him for asking. Truly, the very same question had been on her own mind as well. As they waited for Burgundy's reply, the air around them was filled with happy chattering of the other humans, the bark of the dog playing with Frisk, and the soft twittering of birds in the nearby grove of trees.

During that time, she also spared a glance at Flowey, and found he seemed to still be sleeping, his petals lightly tousled by the soft spring breeze. Part of her wondered if he was secretly listening in though, as he typically loved to do. As was his nature in all those timelines they spent underground. Burgundy gave the flower a look too before drawing in a deep breath and replying.

"My sis told me about the trials, explained his reasoning behind why he did it." She said, adjusting in her chair a bit and laying her chin on her crossed hands. "Nothing makes what he did okay, that much is obvious. But we, humans that is, put you guys in a no win situation from the start. We sealed you all down there and then just… forgot about it, moved on and left all that to become legend rather than history. And anyone who brought it up was laughed down as a conspiracy theorist and a loon."

The way she said that last part made Toriel feel as though the woman spoke from experience, sparking her curiosity, but not enough to interrupt her. There was a fire in the woman's eyes then, the first sign of true anger from her. And it wasn't directed at Asgore, or any of the monsters. Rather, towards the humans who had sealed them.

"What were you all supposed to do?" She asked as though giving a speech, gesturing dramatically along with it. "Plus from my personal meetings with him… he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would ever do something so horrible by nature. There was no good solution to choose with the hand he was dealt. None of you should have ever been put in that situation in the first place. Makes my damn blood boil."

As though sensing their leader's anger, one of the other humans with a pitcher came over with a glass for Burgundy, topped with a bright pink straw. Toriel's sensitive nose told her the drink was lemonade, perhaps with a touch of alcohol for good measure. The human asked she and Sans if they would like any. Sans accepted after a moment to think, but she politely declined.

As good as a drink sounded right then, She did not want to deal with the effects of even mild inebriation at the moment. Toriel herself didn't wish to risk any slip of her alcohol addled emotions potentially going awry in regards to the situation with her children that she potentially would have to be dealing with soon.

The other human left after pouring Sans a glass and Burgundy had downed a few gulps of the drink. She dramatically set it down with an audible clink and smacked her lips a few times before speaking again.

"Maybe I would feel differently if I knew my cousin personally… I know my sis does." She conceded, tapping her fingers against the moist outside of the glass. "As much as she was willing to vote to delay his sentence, she told me she could never stand to be in his direct presence. It would just be too much y'know?"

Toriel nodded solemnly, feeling a terrible sympathy and respect for that poor woman. She watched as Burgundy took another long sip from the glass, and Toriel could hear Sans doing the same from beside her. Both she and Burgundy, curious to how exactly a skeleton managed that, looked over at him.

The straw was pressed up against his exposed teeth and the tip of it was wreathed in a pale blue aura. The sound of slurping could be heard, despite Sans lacking the actual anatomy one would assume required to produce such sounds. Even so, the lemonade still drained from the glass at a steady pace. Burgundy let out a short, bewildered sort of chuckle at the sight and Toriel managed an amused smile as well, especially when he realized they were staring and gave them a tentatively comedic wink.

The small bit of levity was appreciated, intentional or not, but could not puncture the heavy atmosphere completely. Burgundy's mood dulled again rather quickly, even as her smile remained. She ran a wrinkled hand down her face before going on.

"Yah… its a real mess in the end." She said with another humorless chuckle, before shifting into a more serious tone again. "But I just… want to be part of the solution going forward. I want to give back towards a better future before my time here is done. Hearing that you guys were free lit a fire under me like you wouldn't believe, both towards this project and life in general. They had to practically tie me down for my chemo treatments every month, I was that excited!"

Excited indeed, for as she said that, she sat up quickly enough to cause her hair, which Toriel realized then was only a wig, to go askew. She didn't even bother to fix it for a few seconds, going on then about how dedicated she really was to this project, and even the rights of monsters in general. It was… encouraging, to know that there were humans like Burgundy out there, who were fighting and had been fighting for what they knew was right in regards to monsters for a long time.

It made Toriel once again consider the idea that, though monsterkind had blamed humanity as a whole for their imprisonment, that the act was only truly the intention of a select group of humans. Perhaps had the whole of humanity the world over known what Adean had been planning, they would have tried to stop it too. It was only wishful thinking perhaps… but it still brought her some comfort and validation in her beliefs of peace.

The conversation drifted a bit from there, until Toriel happened to remember what they had seen while in the castle's old clinic. She had nearly forgotten...

"Oh yes, while we were in there, we noticed it looked like something had been removed from one of the shelves in the clinic's storage room." She said, as the aging woman was finishing up the last of her drink. "May we ask what that was?"

That perked Burgundy right up again, and the light in her eyes that had been there when they'd first arrived returned.

"Oh that! We were actually hoping you'd be willing to shed some light on that." She said, adjusting her glasses as she spoke. "its a real old journal of some kind. It's crazy to us that it has survived all this time in decent condition. Mostly empty and illegible unfortunately, the few pages that aren't burnt to a crisp are covered in these odd symbols."

That gave Toriel pause, and her mind immediately summoned up memories of a certain type of symbols in particular. But no… surely it could be anything. Beside her though, it became clear Sans had come to the same instinctive conclusion, judging by the tone in his voice.

"symbols?" He asked, and Toriel could feel him grow tense beside her.

He had taken his hand away earlier in order to hold his drink, but now she wished he hadn't, so she could offer him more proper comfort. Burgundy didn't seem to notice his unease though, and went on without missing a beat.

"Uh-huh, real weird ones too. We think it's probably a cypher of some kind." She explained, not losing her enthusiasm.

Toriel looked over at Sans, and she could see his eyelights were wavering with unsettled, even fearful thoughts regarding just what this journal could contain. He met her eyes for a moment, and she knew then he couldn't let the issue die unless he knew for sure. The skeleton leaned over a bit in order to address Burgundy again, managing a convincing grin once more.

"could uh… could i see it?" He asked, able to make his voice come off as surprisingly casual. Though his acting ability really shouldn't be surprising her anymore.

"Sure thing." Burgundy all but chirped in reply before looking towards the back of the massive tent and calling over on the humans standing with Papyrus. "Hey Terry! Bring over the book we found in the clinic's storage!"

"Terry" nodded and hurried off out of the tent. They all waited in another persisting few moments of silence, the two monsters feeling unnecessarily tense. She looped an arm covertly around Sans as she felt his anxiety coming in more severe waves from his soul, easing him closer to her. He pressed back into her a bit in response, clearly grateful for the support.

Soon enough, "Terry" returned, carrying a clear bag with, indeed, a scorched, ancient journal inside of it. As he ever so carefully removed it from its protective covering and laid it before them on the table, they were all able to get a better look at it.

She could tell was once black in color, even before the burning, made from leather and neatly bounded. Age and damage had warped the shape so that the book could no longer properly close, with pages sticking out from it in all directions like inflamed, swollen tumors. It looked as though if anyone touched it, it could crumble to dust. The fact it was still mostly in one piece was truly shocking.

"Terry" put on some gloves and gave Sans some to wear too. They were terribly oversized on Sans' small hands, and likely unnecessary, seeing as the skeleton didn't have any potentially damaging oils on his nonexistent skin. Still, Sans tolerated it without comment, slipping them on and listening closely to the human as he slowly opened the book to an apparently specific page. That spark of his old scientific interest was back in his eyes, though it was terribly marred by anxiety as well.

"These are the only pages that have writing, that survived the fire at least." He informed them, before stepping back and allowing Sans to look over the contents of the pages in question.

When Toriel saw what was on the page, she felt her soul seize up hard and fast in her chest. Her gut instinct had indeed been right. Staring back up at them from the page was the now familiar sight of wingdings symbols. They were handwritten this time, in a looser manner that might suggest it was done by a younger soul, but there was no denying who had penned these symbols. Against all odds, evidence of Gaster's apparent time in her family's castle had survived the passing centuries.

She wanted to say something to Sans, but knew not how he wished to address this. For the moment, she simply tried to look interested, yet clueless. She wasn't sure how well it was working. Sans on the other hand, was staring down at the writing with a deep intensity, over-bright, focused eyelights flicking back and forth across the pages again and again. The magic from his soul felt tense and confined as well, as though he were instinctively holding back his emotions from being shared in the moment.

"Well?" Burgundy's cheerful voice cut in after a little while, a bit curious but still not fully catching on to the nature of his behavior it seemed.

Sans flinched slightly, as though being awoken from a stupor. He blinked and looked at the human, then at Toriel, then back to Burgundy. Slowly, he managed to regain his smile, and it was just as unnatural and fake as what he said next. Of course, Burgundy and the others would likely have very little reason to suspect that. It had taken her long enough to learn to see through it.

"nah... no clue, sorry." He said, sitting back and putting his hands in his pockets with a dismissive shrug. "nothing like anything i've ever seen."

Toriel blinked at his reaction, then reacted with a slow nod of her own, agreeing with him. Though she lacked his sadly natural skill at lying. There was a beat where Toriel found herself holding her breath, wondering if Burgundy would buy into their act. But it was unnecessary, for the aging woman didn't even question it.

"Ah, what a shame." She said with a frown, before giving a shrug of her own. "Guess we'll just have to keep cracking away at it."

"Terry" took the gloves back then, and leaned over to whisper something in Burgundy's ear. The aging woman blinked, then nodded, getting up from her chair.

"I'll be back in a blink, just gotta help Terry and a few others with something in the back real quick." She said, stretching a bit where she stood.

Meanwhile Terry was getting the book back in the plastic cover, completing the task with a careful, clearly expert hand. Once it was inside, he carried it with all the necessary mindfulness and headed off towards the back of the tent with Burgundy in tow. This left Sans and Toriel alone, save for the possibly sleeping, possibly snooping Flowey. She quickly turned to Sans, letting all her true worry and shock over the situation finally show on her face. But she kept a wary eye on the humans mulling about, not wanting any of them to potentially overhear.

"What was it dear?" She asked, in a hushed tone.

Sans didn't reply right away, eyelights wavering in his sockets slightly as he looked down at the tabletop where the journal had been just before.

"heh... it was… nothing really." He said finally, though with a wholly different tone than the one he'd used with Burgundy. "it was just ol g complaining about how much he hates that nadia lady you were talking about… and talking about how much he misses his parents. that sort of thing."

His eyelights dulled a bit then, despite his clear efforts not to let this sudden event regarding his father get to him too much. He shot an uneasy glance at a passing human before speaking again in a quieter voice.

"also… lots of talk about hating humans and all in there. it's not even signed so they aren't going to figure much out from it even if they crack the code. but... it was definitely him."

Toriel felt her soul pang with a mix of emotions at that, remembering the broken, miserable younger version of Gaster she'd seen in her returned memories. It was little surprise he'd still have those thoughts during his time here at her family's castle. She remembered how Nadia had encouraged her to write as well when she had a rough day, as a way to vent her feelings. It was a habit the had led to Toriel keeping a diary all those centuries after the human doctor had passed.

Still, the idea that Gaster of all monsters at one time being here in the place she'd once called home… It sent an icy chill down her spine. Obviously Gaster had been nothing more than a traumatized, scared child at the time, but knowing what he would one day become… and how he'd in turn cause misery and pain to the one she loved… it made the magic in her soul churn in a sickly manner.

Sans seemed to realize then how worried she looked, and did his best to give her a reassuring smile. He leaned against her as well, perhaps trying to distract both of them from their uneasy emotions.

"i'm ok tori." He assured her with a soft sigh. "really, it's nothing really new anyway. we learned he was once here from all that stuff in your dreams. this just... proves it further. don't worry about it."

The unsettled nature of the magic flowing off his soul seemed to tell her he wasn't as dismissive about this as he was making himself out to be. But she wouldn't force the issue right now. If he had had a problem with these people having his journal, he would have done or said something. If he was content letting the issue lie, then she would be too. He had already proven that he would be honest with her regarding these matters when it was important.

"I suppose…" She began to reply, but then Burgundy reappeared and began to make her way over to them.

Toriel shut her mouth and Sans' soul shared a pulse of understanding. If they wished to discuss this further, it would have to be later. The aging human flopped down in her chair again with a dramatic sigh.

"Issues with the storage shed doors." She said with a tired sort of chuckle. "I'll spare you two the boring details."

She sat up abruptly then, bringing her hands together with a loud clap that made Toriel and Sans jump a little.

"So, you all gonna head back in there for round two?" Burgundy asked, leaning towards them with an eager sparkle in her eyes.

Toriel and Sans just looked at each other, bewildered by the question. The answer was clear from both of them. They had had more than enough for one day. They shook their heads in unison, doing their best to be polite about it.

"I think we saw enough for today." Toriel explained, unable to keep a level of weariness out of her voice. "We managed to go everywhere I feel was most important. The rest… can wait for another time. After all, this place will be in better condition fairly soon, will it not? It will give us a reason to come back."

Thankfully, Burgundy seemed to accept that answer, though almost looked puzzled at their apparent exhaustion. Stars, even beyond the emotional exhaustion being here caused, couldn't this sickly, aging woman at least understand how physically taxing traversing such a large, ancient structure was? How Burgundy managed her seemingly boundless energy with her condition, Toriel didn't know.

For a moment, Toriel thought the conversation was over, and she had begun to mentally prepare herself to leave. But then Burgundy spoke up again, voice a bit more hesitant than before.

"Did you all… go to King Adean's room on the top floor?" She asked.

The question made Toriel's train of thought all but crash in an instant. Adean…? Her paw once again subconsciously moved inside her sleeve, running two of her fingers over that golden petal. She remembered seeing the image of the former human king in the throne room doorway again, and she suddenly felt far more doubt towards the idea that it had been only her imagination. But… why? How?

"...King Adean?" She repeated back, searching the aging woman's gaze for signs of disingenuousness. She found none. "But they… they were not…"

Now it was Burgundy's turn to look a bit shocked, realization sweeping over her features. She covered her mouth with a hand.

"Oh shoot… you don't know…" She said quietly, more to herself than anything. "Damn, of course you wouldn't know..."

Tension overtook the three of them all over again, and she and Sans stared intently at the human, waiting anxiously for clarification. Burgundy dropped the hand slowly, and offered a weak, awkward sort of smile. Toriel thought she may have caught a bit of movement from Flowey just then out of the corner of her eye, but it was hard to be sure.

"Uh… well it feels weird to be the one to tell you this…" Burgundy said, adjusting her glasses. "But during his old age, the human king actually lived here, in this castle."

Toriel felt her magic run cold at that, a million thoughts rushing in at once. All culminating still into the burning question of WHY. Burgundy's misgendering of the human king did not surprise or phase her. Few knew of their preference even back then, and Toriel had found that humans typically were far less understanding of such things in general. And regardless, Adean hardly deserved any such defense on her part now. Her claws itched to extend as anger began to dominate inside her, hot with the fury of an ancient betrayal that had come to define her entire life, no, the lives of all monsterkind.

"They dared to settle in the home that their forces drove us out of?" She growled, low in her throat. "That my family… died in?"

Her red eyes bore into the aging woman, but she surprisingly did not flinch away. That was enough for Toriel to remember herself again and look away, but the anger within her did not cool. So intense it was, she hardly picked up on Sans' soul feeble attempts at soothing her again. She was too consumed to pay him any mind. Too consumed with the idea of Adean walking the halls where her parents and loved ones had met their ends due to the human's own actions. Their own bitter betrayal.

"Yeah…" Burgundy confirmed after a moment, sounding a bit more nervous about answering. "It turns out that… well the record isn't perfect admittedly… but from what we could gather, the invasion that day was not meant to escalate to violence so quickly. He ordered that the royal family be taken alive, and that the castle to be left standing. Things… obviously didn't go to plan."

Toriel narrowed her eyes at that, finding the idea ridiculous. The violence that day was nearly unparalleled, the humans had descended upon their home with the intent of bloodlust from the beginning. They had even slaughtered the animals in the gardens. There was no way that they hadn't intended on killing them all from the start. And frankly, the idea that a historian was trying to tell her otherwise, someone who had lived through the event, left her rather affronted to say the least.

"Adean showed no regret for their actions after that day." Toriel said, coldly. "They faced us after that without flinching, without remorse. Including the day they and the other wizards sealed us all beneath the mountain."

She subconsciously drew herself up a bit, feeling flickers of the emotions she'd experienced all those centuries ago come rushing back.

"Are you certain your historians of old did not simply seek to rewrite history to make their actions seem less cruel?" She asked, tone harsh.

"there is that whole saying of "history belongs to the victors." Sans sarcastically scoffed his support from beside her.

Under all the scrutiny and criticism of both monsters, Burgundy shrank back a bit and raised her hands in a symbol of defeat.

"Okay well, you got me there. Can't say that didn't happen." She conceded, still remarkably calm all things considered. "Humanity didn't exactly treat the subject of what happened to monsterkind with the proper nuance and fairness during the centuries that followed the sealing after all."

She cast another glance at the castle then met Toriel's fiery gaze again, seemingly still managing to not be swayed from her stance fully. Even if that frustrated Toriel further, she did have to admire her tenacity at least.

"But… it would help explain why the castle was never torn down afterwards." The woman noted, only a little nervously. "The information we got indicates it may have been because of well… some level of regret on his part."

Toriel's expression did not soften, and one of her long ears twitched irritably. As much as her flaring temper and the ancient pain in her soul wished to demand this conversation end. There was still a part of her that knew she should listen to all this. She didn't believe what she was hearing at face value, but she did have to concede that there was a lot that didn't make sense about everything that had happened. And that image of Adean she'd seen in the castle still haunted her thoughts...

"But regardless of why, when the King reached his 90s or so, we do know for a fact he spent his final few years living here in this castle." Burgundy said, far more confidently. "Some of his personal effects were even recovered from the first sweeps of this castle, found hidden in a small secret area in the top floor guest room where he was living."

That detail sent much of Toriel's anger and irritation towards Burgundy away, as the legitimacy of it sank in. Less horrific memories returned then, their benign and even pleasant nature all the more jarring. Shock once again replaced the indignation on her face, and she felt Sans' emotions shift in turn beside her.

"That… is where they would stay when they came to visit us for extended times." She confirmed, in a voice that shook once. "That little nook was where they stored their books of pressed flowers."

She could remember it so clearly now… Adean staying for week long spans in the castle while the human and monster royalty met to discuss political matters, how the human prince had showed her and Asgore so much about flowers and food as well as shared human books they'd brought with them from their kingdom. They had been a regular sight here, before their orders rendered it the empty, lifeless husk that it was now. A place of great suffering and tragedy.

"Why…?" Toriel asked sorrowfully, under her breath and more to herself than anyone else. "Why would they ever come back here?"

Why would they betray us this way?

Neither Sans nor Burgundy had an answer for her it seemed, as they both just slipped into a heavy silence. Sans attempted to comfort her with the silent support of his soul, but even he felt far away in that moment.

"I'm surprised…" Burgundy's voice finally broke the silence as she sat up more in her seat. "You don't seem as angry as I thought you'd be. Guess I just assumed you would… y'know… hate the guy more? Just... given that he was the one who..."

She trailed off, a weak smile working its way onto her face before she let out a mirthless chuckle.

"Man, I sound like a major hypocrite asking that, huh?" She asked, in a tone that was desperately trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work, as Toriel's mind remained firmly focus on Burgundy's first question. Her gaze drifted back over to the castle, eyes warily searching the windows for the figure she'd seen earlier in the throne room.

"It is... complicated…" She admitted, still with that distant tone.

"Seems to be the case for a lot of things with you." Burgundy noted, though she quickly winced at the choice of words when Toriel turned to look at her with a hardened expression.

"Sorry, sorry, don't mind me, age has robbed me of my filter it seems. Can't keep the nosy historian in me under wraps like I used to." She apologized, waving her wrinkled hands in front of her.

Toriel's spike of anger remained hot inside her for a moment, before finally cooling as she released a deep breath. Being angry would accomplish nothing here, and, as usual with those who dug into her history, there was in fact truth to the woman's words. Toriel kept her expression firm though, if only to satisfy her stung feelings.

"Nevermind it." Toriel replied, a bit stiffly. "Can you tell me more about why Adean returned here in their old age?"

Burgundy nodded quickly, clearly eager to get back into her good graces. Though with the topic at hand… that was not going to be all that easy. Like it or not. Toriel attempted to steel herself for what was to come, knowing the answer could send her spiraling right back into anger again.

"No one knows for sure." Burgundy admitted with a weak sort of smile. "The romantic, popular idea, and the idea put forth by what is written on his tombstone, is that he was wracked with remorse for what he'd done, and during his final few years of life, he left throne and moved out here, I suppose… as something of… self punishment, wallowing in his sins, what have you. But again, no one knows for sure. The only known fact was that he was found here when he died, with evidence to suggest he was staying here for an extended time."

The way Burgundy spoke about the former human king, so distant and detached. It felt so… wrong somehow. Like she was speaking of someone, of events, that had never been real, only stories. And Toriel supposed, to Burgundy, they were only that. In truth, Toriel herself and a select few others, would be the only ones who could possibly see them as otherwise.

"The story goes, they found him dead beneath the very tree he's now buried under, nothing but a skeleton in robes." Burgundy paused, smile becoming nervous again as she shot a glance at Sans. "Uh… no offense or anything."

Sans shrugged dismissively, grin still intact, but then subtly rolled his eyelights, usual humor apparently robbed due to his worry for Toriel. It satisfied Burgundy though, who continued on.

"At first they thought it was old age that had finally taken him, but upon closer inspection, his signature spear was lodged deep in his chest, right through the ribcage."

Burgundy patted her own chest over the spot in question.

"It was no murder though. Legend says they found a note in his hand, indicating it had been a premeditated act of his own. The note, if it was real, has been lost to time, but the words from it have said to have endured and were carved into his gravestone… and that's part of the reason we believe his residency here was out of remorse. If you read it and believe what is being said… it's hard not to see that as the truth."

Burgundy stopped at that, and once again, Toriel found her head swimming at the blunt delivery of such heavy information. She had never pondered exactly how her former friend had died. If she had, she likely would have just assumed they grew to old age and died the beloved "Hero who sent the monsters back to Hell."

For them to have taken their own life, expressing regret at the end… Toriel didn't know what to think.

"I am assuming from your expression that you didn't know all that either..." Burgundy said meekly when met with Toriel's continued silence. "Sheesh... I'm really sorry to dump all this on you… Sure wish I could learn to keep my mouth shut every once in a while."

The energetic woman deflated a bit at that, regret flashing in her eyes behind her glasses as she ran an anxious hand through her messy bangs. Toriel could understand how strange this must be for her. She and her fellow archeologists were probably used to being able to speak about such history freely, never having to worry about offending or upsetting someone who had actually lived through that time. Immortality or even general longevity was such a foreign concept to humans. Not like it was to monsters. For them to even attempt to rationalize it could be beyond reason.

But all of that did not change how chilled Toriel's soul felt at all this new information. Information that neither mattered nor occurred to her when they were all still sealed underground. On top of what she now anticipated would be even more devastating future revelations from her children, part of her truly wondered how much more revelations like this she could be expected to take.

Still, she had endured worse, she just had to keep reminding herself of that. And throughout all of this, she had always found it more worthwhile in the end to face these things head on. She didn't care for the feeling of numbness it produced in her soul, but she would cope with it for her own sake.

"No, I…" Toriel began to reply, but had to pause to regain her composure and the steadiness of her voice. "I appreciate that you have shared all this with me. It is a lot to take in but… I would much rather not be ignorant to these things anymore."

Burgundy smiled more sincerely at that, and appeared to relax. Sans felt less tense at her side as well, which left her with a pang of guilt. Just how far gone much she have been acting to warrant such worry on his behalf? She really was a mess, was she not? The sentiment was demoralizing, but still spurred her on to try harder to defy it.

"I think… I think I would like to see it before we leave. The grave I mean." She said, forcing a touch more confidence in her voice, but unable to banish the pensiveness from it.

Sans' soul gave off a pulse of surprise, a feeling mirrored by the expression on Burgundy's face. But the woman did not keep that look for long.

"Oh... well sure!" She agreed, perking right up. "It's on the hill just over there, beneath that huge elm tree."

Toriel followed where she was pointing with her eyes to the hill in question. Indeed, just a short way beyond the ruins of the outer walls, there was a hill marked by another, far smaller, ancient building, and a supremely massive elm tree towering over it all. She vaguely recalled that perhaps that tree had in fact existed during her years here as a far smaller sapling, but she could not be sure. Perhaps that was only a clinging nostalgia for things long past.

The tree swayed over the structure, which must be the gravesite, as though beckoning her over. As with the castle itself, she found that she simply couldn't resist seeing the truth of all this for herself. She nodded slowly before carefully got up from the table and offered the human woman her paw.

"Thank you again Burgundy, for everything. I am sorry if I seemed cross with you. I wish you and your team the best in beginning your efforts to restore this place." She said, doing all she could to regain her usual gentle tone.

It seemed to take both Burgundy and Sans off guard. Her dear skeleton cautiously got up from the table beside her, clearly not sure what he should say, if anything. But Burgundy snapped herself from it quickly, shot to her feet and eagerly shook Toriel's paw in return. Her small, wrinkled hand carried a surprising strength behind it, and felt a bit odd against Toriel's paw pads.

"No problem! I am so glad we could work this out." Burgundy said cheerfully before sobering up a little again. "And hey, it was really great talking with you guys. You have a lovely family. We'll keep you up to speed on what's happening here and you let me know if you are planning to come back for another visit sometime, alright? You gotta let the rest of my staff get a chance to talk with you at some point too after all."

She let got then and stepped back, indicating she intended to walk over to where a group of her fellow human scientists were gathered in the back near Papyrus.

"Take care of yourselves, y'here?" She said in farewell, before leaving Toriel, Sans, and the still potentially sleeping Flowey, alone.

Toriel returned her well wishes and then just stared after the human for a moment, before turning her gaze back to the hill. The resting place of her former friend, turned greatest enemy. The petal she carried between her fingers suddenly felt like it weighed enough to drag her down into the earth beneath her feet.

"Sans… would you mind accompanying me?" She asked, remembering him at her side. "I… I do not feel right about going up there alone."

He took her paw gently with his small hand, curling the phalanges around what he could. It astounded her how much his simple touch could steady her, even now.

"yah, of course tori." He assured her, thankfully still retaining a good deal of his usual, blessed, relaxed tone. "i don't blame ya."

She squeezed his hand back gratefully and smiled down at him, communicating through her eyes and her soul what she couldn't manage to say then with her words. He grinned back up at her, and though it wasn't as strong as usual, it restored in her the calm that was escaping her own soul in that moment.

Sans turned around and got his brother's attention from across the tent. The younger skeleton hurried over, as diligently as any member of the royal guard would have, and Toriel could see some concern in his expression, betraying the fact that he'd been watching the situation unfold in some capacity.

"pap, think you could keep an eye on the kiddos for a bit?" Sans asked, nodding towards Frisk and Flowey. "tori and i are gonna go check out one more thing before we leave."

Papyrus opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by another, more harsh voice from the tabletop.

"Don't include me in that insipid nickname of yours." It grumbled, revealing itself to be Flowey glaring up at Sans in annoyance from under his droopy petals.

Ah, so he had been listening. Toriel found she wasn't surprised. She just hoped the flower monster didn't intent to do anything malicious with the information shared. She trusted her child didn't have any such intentions now, but that didn't stop a part of her from worrying all the same.

Papyrus thankfully recognized that Flowey's remarks could potentially start something with Sans, namely something that could end in many puns, and acted quickly to try and avoid that.

"OF COURSE!" He agreed, moving in a flash to pick up Flowey's pot. "COME ON FLOWEY, LET'S GO SEE WHAT FRISK IS UP TO. PERHAPS THEIR NEW DOG FRIEND IS LESS OF A NUISANCE THAN THE ONE AT HOME. OH! AND I CAN SHOW YOU THE PUZZLE DIAGRAMS THAT OUR OTHER NEW HUMAN FRIENDS HAVE SHARED WITH ME!"

With that, despite Flowey beginning to offer protest, Papyrus gave Toriel and Sans a wink and then hurried off towards where Frisk was. Toriel really did owe that skeleton, more than she could ever hope to repay. With everyone around them sufficiently occupied, she and Sans looked at each other before leaving the tent and heading for the nearby hill.

They walked in a silence that invited back the somberness and proper heavy emotions the ancient grounds deserved. Soon the sounds of the human camp behind them fell away, and there was only the soft crunching of the grass beneath their feet. Well… more so her feet. Given that Sans' incredibly light footfalls hardly made a sound, especially compared to her own heavy paws. Had Sans been making this trek to the hill alone, he likely would not have disturbed the quiet of this place much at all. If the situation had been less solemn, she likely would have found some amusement in that.

It seemed all too slow, yet all to quick that they reached the hill. Then found themselves climbing up a short set of worn, ancient steps to the site of the grave at the hill's top. The remains of the decorative marble building used to mark this spot was notably in far better shape than the castle. It displayed its age certainly, but much of it still held strong, even littered with cracks and the same invading creeping vines. Clearly there had been some effort, likely still during ancient times, to maintain this grave, unlike the castle they left to rot beyond it.

There was no roof, save for the protection of the towering elm above them. It reminded Toriel vaguely of the willow by her own home. Only fanciful walls encircled the area and headstone in the back. There were ornately carved depictions of angels, trees and flowers in the ancient stone walls, flowing into what Toriel assumed must have been Adean's royal crest on either side, complete with the King's signature spear and a small depiction of Mt. Ebott in its center.

For a King, she couldn't help but think it was rather humble indeed. The old Adean she'd know would have liked that, but she could not vouch for anything regarding their true nature anymore. Regardless, she was surprised that this was all a reigning King had been offered in death. Especially in regards to the headstone itself. It was rather simple. A large square base with a long pointed tower shaped structure emerging from it, only barely taller than Toriel herself. It bore Adean's name along the base and other text along the tower, surprisingly all still rather legible despite the centuries of wear. It was all also beautifully decorated in the same vein as the walls, but it was still so… simple.

Surely she remembered correctly that human royalty were given much pomp and circumstance, even in death? Why, in the early days, her own family had had more elegant graves commissioned for some of the royal pets than this. They at least got statues, which sadly had not survived the centuries it seemed. Perhaps the lack of finer detail spoke ill of how Adean was actually perceived in death by their kingdom. Whether due to their apparent suicide, their grievous actions towards monsterkind, or some other reason beyond her knowledge, Toriel couldn't say.

She spared little attention to the surrounding decor, finding her eyes drawn quickly to the words engraved at the base of the grave as she and Sans came to a stop before it.

Adean Ebott

13th King of the great kingdom of Ebott, Conqueror of Monsterkind.

She caught the sight of Sans wincing a bit at those words out of the corner of her eye. But while his gaze quickly moved to the words on the tall part of the grave. Toriel's lingered on that name for a long time, taking in all the meaning and memories that it carried for her. She knew as well from what Burgundy had said what else would be written on the grave, and she wasn't sure just how ready she was to take it all in. Sans' expression, while more controlled beside her then, betrayed enough unease to further that sentiment.

But in the end, it had to be done before she left this place. She knew deep down she wouldn't be summoning up the strength to come back here for a long time. So she steadied herself, gripped Sans' small hand a little tighter for support, and lifted her gaze to the inscription on the tall part of the grave.

Excerpt of the Final Written Words of Ebott's 13th King

No prosperity was worth this. No matter how my people and my own dearest loved ones sing my praises and live out their joys and comforts, I can not share in it. The older I grow, the more my mind's walls fail me. I am deafened by the wailing of the mountain. Of the boiling misery of the souls beneath it. It consumes me. It calls me to it. It haunts me. It screams for my blood in voices familiar to me. Screams I can no longer deafen with a heavy golden crown. Screams that have robbed me of all Determination. All rest. All hope. All happiness. All will to go on for even what little time I have left.

So it is here, in the place where my greatest sins began, I will end my life, knowing that humanity will still prosper unfairly in my absence. May the spirits of some of my earliest victims here at this castle witness it, and be appeased some by the spilling of my blood. The shattering of my soul. It is all I have left to give.

Send my body into the earth without a marker when you find me, so that I may finally suffer some fraction of what I justly deserve for what I did in my youth.

That was all. At least, all that the humans who constructed this gravesite had chosen to include. Toriel had reason to believe there was more, especially keeping in mind Adean's final wishes had been so directly ignored. That fact suddenly made even the meager decor surrounding them feel sinful for its mere existence.

Was there more to that note that Adean had written before they died? Had they apologized to Toriel, Asgore or their families by name? Had they shared any remorse more personal to their betrayal in particular? Toriel didn't doubt it. She knew the human had written down their thoughts in their journals most nights, often filling pages upon pages. This would be terribly short by their standards.

Knowing that there was likely more that she would never get to see, apologies she would never get to receive, it made her feel robbed somehow, even though she knew no words of remorse could ever truly make up for a fraction of what she and all of monsterkind suffered due to Adean's actions. Her soul churned with uneasy emotion as her eyes scanned over the words a few more times. Eventually, she stopped and slowly released a heavy breath she didn't know she had been holding. Beside her, she could tell Sans was about to say something, but before he could, Toriel eased herself down to the ground on her knees before the grave, surprising him into silence.

Like this, she and her dear skeleton were almost at an equal height, save for a few inches. The cracked marble was cool against her legs, and the sprigs of plantlife poking up where it could find passage lightly tickled her fur. But none of those sensations could distract her from what she felt she must do, from the image of Adean in her mind, standing in the throne room opening.

She absently rolled the golden petal in her sleeve between two fingers, then looked over at Sans, whose expression was fraught with concern. She gave him a reassuring look, but one that also communicated something silent and heavy. Sans blinked at her, losing much of the tension in his small frame. Then without a word, he sank down to sit beside her, crossing his legs and slipping his hands into his hoodie pockets.

They both looked at the grave in silence for another few moments, then Toriel gathered herself, and found the will to speak.

"Greetings… Adean…" She said softly, her voice seeming to pierce the ancient quiet of the place, one only filled by the sounds of the nature that sought to reclaim it. "It has certainly been some time."

The words hung, and for a moment Toriel felt truly foolish for what she was doing. But Sans pressed a bit closer to her side, and there came a silent encouragement from his soul. It was enough to convince her to continue, her expression remaining hard and nearly expressionless.

"I do not know if you truly can hear me, but… from what I have heard and seen myself. I would not be surprised if you could." She went on, once again lightly rubbing the soft golden petal against her paw pads.

There was another pause, and Toriel found some part of herself desiring to prick an ear and listen for some reply from beyond the grave, or some sound that betrayed that the phantom version of her former friend had returned. But she knew such a thing would break her resolve. She was not doing this for them in the end after all, but for her own sake.

"Forgiveness... is not something that comes as easily to me as the others." She went on, voice beginning to gain an edge of emotion again. "And truly, there is nothing that can wash away the sins of war… of what you and your forces did to my family… of what the whole of humankind did to what few monsters survived the massacre under your orders…"

She felt her teeth grit together at that, in the first signs of a snarl. Even now, trying to take in the scope of what Adean's actions had led to made her soul feel as though it were being clawed at. It was so hard to accept that the orders of a single human king could have led to so much death, and so many centuries of misery for those who did survive. Truly Adean's stain upon the world was deep, and darkly red. No amount of remorse could ever make what they did go away. No matter their reasoning for doing what they did, there was no truly forgiving this. Not for her.

And yet, her soul still ached in her chest… for the image of the young human who had once been so dear to her. In the tree above, a lark cheerfully sang out its song, drawing her back to the task of speaking, rather than simply ruminating.

"But… you were once my dearest friend." She went on slowly, curling her claws against her knees. "My only real friend my own age, for quite some time. I still know not what drove you to make such a wretched decision. I know what the stories say… but I do not know what it truly was in your once kindly soul that turned it so cold."

She shut her eyes, finding these words and this situation all too familiar. The image of yet another King that had fallen from grace entered her mind, then the faces of her two living children joined them and it made her soul churn sickly with conflicted emotions.

"Unfortunately, it seems that such things… are not uncommon among those I care for." She said, with a aggrieved, somewhat bewildered sort of chuckle. "All souls are capable of great evil, human and monster alike. Such things should ideally be black and white in terms of whether or not those to succumb to that evil should be forgiven, but… more and more, I find that it is not that simple. It is not that simple at all..."

She ran a paw down her face for a moment, fighting against the first signs of a emerging headache. Her throat tightened up a bit with emotion as well, leaving her briefly unable to continue until the moment passed, her red eyes opened once more, and she had set her paw back into her lap.

"If it is true that your spirit is trapped here in unrest because of your remorse, as I fear it is…" She went on, hesitantly. "Then truly… I hope that my visiting here could be what allows you to finally move on to wherever you need to be going. Or at least… helps in that process. Perhaps Asgore could stand to visit here too..."

Thoughts about how that may or may not actually help the potential situation ran through her head briefly. And she pondered just how Asgore would react to such an idea, in contrast to herself. He had taken Adean's betrayal far harder than even she had back then, nearly shutting down entirely when she and him abruptly both found themselves the new leaders of monsterkind at its absolute lowest and most chaotic point. He had never fully lost the hatred for humanity Adean had inspired in him. It still dwelled in the deepest parts of his soul, locked away, but not truly extinguished.

It inspired doubt in her that he'd be willing to come to this place if he knew Adean was buried here. Hell, it would have made her hesitate coming here as well had she known. He clearly was excited to give her that letter because she thought it would make her happy to know her former home was still standing, not giving enough thought to the deeper implications that would come with it. Such things seemed to define her ex husband as of late… No, that had always been a part of him. Hindsight was always clearer after all.

She wondered then as well, what she would be saying to her deceased former friend if she had come here before attempting to begin mending things with Asgore. She had changed so much in such a short time… would her soul have been too hardened, too hurt to even attempt what she was doing now? She supposed it was better that she would never know.

"I cannot truly ever forgive such evil acts Adean." She said with more strength and sternness to her voice. "But… I can at least let you know that monsterkind has moved on from your actions. We are free now, and are making strides everyday to heal further from the centuries of imprisonment and misery you inflicted upon us. Your sins will stain many a future generation, but we will move past it, and we will thrive again."

Those words lit the fire of her own determination and she pressed on with more confidence, drawing herself up as she spoke.

"We have found our own way out of the darkness, led by a child who is... so remarkably like you… in appearance, in preferred pronouns and in wayward tendencies..." That made her falter momentarily, images of both Frisk and Chara emerging in her mind, the latter looking even more so like the ancient human buried here, but she continued unheeded. "What gods could have laid out such a coincidence, I could not imagine, but there is nothing more your remorse and misery can do to make up for what you have done."

Those words carried an odd mix of emotions, all distant, yet still enough to burn at her soul in that moment. Part of feared what words wanted to leave her next, as she knew treating the human responsible for all of monsterkind's suffering with any sort of courtesy carried its own potential sin with it. But the words came anyway, as though unbidden.

"I am truly sorry Adean, for whatever it was that turned your soul so far away from being that human child who once pulled pranks with me, shared books with me, and taught me to appreciate the beauty of the little things in life. The loss of that child... could never not be a tragedy to me."

Almost as unconsciously as the words she spoke, she suddenly found her paw moving forward to rest against the cool marble ancient grave. The stone felt rough with age against her paw pads, and she silently extended and curled her claws against its surface as well. She drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Her soul seemed to release something too during with the act, but what it was, she wasn't certain.

"Go in peace now if you can. Do not wallow through eternity over your past sins. There is nothing more to be accomplished. It is over Adean, it is done." She declared, regaining more of her former royal tone then than any other time since she left the throne.

With that, she pulled her paw briefly back into her sleeve then lowered it down to the base of the grave. Carefully, she opened her paw and laid the golden petal there, in a small patch of dappled sunlight from above. The uneven surface of the worn marble cradled it safely from the breeze, and the sunlight so enhanced its hues that it all but glowed there where it lay. Her paw remained partially curled around it for a few moments as she found herself unable to look away. She could tell Sans was looking at it too, surprised and confused, but not enough to speak and interrupt her moment.

She knew not if what she had seen had been real, if this petal truly had any meaning beyond that of indulging an old lady's delusions, if any of this had any true point to it at all. Yet, she couldn't deny there was a great stirring in her soul as she looked down at the tiny petal and its brilliant gold. She still couldn't place the exact emotions, nor their source, but they once again drove the final words from her mouth, just as she pulled her paw back into her lap and bowed her head.

"Goodbye… my old friend." She said, picturing as she did the image of the younger Adean, who had once been so dear to her… and quietly… letting it go.

The process took longer than she realized, and she ended up remaining where she was for a minute or so after the words had left her. Sans didn't say anything about it though, he just remained by her side, utterly silent. Part of her even wondered if he had dozed off in response to all her aimlessness, but no, his soul's pulse was steady and supportive, heavy with the emotions of the situation. And it was that pulse of his soul that restored her strength and pulled her back to the present reality at hand. There was a sensation then, like she was waking up from another one of her dreams, and the mindscape she'd been in previously was melting away.

She managed a smile after another moment, as the feeling faded and the world around them seemed to… shift somehow. She got her feet beneath her and began to rise up to her full height again. As she did, she offered a paw to her dear skeleton.

"Come now, my love." She said warmly, decidedly not looking at the grave any longer. "Let us head home for now."

He blinked up at her, and she could see there was so much he wanted to say, to ask her. She could imagine he was realizing just how much about her he didn't and couldn't truly know, even considering his own situation. Perhaps he was fully grasping the reality of her life as an immortal being, and all she had lived through as a result. But despite the near visible thoughts that were consuming him, he reached up and took her paw, allowing her to gently pull him to his feet.

"yah, okay tori…" He said in a quietly awed sort of tone, no hint of his usual joviality present.

She could hardly blame him for feeling dazed after all that. It was an awful lot for him to be taking in at once. She knew it was pointless to feel guilty for that at this point, but she still hoped he would not be too troubled by today's events. Truly, even though she was the one who should be feeling devastated and overwhelmed at the moment, she felt… oddly content now that she knew it was over and she had faced it all.

Perhaps she felt a bit distant now. The pain was there… but it felt manageable… controlled… even conquered in some way? It was likely just the "shock" of it all wearing off, but she was grateful for it nonetheless.

But she feared the same may not apply to Sans, having to sort through all these ancient events and their current consequences and figure out how to feel about them. And as they turned hand in hand and began to exit the grave site down the same short set of stairs they used to enter, it seemed her fears were justified.

"Oh my dear, are you crying?" She asked, pausing at the foot of the steps, just as their feet met the grass again.

Sans stopped beside her, seeming surprised by the question. He blinked in confusion and reached up to touch his face, then sure enough, pulled his hand back to find it wet.

"wha- oh… huh… guess so." he said, sounding far more perplexed about that fact than anything else as he stared at the offending moisture on his phalanges.

Toriel felt her soul give off a harsh pang, and she turned to him with a fretful expression.

"I am so sorry if hearing all that upset you…" She apologized, gripping his hand a little tighter. "I did get a little carried away, did I not?"

To her surprise, he smiled at that and let out something of a hoarse chuckle before rubbing his sleeve over his sockets.

"nah, its fine…" He said, looking up to her once his sockets were dry again. "sheesh… pretty dumb though huh? i'm hardly the one who should be a mess right now."

Now it was her turn to blink in surprise, before her expression softened into something less stressed and a bit of her smile returned. The reality of what was happening was sinking in and it was far less worrisome than what she had initially feared. She softened her grip on his hand, and tenderly swept her thumb over it.

"Not at all, I am glad you seem less reserved over such things now." She said gently, feeling warmer emotions bloom within her soul, chasing the chill of what this place had stirred in her away. "And I truly thank you Sans… for being here for me today. It… means a lot."

His expression softened up in turn, no longer carrying that far away look in his eyelights. From her grip on his hand, she felt his soul return her warmth, pulling all her attention and potential drifting thought firmly on him.

"no prob t. i'm… glad i came too. for all of it. even that stuff with ol g." He replied with an earnest tone, before looking out at the impressively beautiful view of the castle grounds the hill offered them. "and if there's any other places out there you wanna explore sometime, i think i'd be up for it. so long as you can cas- sell it well, of course. "

As usual, such a pun turned out to be exactly what she needed at that moment, and she laughed a laugh wholly inappropriate for the place they were currently standing in front of. But she didn't care, she needed it, and it was clear he needed it too, for he joined her without question, having to lean against her for support as the wheezes of laughter heaved through his small frame.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him to her all the while, just letting the foolish, poorly convinced humor reduce her to a giggling mess. Enough to forget, or at least dull the darker thoughts returning to her old home had invited. And for a while, they just stood there at the foot of that ancient gravesite and laughed themselves silly over nothing at all. It was simply their way it seemed, and she sincerely hoped that would never change.

Eventually, when all the giggles and snorts of amusement had ceased, there was a sense that a great weight had been lifted off both of them. Though Sans reacted to this by continuing to lean on her for support, Toriel herself felt a certain energy had returned to her after such a long day. There was a certain confidence there as well, making her soul feel as though it were glowing brightly within her. She looked down at him then, in a way that probably made him think he was about to be hit with a much more serious question than he actually was.

"Sans, would it be alright if I carried you on the way back this time?" She asked warmly. "After all, you spent all that time today walking and carrying Frisk… We would not want you to exhaust yourself on that long walk back, now would we?"

That explanation was the main reason for her asking that, yes, but… there was a bit more too it as well. After all that had happened today, all he had done for her, his willingness to be by her side through it all, she felt a deep need to repay him, even with the knowledge that he almost certainly had similar thoughts in the reverse regarding her. But even so, she wanted to do this for him, silly and small a thing as it was. Plus… she really would like an excuse to hold him close right now, after spending so much time today ruminating over those she'd long lost.

Sans was a little surprised by the request, but still a bit caught up in the lingering high from their shared laughing fit, he didn't take too long to agree.

"heh... yah, wouldn't want that." He said with a nod, voice steadily beginning to sober up. "sounds good to me tori."

She smiled brightly and shot him a look that was rather thankful in nature before moving to scoop him up off his feet bridal style. She adjusted him into a comfortable position, so that he could sit up in the crook of her arm and lean against her shoulder. After a moment of hesitation, he slid an arm around the back of her neck and settled against her with a soft sigh of contentment. She responded by giving him a light nuzzle, as her long ears caught the breeze and lightly flapped in the wind. He flushed a bit from her actions and pulled down into his hood somewhat, but managed not to get as flustered as he usually did from such things. They shared another soft laugh then she began to walk, trekking back through the grass to the tents in the distance at a steady pace.

They both went quiet again for a bit after that, with only distant sounds from the camp and Toriel's tromping through the tall, wild grass breaking the silence. After a bit though, Sans did speak up again, his voice a touch more somber and serious than before.

"you gonna be okay?" He asked, and his soul mirrored the question with a soft pulse of concern.

It was so very close to her own then, it all but mixed with her own emotions. As much as she would have loved to keep up the jovial atmosphere and reply confidently with a pun of her own to boot, or even direct the question right back at him, she knew she needed to be honest with him then. They'd had their fun breaking the tension of the conversation, but the hard truth of it still needed to be addressed before they left, lest it linger within her and add to the already enormous weight upon her soul. Lest it continue to pick at her old wounds in its quest to send her over the edge.

"I cannot promise that…" She admitted as she continued on walking at a slightly slower pace, her red eyes becoming a touch hazy all the while. "But I have plenty of reasons to believe I will. Reliving all of this has been harder than I ever thought, especially with all the new information that came to light that I was ignorant of..."

Her expression softened again at that, as she cast a weighty look at the castle.

"And yet… despite everything… doing all this feels like it has eased something inside me." She concluded, resting her free paw briefly over her chest.

Sans blinked at her, then smiled a true smile, even if that meant it was smaller than his usual grin. Then he nuzzled his skull into the crook of her neck, letting out a yawn before speaking his soft reply.

"glad to hear it." He all but mumbled, earnestly, but all weighed down with sleepiness. "i think... i'll be okay too."

She giggled warmly again to herself, shifting him a little to accommodate his skull better. By the time she had completed the little motion, he was fast asleep, snoring away with that small smile on his face like he didn't have a care in the world. Yet even in sleep, his soul was making an effort to share love and comfort with her own. She could hardly imagine a nicer sight and feeling to be blessed with in that moment.

She focused back an appreciative pulse of her own before continuing down the hill at her earlier pace, one that would ideally give her plenty of time to enjoy the moment, but still keep an eye on her children in the distance as she approached from her vantage point.

Her words from before rang true. She knew she was still overwhelmed and stressed from everything the world had dumped on her shoulders in such a short time. Things that gone as far as to shatter her entire worldview or changed her whole outlook on certain relationships she had with others in what felt like a blink of an eye. And it wasn't over. She was sure now that her children would be revealing to her whatever great secret it was that they had been struggling to keep all this time. Something, no doubt, big.

But somehow, she did feel right then that she would be able to bear it. Surely it could not be any more shocking or devastating than anything else she had been put through thus far, right? If what Sans had told her of her children's actions had not turned her soul against them, then nothing would. She could endure whatever great revelation they had for her. Her soul was becoming hardened against her usual panic and paranoia, she could feel that deep down. And she had such a wonderful source of support to see her through whatever it may be.

She would listen to them, take in what they said and deal with it as she had everything else. No, better than she had everything else. She wasn't on the edge of cracking as she had been fearing, she was getting stronger. This trip had certainly helped with that. There was nothing they could tell her that she couldn't deal with. And they would all be better off once whatever great hidden truth they had been keeping to themselves was out in the open to be known.

She had to believe that.

In that moment, as she continued down through the thick waving grass of the hillside, she was suddenly sure she could feel someone watching her. She felt, specifically, a pair of ancient, familiar eyes looking down at her from the hilltop gravesite, the gaze powerful enough to make the fur on the back of her neck stand on end. It made her realize that feeling had been following her around all that day, lingering as a small source of unease until the moments it decided to make itself known. With her powerful ears, she swore she could hear the faint sound of a poncho flapping in the breeze, far behind her.

She did not look back.