Thanks again to Petalthorn, for her help on this and the following chapters. I managed to convince her to start uploading her own story to this site, it's called Corrupted File Exe, and her author name is still Petalthorn. Check it out, it's really good!

Just a warning, there is a bit of a change in perspective here. I'm sure you'll figure out who we're talking about soon though.

Toby Fox owns Undertale and all associated characters.

There was darkness. And pain. Still, it was better than it had been. Pain could be dealt with. Pain could be ignored, shoved to the side until it was needed. Not like the utter soul-wrenching, mind-devouring agony there had been before that.

It might just be the imagination, but even the pain seemed to be lessening as time went by. If time still held any real meaning. The only constants were the darkness. And the pain.

It was unclear how long she… She? He? They? No, she felt right. It felt good, strong even. How long she had been here, wherever here was. Minutes? Days? An eternity?

She couldn't really remember anything from before the blackness. Maybe the agony from before had scoured away what had been. She vaguely remembered having a name, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember it. She was sure it was important, but it just kept slipping away from her before she could grasp it.

She didn't even notice the pain beginning to fade away until it was completely gone, leaving her alone in the black. Without the pain to distract her, she quickly found herself growing bored. Though now, she was able to recognize other sensations. Her back was pressed against a soft, plush surface and cool air danced across her body. There was something heavy clamped onto her left forearm. And there was the quiet of sound of… snoring?

This darkness needed to go, she decided. After considering for some time, it occurred to her that perhaps opening her eyes might help. She mulled it over for a while before deciding it was probably worth a shot.

It took a lot more effort than she was sure it should have to begin raising her eyelid. Eyelid. Singular. That's right, she had lost the other eye, though she didn't remember how or when. It didn't matter, it just meant she could put more effort into opening the one.

The second she did manage to crack open her eye, however, bright white light poured in, causing her to hiss in pain and quickly close it again. Damn, that was bright! Maybe it would be better to just stay in the darkness…

No. She was a warrior, dammit! She wasn't gonna be beaten by some little bright light! She was gonna show that thing who was boss!

...Where did that come from? Is that what she was like? She decided that she liked it. With that energy fueling her, she gritted her fangs and attempted opening her eye again.

This time, she didn't back down, and managed to get her eye the whole way open, and adjust to the brightness of the room. She crowed inwardly at her success.

Yeah! Take that, stupid lights!

Her vision seemed a bit blurrier than it should be, but she still cast about the room in an attempt to figure out her surroundings. She was lying on a bed just big enough for her, with pillows supporting her neck and back. There were several large machines on her right side, making quiet beeping sounds and flashing intermittently with various coloured lights. Turning her head to the other side, she was met by a far more pleasant sight.

Sitting on a comfortable, high-backed chair, was a very familiar looking yellow reptile. She was wearing a dirty lab coat with the top three buttons undone, just revealing the top of a white shirt underneath. She was leaning back against the chair, her head craned back so the the top of her head touched the backrest. Her mouth hung open slightly and she was making adorable little twitches as she slept.

A wave of emotion coursed over the one-eyed woman and she found herself smiling at the sight. A name surfaced in her mind. Alphys. Bits and pieces of fragmented memories began to make themselves known, but before she could grab a hold of them, she was distracted by a sudden vibration coming from her left forearm.

She glared down at the offending limb, and saw a metal box that had apparently been built around her arm, just above the elbow. A short, thick tube extended from the far side of the box touching back down just below her wrist, and sinking into her flesh. A few lights were flashing on the box, and already she was getting irritated with the thing. That hadn't been there before, had it?

She tried to raise her arm to get a better look at the thing, but, like her eyelid, it was a lot more difficult to raise then she had remembered it being. She narrowed her eye at the thing. She wasn't going to be beaten by her own body, that was for damn sure.

Unfortunately, her arm proved far more difficult to raise, she was almost beginning to sweat from the exertion. But she refused to give up. Even though she didn't appear to be making much progress, the box suddenly began beeping. Not very loudly, but if looks could kill, then the box would be across the room and in so many pieces that it would never have a hope of being repaired again.

As if in response to the sudden beeping, there was a snort from her left, though she didn't look over, still Determined to raise her arm. There was a loud yawn, and suddenly yellow hands were on the box, pulling her arm slightly to the side.

Startled, she looked over, and she saw Alphys staring blearily at the box that completely surrounded her forearm. The reptile pushed her glasses into a more comfortable position on her snout and then frowned, tapping the box with a claw.

"Hey, nerd."

The words sounded hoarse, like she hadn't used her voice in a long time. Alphys froze at the sound, and let the box and arm fall back onto the bed.

"U-Undyne?"

Undyne. That was her name. How could she have forgotten that? She smiled at Alphys. This time when she spoke, her voice was stronger.

"You can't get rid of me that easily."

One minute Alphys was standing there, staring at her, the next, Undyne was nearly squashed as the reptile hurled herself onto the bed.

"Y-you're alright!" She sobbed, wrapping her arms around the warrior. "I was s-so scared that you… that you…"

Undyne ignored the crushing sensation and slowly raised her non-encased arm, finding it a lot easier to lift since it didn't have the extra weight holding it down. She brought it up and wrapped it as tightly as she could muster around the scientist, returning her embrace as best she could.

"Hey, don't cry. I'm alright, see?"

After a few moments Alphys pulled back slipping off the bed though she seemed unwilling to remove her hands from Undyne, one of them lightly stroking her left arm while the other tangled itself in her unbound hair that spread over the pillows she lay on.

Undyne studied Alphys with concern.

"What about you? Are you alright? You don't look like you've been sleeping well. I keep telling you you can't survive off energy drinks forever, you do need actual sleep."

Alphys gave Undyne a startled look, then let out an incredulous giggle.

"Y-you took a… a blast of magic for me, and I'm the one you're worried about?" Alphys's shoulders drooped and she looked down at the ground. "I almost got you killed. If it wasn't for.. for me, you wouldn't have… you wouldn't have…"

Undyne reached over and grabbed Alphys by the cheeks, forcing her to meet her gaze, a serious look on her face.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Alphy. I saved you, you saved me. Far as I'm concerned, that makes us even. Ya got that?"

Alphys stared wide-eyed at Undyne for a moment, before giving a tiny nod. Upon that victory, Undyne's serious face melted away and she gave a big grin, then leaned forward and planted a kiss at the tip of the scientist's snout.

Alphys immediately turned a beet red and began to sputter, looking away nervously. Undyne was grateful for that, because it hid how quickly she fell back down on to the bed even after such little exertion. One thing was for sure: she didn't like feeling so weak.

Alphys regained her composure fairly quickly , at least in comparison of how she used to be. A memory surfaced in Undyne's mind, recalling when she had first kissed the reptile. It had been a chaste kiss, just on the cheek, not only had Alphys's entire body gone red, but she had immediately passed out afterwards.

"I'm glad you're awake now." Alphys said quietly. "I missed you."

"So did I."

Alphys hung her head at that.

"I… I know. It was stupid, I shouldn't h-have spent so much time at work. I j-just wanted-"

"Hey." Undyne cut her off. "Quit doing that, you're giving me mixed messages here."

Alphys looked at her in confusion. Undyne just grinned.

"It's my job to beat on people who beat on my girlfriend." Her emphasis of the word was rewarded by another adorable blush. "When that person is you, it confuses me, so quit it, alright? Anyway, it was totally worth it to see you in that thing, kicking ass with the rest of us!"

Alphys gave a small smile, and the look she gave Undyne told her all she needed to know.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Undyne just grinned in response. That grin quickly turned to a frown however, when the box on her arm vibrated again. She turned to glare at the thing, raising her free arm and fully intending to smash it.

"Okay, I've just about had it with this-"

"W-wait!"

Undyne paused and shot a quizzical look at Alphys.

"D-don't break it! That's the only thing keeping you alive!"

Undyne slowly lowered her arm.

"Huh?"

Alphys gave a quick rundown on Determination and its effect on Monsters, as well as Undyne's unique ability to produce it naturally. The fish-woman could tell that her lover was holding back on giving lengthy, detailed descriptions, so it must be important, and she tried to follow along as best she could.

"Because of how dangerous it is, I don't think it would ever reveal itself unless you were in great danger, but when you were hit by that blast, it started fluctuating wildly within you. It was the only thing keeping you alive, but it was also killing you.

"Fortunately, I've worked with Determination before, and I was able to make this." She gestured to the box. "I-it's still just a prototype, b-but I've already thought of some ways to improve it later."

"Alright, but what exactly does this thing do?"

"It's a Determination Recycler. It moderates and regulates the flow of Determination throughout your body, and keeps it at a safe level. I don't know if it'll settle down eventually, but right now, if you don't have it, you'll probably begin to melt almost immediately." Alphys looked away.

"By the time I managed to get the machine working, you were starting to melt far worse than I had seen before. Any later and…"

Undyne was slightly shocked to hear how close she had been to death, but she put on a smile for Alphys.

"Hey, what'd I say about mixed messages, huh? I'm here, and you saved me. Everything's gonna be fine."

"Of course it is, darlings."

Both Alphys and Undyne looked towards the sound of the voice, and there was Mettaton, striding confidently into the room, a panel in the glass wall behind him sliding shut as he did so. He put one hand on his hip and took a condescending stance, one eyebrow raised at the prone fish-warrior.

"You know, darling, I understand the importance of beauty sleep, but you've taken it a bit far, don't you think?"

"I didn't see you out there fighting that Defiler guy." Undyne snapped.

To her surprise, Mettaton's face morphed into an expression of regret.

"You're right. As soon as I heard about the attacks, I cancelled my tour and rushed back. I was too late, I'm afraid."

Undyne looked over at Alphys, who nodded. Undyne had never really gotten along with Mettaton, but she knew how the robot lived for his tours. The fact that he would even consider cancelling, much less go through with it, was a significant sacrifice for him.

"Anyway!" Mettaton said, brightening. "Everyone will be very glad to see you're awake. You've been worrying us, darling. Our little Alphys here has hardly slept in over a week!"

Undyne frowned.

"Over a week? I've been asleep for that long?"

Alphys nodded.

"Well, it's very fortuitous that you woke up now, Undyne. I was going to fill Alphys in on what happened the other day, but I'm sure you'll want to hear it too."

"What is it, Mettaton?" Alphys asked.

"Well, darling, fortunately you outfitted me with a recorder. I put that to good use yesterday. It certainly saves me the trouble of having to recount everything…"

The glamorous robot closed his eyes, and snapped his fingers, and voices, sounding familiar though slightly synthesized, began to play from his chest. The first voice belonged to Papyrus.

"Frisk! It is good to see you up again! You had the great Papyrus worried after napping for so long! I fear you've been spending too much time around my lazybones brother!" The pair listened intently as the events of the previous day were replayed.

"Here, let me take her." Asgore's voice was soft, and the two women listening to the recording heard slight rustling, followed by soft footfalls heading away. Mettaton opened his eyes, a sad smile on his face and the sound from his chest faded.

Alphys's hands had raised to her face and her eyes were shining with unshed tears. Undyne was trying to keep her own emotions in check while she tried to process what she just heard.

"So there you have it, darlings." Metatton's voice was more subdued than usual.

"S-so… is Frisk…?"

Mettaton gave an uncomfortable shrug.

"I don't know. Sans seemed to think there was a chance that you might be able to figure it out, though it'll be some time before Toriel and Asgore can let Chara out of their sight. Papyrus, bless his soul, is convinced that Frisk is fine. Not to mention being ecstatic about the opportunity to make a new friend."

"Frisk doesn't go down easily, and he sure as hell never gives up." Undyne said with slightly forced enthusiasm. "Just you watch, he'll be up and about in no time."

"Of course he will!"

A familiar, very enthusiastic voice all but echoed around the room, and Papyrus walked in, strutting proudly. Sans was following just behind him, mimicking the taller skeleton's strides.

"Frisk has merely been infected by my lackadaisical brother. Do not worry, though! I, the great Papyrus, have taken charge of the situation. Sans has been grounded until further notice, so he cannot infect my beloved friends with his lazybones ways!"

"Sup, bro?"

"Sans! I told you you were grounded!"

"And here I am, standing on the ground."

"Aargh!"

"Papyrus? What are you doing here?" Undyne asked.

"Mettaton texted me, of course!" The skeleton puffed out his ribcage.

Undyne gave the robot a look, which apparently had no effect other than causing Mettaton to grin.

"Well, when I walked in and saw the two of you having your little… moment, I took the time to let everyone know you'd woken up! You might want to brace yourself, darling, you're going to have your hands full with well-wishers soon enough. You know, most of the city considers you a hero now."

"And they're right!" Papyrus enthused before Undyne had a chance to say anything. "I don't understand what everyone was so worried about: everyone knows that Undyne is unbeatable!" The skeleton paused. "Except for that one time with Frisk. And the other time Frisk beat her. And the-"

"I think she gets the point, darling." Mettaton said, amusement evident in his voice.

"I dunno, it doesn't look like she's got any of her spears to me."

"Sans!"

"Hey, guys?" Undyne asked, drawing the group's attention back to her. "You've all seen Chara, what's she like?"

"She seems like a very sensitive person who likes hugs!" Papyrus replied. "She was crying almost the entire time we spoke with her. Of course, she would have felt better with one of my signature hugs, but someone," He glared at Sans. "Wouldn't let me."

"Bro, you know the power of your hugs. She'd had a real long day; I wasn't sure if she could handle all of your coolness just then. Better to wait until she's really prepared for it, right?"

"Hmm, I hadn't thought of that! Truly, sometimes being as awesome as me can come with terrible burdens. But I must remain strong! I'm sure her hug capacity will reach one hundred percent soon enough, and I, the great Papyrus, will be there with open arms!"

"I'm sure you will, Paps." Sans turned his attention to Undyne. "She's been through a lot, but despite that, she's trying. Gotta give her credit for that."

"Wait." Alphys spoke up. "S-sans, in the recording, Toriel said that you knew about Chara already?"

"That reminds me!" Undyne trained her eye on Sans, practically daring him to try and look away. "What the hell, Sans!? You've been holding out on me! When did you get that strong?"

"I don't know what you-"

"Don't give me that crap! We all saw you in the fight, you were pulling out moves that I'd never seen before, and those dog-skulls were so cool! I could feel the power coming off those things!" Undyne suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be angry at Sans and scowled.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Sans gave a shrug.

"I never needed to before. Anyways, I'm too lazy to be in the spotlight, remember? You fit it way better."

"I must admit, I was impressed, Sans!" Papyrus jumped in, apparently oblivious to Undyne's anger. "It seems you took all my training advice to heart!"

"Well, how could I resist someone as cool as you?"

"You can't! Nyeh-heh-heh!"

Undyne opened her mouth to yell at Sans again, but stopped short at the feeling of a small hand on hers. She looked over, surprised, to see Alphys looking straight at her, one hand covering her own. She gave a tiny shake of her head, her eyes pleading with the warrior not to push it.

Undyne growled in frustration, but she relented. She did send another glare at Sans though.

"Fine, keep your secrets. But this isn't over yet, Sans."

"Do you think Toriel and Asgore will come?" Mettaton asked, deftly taking the subject away from the small skeleton's surprising power.

"I doubt it." Sans replied. "Chara's still not fully recovered, and she's been in bed pretty much ever since she told everyone who she was. They'll probably come later, once Chara's doing better. Neither of them want to leave her right now."

Alphys tapped a claw against the side of Undyne's bed.

"Maybe when she's better, I can see if I can find out what happened to Frisk? I think I have a Soul Scanner around here somewhere…" The reptile was lost in thought now, gazing around the room, seemingly oblivious to the other occupants.

"Why on earth would you have made one of those in the first place?" Mettaton questioned.

"W-well," Alphys stuttered, broken out of her reverie. "Umm, it was uh, left over from when I was testing Human Souls? To see how much weaker they were? Uh, it would need some modifications, but I think.. I think I can make it so we can use it to figure out what happened to Frisk and get him back."

"See, brother!" Papyrus enthused. "I told you the great Doctor Alphys would have something! Frisk will be back in no time!"

"Guess you were right again, bro. Once again you're a-skull of the game."

"That's it!"

As Papyrus began chasing his brother around the room, Sans somehow always staying just out of his reach, Undyne couldn't help the smile that slowly overtook her face. She didn't even want to stop it. It felt so good to have everyone here, around her again. She would shake off this feeling of weakness and be back up to full strength in no time. Undyne was back in action!

Author's note: Response to Obitzurama: Well, you got the general idea, anyway. What The Defiler referred to as a soul lock, was created simply from Frisk's desire to keep Chara safe. Now, this would not, in fact keep Chara's soul from suffering damage, but The Defiler doesn't want to destroy her soul, he wants to absorb it. Which means that as long as the lock was in effect, his only way to do so was to destroy Frisk's body, or have Chara leave it voluntarily.

As for what Gaster did to The Defiler, and what he is... well, Gaster is going to show up again at some point, perhaps more will be revealed there.

I hope that answers your questions, lemme know if you have any others! I'm more than happy to explain my personal reasoning and headcanons behind how my story works!